Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method
Abstract
Problem to be solved.To provide an exposure apparatus capable of forming a desired device pattern on a substrate by removing unnecessary liquid when a pattern is projected onto a substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid for exposure. An exposure device is an exposure device that projects an image of a pattern onto a substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid to expose the substrate, and is on a component arranged near the image plane of the projection optical system. It is equipped with a liquid removal mechanism that removes the liquid remaining in the screen. [Selection diagram] Fig. 3

Term
Projected expiry 18 September 2032.
- Priority
- Filed
- Published
- Today
- Projected expiry
40 claims: 7 independent, 33 dependent
- 1投影光学系と液体とを介して基板上にパターンの像を投影し、前記基板を露光する露光装置において、前記投影光学系の像面付近に配置された部品上に残留した液体を除去する液体除去機構を備えたことを特徴とする露光装置。
- 2前記液体除去機構は前記部品に付着した液体を吸引する吸引装置を有することを特徴とする請求項1記載の露光装置。
- 3前記液体除去機構は前記部品に気体を吹き付けることを特徴とする請求項1又は2記載の露光装置。
- 4前記部品は、前記投影光学系の先端の部品を含むことを特徴とする請求項1~3のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 5液体の供給を行う液体供給機構を更に備え、前記部品は、前記液体供給機構の供給ノズルを含むことを特徴とする請求項1~4のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 6液体の回収を行う液体回収機構を更に備え、前記部品は、前記液体回収機構の回収ノズルを含むことを特徴とする請求項1~5のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 7前記部品は、前記基板の露光中に液体に接触することを特徴とする請求項1~6のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 8前記投影光学系の像面側で移動可能なステージを更に含むことを特徴とする請求項1~7のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 9前記部品は、前記ステージの少なくとも一部、又は前記ステージに設けられている部品を含むことを特徴とする請求項8記載の露光装置。
- 10前記部品は、前記基板ステージに設けられている計測部材を含むことを特徴とする請求項9記載の露光装置。
- 11前記部品は、前記基板ステージに設けられている基準部材を含むことを特徴とする請求項9又は10記載の露光装置。
- 12前記投影光学系からの露光光を透過する光透過部を有する上板と、該上板の光透過部を通過した光を受光する受光系とを有する計測系を更に備え、前記部品は、前記計測系の上板を含むことを特徴とする請求項9~11のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 13前記液体除去機構の少なくとも一部は、前記基板ステージに設けられていることを特徴とする請求項8~12のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 14前記部品表面は撥液性であることを特徴とする請求項1~13のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 15前記液体除去機構は、前記部品表面の所定領域に残留している液体を、その所定領域の外側へ移動させることを特徴とする請求項1、3~14のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 16前記液体除去機構は、清浄な気体又は乾燥気体を使って、前記液体の除去を行うことを特徴とする請求項1、3~15のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 17前記液体除去機構は、清浄な窒素ガスを使用することを特徴とする請求項16記載の露光装置。
- 18前記液体除去機構は、前記部品を洗浄した後に液体除去を行うことを特徴とする請求項1~17のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 19前記部品表面の状態を検出する検出装置を更に備えたことを特徴とする請求項1~18のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 20前記液体除去機構は、露光前または露光後に、前記投影光学系の像面付近に配置された部品上に残留した液体を除去することを特徴とする請求項1~19のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 21更に、露光中に基板上の液体を回収する液体回収機構を備えることを特徴とする請求項1~20のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 22前記液体除去機構は、前記ステージ上に設けられた部品上に残留した液体を除去する第1液体除去機構と、前記投影光学系の先端に残留した液体を除去する第2液体除去機構とを備えることを特徴とする請求項8~21のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 23前記液体除去機構は、前記ステージに設けられ且つ前記ステージから上方に向かって気体を噴出す気体吹き付けノズルを備えることを特徴とする請求項8~22のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 24前記液体除去機構を制御する制御装置を備え、前記制御装置は基板のアンロード時に液体除去機構による液体除去を実行するように前記液体除去機構を制御することを特徴とする請求項1~23のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 25更に、液浸領域の液体に接触する光学部材と、フォーカス検出系とを備え、前記フォーカス検出系から射出された光が光学部材と液体とを透過して基板に到達することを特徴とする請求項1記載の露光装置。
- 26前記液体除去機構は、基板面方向に移動可能な気体噴出し部を有することを特徴とする請求項1記載の露光装置。
- 27前記液体除去機構は、前記液体と気体とを選択的に噴射するノズルを備える装置であることを特徴とする請求項1記載の露光装置。
- 28更に、前記液体を供給する液体供給機構を備え、液体供給機構からの液体と、前記液体除去機構のノズルからの気体との流路を切り換える流路切換装置を備えることを特徴とする請求項27記載の露光装置。
- 29更に、前記気体噴出しノズルを備えた液体受け部材と、液体受け部材を投影光学系に相対して移動させるアクチュエータとを備えることを特徴とする請求項26に記載の露光装置。
- 30前記気体噴出し部に、基板に正又は負の圧力を選択的に加える系を備えることを特徴とする請求項26記載の露光装置。
- 31基板上の一部に液浸領域を形成し、投影光学系と液体とを介して前記基板上にパターンの像を投影することによって、前記基板を露光する露光装置において、前記基板を保持して移動可能な基板ステージと、前記液浸領域を形成するために液体の供給を行う液体供給機構と、前記基板上の液体を回収する第1液体回収機構と、前記基板ステージに設けられた回収口を有し、前記基板の露光終了後に液体の回収を行う第2液体回収機構とを備えたことを特徴とする露光装置。
- 32前記基板の露光終了後に、前記第1及び第2液体回収機構の両方を使って液体の回収を行うことを特徴とする請求項31記載の露光装置。
- 33前記基板の露光中に前記液浸領域を形成するために、前記液体供給機構による液体供給と前記第1液体回収機構による液体回収とを同時に行うことを特徴とする請求項31又は32記載の露光装置。
- 34前記第2液体回収機構は、前記基板の露光中に前記基板の外側に流出した液体の回収を行うことを特徴とする請求項31~33のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 35更に、前記第1及び第2液体回収機構とは異なる液体除去機構を備えることを特徴とする請求項31~34のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 36投影光学系と液体とを介して基板上に露光光を照射することによって、前記基板を露光する露光装置において、前記投影光学系の像面側付近に配置される部品の表面状態を検出する検出装置を備えたことを特徴とする露光装置。
- 37前記検出装置は、前記部品表面に付着した異物を検出することを特徴とする請求項36記載の露光装置。
- 38前記部品表面は、前記投影光学系の最も像面側の光学素子表面を含むことを特徴とする請求項36又は37記載の露光装置。
- 39更に、前記部品表面を洗浄する洗浄装置と、前記洗浄装置を制御する制御装置とを備え、前記制御装置は前記検出装置の検出結果に応じて洗浄装置を動作することを特徴とする請求項36~38のいずれか一項記載の露光装置。
- 40請求項1~請求項39のいずれか一項記載の露光装置を用いることを特徴とするデバイス製造方法。
Independent claims40
160 paragraphs, as filed
The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus and a device manufacturing method for exposing a pattern on a substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid.
Semiconductor devices and liquid crystal display devices are manufactured by a so-called photolithography method in which a pattern formed on a mask is transferred onto a photosensitive substrate. The exposure apparatus used in this photolithography process has a mask stage that supports the mask and a substrate stage that supports the substrate, and the mask pattern is projected via the projection optical system while sequentially moving the mask stage and the substrate stage. It is transferred to the substrate. In recent years, it has been desired to further increase the resolution of the projection optical system in order to cope with the higher integration of device patterns. The resolution of the projection optical system increases as the exposure wavelength used becomes shorter and the numerical aperture of the projection optical system becomes larger. Therefore, the exposure wavelength used in the exposure apparatus is shortened year by year, and the numerical aperture of the projection optical system is also increasing. The current mainstream exposure wavelength is 248 nm for KrF excimer lasers, but 193 nm for shorter wavelength ArF excimer lasers is also being put into practical use. In addition, the depth of focus (DOF) is as important as the resolution when performing exposure. The resolution R and the depth of focus δ are expressed by the following equations, respectively. R = k<sub>1</sub> Λ / NA ... (1) δ = ± k<sub>2</sub> Λ / NA<sup>2</sup> ... (2) Here, λ is the exposure wavelength, NA is the numerical aperture of the projection optical system, and k<sub>1</sub>, K<sub>2</sub>Is the process factor. From Eqs. (1) and (2), it can be seen that the depth of focus δ becomes narrower when the exposure wavelength λ is shortened and the numerical aperture NA is increased in order to increase the resolution R.
If the depth of focus δ is too narrow, it becomes difficult to match the substrate surface with the image plane of the projection optical system, and there is a risk that the margin during the exposure operation will be insufficient. Therefore, as a method of substantially shortening the exposure wavelength and widening the depth of focus, for example, the immersion method disclosed in Patent Document 1 below has been proposed. In this immersion method, the space between the lower surface of the projection optical system and the surface of the substrate is filled with a liquid such as water or an organic solvent, and the wavelength of the exposure light in the liquid is 1 / n in the air (n is the refractive index of the liquid). The rate is usually about 1.2 to 1.6) to improve the resolution and expand the depth of focus by about n times.
