Granted Patent B2

US 10,191,388 · App. 16/013,131 · Granted Jan 29, 2019

Inventor: Akimitsu Ebihara (Fukaya, JP)

Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION

G03F7/70333B82Y10/00G03F7/70225G03F7/70325G03F7/70341G03F7/70716G03F7/70725G03F7/70733G03F7/70758G03F7/70816Y10T29/49826

Abstract

Claims (92)

1. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with illumination light via a projection optical system and liquid, the exposure apparatus comprising:

a liquid immersion member provided to surround a plane-convex lens of a plurality of optical elements of the projection optical system, and to form a liquid immersion region with the liquid below the projection optical system, the plane-convex lens being located at a closest position to an image plane among the plurality of optical elements, the plane-convex lens having a planar surface, from which the illumination light is emitted, that is arranged to contact with the liquid;

a first stage system having a first holding member and a first drive system to move the first holding member in at least a first direction, the first direction being within a predetermined plane that is orthogonal to an optical axis of the projection optical system, the first holding member being arranged above the projection optical system and holding a mask that is illuminated with the illumination light, the first drive system having a first motor that drives the first holding member;

a detection system located away from the projection optical system at least in one sense of the first direction and to detect a mark of the substrate;

a second stage system having two second holding members and a second drive system to move the two second holding members in at least the first direction and a second direction, the second direction being within the predetermined plane and being orthogonal to the first direction, the two second holding members being arranged below the projection optical system and each configured to hold the substrate, the second drive system having a second motor that drives the two second holding members;

a measurement apparatus having a first measuring system to obtain positional information of the first holding member and having a second measuring system to obtain positional information of the two second holding members; and

a controller coupled to the first and second measuring systems and to the first and second drive systems, the controller being arranged to control the first and second drive systems based on measurement information of the first and second measuring systems such that, for an exposure process of the substrate via the projection optical system and the liquid of the liquid immersion region, an alignment process between the mask and the substrate is executed based on detection information of the detection system and such that a scanning exposure where the mask and the substrate are each moved relative to the illumination light is performed with the first direction being a scanning direction,

wherein, in a state in which one of the two second holding members is arranged opposite to the projection optical system, the controller controls the second drive system to move the other of the two second holding members in an opposite sense of the first direction so that the other of the two second holding members comes close to the one of the two second holding members, and

wherein, in a state in which the liquid immersion region is substantially maintained below the projection optical system, the controller controls the second drive system to move the close two second holding members in the opposite sense of the first direction relative to the liquid immersion member so that the other of the two second holding members is arranged opposite to the projection optical system in place of the one of the two second holding members.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein, before the other of the two second holding members comes close to the one of the two second holding members, the controller controls the second drive system for a detection process of the mark of the substrate, which is held by the other of the two second holding members, by the detection system, in parallel with the exposure process for the substrate, which is held by the one of the two second holding members.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein, after the movement of the close two second holding members and in a state in which the other of the two second holding members is arranged opposite to the projection optical system, the controller controls the second drive system to move the one of the two second holding members to an exchange position where the substrate held on the one of the two second holding members is to be exchanged, the exchange position being located away from the projection optical system in at least the one sense of the first direction.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein, in a state in which the liquid immersion region is substantially maintained below the projection optical system while a plurality of the exposure processes for a plurality of the substrates are performed, the controller controls the second drive system to move the two second holding members such that the exposure processes are performed by alternately using the two second holding members.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein, in the movement of the other of the two second holding members in the opposite sense of the first direction, the controller controls the second drive system to adjust a positional relationship between the two second holding members in the second direction, and

wherein, in the movement of the close two second holding members, the controller controls the second drive system such that the positional relationship between the close two second holding members is maintained.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein, in the exposure process, the substrate is located adjacent to a lower surface of the liquid immersion member, a pattern image of the mask illuminated with the illumination light is projected onto the substrate via the projection optical system and the liquid of the liquid immersion region, and the liquid immersion region is formed at a local part on the substrate, the local part including a projection area of the pattern image.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the liquid immersion member has a lower surface, a plurality of supply ports and a plurality of recovery ports, to supply the liquid onto the substrate via the supply ports and to recovery the liquid from the substrate via the recovery ports, the lower surface having an opening through which the illumination light passes, the supply ports and the recovery ports being provided such that the supply ports and the recovery ports are arranged opposite to the substrate in a state in which the substrate is located adjacent to the lower surface of the liquid immersion member,