<p><patcit num="1"><text>International Publication No. 99/49 504 Pamphlet</text></patcit></p>
<p>By the way, the above-mentioned prior art has the following problems.</p><p>The exposure apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured to supply and recover the liquid so as to form a liquid immersion region on a part of the substrate. However, after the immersion exposure is completed, the liquid in the immersion region is released. When the substrate stage moves to the load / unload position in order to unload the substrate on the substrate stage and load a new substrate in a state where it is not sufficiently recovered, the tip of the projection optical system, the liquid supply nozzle, or the recovery nozzle There is a possibility that the liquid remaining (adhered) to the liquid will fall on surrounding devices and members, such as the guide surface of the stage and the reflective surface for the interferometer of the stage.</p><p>Further, if a liquid remains in the optical element at the tip of the projection optical system, after the remaining liquid vaporizes, an adhesion mark (so-called watermark) is left on the optical element at the tip of the projection optical system, and the following It may adversely affect the pattern formed on the substrate during the exposure process. In addition to the exposure treatment, it is conceivable to form an immersion region when using a reference plane member or a reference mark member arranged around the substrate on the substrate stage. It may not be sufficiently recovered, and adhesion marks may remain on those members, or the liquid remaining on those members may scatter.</p><p>The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and when a pattern is projected onto a substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid for exposure, unnecessary liquid is sufficiently removed to obtain a desired device pattern. It is an object of the present invention to provide an exposure apparatus capable of forming the above on a substrate and a device manufacturing method using the exposure apparatus.</p>
<p>In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following configurations associated with FIGS. 1 to 27 shown in the embodiments. However, the parenthesized symbols attached to each element are merely examples of the elements, and do not limit each element.</p><p>The exposure apparatus (EX) of the present invention projects an image of a pattern on a substrate (P) via a projection optical system (PL) and a liquid (1), and is projected in an exposure apparatus that exposes the substrate (P). A liquid removal mechanism (40, 60,) that removes the liquid (1) remaining on the parts (2, 7, 13, 14, 31, 32, 151, 152) located near the image plane of the optical system (PL). It is characterized by having 160, 174, 178, 180, 183, 251, 257).</p><p>According to the present invention, components arranged near the image plane of the projection optical system, for example, an optical element at the tip of the projection optical system, a reference member for positioning a shot region, various sensors, a light transmission optical member, a liquid supply mechanism, and the like. By removing the unnecessary liquid remaining on at least one of the recovery mechanisms such as the nozzle with the liquid removal mechanism, it is possible to prevent the remaining liquid from falling or scattering and the occurrence of adhesion marks (water marks) on those parts. .. Therefore, a desired pattern can be accurately formed on the substrate.</p><p>In the exposure apparatus of the present invention, a liquid immersion region (AR2) is formed on a part of the substrate (P), and an image of a pattern is formed on the substrate (P) via the projection optical system (PL) and the liquid (1). In an exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate (P) by projecting a liquid (1) to form a movable substrate stage (PST) that holds the substrate (P) and a liquid immersion region (AR2). The liquid supply mechanism (10) for supplying the liquid, the first liquid recovery mechanism (30) for collecting the liquid (1) on the substrate (P), and the collection port (23) provided on the substrate stage (PST). It is characterized by having a second liquid recovery mechanism (20) that recovers the liquid (1) after the exposure of the substrate (P) is completed.</p><p>According to the present invention, after the completion of the immersion exposure, the liquid in the immersion region on the substrate is recovered not only by the first liquid recovery mechanism but also by the second liquid recovery mechanism having a recovery port on the stage, so that the liquid remains. It is possible to prevent the liquid from falling or scattering, or the occurrence of traces of residual liquid. Therefore, it is possible to form a desired pattern on the substrate with high accuracy.</p><p>The exposure apparatus (EX) of the present invention exposes the substrate (P) by irradiating the substrate (P) with exposure light (EL) via a projection optical system (PL) and a liquid (1). The device is characterized by being provided with a detection device (100) for detecting the surface state of parts (2, 151, 152, etc.) arranged near the image plane side of the projection optical system (PL).</p><p>According to the present invention, the detection device can be used to detect the surface state (whether or not foreign matter such as liquid is attached) of a component arranged near the image plane of the projection optical system. Appropriate measures such as removal of foreign matter on the surface of the component can be performed according to the result.</p><p>The device manufacturing method of the present invention is characterized by using the exposure apparatus (EX) described above. According to the present invention, it is possible to manufacture a device having desired performance in a state where environmental changes and generation of adhesion marks on optical elements near the image plane of the projection optical system are suppressed.</p>
<p>According to the present invention, by removing unnecessary liquid remaining on the parts arranged near the image plane of the projection optical system, environmental changes and rusting of the apparatus due to the fall of the remaining liquid can be caused. Can be prevented. In particular, by removing the liquid remaining on the optical element at the tip of the projection optical system, it is possible to prevent the generation of adhesion marks (watermarks) on the optical element. Therefore, it is possible to form a desired pattern on the substrate with high accuracy.</p>
<figref num="1">It is a schematic block diagram which shows one Embodiment of the exposure apparatus of this invention.</figref><figref num="2">It is a schematic block diagram which shows the liquid supply mechanism and the liquid recovery mechanism for forming an immersion region.</figref><figref num="3">It is a top view of the board stage.</figref><figref num="4">It is a figure which shows an example of the 2nd liquid recovery apparatus.</figref><figref num="5">It is the schematic which shows an example of the 1st liquid removal apparatus which is a liquid removal mechanism.</figref><figref num="6">It is the schematic which shows an example of the 1st liquid removal apparatus which is a liquid removal mechanism.</figref><figref num="7">It is the schematic which shows an example of the 1st liquid removal apparatus which is a liquid removal mechanism.</figref><figref num="8">It is the schematic which shows an example of the 2nd liquid removal apparatus which is a liquid removal mechanism.</figref><figref num="9">It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating how the substrate stage moves.</figref><figref num="10">It is the schematic which shows an example of the 2nd liquid removal apparatus which is a liquid removal mechanism.</figref><figref num="11">It is the schematic which shows an example of the 2nd liquid removal apparatus which is a liquid removal mechanism.</figref><figref num="12">It is the schematic which shows an example of the 2nd liquid removal apparatus which is a liquid removal mechanism.</figref><figref num="13">It is the schematic which shows an example of a cleaning mechanism.</figref><figref num="14">It is the schematic which shows an example of a cleaning mechanism.</figref><figref num="15">It is the schematic which shows an example of the foreign matter detection system.</figref><figref num="16">It is a top view which shows another embodiment of the substrate stage.</figref><figref num="17">It is the schematic which shows an example of the 1st liquid removal apparatus.</figref><figref num="18">It is a schematic diagram which shows another embodiment of the exposure apparatus of this invention.</figref><figref num="19">It is a schematic diagram which shows another embodiment of the liquid removal operation which concerns on this invention.</figref><figref num="20">It is a figure which shows the relationship between a gas nozzle and an optical element.</figref><figref num="21">It is a schematic diagram which shows another embodiment of the exposure apparatus of this invention.</figref><figref num="22">It is a schematic diagram which shows another embodiment of the exposure apparatus of this invention.</figref><figref num="23">It is a schematic diagram which shows another embodiment of the exposure apparatus of this invention.</figref><figref num="24">It is a schematic diagram which shows another embodiment of the exposure apparatus of this invention.</figref><figref num="25">It is a top view of the main part of the board stage of FIG. 24.</figref><figref num="26">It is a flowchart which shows an example of the operation procedure of the exposure apparatus of this invention.</figref><figref num="27">It is a flowchart which shows an example of the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device.</figref>
Hereinafter, embodiments of the exposure apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the exposure apparatus of the present invention.
<Embodiment of Exposure Device Using First and Second Liquid Removal Devices> In FIG. 1, the exposure apparatus EX is an illumination optical system IL that illuminates the mask stage MST that supports the mask M, the substrate stage PST that supports the substrate P, and the mask M that is supported by the mask stage MST with the exposure light EL. The projection optical system PL that projects and exposes the image of the mask M pattern illuminated by the exposure light EL onto the substrate P supported by the substrate stage PST, and the control device CONT that controls the operation of the entire exposure device EX. It has.
The exposure apparatus EX of the present embodiment is an immersion exposure apparatus to which an immersion method is applied in order to substantially shorten the exposure wavelength to improve the resolution and substantially increase the depth of focus, and is on the substrate P. A liquid supply mechanism 10 for supplying the liquid 1 to the substrate P and a liquid recovery mechanism (first liquid recovery mechanism) 30 for recovering the liquid 1 on the substrate P are provided. In this embodiment, pure water is used as the liquid 1. The exposure apparatus EX at least covers at least a part of the substrate P including the projection region AR1 of the projection optical system PL by the liquid 1 supplied from the liquid supply mechanism 10 while transferring the pattern image of the mask M onto the substrate P. Form the immersion region AR2. Specifically, the exposure apparatus EX fills the liquid 1 between the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL and the surface (exposed surface) of the substrate P, and between the projection optical system PL and the substrate P. The pattern image of the mask M is projected onto the substrate P via the liquid 1 of the above and the projection optical system PL, and the substrate P is exposed.
Here, in the present embodiment, as the exposure apparatus EX, the mask M and the substrate P are synchronously moved in different directions (opposite directions) in the scanning direction (predetermined direction), and the pattern formed on the mask M is exposed on the substrate P. A case where a scanning exposure apparatus (so-called scanning stepper) is used will be described as an example. In the following description, the synchronous movement direction (scanning direction, predetermined direction) between the mask M and the substrate P in the horizontal plane is the X-axis direction, and the direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction in the horizontal plane is the Y-axis direction (non-scanning direction). The direction perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis directions and coincident with the optical axis AX of the projection optical system PL is defined as the Z-axis direction. Further, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions are defined as θX, θY, and θZ directions, respectively. The "substrate" here includes a semiconductor wafer coated with a resist, and the "mask" includes a reticle on which a device pattern is reduced and projected onto the substrate.
The illumination optical system IL illuminates the mask M supported by the mask stage MST with the exposure light EL, and is an optical integrator and an optical integrator that equalize the illuminance of the exposure light source and the light beam emitted from the exposure light source. It has a condenser lens that collects the exposure light EL from, a relay lens system, a variable field aperture that sets the illumination area on the mask M by the exposure light EL in a slit shape, and the like. The predetermined illumination area on the mask M is illuminated by the illumination optical system IL with the exposure light EL having a uniform illuminance distribution. The exposure light EL emitted from the illumination optical system IL includes, for example, far-ultraviolet light (g-line, h-line, i-line) emitted from a mercury lamp and far-ultraviolet light (wavelength 248 nm) such as KrF excimer laser light (wavelength 248 nm). DUV light), ArF excimer laser light (wavelength 193 nm) and F<sub>2</sub>Vacuum ultraviolet light (VUV light) such as laser light (wavelength 157 nm) is used. In this embodiment, ArF excimer laser light is used. As described above, the liquid 1 in the present embodiment is pure water, and can be transmitted even if the exposure light EL is ArF excimer laser light. In addition, pure water can transmit far-ultraviolet light (DUV light) such as emission lines (g-line, h-line, i-line) in the ultraviolet region and KrF excimer laser light (wavelength 248 nm).
The mask stage MST supports the mask M, and is capable of two-dimensional movement and minute rotation in the θZ direction in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis AX of the projection optical system PL, that is, in the XY plane. The mask stage MST is driven by a mask stage drive device MSTD such as a linear motor. The mask stage drive device MSTD is controlled by the control device CONT. A moving mirror 50 is provided on the mask stage MST. A laser interferometer 51 is provided at a position facing the moving mirror 50. The two-dimensional position and rotation angle of the mask M on the mask stage MST are measured in real time by the laser interferometer 51, and the measurement result is output to the control device CONT. The control device CONT positions the mask M supported by the mask stage MST by driving the mask stage drive device MSTD based on the measurement result of the laser interferometer 51.
The projection optical system PL projects and exposes the pattern of the mask M onto the substrate P at a predetermined projection magnification β, and is a plurality of optical elements including an optical element (lens) 2 provided at the tip on the substrate P side. These optical elements are supported by the lens barrel PK. In the present embodiment, the projection optical system PL is a reduced system having a projection magnification β of, for example, 1/4 or 1/5. The projection optical system PL may be either a 1x system or a magnifying system. Further, the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL of the present embodiment is provided so as to be detachable (replaceable) with respect to the lens barrel PK. Further, the optical element 2 at the tip is exposed from the lens barrel PK, and the liquid 1 in the immersion region AR2 comes into contact with the optical element 2. This prevents corrosion of the lens barrel PK made of metal.
The optical element 2 is made of fluorite. Since fluorite has a high affinity with pure water, the liquid 1 can be brought into close contact with almost the entire surface of the liquid contact surface 2a of the optical element 2. That is, in the present embodiment, since the liquid (water) 1 having a high affinity with the liquid contact surface 2a of the optical element 2 is supplied, the liquid contact surface 2a of the optical element 2 and the liquid 1 are in high contact with each other. Sex can be secured. The optical element 2 may be quartz having a high affinity for water. Further, the liquid contact surface 2a of the optical element 2 may be subjected to a hydrophilic treatment (parentalization) treatment to further enhance the affinity with the liquid 1.
Further, the exposure apparatus EX has a focus detection system 4. The focus detection system 4 has a light emitting unit 4a and a light receiving unit 4b, and projects detection light from the light emitting unit 4a to the substrate P surface (exposed surface) via the liquid 1 from an oblique direction, and the reflected light is reflected by the light receiving unit. Receive light at 4b. The control device CONT controls the operation of the focus detection system 4 and detects the position (focus position) of the surface of the substrate P with respect to the predetermined reference plane in the Z-axis direction based on the light receiving result of the light receiving unit 4b. Further, the focus detection system 4 can also obtain the posture of the substrate P in the tilt direction by obtaining each focus position at each of a plurality of points on the surface of the substrate P. As the configuration of the focus detection system 4, for example, the one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-37149 can be used.
The board stage PST supports the board P, and includes a Z stage 52 that holds the board P via a board holder, an XY stage 53 that supports the Z stage 52, and a base 54 that supports the XY stage 53. It has. The board stage PST is driven by a board stage drive device PSTD such as a linear motor. The board stage drive device PSTD is controlled by the control device CONT. Needless to say, the Z stage and the XY stage may be provided integrally. By driving the XY stage 53 of the substrate stage PST, the position of the substrate P in the XY direction (the position substantially parallel to the image plane of the projection optical system PL) is controlled.
A moving mirror 55 is provided on the substrate stage PST (Z stage 52). A laser interferometer 56 is provided at a position facing the moving mirror 55. The two-dimensional position and rotation angle of the substrate P on the substrate stage PST are measured in real time by the laser interferometer 56, and the measurement result is output to the control device CONT. The control device CONT drives the XY stage 53 via the board stage drive device PSTD based on the measurement results of the laser interferometer 56 to position the board P supported by the board stage PST in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. I do.
Further, the control device CONT drives the Z stage 52 of the board stage PST via the board stage drive device PSTD, so that the position (focus position) of the board P held by the Z stage 52 in the Z axis direction and θX , The position in the θY direction is controlled. That is, the Z stage 52 operates based on a command from the control device CONT based on the detection result of the focus detection system 4, controls the focus position (Z position) and the inclination angle of the substrate P, and controls the surface (exposure) of the substrate P. The plane) is aligned with the image plane formed through the projection optical system PL and the liquid 1.
An auxiliary plate 57 is provided on the substrate stage PST (Z stage 52) so as to surround the substrate P. The auxiliary plate 57 has a flat surface at substantially the same height as the surface of the substrate P held by the substrate holder. Here, there is a gap of about 0.1 to 2 mm between the edge of the substrate P and the auxiliary plate 57, but the liquid 1 hardly flows into the gap due to the surface tension of the liquid 1, and the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the substrate P is Even when exposed, the auxiliary plate 57 can hold the liquid 1 under the projection optical system PL.