wherein the supply ports are arranged to surround the opening, and

wherein the recovery ports are arranged to surround the opening and the supply ports.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7 ,

wherein the liquid immersion member has a supply passage and a recovery passage connected to the supply ports and the recovery ports, respectively, to continuously execute a supply process and a recovery process of the liquid at least in the exposure process.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7 ,

wherein the liquid immersion member is capable of being moved in a vertical direction while being arranged adjacent to the plane-convex lens.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6 ,

wherein the two second holding members each have an upper surface, which has a hole, to hold the substrate in the hole such that a gap is provided between the upper surface and a surface of the substrate and such that the upper surface and the surface of the substrate are substantially coplanar, and

wherein, in a state in which the upper surface is in contact with the liquid of the liquid immersion region, the upper surface maintains at least part of the liquid immersion region, which is located outside the substrate held in the hole.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 10 ,

wherein the two second holding members each have a reference member on which a reference is provided to be detected by the detection system, and

wherein the reference member is arranged in a different hole on the upper surface, which is different from the hole for the substrate, such that the reference and the upper surface are substantially coplanar.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 10 ,

wherein the second measuring system has an encoder that obtains positional information of the two second holding members,

wherein the illumination light is ArF excimer laser light,

wherein the liquid is pure water, and

wherein the plane-convex lens is made from quartz or fluorite.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 12 ,

further comprising a compensation system that controls a part of the plurality of optical elements to adjust an optical characteristic of the projection optical system, and

wherein the controller controls the compensation system for the adjustment of the optical characteristic.

14. A device fabricating method comprising:

exposing a substrate by use of the exposure apparatus of claim 1 ; and

developing the exposed substrate.

15. A method of exposing a substrate with illumination light via a projection optical system and liquid, the method comprising:

holding a mask by a first holding member, the first holding member being arranged above the projection optical system and being capable of moving in at least a first direction, the first direction being within a predetermined plane that is orthogonal to an optical axis of the projection optical system;

detecting a mark of the substrate, which is held by one of two second holding members, by a detection system located away from the projection optical system at least in one sense of the first direction, the two second holding members being arranged below the projection optical system and being capable of moving in at least the first direction and a second direction, the second direction being within the predetermined plane and being orthogonal to the first direction;

arranging the one of the two second holding members opposite to the projection optical system to perform an exposure process for the substrate held by the one of the two second holding members; and

forming a liquid immersion region, by a liquid immersion member provided to surround a plane-convex lens of a plurality of optical elements of the projection optical system, with the liquid below the plane-convex lens, the plane-convex lens being located at a closest position to an image plane among the plurality of optical elements, the plane-convex lens having a planar surface, from which the illumination light is emitted, that is arranged to contact with the liquid;

in the exposure process, executing an alignment process between the mask and the substrate based on detection information of the detection system and moving the first holding member and the one of the two second holding members based on measurement information of a first measuring system and a second measuring system such that a scanning exposure where the mask and the substrate are each moved relative to the illumination light is performed with the first direction being a scanning direction, the first measuring system obtaining positional information of the first holding member, the second measuring system obtaining positional information of the two second holding members;

in a state in which the one of the two second holding members is arranged opposite to the projection optical system, moving the other of the two second holding members in an opposite sense of the first direction so that the other of the two second holding members comes close to the one of the two second holding members; and

in a state in which the liquid immersion region is substantially maintained below the plane-convex lens, moving the close two second holding members in the opposite sense of the first direction relative to the projection optical system so that the other of the two second holding members is arranged opposite to the projection optical system in place of the one of the two second holding members.

16. The method according to claim 15 ,

wherein, before the other of the two second holding members comes close to the one of the two second holding members, a detection process of the mark of the substrate, which is held by the other of the two second holding members, is executed by the detection system, in parallel with the exposure process for the substrate, which is held by the one of the two second holding members.

17. The method according to claim 16 ,

wherein, after the movement of the close two second holding members and in a state in which the other of the two second holding members is arranged opposite to the projection optical system, the one of the two second holding members is moved to an exchange position where the substrate held on the one of the two second holding members is to be exchanged, the exchange position being located away from the projection optical system in at least the one sense of the first direction.

18. The method according to claim 15 ,

wherein, in a state in which the liquid immersion region is substantially maintained below the plane-convex lens while a plurality of the exposure processes for a plurality of the substrates are performed, the two second holding members are moved such that the exposure processes are performed by alternately using the two second holding members.

19. The method according to claim 15 ,

wherein, in the movement of the other of the two second holding members in the opposite sense of the first direction, a positional relationship between the two second holding members in the second direction is adjusted, and

wherein, in the movement of the close two second holding members, the positional relationship between the close two second holding members is maintained.