A substrate alignment system 5 for detecting an alignment mark on the substrate P or a reference mark provided on the Z stage 52 is provided near the tip of the projection optical system PL. Further, in the vicinity of the mask stage MST, a mask alignment system 6 for detecting a reference mark provided on the Z stage 52 via the mask M and the projection optical system PL is provided. As the configuration of the substrate alignment system 5, for example, the one disclosed in JP-A-4-65603 can be used, and the configuration of the mask alignment system 6 is disclosed in JP-A-7-176468. Can be used.
In the vicinity of the substrate alignment system 5, a first liquid removing device 40 for removing the liquid 1 remaining on the reference member having the reference mark provided on the Z stage 52 is provided. Further, the substrate stage PST is provided with a second liquid recovery device 20 for recovering the liquid 1.
The liquid supply mechanism 10 supplies a predetermined liquid 1 on the substrate P in order to form the immersion region AR2, and the first liquid supply unit 11 and the second liquid supply unit 12 capable of delivering the liquid 1 A first supply nozzle that is connected to the first liquid supply unit 11 via a supply pipe 11A having a flow path and has a supply port that supplies the liquid 1 delivered from the first liquid supply unit 11 onto the substrate P. A second supply having a supply port connected to the second liquid supply unit 12 via a supply pipe 12A having a flow path and supplying the liquid 1 delivered from the second liquid supply unit 12 onto the substrate P. It is equipped with a nozzle 14. The first and second supply nozzles 13 and 14 come into contact with the liquid 1 in the immersion region AR2 during the immersion exposure. The first and second supply nozzles 13 and 14 are arranged close to the surface of the substrate P, and are provided at different positions in the plane direction of the substrate P. Specifically, the first supply nozzle 13 of the liquid supply mechanism 10 is provided on one side (-X side) in the scanning direction with respect to the projection region AR1, and the second supply nozzle 14 is provided on the other side (+ X side). Has been done.
Each of the first and second liquid supply units 11 and 12 is provided with a tank for accommodating the liquid 1, a pressure pump, and the like, and the substrate P is provided via the supply pipes 11A and 12A and the supply nozzles 13 and 14, respectively. Supply liquid 1 on top. Further, the liquid supply operation of the first and second liquid supply units 11 and 12 is controlled by the control device CONT, and the control device CONT is the liquid per unit time on the substrate P by the first and second liquid supply units 11 and 12. The supply amount can be controlled independently. In addition, each of the first and second liquid supply units 11 and 12 has a temperature control mechanism for the liquid 1, and the liquid 1 at 23 ° C, which is almost the same as the temperature in the chamber in which the device is housed, is placed on the substrate P. It is designed to supply to.
The pure water (liquid) supplied from the liquid supply units 11 and 12 preferably has a permeability of 99% / mm or more. In that case, among the carbon compounds dissolved in the pure water, organic compounds It is desirable to keep the TOC (total organic carbon), which indicates the total amount of carbon in it, to less than 3 ppb.
The liquid recovery mechanism (first liquid recovery device) 30 recovers the liquid 1 on the substrate P, and has first and second recovery nozzles 31, which have recovery ports arranged close to the surface of the substrate P. It includes 32 and first and second liquid recovery units 33 and 34 connected to the first and second recovery nozzles 31 and 32 via recovery pipes 33A and 34A having flow paths, respectively. The first and second recovery nozzles 31 and 32 come into contact with the liquid 1 in the immersion region AR2 during the immersion exposure. The first and second liquid recovery units 33 and 34 are provided with, for example, a suction device such as a vacuum pump and a tank for accommodating the recovered liquid 1, and the liquid 1 on the substrate P is collected by the first and second recovery nozzles 31. , 32, and recovery tubes 33A, 34A. The liquid recovery operation of the first and second liquid recovery units 33 and 34 is controlled by the control device CONT, and the control device CONT can control the liquid recovery amount per unit time by the first and second liquid recovery units 33 and 34. is there.
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the liquid supply mechanism 10 and the liquid recovery mechanism 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the projection region AR1 of the projection optical system PL is set in a slit shape (rectangular shape) with the Y-axis direction (non-scanning direction) as the longitudinal direction, and is an immersion region filled with the liquid 1. AR2 is formed in a part on the substrate P so as to include the projection region AR1. The first supply nozzle 13 of the liquid supply mechanism 10 for forming the immersion region AR2 of the projection region AR1 is provided on one side (-X side) in the scanning direction with respect to the projection region AR1, and the second supply nozzle 14 Is provided on the other side (+ X side). Each of the first and second supply nozzles 13 and 14 is formed in a straight line in a plan view with the Y-axis direction as the longitudinal direction, and the supply port is provided so as to face the surface of the substrate P and is oriented in the Y-axis direction. It is formed in a slit shape in the longitudinal direction. The liquid supply mechanism 10 simultaneously supplies the liquid 1 on both sides of the projection region AR1 from the supply ports of the first and second supply nozzles 13 and 14.
Each of the first and second recovery nozzles 31 and 32 of the liquid recovery mechanism 30 has a recovery port continuously formed in an arc shape so as to face the surface of the substrate P. A substantially annular collection port is formed by the first and second collection nozzles 31 and 32 arranged so as to face each other. The recovery ports of the first and second recovery nozzles 31 and 32 are arranged so as to surround the first and second supply nozzles 13 and 14 of the liquid supply mechanism 10 and the projection area AR1. Further, a plurality of partition members 35 are provided inside the collection port continuously formed so as to surround the projection area AR1.
The liquid 1 supplied onto the substrate P from the supply ports of the first and second supply nozzles 13 and 14 so as to wet and spread between the lower end surface of the tip end portion (optical element 2) of the projection optical system PL and the substrate P. Is supplied to. Further, the liquid 1 supplied from the first and second supply nozzles 13 and 14 is collected from the collection ports of the first and second recovery nozzles 31 and 32.
FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the Z stage 52 of the substrate stage PST as viewed from above. A moving mirror 55 is arranged on two sides of the rectangular Z stage 52 perpendicular to each other, and a substrate P is held substantially in the center of the Z stage 52 via a holder (not shown). As described above, an auxiliary plate 57 having a flat surface at substantially the same height as the surface of the substrate P is provided around the substrate P. A liquid absorbing member 21 forming a part of the second liquid recovery device 20 for recovering the liquid 1 is provided around the auxiliary plate 57. The liquid absorbing member 21 is an annular member having a predetermined width, and is arranged in a groove portion (collection port) 23 formed in an annular shape on the Z stage 52. The liquid absorbing member 21 is made of a porous material such as porous ceramics. Alternatively, a sponge, which is a porous material, may be used as a material for forming the liquid absorbing member 21. The liquid absorbing member 21 made of a porous material can hold a predetermined amount of liquid 1.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the second liquid recovery device 20. The second liquid recovery device 20 includes the above-mentioned liquid absorbing member 21 arranged in the groove (recovery port) 23 formed in an annular shape on the Z stage 52, and a flow formed inside the Z stage 52 and continuous with the groove 23. A pipe 26 provided outside the road 22 and the Z stage 52, one end of which is connected to the flow path 22, and a tank 27 connected to the other end of the pipe 26 and provided outside the Z stage 52. The tank 27 is provided with a pump 29, which is a suction device connected via a valve 28. The tank 27 is provided with a discharge flow path 27A, and when a predetermined amount of liquid 1 is accumulated, the liquid 1 is discharged from the discharge flow path 27A. Then, the liquid recovery device 20 drives the pump 29 and collects the liquid 1 recovered by the liquid absorbing member 21 so as to be sucked into the tank 27.
A reference member 7 is provided at one corner of the Z stage 52. The reference member 7 is provided with a reference mark PFM detected by the substrate alignment system 5 and a substrate mark MFM detected by the mask alignment system 6 in a predetermined positional relationship. In addition, the surface of the reference member 7 is substantially flat, and also serves as a reference surface for the focus detection system 4. The reference surface of the focus detection system 4 may be provided on the Z stage 52 separately from the reference member 7. Further, the reference member 7 and the auxiliary plate 57 may be provided integrally.
A liquid absorbing member 42 forming a part of the first liquid removing device 40 for removing the liquid 1 remaining on the reference member 7 is provided in the vicinity of the reference member 7 on the Z stage 52. Further, at another corner of the Z stage 52, a second liquid removing device 60 for removing the liquid 1 remaining in the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL and the lens barrel PK near the tip is provided.
Next, a procedure for exposing the pattern of the mask M to the substrate P using the above-mentioned exposure apparatus EX will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 26.
Before supplying the liquid 1 from the liquid supply mechanism 10, the measurement process is first performed in the state where the liquid 1 is not on the substrate P. The control device CONT moves the XY stage 53 while monitoring the output of the laser interferometer 56 so that the optical axis AX of the projection optical system PL advances along the wavy arrow 43 in FIG. During the movement, the substrate alignment system 5 detects a plurality of alignment marks (not shown) formed on the substrate P according to the shot regions S1 to S11 without using the liquid 1 (step SA1). When the substrate alignment system 5 detects the alignment mark, the XY stage 53 is stopped. As a result, the position information of each alignment mark in the coordinate system defined by the laser interferometer 56 is measured. The alignment marks detected by the substrate alignment system 5 may detect all the alignment marks on the substrate P, or may detect only a part of the alignment marks.
Further, while the XY stage 53 is moving, the surface information of the substrate P is detected by the focus detection system 4 without passing through the liquid 1 (step SA2). The surface information is detected by the focus detection system 4 for each shot area S1 to S11 on the substrate P, and the detection result is stored in the control device CONT in correspondence with the position in the scanning direction (X-axis direction) of the substrate P. Will be done. The surface information may be detected by the focus detection system 4 only for a part of the shot area.
When the detection of the alignment mark of the substrate P and the detection of the surface information of the substrate P are completed, the control device CONT moves the XY stage 53 so that the detection region of the substrate alignment system 5 is positioned on the reference member 7. The substrate alignment system 5 detects the reference mark PFM on the reference member 7, and measures the position information of the reference mark PFM in the coordinate system defined by the laser interferometer 56 (step SA3).
When the detection process of the reference mark PFM is completed, the positional relationship between the reference mark PFM and the plurality of alignment marks on the substrate P, that is, the positional relationship between the reference mark PFM and the plurality of shot areas S1 to S11 on the substrate P It will be requested for each. Further, since the reference mark PFM and the reference mark MFM have a predetermined positional relationship, the positional relationship between the reference mark MFM in the XY plane and the plurality of shot areas S1 to S11 on the substrate P is determined respectively. ..
Further, before or after the detection of the reference mark PFM by the substrate alignment system 5, the control device CONT detects the surface information of the surface (reference surface) of the reference member 7 by the focus detection system 4 (step SA4). With the completion of the detection process on the surface of the reference member 7, the relationship between the surface of the reference member 7 and the surface of the substrate P has been obtained.
Next, the control device CONT moves the XY stage 53 so that the mask alignment system 6 can detect the reference mark MFM on the reference member 7. As a matter of course, in this state, the tip of the projection optical system PL and the reference member 7 face each other. Here, the control device CONT starts the supply and recovery of the liquid 1 by the liquid supply mechanism 10 and the liquid recovery mechanism 30, and fills the space between the projection optical system PL and the reference member 7 with the liquid 1 to form an immersion region. .. The size of the reference member 7 in the XY direction is sufficiently larger than that of the supply nozzles 13 and 14 and the recovery nozzles 31 and 32, so that the immersion region AR2 is smoothly formed on the reference member 7.
Next, the control device CONT detects the reference mark MFM via the mask M, the projection optical system PL, and the liquid 1 by the mask alignment system 6 (step SA5). As a result, the position of the mask M in the XY plane, that is, the projected position information of the image of the pattern of the mask M is detected using the reference mark MFM via the projection optical system PL and the liquid 1.
When the above measurement process is completed, the control device CONT stops the operation of supplying the liquid 1 onto the reference member 7 by the liquid supply mechanism 10. On the other hand, the control device CONT continues the recovery operation of the liquid 1 on the reference member 7 by the liquid recovery mechanism 30 for a predetermined period (step SA5.1). Then, after the predetermined period has elapsed, the control device CONT stops the recovery operation by the liquid recovery mechanism 30 and removes the liquid 1 remaining on the reference member 7 that could not be recovered by the liquid recovery mechanism 30. , Move the board stage PST.
FIG. 5 shows a state in which the first liquid removing device 40, which constitutes a part of the liquid removing mechanism, removes the liquid 1 remaining on the reference member 7 provided on the substrate stage PST (Z stage 52). 5 (a) is a schematic perspective view, and FIG. 5 (b) is a cross-sectional view. In FIG. 5, the first liquid removing device 40 includes a spraying device 41 for spraying gas onto the reference member 7, and a liquid absorbing member 42 provided adjacent to the reference member 7. The spraying device 41 includes a gas supply unit 41A capable of delivering gas and a nozzle unit 43 connected to the gas supply unit 41A. The outlet 43A of the nozzle portion 43 is formed in a slit shape and is arranged close to the reference member 7. The liquid absorbing member 42 is provided at a position facing the outlet 43A of the nozzle portion 43 with the reference member 7 interposed therebetween. The gas supply unit 41A and the nozzle unit 43 are supported by a support unit (not shown) independent of the projection optical system PL, and the liquid absorption member 42 is arranged in the groove portion 44 which is a recovery port provided in the Z stage 52. ing. Like the liquid absorbing member 21 of the second liquid recovery device 20, the liquid absorbing member 42 is made of a porous material such as a porous ceramic or a sponge, and can hold a predetermined amount of the liquid 1. By sending gas from the gas supply unit 41A, high-speed gas is blown onto the reference member 7 from an oblique direction through the slit-shaped outlet 43A of the nozzle unit 43. The control device CONT blows gas from the nozzle portion 43 of the first liquid removing device 40 onto the reference member 7 to blow off the liquid 1 remaining on the reference member 7 and remove it (step SA5. 2). At this time, the control device CONT blows gas from the nozzle portion 43 onto the reference member 7 while moving the substrate stage PST (that is, the reference member 7) with respect to the nozzle portion 43 of the first liquid removing device 40, whereby the reference member 7 The gas can be sprayed evenly over the entire surface of the. The blown-out liquid 1 is held (recovered) by the liquid absorbing member 42 arranged at a position facing the outlet 43A of the nozzle portion 43.
As shown in FIG. 5 (b), a flow path 45 continuous with the groove 44 is formed inside the Z stage 52, and the bottom of the liquid absorbing member 42 arranged in the groove 44 is connected to the flow path 45. Has been done. The flow path 45 connected to the groove 44 in which the liquid absorbing member 42 is arranged is connected to one end of the pipeline 46 provided outside the Z stage 52. On the other hand, the other end of the pipeline 46 is connected to the pump 49, which is a suction device, via a tank 47 and a valve 48 provided outside the Z stage 52. The tank 47 is provided with a discharge flow path 47A, and when a predetermined amount of liquid 1 is accumulated, the liquid 1 is discharged from the discharge flow path 47A. Then, the first liquid removing device 40 drives the gas supply unit 41A and the pump 49, and collects the liquid 1 recovered by the liquid absorbing member 42 so as to be sucked into the tank 47.
Next, the control device CONT moves the XY stage 53 to make the projection optical system PL and the substrate P face each other in order to expose the shot regions S1 to S11 on the substrate P (step SA6). When the projection optical system PL and the substrate P are opposed to each other, the control device CONT drives the liquid supply mechanism 10 to start the liquid supply operation on the substrate P. The liquid 1 sent from the first and second liquid supply units 11 and 12 of the liquid supply mechanism 10 to form the immersion region AR2 is circulated through the supply pipes 11A and 12A, and then the first and second liquids 1 and 2 are distributed. It is supplied onto the substrate P via the supply nozzles 13 and 14, and forms an immersion region AR2 between the projection optical system PL and the substrate P. At this time, the supply ports of the first and second supply nozzles 13 and 14 are arranged on both sides of the projection area AR1 in the X-axis direction (scanning direction), and the control device CONT is the projection area from the supply port of the liquid supply mechanism 10. Liquid 1 is simultaneously supplied onto the substrate P on both sides of AR1. As a result, the liquid 1 supplied on the substrate P forms an immersion region AR2 on the substrate P, which has a wider range than the projection region AR1. Further, the control device CONT controls the first and second liquid recovery units 33 and 34 of the liquid recovery mechanism 30, and performs the liquid recovery operation on the substrate P in parallel with the liquid 1 supply operation by the liquid supply mechanism 10. Do. That is, the control device CONT simultaneously supplies the liquid by the liquid supply mechanism 10 and the liquid recovery by the liquid recovery mechanism (first liquid recovery mechanism) 30 in order to form the immersion region AR2 during the exposure of the substrate P ( Step SA7). As a result, the liquid 1 on the substrate P that flows outward from the supply ports of the first and second supply nozzles 13 and 14 with respect to the projection area AR1 is collected from the collection ports of the first and second collection nozzles 31 and 32. To. In this way, the liquid recovery mechanism 30 recovers the liquid 1 on the substrate P by the recovery port provided so as to surround the projection region AR1.
Then, each shot region S1 to S11 on the substrate P is scanned and exposed using each of the information obtained during the above-mentioned measurement process (step SA8). That is, during the scanning exposure for each shot region, the information on the positional relationship between the reference mark PFM obtained before the supply of the liquid 1 and each shot region S1 to S11, and the reference mark MFM after the supply of the liquid 1 are used. Based on the projected position information of the image of the pattern of the mask M obtained, the positions of the shot regions S1 to S11 on the substrate P and the mask M are aligned.
Further, during the scanning exposure for each shot region S1 to S11, the surface information of the substrate P obtained before the supply of the liquid 1 and the surface information of the substrate P surface detected by the focus detection system 4 during the scanning exposure are obtained. Based on this, the positional relationship between the surface of the substrate P and the image plane formed through the liquid 1 is adjusted without using the focus detection system 4.
In the present embodiment, when the liquid 1 is supplied to the substrate P from both sides in the scanning direction of the projection region AR1, the control device CONT performs the liquid supply operation of the first and second liquid supply units 11 and 12 of the liquid supply mechanism 10. Is controlled, and the liquid supply amount per unit time supplied from the front side of the projection region AR1 is set to be larger than the liquid supply amount supplied on the opposite side in the scanning direction. For example, when the substrate P is exposed while moving in the + X direction, the control device CONT sets the amount of liquid from the -X side (that is, the first supply nozzle 13) with respect to the projection region AR1 to the + X side (that is, that is). When the amount of liquid from the second supply nozzle 14) is larger than the amount of liquid from the second supply nozzle 14), while the amount of liquid from the + X side with respect to the projection area AR1 is increased from the -X side when the substrate P is exposed while moving in the -X direction. More than the amount of liquid in.
When the scanning exposure of each shot area S1 to S11 on the substrate P is completed, the control device CONT stops the liquid supply by the liquid supply mechanism 10 and collects the second liquid recovery device 20 provided on the substrate stage PST. Move the board stage PST so that 23 faces the projection optical system PL. Then, the control device CONT recovers the liquid 1 formed under the projection optical system PL by using the liquid recovery mechanism (first liquid recovery device) 30 and the second liquid recovery device 20 in combination (step). SA9). In this way, the liquid recovery mechanism (first liquid recovery device) 30 in which the recovery port is arranged above the substrate stage PST and the second liquid recovery device 20 in which the recovery port is arranged on the substrate stage PST Since the liquid 1 in the immersion region AR2 is recovered at the same time, it is possible to reduce the amount of the liquid 1 remaining on the tip of the projection optical system PL or the substrate P.
The second liquid recovery device 20 recovers the liquid 1 in the immersion region AR2 after the exposure of the substrate P is completed, but the liquid 1 flows out of the substrate P (auxiliary plate 57) during the immersion exposure. Liquid 1 may be recovered. Further, the recovery port 23 of the second liquid recovery device 20 is provided in a ring shape around the substrate P, but in consideration of the moving direction of the substrate stage PST after the exposure of the substrate P is completed. , It may be partially provided at a predetermined position near the substrate P (auxiliary plate 57). Further, before and after the immersion exposure, it is permissible that the vibration accompanying the recovery operation becomes large, so that the recovery power of the liquid recovery mechanism 30 may be larger than that during the immersion exposure.
If the liquid 1 on the substrate P cannot be completely recovered after the immersion exposure is completed, the substrate P is not a component, but the substrate P is projected by moving the substrate stage PST that supports the substrate P, for example. It may be arranged at a position away from the above, specifically below the spraying device 41, the substrate P may be sprayed with gas, and the blown liquid 1 may be recovered by the second liquid recovery device 20. Of course, this gas spraying operation can be performed not only on the substrate P but also on the auxiliary plate 57 and the surface of the Z stage 52 outside the auxiliary plate 57.
That is, the first liquid removing device 40 removes the liquid 1 remaining on the reference member 7, but it is also possible to remove the liquid 1 remaining on the parts other than the reference member 7 on the substrate stage PST. Is. For example, when the liquid 1 flows out or scatters to the outside of the substrate P during the immersion exposure and the liquid 1 is arranged on the substrate stage PST (Z stage 52), the liquid 1 is placed on the substrate stage PST after the exposure of the substrate P is completed. Liquid 1 can be recovered by the first liquid removing device 40. In this case, the liquid 1 blown off by the spraying device 41 of the first liquid removing device 40 may be recovered by the liquid absorbing member 21 arranged in the groove (recovery port) 23 of the second liquid recovery device 20.
Further, even if the nozzle portion 43 of the spraying device 41 is provided so as to be movable with respect to the substrate stage PST, the liquid 1 that has flowed out of the substrate P can be recovered during or after the exposure of the substrate P. Good.
As described above, since the first liquid removing device 40 for removing the liquid 1 remaining on the reference member 7 provided on the substrate stage PST (Z stage 52) is provided, the liquid 1 on the reference member 7 is provided. It is possible to prevent the residue. In addition, since the liquid 1 is collected using the collection port on the substrate stage PST after the exposure of the substrate P is completed, it is possible to prevent the liquid 1 from remaining on the projection optical system PL, the tip of the nozzle, or the substrate P. , It is possible to prevent the liquid 1 from falling or scattering.
In the above-described embodiment, the first liquid removing device 40 has a liquid absorbing member 42 arranged in the vicinity of the reference member 7, but the liquid absorbing member 42 may be omitted. In this case, the liquid 1 removed from the reference member 7 can be left in a predetermined region on the substrate stage PST that does not affect the exposure operation or the measurement operation.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the first liquid removing device 40. In the following description, the same or equivalent components as those in the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be simplified or omitted. In FIG. 6, the first liquid removing device 40 includes a suction device 81 that sucks the liquid 1 adhering to the reference member 7. The suction device 81 includes a suction unit 81A including a tank and a pump, and a suction nozzle 82 connected to the suction unit 81A. The suction port 82A of the suction nozzle 82 is arranged close to the reference member 7. When removing the liquid 1 remaining on the reference member 7, the spraying device 41 sprays gas on the reference member 7, and the suction device 81 sucks the liquid 1 on the reference member 7.
In the example described with reference to FIG. 6, the first liquid removing device 40 is provided with the spraying device 41 and the suction device 81, but only the suction device 81 is provided. May be good. The suction device 81 can remove (recover) the liquid 1 remaining on the reference member 7 from the suction port 82A by sucking the liquid 1. The nozzle portion 82 of the suction device 81 may be provided so as to be movable with respect to the substrate stage PST so that the liquid 1 that has flowed out of the substrate P during or after the exposure of the substrate P can be collected.
Further, also in the embodiment of FIG. 6, the first liquid removing device 40 has the liquid absorbing member 42 arranged in the vicinity of the reference member 7, but the liquid absorbing member 42 may be omitted.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the first liquid removing device 40. As shown in FIG. 7, the first liquid removing device 40 includes a cover member 84 (arranged above the reference member 7) that covers the reference member 7, and a dry gas that supplies a dry gas to the internal space of the cover member 84. It is equipped with a supply unit 85. The dry gas supply unit 85 supplies the dry gas to the internal space of the cover member 84 in which the reference member 7 is arranged via the pipeline 86. By doing so, the vaporization of the liquid 1 remaining on the reference member 7 is promoted, and the liquid 1 is removed.
The first liquid removing device 40 is designed to remove the liquid of parts such as the reference member 7 mounted on the substrate stage PST, but as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-135400, the exposure When the device EX is equipped with a stage provided with a measuring member and a reference unit in addition to the substrate stage PST, the liquid of the parts on the stage can be removed.