20. The method according to claim 15 ,

wherein, in the exposure process, the substrate is located adjacent to a lower surface of the liquid immersion member, a pattern image of the mask illuminated with the illumination light is projected onto the substrate via the projection optical system and the liquid of the liquid immersion region, and the liquid immersion region is formed at a local part on the substrate, the local part including a projection area of the pattern image.

21. The method according to claim 15 ,

wherein the liquid is supplied onto the substrate via a plurality of supply ports and the liquid is recovered from the substrate via a plurality of recovery ports, the lower surface having an opening through which the illumination light passes, the supply ports being arranged to surround the opening, the recovery ports being arranged to surround the opening and the supply ports, and

wherein the supply ports and the recovery ports are provided such that the supply ports and the recovery ports are arranged opposite to the substrate in a state in which the substrate is located adjacent to the lower surface of the liquid immersion member.

22. The method according to claim 20 ,

wherein the two second holding members each have an upper surface, which has a hole, to hold the substrate in the hole such that a gap is provided between the upper surface and a surface of the substrate and such that the upper surface and the surface of the substrate are substantially coplanar, and

wherein, in a state in which the upper surface is in contact with the liquid of the liquid immersion region, the upper surface maintains at least part of the liquid immersion region, which is located outside the substrate held in the hole.

23. The method according to claim 22 ,

wherein each of the two second holding members is moved such that a reference of a reference member, which is arranged in a different hole from the hole for the substrate, such that the reference is detected by the detection system, and

wherein the reference member is arranged in the different hole such that the reference and the upper surface are substantially coplanar.

24. The method according to claim 22 ,

wherein the second measuring system has an encoder that obtains positional information of the two second holding members,

wherein the illumination light is ArF excimer laser light,

wherein the liquid is pure water, and

wherein the plane-convex lens is made from quartz or fluorite.

25. The method according to claim 24 ,

wherein an optical characteristic of the projection optical system is adjusted by a compensation system that controls a part of the plurality of optical elements.

26. A device fabricating method comprising:

exposing a substrate by use of the exposure method of claim 15 ; and

developing the exposed substrate.

27. A method of manufacturing an exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with illumination light via a projection optical system and liquid, the method comprising:

providing a liquid immersion member provided to surround a plane-convex lens of a plurality of optical elements of the projection optical system, and to form a liquid immersion region with the liquid below the projection optical system, the plane-convex lens being located at a closest position to an image plane among the plurality of optical elements, the plane-convex lens having a planar surface, from which the illumination light is emitted, that is arranged to contact with the liquid;

providing a first stage system having a first holding member and a first drive system to move the first holding member in at least a first direction, the first direction being within a predetermined plane that is orthogonal to an optical axis of the projection optical system, the first holding member being arranged above the projection optical system and holding a mask that is illuminated with the illumination light, the first drive system having a first motor that drives the first holding member;

providing a detection system located away from the projection optical system at least in one sense of the first direction and to detect a mark of the substrate;

providing a second stage system having two second holding members and a second drive system to move the two second holding members in at least the first direction and a second direction, the second direction being within the predetermined plane and being orthogonal to the first direction, the two second holding members being arranged below the projection optical system and each configured to hold the substrate, the second drive system having a second motor that drives the two second holding members,

providing a measurement apparatus having a first measuring system to obtain positional information of the first holding member and having a second measuring system to obtain positional information of the two second holding members; and

providing a controller coupled to the first and second measuring systems and to the first and second drive systems, the controller being arranged to control the first and second drive systems based on measurement information of the first and second measuring systems such that, for an exposure process of the substrate via the projection optical system and the liquid of the liquid immersion region, an alignment process between the mask and the substrate is executed based on detection information of the detection system and such that a scanning exposure where the mask and the substrate are each moved relative to the illumination light is performed with the first direction being a scanning direction,

wherein, in a state in which one of the two second holding members is arranged opposite to the projection optical system, the controller controls the second drive system to move the other of the two second holding members in an opposite sense of the first direction so that the other of the two second holding members comes close to the one of the two second holding members, and

wherein, in a state in which the liquid immersion region is substantially maintained below the projection optical system, the controller controls the second drive system to move the close two second holding members in the opposite sense of the first direction relative to the liquid immersion member so that the other of the two second holding members is arranged opposite to the projection optical system in place of the one of the two second holding members.

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (10)

Cited By (1)

US 12,557,456