Next, the second liquid removing device 60 for removing the liquid 1 remaining on the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL and the lens barrel PK near the tip will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 8, the second liquid removing device 60 includes a spraying device 61 that blows gas onto the optical element 2 that constitutes the tip component of the projection optical system PL and the lens barrel PK in the vicinity thereof, and the tip of the projection optical system PL. It is equipped with a recovery device (suction device) 62 that collects the liquid that remains in the air and is blown off by the gas spraying device 61 and falls. The spraying device 61 includes a gas supply unit 63 and a nozzle unit 64 connected to the gas supply unit 63 and provided in the recess 64B of the Z stage 52, and the outlet 64A of the nozzle unit 64 faces upward. Therefore, it can be placed near the tip of the projection optical system PL. On the other hand, the recovery device 62 is formed in the recovery port (groove) 65 provided in the Z stage 52, the liquid absorbing member 66 made of a porous material arranged in the recovery port 65, and the groove 66, which is formed inside the Z stage 52. A continuous flow path 67, a pipeline 68 provided outside the Z stage 52 and one end of which is connected to the flow path 67, and a tank connected to the other end of the pipeline 68 and provided outside the Z stage 52. A 69 and a pump 71, which is a suction device connected to the tank 69 via a valve 70, are provided. The tank 69 is provided with a discharge flow path 69A so that when a predetermined amount of liquid 1 is accumulated, the liquid 1 is discharged from the discharge flow path 69A. Then, the recovery device 62 drives the pump 71 and collects the liquid 1 recovered by the liquid absorbing member 66 so as to be sucked into the tank 69.
In the present embodiment, the outlet 64A of the nozzle portion 64 of the spraying device 61 has a slit shape with the Y-axis direction as the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 3), and the collection port 65 of the collection device 62 is on the + X side of the outlet 64A. It is formed in a rectangular shape with the Y-axis direction as the longitudinal direction at a position adjacent to. Then, in the second liquid removing device 60, after the exposure of the substrate P is completed, not only the tip of the projection optical system PL that comes into contact with the liquid 1 of the immersion region AR2 during the exposure of the substrate P, but also the supply nozzle of the liquid supply mechanism 10. It also removes the liquid 1 remaining in the recovery nozzles (parts) 31 and 32 of the (parts) 13 and 14 and the liquid recovery mechanism 30. Of course, it is possible to remove the liquid only at the tip of the projection optical system PL or only at the nozzle.
After the immersion exposure to the substrate P is completed (after the above step SA8 is completed), the control device CONT recovers the liquid 1 on the substrate P using the liquid recovery mechanism (first liquid recovery device) 30 (step SA9). Then, after the recovery of the liquid 1 on the substrate P by the liquid recovery mechanism 30 is completed, the control device CONT moves the substrate stage PST and arranges the second liquid removal device 60 under the projection optical system PL. Then, the second liquid removing device 60 blows gas onto the tip of the projection optical system PL from an oblique direction from the nozzle portion 64 of the spraying device 61, and blows off the liquid 1 remaining at the tip of the projection optical system PL to remove it. (Step SA10). The blown-out liquid 1 falls and is collected in the collection port 65 in which the liquid absorption member 66 of the collection device 62 is arranged. Here, the control device CONT drives the second liquid removing device 60 while moving the substrate stage PST in the X-axis direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the outlet 64A and the recovery port 65, for example. By doing so, gas is blown not only to the tip of the projection optical system PL, but also to the supply nozzles 13 and 14 of the liquid supply mechanism 10 and the recovery nozzles 31 and 32 of the liquid recovery mechanism 30 arranged around the tip of the projection optical system PL. The liquid 1 remaining in the supply nozzles 13 and 14 and the recovery nozzles 31 and 32 can also be removed.
As described above, by removing the liquid 1 remaining in the tip of the projection optical system PL, the supply nozzles 13 and 14, and the recovery nozzles 31 and 32 that come into contact with the liquid 1 in the immersion region AR2 during exposure, FIG. As shown in the schematic diagram of 9, even if the substrate stage PST moves from under the projection optical system PL (exposure processing position A) to the position where the substrate P is loaded / unloaded (load / unload position B), It is possible to suppress the occurrence of inconveniences such as the liquid 1 remaining at the tip of the projection optical system PL falling and affecting peripheral devices or causing environmental changes. In particular, the occurrence of adhesion marks (watermarks) can be suppressed by not leaving the liquid 1 on the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL.
By providing the second liquid removing device 60 on the substrate stage PST, if the second liquid removing device 60 is driven while moving the substrate stage PST, the projection optical system PL and the projection optical system PL can be used without providing a new actuator. Gas can be blown to the supply nozzle and the recovery nozzle while scanning the second liquid removing device 60. Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, after the immersion exposure is completed, the gas is sprayed by the second liquid removing device 60 while moving from the exposure processing position A to the load / unload position B. As a result, the liquid removal operation (gas spraying operation) and the stage moving operation can be performed at the same time, and the time efficiency can be improved. Therefore, it is preferable that the second liquid removing device 60 is provided in advance at a position where the substrate stage PST passes under the projection optical system PL while moving from the exposure processing position A to the load / unload position B.
10 and 11 are modified examples of the second liquid removing device 60. As shown in FIG. 10, a large groove 72 is formed on the Z stage 52, and the nozzle portion 64 of the spraying device 61 and the flow path (recovery port) 67 of the recovery device 62 are arranged in the groove 72. May be good. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the liquid absorbing member 66 is not provided. As described above, it is also possible to configure the structure without the liquid absorbing member 66. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, a plurality of nozzle portions 64 (two in the example shown in FIG. 11) of the spraying device 61 may be provided in the groove portion 72. Further, as in the examples shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a groove portion 72 larger than the tip of the projection optical system PL is provided, and the nozzle portion 64 and the recovery port 67 are arranged therein, whereby the liquid to which the gas is blown is provided. Scattering around 1 can be suppressed by the groove 72.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 12, a cover member 73 for preventing the liquid 1 sprayed with the gas from scattering around the outlet 64A and the recovery port 65 of the nozzle portion 64 can be provided. The cover member 73 shown in FIG. 12 is formed in a U-shape in a plan view in which the tip of the projection optical system PL can be arranged, and the tip of the projection optical system PL enters and exits the inside of the cover member 73 from the U-shaped opening side. It is designed to do. Then, the longitudinal direction of the cover member 73 is made to match the moving direction (X-axis direction) of the substrate stage PST, and an outlet 64A and a collection port 65 having the Y-axis direction as the longitudinal direction are provided inside the cover member 73. As a result, the liquid can be efficiently removed while preventing the liquid 1 from being scattered by one scanning movement.
It is also possible to recover the liquid 1 that has flowed out of the substrate P during the exposure of the substrate P through the recovery port 65 of the recovery device 62 of the second liquid removing device 60. At this time, it is preferable to provide a plurality of collection ports 65 of the collection device 62 around the substrate P at predetermined intervals.
Further, in the embodiment of FIGS. 8 to 12, the second liquid removing device 60 includes the collecting device 62 in the vicinity of the nozzle portion 64, but this may be omitted. In this case, the liquid 1 removed from the tip of the projection optical system PL can be left in a predetermined region on the substrate stage PST that does not affect the exposure operation or the measurement operation.
Further, in the embodiments of FIGS. 8 to 12, the second liquid removing device 60 is arranged on the substrate stage PST, but even if the second liquid removing device 60 is arranged on a member different from the substrate stage PST. good. For example, a stage that can move the image plane side of the projection optical system PL may be further mounted independently of the substrate stage PST, and the second liquid removing device 60 may be arranged on the stage.
Further, a suction port may be provided in the vicinity of the outlet 64A of the nozzle portion 64 of the projection optical system PL, the supply nozzle, and the recovery nozzle second liquid removing device 60. Alternatively, a suction port may be provided instead of the outlet 64A to collect the liquid adhering to the tip surface of the projection optical system PL, the supply nozzle, and the recovery nozzle.
By the way, even if the liquid 1 at the tip of the projection optical system PL is removed, impurities and foreign substances contained in the liquid 1 may adhere to the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL and contaminate the optical element 2. is there. Here, the impurities and foreign substances include fragments of the photoresist and precipitates of the electrolyte contained in the photoresist. Therefore, it is preferable to clean the optical element 2 before or after removing (blowing, sucking) the liquid 1 remaining in the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL.
FIG. 13 is a schematic view showing a state in which the tip of the projection optical system PL is cleaned. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13, a cleaning station 90 is provided on the substrate stage PST (Z stage 52) at a position different from the substrate P held by the substrate holder. The cleaning station 90 is provided with a cleaning plate 91. The cleaning plate 91 is, for example, a plate member having substantially the same size as the substrate P.
In order to clean the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL after (or before) the immersion exposure, the control device CONT moves the substrate stage PST and projects the cleaning plate 91 (cleaning station 90) into the projection optical system. Place it under the PL. Then, the control device CONT drives the liquid supply mechanism 10 and the liquid recovery mechanism 30 to form an immersion region AR2 between the projection optical system PL and the cleaning plate 91. The optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL is cleaned by the liquid 1 in the immersion region AR2 formed on the cleaning plate 91. Then, after the cleaning process is completed, as described above, the liquid 1 remaining on the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL is removed by using the second liquid removing device 60.
In the cleaning station 90 shown in FIG. 13, the liquid supply mechanism 10 and the liquid recovery mechanism 30 are used to form the immersion region AR2 on the cleaning plate 91, and the liquid 1 in the immersion region AR2 is used as the projection optical system PL. As shown in FIG. 14, a cleaning mechanism 95 is provided in the cleaning station 90, and the cleaning mechanism 95 is used to clean the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL. It is possible. The cleaning mechanism 95 of the cleaning station 90 shown in FIG. 14 is connected to the cleaning liquid supply unit 96 and the cleaning liquid supply unit 96, and projects the cleaning liquid sent from the cleaning liquid supply unit 96 of the projection optical system PL. A pump and a tank connected to an injection unit 97 having an injection port 97A for injecting into the optical element 2 at the tip, a recovery tube 98 having a recovery port 98A for collecting waste water after cleaning the optical element 2, and a recovery tube 98. It is equipped with a collection unit 99 consisting of such as. The injection port 97A and the recovery port 98A are arranged in the groove portion 94 formed on the substrate stage PST (Z stage 52). After the immersion exposure is completed, the cleaning station 90 is placed under the projection optical system PL, and the cleaning liquid is injected into the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL by the injection unit 97 of the cleaning mechanism 95. 2 is washed. At this time, by arranging the injection port 97A and the recovery port 98A in the groove portion 94, the cleaning liquid is prevented from scattering around.
Further, although the cleaning station 90 (cleaning plate 91) is arranged on the substrate stage PST, it may be arranged on a member different from the substrate stage PST. For example, a stage that can move the image plane side of the projection optical system PL may be further mounted independently of the substrate stage PST, and a cleaning station may be arranged on the stage.
Further, after the cleaning operation and the liquid removing operation, it is preferable to check with the foreign matter detection system whether or not foreign matter is attached to the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the foreign matter detection system 100. The foreign matter referred to here includes the residual liquid (droplet) 1 in addition to the above-mentioned fragments of the photoresist and the precipitate of the electrolyte contained in the photoresist.
In FIG. 15, the foreign matter detection system 100 is provided on the substrate stage PST (Z stage 52), and is a light emitting unit 118 that irradiates a predetermined irradiation light from diagonally below with respect to the surface of the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL. , A branch mirror 119 arranged on the optical path connecting the surface of the optical element 2 and the light emitting unit 118, and a light reflected from the surface of the optical element 2 based on the irradiation from the light emitting unit 118 provided on the substrate stage PST. It is provided with a first light receiving unit 120 for receiving light and a second light receiving unit 121 for receiving branch light from a branch mirror 119 based on irradiation from the light emitting unit 118, which is arranged above the substrate stage PST. .. Here, the light emitting unit 118, the first light receiving unit 120, and the like constituting the foreign matter detection system 100 are provided at positions other than the substrate holder and the cleaning station on the substrate stage PST. Then, the light receiving results of the first and second light receiving units 120 and 121 are output as photoelectric signals to the control device CONT which constitutes a part of the foreign matter detection system 100. The control device CONT calculates the light reflectance on the surface of the optical element 2 as the actual reflectance based on the photoelectric signals output from the first and second light receiving units 120 and 121, and stores the calculated actual reflectance in advance. It is configured to measure the degree of contamination on the surface of the optical element 2 based on the result of comparison with a predetermined reflectance. That is, if foreign matter adheres to the optical element 2, scattered light is generated due to the foreign matter, the reflectance changes, and the amount of light received by the first light receiving unit 120 changes. The control device CONT stores in advance the light reflectance of the surface of the optical element 2 measured at the time of completion of this device, which is assumed that the surface of the optical element 2 is not contaminated enough to affect the optical characteristics, as a predetermined reflectance. ..
As described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, after finishing the cleaning process of the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL, the control device CONT moves the substrate stage PST and projects the foreign matter detection system 100. Place it under the optical system PL. Then, when a predetermined irradiation light is irradiated from the light emitting unit 118, the irradiation light transmitted through the branch mirror 119 among the irradiation light is reflected on this surface after irradiating the surface of the optical element 2, and the reflected light is the first. The light is received by the light receiving unit 120. On the other hand, the irradiation light (branched light) branched by the branched mirror 119 is received by the second light receiving unit 121 without reaching the surface of the optical element 2. Then, the photoelectric signals converted by photoelectric by both the light receiving units 120 and 121 are output to the control device CONT, respectively. The control device CONT calculates the reflectance of the surface of the optical element 2 based on the photoelectric signal from the first light receiving unit 120 and the photoelectric signal from the second light receiving unit 121. That is, in general, when light is incident on the interface between two media at a certain angle of incidence, its reflectance R is such that the intensity of the energy of the incident luminous flux is I0 and the intensity of the energy of the reflected luminous flux is Ir. When you do, R = Ir Represented by / I0. Therefore, in the control device CONT, the energy intensity based on the photoelectric signal from the first light receiving unit 120 is Ir, and the energy intensity based on the photoelectric signal from the second light receiving unit 121 is I0. Find the actual reflectance Rr. Next, the control device CONT reads out the predetermined reflectance R0 stored in advance, and calculates the difference ΔR (= R0-Rr) between the predetermined reflectance R0 and the actual reflectance Rr. Then, a display signal based on the obtained difference ΔR between the two reflectances R0 and Rr is output to the display device 126. Then, the display device 126 numerically displays the degree of contamination on the surface of the optical element 2 based on this display signal. When the degree of contamination exceeds a predetermined permissible value, the control device CONT determines that foreign matter is present on the surface of the optical element 2 in excess of the permissible value, and controls the cleaning device so as to perform the cleaning process again.
Here, the optical element 2 is irradiated with illuminance light to detect the scattered light on the surface of the optical element 2, but if foreign matter is attached to the optical element 2, the image plane side of the projection optical system PL Since uneven illuminance or telesen deviation is observed in the above, whether or not foreign matter is attached by measuring the illuminance on each of the focal plane and the defocus plane using the illuminance sensor provided on the substrate stage PST. Can be detected.
In the embodiment of FIG. 15, the optical element 2 is irradiated with light and the scattered light is received to detect the liquid and foreign matter (impurities) adhering to the surface of the optical element 2. The detection method is not limited to this, and for example, the above-mentioned mask alignment system 6 may be used for detection.
In addition, the foreign matter detection system is used to check whether foreign matter is attached to the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL at a predetermined timing such as during replacement of the substrate P as well as after cleaning the surface of the optical element 2. The cleaning operation may be performed when a foreign substance is detected.
Further, the foreign matter detection system 100 detects foreign matter in the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL, but detects foreign matter on the surface of other parts that come into contact with the liquid on the image plane side of the projection optical system PL. It may be.
<Another Embodiment of the Exposure Device Using the First Liquid Removal Device> FIG. 16 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the exposure apparatus using the first liquid removing apparatus. In the present embodiment, the plate member forming a part of the illuminance unevenness sensor (measurement system) 138 that receives the light emitted to the image plane side (the substrate P side) of the Z stage 52 via the projection optical system PL. (Upper plate) 138A is provided, and a liquid absorbing member 142 for recovering the liquid removed from the plate member 138A is added in the vicinity thereof. The liquid absorbing member 142 is arranged in the groove 144 formed in the Z stage 52. Further, the plate member 138A is formed by patterning the surface of a glass plate with a thin film containing a light-shielding material such as chromium and providing a pinhole 138P in the central portion thereof. Further, the upper surface of the plate member 138A has liquid repellency. In the present embodiment, a liquid-repellent material such as a fluorine-based compound is coated on the surface of the plate member 138A.
FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a state in which the liquid adhering to the plate member 138A, which is provided on the substrate stage PST and constitutes a part of the illuminance unevenness sensor 138, is removed. In the present embodiment, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-117238, the illuminance unevenness sensor 138 has a plurality of illuminances (intensities) of exposure light emitted to the image plane side via the projection optical system PL. The illuminance unevenness (illuminance distribution) of the exposure light applied to the image plane side of the projection optical system PL is measured by measuring at the position. The illuminance unevenness sensor 138 is provided on the substrate stage PST (Z stage 52), and is embedded in a plate member 138A in which a light-shielding film is patterned on the surface of a glass plate and a pinhole 138P is formed in the center thereof, and in the Z stage 52. It has an optical system 138C that is irradiated with light that has passed through the pinhole 138P, and a light receiving element (light receiving system) 138B that receives the light that has passed through the optical system 138C. For example, a relay optical system may be provided between the optical system 138C and the light receiving element 138B, and the light receiving element 138B may be arranged outside the Z stage 52.
When measuring the illuminance distribution with the illuminance unevenness sensor 138, the projection optical system PL and the plate member 138A of the illuminance unevenness sensor 138 are opposed to each other, and the space between the projection optical system PL and the plate member 138A is filled with liquid. The pinhole 138P is sequentially moved at a plurality of positions in the irradiation area where the exposure light is irradiated, and as described above, the illuminance of the exposure light at each position is measured to obtain (measure) the illuminance distribution (illuminance unevenness). .. After the illuminance distribution measurement is completed, the control device CONT moves the substrate stage PST and arranges the plate member 138A of the illuminance unevenness sensor 138 under the nozzle portion 43 of the first liquid removing device 40.
As described above, on the Z stage 52, a liquid absorbing member 142 for recovering the liquid removed from the plate member 138A by the first liquid removing device 40 is provided at a position adjacent to the plate member 138A. Like the liquid absorbing member 42 described above, the liquid absorbing member 142 is made of a porous material such as porous ceramics or sponge, and can hold a predetermined amount of liquid.
The control device CONT blows and removes the liquid adhering to the plate member 138A by blowing gas onto the plate member 138A from the nozzle portion 43 of the first liquid removing device 40. The blown-out liquid is held (recovered) by the liquid absorbing member 142 arranged at a position facing the outlet 43A of the nozzle portion 43 of the first liquid removing device 40. Since the surface of the plate member 138A is treated with a liquid repellent treatment, not only can the liquid be prevented from entering the inside of the pinhole 138P, but also the liquid can be removed better than the plate member 138A by spraying gas. it can.
A flow path 145 continuous with the groove 144 is formed inside the Z stage 52, and the bottom of the liquid absorbing member 142 arranged in the groove 144 is connected to the flow path 145. The flow path 145 is connected to one end of a pipeline 146 provided outside the Z stage 52. On the other hand, the other end of the pipeline 146 is connected to the pump 149 via a pipeline 148 having a tank 147 and a valve 148A provided outside the Z stage 52. The tank 147 is provided with a discharge flow path 147A, and when a predetermined amount of liquid 1 is accumulated, the liquid 1 is discharged from the discharge flow path 147A. Then, the control device CONT drives the gas supply unit 41A of the first liquid removal device 40 and also drives the pump 149 to collect the liquid collected by the liquid absorbing member 142 so as to be sucked into the tank 147.
As a method for removing the liquid from the plate member 138A by the first liquid removing device 40, suction of liquid, spraying of dry air, or the like as described in the previous embodiment may be used, or a combination thereof may be used as appropriate. You may. Further, it is not necessary to make the entire surface of the plate member 138A liquid-repellent, and only a part thereof, for example, the periphery of the pinhole 138P may be made liquid-repellent. Further, not only the upper surface of the plate member 138A of the illuminance unevenness sensor 138 but also the surface of other parts on the substrate stage PST may be made liquid repellent. However, if the removal capacity is sufficiently high by the first liquid removing device 40, it is not always necessary to make the liquid repellent.
Further, on the substrate stage PST, not only the illuminance unevenness sensor, but also the irradiation dose monitor as disclosed in JP-A-11-16816, the imaging characteristics disclosed in JP-A-2002-14005, etc. Other sensors, such as a spatial image measurement sensor for measuring the illuminance, are arranged to receive the exposure light that has passed through the projection optical system PL and the liquid through the light transmitting portion. Since liquid may remain or adhere to the surface of the flat portion where the light transmitting portion is formed in these sensors, even if the liquid removal using the first liquid removing device 40 is applied to those sensors. Good. Further, when a reflective member as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-183522 is arranged on the substrate stage PST, it remains / adheres to the surface by using the first liquid removing mechanism 40. The liquid may be removed.
Further, when removing the sensor detachable from the substrate stage PST as disclosed in JP-A-11-238680 and JP-A-2000-97616 from the substrate stage PST, the first liquid removing device The liquid may be removed using 40 and then removed.
<Embodiment of an exposure apparatus using a third liquid removing apparatus>, FIG. 18 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the exposure apparatus using the third liquid removing apparatus. In FIG. 18, the focus detection system 4 includes a light emitting unit 4a and a light receiving unit 4b. In the present embodiment, the first optical member 151 capable of transmitting the detection light emitted from the light emitting unit 4a of the focus detection system 4 and the detection light reflected on the substrate P are placed in the vicinity of the tip of the projection optical system PL. A second optical member 152 that can transmit is provided. The first optical member 151 and the second optical member 152 are supported in a state of being separated from the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL, and the first optical member 151 is arranged on the -X side of the optical element 2. The second optical member 152 is arranged on the + X side of the optical element 2. The first and second optical members 151 and 152 are provided at positions where they can come into contact with the liquid 1 in the immersion region AR2 at positions that do not hinder the movement of the optical path of the exposure light EL and the substrate P.
Then, as shown in FIG. 18, for example, during the exposure process of the substrate P, the optical path of the exposure light EL that has passed through the projection optical system PL, that is, the optical element 2 and the substrate P (projection region AR1 on the substrate P) The liquid 1 is supplied and recovered by the liquid supply mechanism 10 and the liquid recovery mechanism 30 so that the optical paths of the exposure light EL between them are completely filled with the liquid 1. Further, the entire optical path of the exposure light EL between the optical element 2 and the substrate P is filled with the liquid 1, and the immersion region AR2 is formed in a desired state on the substrate P so as to cover the entire projection region AR1. At this time, the liquid 1 forming the immersion region AR2 comes into close contact (contact) with each of the end faces of the first optical member 151 and the second optical member 152. When the liquid immersion region AR2 is formed on the substrate P and the liquid 1 is in close contact with each of the end faces of the first optical member 151 and the second optical member 152, the liquid 1 is ejected from the light emitting portion 4a of the focus detection system 4. Of the optical paths of the detected light and the reflected light on the substrate P, the optical paths between the first optical member 151 and the second optical member 152 are all filled with the liquid 1. Further, when the entire optical path of the detection light is filled with the liquid 1, the detection light emitted from the light emitting unit 4a of the focus detection system 4 is irradiated to the projection region AR1 of the projection optical system PL on the substrate P. Is set to.
Further, the liquid contact surfaces, which are the end faces of the first and second optical members 151 and 152, are, for example, liquefied to become liquor-friendly. By doing so, the liquid 1 in the immersion region AR2 easily adheres to the liquid contact surfaces of the first and second optical members 151 and 152, so that the shape of the immersion region AR2 can be easily maintained.
In FIG. 18, the liquid supply mechanism 10 and the liquid recovery mechanism 30 are shown in a simplified manner. The liquid supply mechanism 10 shown in FIG. 18 includes a liquid supply unit 171 capable of delivering the liquid 1 and a supply pipe 172 connecting the supply nozzle 173 and the liquid supply unit 171. The liquid 1 delivered from the liquid supply unit 171 passes through the supply pipe 172 and is then supplied onto the substrate P from the liquid supply port 174 of the supply nozzle 173. Further, the liquid recovery mechanism 30 shown in FIG. 18 includes a liquid recovery unit 175 capable of recovering the liquid 1 and a recovery pipe 176 connecting the recovery nozzle 177 and the liquid recovery unit 175. The liquid 1 on the substrate P is collected from the collection port 178 of the collection nozzle 177, and then collected by the liquid collection unit 175 via the collection pipe 176.
Here, it has been described that the first optical member 151 and the second optical member 152 are independent members, but for example, an annular optical member is provided so as to surround the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL. It may be arranged, a part of the annular optical member may be irradiated with the detection light, and the detection light passing through the immersion region AR2 and the surface of the substrate P may be received through the annular optical member. The shape of the immersion region AR2 can be satisfactorily maintained by providing the optical member in an annular shape and bringing the liquid 1 in the immersion region AR2 into close contact with the inner surface of the annular optical member. Further, in the present embodiment, the first optical member 151 and the second optical member 152 are separated from the projection optical system PL, but may be provided integrally with the optical element 2 of the projection optical system PL.
After performing the immersion exposure process in the state shown in FIG. 18, the control device CONT arranges a cleaning plate (or a dummy substrate) under the projection optical system PL, for example, as described with reference to FIG. , The liquid supply mechanism 10 and the liquid recovery mechanism 30 are used to form the immersion region AR2 on the cleaning plate, and the liquid 1 in the immersion region AR2 is used as the optical element 2 and the first and first optical elements 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL. 2 Clean the vicinity of the supply port 174 of the optical members 151, 152, or the supply nozzle 173, or the vicinity of the recovery port 178 of the recovery nozzle 177. After the cleaning is completed, the control device CONT recovers the liquid 1 in the immersion region AR2 by using the liquid recovery mechanism 30 or the like.
After recovering the liquid 1 in the immersion region AR2, the control device CONT sets the gas nozzle 160 (third liquid removal device) that blows out the gas under the projection optical system PL by a drive device (not shown) as shown in FIG. Place in. At this time, the substrate stage PST is moved to the load / unload position (see FIG. 9) in order to unload the substrate P, and the gas nozzle 160 is placed under the projection optical system PL by a drive device (not shown). Will be done. Further, under the projection optical system PL, a liquid receiving member 280 that receives the liquid 1 that has fallen from the optical element 2 or the like is arranged. The gas nozzle 160 may be provided on the substrate stage PST at a position other than the substrate holder that holds the substrate P.
The control device CONT blows out gas from the outlet 161 of the gas nozzle 160, and uses the blown gas to adhere to the optical element 2, the first and second optical members 151, 152, the supply nozzle 173, and the recovery nozzle 177. Move the position of the liquid 1 that is in use. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, the control device CONT first passes the outlet 161 of the gas nozzle 160 parallel to the substrate surface to a position facing the region where the exposure light EL of the lower surface 2a of the optical element 2 passes (X direction). After moving, gas is blown out from the outlet 161. While maintaining the state in which the gas is blown out, the gas nozzle 160 is moved toward the outside of the region through which the exposure light EL passes. As a result, the liquid (droplet) 1 adhering to the region on the lower surface 2a of the optical element 2 through which the exposure light EL passes, that is, the region corresponding to the projection region AR1 on the lower surface 2a of the optical element 2, is outside that region. You can move to. In the present embodiment, the region through which the exposure light EL passes is substantially the central portion of the lower surface 2a of the optical element 2, so that the gas 1 adhering (residual) to the central portion of the lower surface 2a by the above method is removed from the lower surface 2a. Can be moved towards the end of (see reference numeral 1'in Figure 19). In other words, the control device CONT uses the blown gas to retreat the liquid 1 adhering to the region through which the exposure light EL passes to the outside of the region without drying, thereby retreating the liquid 1 to the outside of the region through which the exposure light EL passes. I try to remove the liquid adhering to the. This makes it possible to prevent the inconvenience of forming a watermark at least in the region of the lower surface 2a of the optical element 2 through which the exposure light EL passes. In this embodiment, the gas nozzle 160 and its accessories function as a third liquid removing device.
In the present embodiment, the liquid is retreated (removed) from the region through which the exposure light EL passes, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the liquid may be retreated from a desired region as needed. Good.
FIG. 20A is a diagram showing an example of the outlet 161. As shown in FIG. 20A, in the present embodiment, the outlet 161 is formed in a slit shape with the Y-axis direction as the longitudinal direction. FIG. 20B is a diagram showing a lower surface 2a of the optical element 2. The projection area AR1 has a slit shape (rectangular shape) with the Y-axis direction as the longitudinal direction. Further, the size of the air outlet 161 is formed to be smaller than the lower surface 2a of the optical element 2. Then, when repelling the liquid 1 adhering to the central portion of the lower surface 2a of the optical element 2, the control device CONT first faces the outlet 161 of the gas nozzle 160 and the substantially central portion of the lower surface 2a of the optical element 2. The gas is blown out in this state, and the gas nozzle 160 is moved to the + X side (or -X side) while maintaining the gas blowout. That is, the control device CONT moves the gas nozzle 160 along the X-axis direction. By doing so, the control device CONT can smoothly move (retract) the liquid 1 to the outside of the region corresponding to the projection region AR1 on the lower surface 2a of the optical element 2. The liquid 1 adhering to the central portion of the lower surface 2a of the optical element 2 (the central portion of the region corresponding to the projection region AR1) is moved along the Y-axis direction in order to move out of the region corresponding to the projection region AR1. When trying to make it, the projection region AR1 has the Y-axis direction as the longitudinal direction, so that the moving distance becomes long. In this case, it may be difficult to smoothly move the liquid 1 to the outside of the region. Therefore, the liquid 1 adhering to the central portion of the lower surface 2a of the optical element 2 (the central portion of the region corresponding to the projection region AR1) is taken out along the X-axis direction in order to be discharged to the outside of the region corresponding to the projection region AR1. By moving the liquid 1, the liquid 1 can be smoothly moved to the outside of the region.
In the present embodiment, the gas blown out from the outlet 161 of the gas nozzle 160 is blown out as a clean gas through a filter device (not shown) including a chemical filter and a particle removal filter. Therefore, contamination of the optical element 2 and the like is prevented. Further, as the gas, it is preferable to use a gas substantially the same as the environment in which the exposure device EX is placed, specifically, a gas substantially the same as the gas inside the chamber in which the exposure device EX is housed. In this embodiment, air (dry air) is used. Nitrogen gas (dry nitrogen) may be used as the gas to be blown out. When a gas different from the environment in which the exposure device EX is placed is used, the optical path of the measurement light of the interferometer that measures the stage position fluctuates due to the difference in the refractive index of the gases that are different from each other. Although it may cause inconvenience, the above-mentioned inconvenience can be prevented by making the gas blown out from the outlet 161 almost the same gas as the environment in which the exposure apparatus EX is placed.
The liquid 1 that has moved (rejected) to the outside of the region through which the exposure light EL passes is vaporized (dried) and removed by, for example, the gas blown out from the gas nozzle 160 or a predetermined drying device.
Even if the liquid moved to the outside of the region through which the exposure light EL passes dries, the parts (lower surface 2a of the optical element 2) are cleaned before the gas is blown out from the gas nozzle 160, so the exposure is performed. It is possible to prevent impurities and the like from adhering to a dry place outside the region through which the optical EL passes.
Further, the liquid moved to the outside of the region through which the exposure light EL passes may be sucked (recovered).
Similarly, the control device CONT removes the liquid (droplet) adhering to at least the region through which the detection light of the focus detection system 4 passes from the end faces of the first and second optical members 151 and 152 to the gas nozzle 160. Move (reject) using the gas blown from. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the inconvenience that watermarks are formed (impurities adhere) at least in the region of the end faces of the first and second optical members 151 and 152 through which the detection light passes.
Similarly, the control device CONT repels the liquid 1 adhering (residual) to the supply nozzle 173 and the recovery nozzle 177 by the gas blown out from the gas nozzle 160. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the inconvenience of forming watermarks on the supply nozzle 173 and the recovery nozzle 177. Since the watermark becomes a foreign substance (impurity), for example, if the watermark is formed on the supply nozzle 173 (supply port 174) or the recovery nozzle 177 (recovery port 178), when the immersion region AR2 is formed, the watermark is used. Foreign matter (impurities) may enter the immersion region AR2. In that case, the exposure accuracy and the measurement accuracy are deteriorated. Further, it is considered that the recovery ability of the liquid recovery mechanism 30 changes depending on the contact angle (affinity) of the recovery nozzle 177 (recovery port 178) with respect to the liquid 1, and a watermark is formed on the recovery nozzle 177 to form the liquid 1. If the contact angle of the liquid recovery mechanism 30 changes, the recovery capacity of the liquid recovery mechanism 30 may deteriorate. However, the above inconvenience can be prevented by removing the liquid 1 adhering to the nozzles 173 and 177 as in the present embodiment.
As described above, the liquid adhering to the predetermined region (the region irradiated with the exposure light or the detection light) of the optical element 2 and the first and second optical members 151 and 152 is applied to the predetermined region with the gas nozzle 160. By blowing (retracting) the gas to the outside of the predetermined region while relatively moving the (outlet 161), it is possible to prevent the inconvenience of forming a water mark in the predetermined region.
In the present embodiment, when the liquid 1 adhering to the lower surface 2a of the optical element 2 is retreated to the end, a gas is first sprayed on the central portion of the lower surface 2a, and then the gas nozzle is maintained in a state where the gas is sprayed. Although the structure is such that the 160 is moved substantially linearly toward the end of the lower surface 2a, the gas nozzle 160 may be moved so that the outlet 161 draws a spiral trajectory with respect to the lower surface 2a. Further, the shape of the outlet 161 is not limited to the slit shape, and may be any shape such as a circular shape. Further, a porous body may be arranged at the outlet 161.
Further, in the present embodiment, there is only one gas nozzle 160 (outlet 161), but of course, a plurality of gas nozzles 160 (outlet 161) may be provided and used in combination. Further, of the plurality of gas nozzles 160, for example, the gas blown out from the first gas nozzle 160 is used to remove the liquid 1 adhering to the optical element 2, and the gas blown out from the second gas nozzle 160 is used to remove the first gas. The liquid 1 adhering to the optical member 151 or the second optical member 152 may be removed, and the removing operations thereof may be performed in parallel. In this way, the liquid removing operation can be efficiently performed by performing the liquid removing operation for each of the plurality of predetermined regions in parallel using the plurality of gas nozzles 160.
Further, in order to move (retract) the liquid 1 adhering to the end faces of the optical element 2 and the first and second optical members 151 and 152, for example, the second liquid removing device 60 described with reference to FIG. 8 and the like. The gas blown out from the outlet 64A may be used.
In the above-described embodiment, the gas is blown from below to the optical element 2 and the first and second optical members 151 and 152, but the gas may be blown from above. For example, as shown in FIG. 21, the outlet 161 of the gas nozzle 160 may be formed so as to face downward to remove (retract) the liquid 1 adhering to the end face of the second optical member 152. Of course, the gas nozzle 160 can also be used to remove the liquid 1 adhering to the end face of the first optical member 151. Alternatively, a flow path 163 is formed in a part of the first optical member 151 (or the second optical member 152), and a gas nozzle 164 connected to the flow path 163 is provided on the end surface of the first optical member 151 to provide the flow path 163. It is also possible to blow the gas through the gas nozzle 164 onto the end face of the first optical member 151 from above. The flow path 163 is formed at a position that does not obstruct the optical path of the detection light of the focus detection system 4.
In the above-described embodiment, the optical element 2 at the tip of the projection optical system PL, the first and second optical members 151, 152, the vicinity of the supply port 174 of the supply nozzle 173, and the vicinity of the recovery port 178 of the recovery nozzle 177. After cleaning, the liquid is removed using the gas nozzle 160, but the cleaning step may be omitted.
Further, the gas nozzle 160 may be provided on the substrate stage PST and the gas nozzle 160 may be moved by moving the substrate stage PST as in the second embodiment described above.
Further, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-135400, a stage capable of moving the image plane side of the projection optical system PL is further mounted on the stage independently of the substrate stage PST, and the gas nozzle 160 is mounted on the stage. May be arranged.
In the above-described embodiment, gas is blown out from the outlet 161 to move the liquid 1 adhering to the optical element 2, the first and second optical members 151 and 152, or the nozzles 173 and 177, but the gas is transferred. It is also possible to move (remove, repel) the liquid 1 remaining (adhering) on the substrate stage PST by spraying. For example, the outlet 161 is arranged so as to face the upper surface of the substrate stage PST, gas is blown onto the reference member 7 described with reference to FIG. 3 and the like, and the liquid 1 adhering to the reference member 7 is sprayed. Can be moved (retracted) to the outside of the reference member 7 (or the outside of the detection target area on the reference member 7) without drying. Similarly, the liquid 1 adhering to the upper plate 138A of the illuminance unevenness sensor 138 described with reference to FIG. The liquid 1 adhering to the upper plate of the spatial image measurement sensor as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-14005 can be moved (removed) without being dried by spraying a gas.
<Embodiment of Exposure Device Using Fourth Liquid Removal Device> FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an exposure apparatus including a fourth liquid removing apparatus. In FIG. 22, one end of the gas supply pipe 181 is connected to the middle of the supply pipe 172 via a flow path switching device 182 such as a three-way valve. On the other hand, the other end of the gas supply pipe 181 is connected to the gas supply unit 180. When the flow path switching device 182 opens the flow path connecting the liquid supply unit 171 and the supply port 174, the flow path switching device 182 closes the flow path connecting the gas supply unit 180 and the supply port 174. On the other hand, when the flow path switching device 182 closes the flow path connecting the liquid supply unit 171 and the supply port 174, the flow path switching device 182 opens the flow path connecting the gas supply unit 180 and the supply port 174. Similarly, one end of the gas supply pipe 184 is connected to the middle of the recovery pipe 176 via the flow path switching device 185, and the other end is connected to the gas supply unit 183. When the flow path switching device 185 opens the flow path connecting the liquid recovery unit 175 and the recovery port 178, the flow path switching device 185 closes the flow path connecting the gas supply unit 183 and the recovery port 178. On the other hand, when the flow path switching device 185 closes the flow path connecting the liquid recovery unit 175 and the recovery port 178, the flow path switching device 185 opens the flow path connecting the gas supply unit 183 and the recovery port 178.
In this embodiment, the gas supply units 180 and 183, the supply port 174 and the recovery port 178, the flow path switching device 182, and the like operate as a fourth liquid removing device (liquid mechanism mechanism) for removing the residual liquid.
For example, when the immersion region AR2 is formed on the substrate P, the control device CONT drives the flow path switching devices 182 and 185 to open the flow path connecting the liquid supply unit 171 and the supply port 174, and the liquid. Open the flow path connecting the collection unit 175 and the collection port 178. At this time, the flow path connecting the gas supply unit 180 and the supply port 174 and the flow path connecting the gas supply unit 183 and the recovery port 178 are closed.
After the immersion exposure of the substrate P is completed, the control device CONT stops the liquid supply operation by the liquid supply mechanism 10 and continues the liquid recovery operation by the liquid recovery mechanism 30 for a predetermined period after the stop of the liquid supply operation. Then, the liquid 1 forming the immersion region AR2 is recovered. When the liquid supply operation by the liquid supply mechanism 10 is stopped, the control device CONT drives the flow path switching device 182, closes the flow path connecting the liquid supply unit 171 and the supply port 174, and sets the gas supply unit 180. Open the flow path that connects to the supply port 174. Then, after the liquid 1 in the immersion region AR2 is almost exhausted, the control device CONT drives the gas supply unit 180 to start supplying the gas. The gas supplied from the gas supply unit 180 is blown out from the supply port 174 of the supply nozzle 173 via the gas supply pipe 181 and the flow path switching device 182. As a result, the liquid 1 remaining in the flow path between the flow path switching device 182 and the supply port 174 can be blown out through the supply port 174 to be removed. Using the gas supplied from the gas supply unit 180 and blown out from the supply port 174, for example, the liquid 1 adhering to the end faces of the first and second optical members 151 and 152 and the substrate stage PST (measuring member, etc.) It is also possible to remove the liquid 1 adhering to the top (including).
Similarly, the control device CONT drives the flow path switching device 185 after the recovery operation of the liquid 1 in the immersion region AR2 by the liquid recovery mechanism 30 is completed, and connects the liquid recovery unit 175 and the recovery port 178. Along with closing the path, a flow path connecting the gas supply unit 183 and the recovery port 178 is opened. Then, the control device CONT uses the gas supplied from the gas supply unit 183 to collect the liquid 1 remaining in the flow path between the flow path switching device 185 and the recovery port 178 via the recovery port 178. Blow out to remove. Using the gas blown out from the collection port 178, it adheres to the liquid 1 adhering to the end faces of the first and second optical members 151 and 152 and to the substrate stage PST (including the measuring member). It is also possible to remove the existing liquid 1.
As described above, when the liquid 1 is not supplied or recovered, by supplying clean gas from the gas supply units 180 and 183, the internal flow path and the vicinity of the supply port 174 of the supply pipe 172 and the supply nozzle 173 are supplied. Alternatively, it is possible to prevent the inconvenience of forming a watermark near the internal flow path of the recovery pipe 176 or the recovery nozzle 177 or the recovery port 178.
<Another Embodiment of an Exposure Device Using a Third Liquid Removal Device> FIG. 23 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the exposure apparatus using the third liquid removing apparatus. In FIG. 23, the gas nozzle 160 having the outlet 161 is attached to the liquid receiving member 190. The liquid receiving member 190 is a dish-shaped member, which is formed larger than the occupied area of the optical elements 2, the nozzles 173 and 177, and the first and second optical members 151 and 152, and drips from each of these members. It is possible to receive the liquid 1. Further, a liquid absorbing member 199 made of a porous body or a sponge-like member is replaceably provided on the bottom of the liquid receiving member 190. The liquid absorbing member 199 can satisfactorily collect and hold the liquid 1. Further, the liquid receiving member 190 has a peripheral wall portion 191, and the outflow of the collected liquid 1 is prevented by the peripheral wall portion 191.
The liquid receiving member 190 is movably provided by a drive mechanism 193. The drive mechanism 193 includes an arm portion 194, an actuator portion 195, and a shaft portion 196. One end of the arm portion 194 is connected to the side surface of the liquid receiving member 190, and the other end is connected to the actuator portion 195. Further, the actuator portion 195 is attached via the shaft portion 196 so as to be suspended from a predetermined support portion CL such as a body of the exposure apparatus EX or a column supporting the projection optical system PL. When the actuator portion 195 is driven, the liquid receiving member 190 attached to one end of the arm portion 194 swivels in the θZ direction with the shaft portion 196 as the swivel center. The control device CONT can move the liquid receiving member 190 forward and backward with respect to the lower region of the projection optical system PL by driving the actuator unit 195 of the driving mechanism 193 to rotate the liquid receiving member 190. Further, the actuator portion 195 can move the liquid receiving member 190 in the Z-axis direction via the arm portion 194, and can also move in the XY direction.
Further, the liquid receiving member 190 is provided with an image pickup device 198 made of, for example, a CCD. The image pickup apparatus 198 can output the surface information of the optical element 2 and the first and second optical members 151 and 152 as an image.
The control device CONT drives the actuator unit 195 when moving (removing) the liquid 1 adhering to the optical element 2, the first and second optical members 151, 152, and the like, and the optical element 2 and the liquid receiving member 190 The gas nozzle 160 is moved together with the liquid receiving member 190 to the optical element 2 while the gas is blown to the optical element 2. The liquid 1 adhering to the region of the optical element 2 corresponding to the optical path of the exposure light EL is moved by the sprayed liquid 1 and eventually falls. The liquid 1 that has fallen from the optical element 2 is held by the liquid receiving member 190. By doing so, for example, even when the substrate stage PST is arranged under the projection optical system PL and the liquid receiving member 190, the liquid 1 is received by the liquid receiving member 190 and is removed from the optical element 2 and the like. The inconvenience of liquid 1 adhering to the substrate stage PST can be prevented.
Further, the control device CONT controls the gas blowing operation of the gas nozzle 160 based on the image pickup result of the image pickup device 198. For example, the control device CONT finds the position where the liquid 1 is attached based on the image pickup result of the image pickup device 198, aligns the position where the liquid 1 is attached with the gas nozzle 160, and sprays the gas. You can do it. By doing so, the liquid 1 can be removed more reliably. Then, when it is determined that the liquid 1 has been removed from the optical element 2, the control device CONT ends the gas blowing operation by the gas nozzle 160.
A positioning mechanism for positioning the liquid receiving member 190 and, for example, the first and second optical members 151 and 152 may be provided. As the positioning mechanism, the leaf spring member 192 shown by the broken line in FIG. 23 can be used. In the example shown in FIG. 23, the leaf spring member 192 is provided on the upper surface 191A of the peripheral wall portion 191 of the liquid receiving member 190. When the liquid receiving member 190 moves in the + Z direction by driving the actuator unit 195 and approaches the first and second optical members 151 and 152, the leaf spring member (positioning mechanism) 192 moves to the first and second optical members 151, Sandwich the outside of 152. As a result, the first and second optical members 151 and 152 and the liquid receiving member 190 are positioned. In this case, it is difficult to move the gas nozzle 160 attached to the liquid receiving member 190 relative to the optical element 2 (first and second optical members 151, 152), but the gas blown out from the gas nozzle 160. Can be sprayed onto the desired region of the optical element 2 (in this case, the region corresponding to the projection region AR1) to satisfactorily repel the liquid 1 adhering to that region.
<Another Embodiment of the Exposure Device Using the Third Liquid Removal Device> FIG. 24 is a side view showing another embodiment of the exposure apparatus using the third liquid removing apparatus. In FIG. 24, the substrate stage PST is provided at substantially the center of the substrate stage PST in a plan view, and includes a center table 250 that can be moved in the Z-axis direction. The center table 250 is movable in the Z-axis direction by a drive mechanism (not shown), and is provided so as to be able to appear and disappear from the upper surface of the substrate stage PST (Z stage 52). Further, a suction hole 251 is provided on the upper surface 250A of the center table 250. The suction hole 251 is connected to one end of the flow path 252 provided inside the substrate stage PST. On the other hand, the other end of the flow path 252 can be connected to either one end of the first flow path 254 or one end of the second flow path 255 via the flow path switching device 253. The other end of the first flow path 254 is connected to the vacuum system 256, and the other end of the second flow path 255 is connected to the gas supply unit 257. When the flow path switching device 253 connects the flow path 252 and the first flow path 254 to open the flow path connecting the vacuum system 256 and the suction hole 251, the gas supply unit 257 and the suction hole 251 are connected to each other. Close the connecting flow path. On the other hand, when the flow path switching device 253 connects the flow path 252 and the second flow path 255 to open the flow path connecting the gas supply unit 257 and the suction hole 251, the vacuum system 256 and the suction hole 251 Close the flow path connecting with.
When the control device CONT loads the board P on the board stage PST, the center table 250 is raised, the board P is placed on the center table 250, the vacuum system 256 is driven, and the board P is passed through the suction hole 251. Adsorbs and holds the back surface of. Then, the control device CONT lowers the center table 250 while sucking and holding the substrate P, and holds the substrate P in the substrate holder on the Z stage 52. The substrate holder is provided with, for example, a pin chuck mechanism, and the substrate holder attracts and holds the substrate P by the pin chuck mechanism. On the other hand, when the substrate P is unloaded from the substrate stage PST, the control device CONT releases the adsorption and holding of the substrate P by the substrate holder, and also attracts and retains the substrate P on the center table 250 and rises. When the center table 250 rises while adsorbing and holding the substrate P, the substrate P is separated from the Z stage and can be unloaded.
In the present embodiment, gas is blown out from the suction hole 251 provided in the center table 250, and the blown gas is used to adhere to the lower surface 2a of the optical element 2 and the first and second optical members 151 and 152. Move (reject) 1 That is, when the control device CONT removes the liquid 1 adhering to the optical element 2 and the first and second optical members 151 and 152, the control device CONT drives the flow path switching device 253 and connects the gas supply unit 257 and the suction hole 251. Open the connecting channel. Then, the control device CONT blows out gas from the suction hole 251 while moving the substrate stage PST along the XY plane. By spraying the gas, for example, the liquid 1 adhering to the region corresponding to the optical path of the exposure light EL out of the lower surface 2a of the optical element 2 is moved and eventually falls.
In the present embodiment, the liquid receiving member DP capable of collecting the liquid 1 is held on the Z stage 52 (board holder). The liquid receiving member DP has almost the same size as the substrate P and can be held in the substrate holder. The liquid 1 that has fallen from the optical element 2 is held by the liquid receiving member DP held by the substrate holder. A liquid holding member 261 is provided at the bottom of the liquid receiving member DP, and the liquid 1 is held by the liquid holding member 261. Further, the liquid receiving member DP has a peripheral wall portion 262 to prevent the held liquid 1 from flowing out.
FIG. 25 is a view of the liquid receiving member DP held in the substrate holder as viewed from above. In FIG. 25, a plurality of suction holes 251 are provided on the upper surface 250A of the center table 250, and three are provided in the present embodiment. Further, the liquid receiving member DP is provided with a plurality (three) openings 264 corresponding to a plurality of suction holes 251. That is, the suction hole 251 is exposed even when the liquid receiving member DP is held by the substrate holder. Therefore, the gas blown out from the suction hole 251 can be blown onto the optical element 2 and the like. Further, the upper surface 250A of the center table 250 is formed with a plurality of (three) groove portions 258 extending in the radial direction from the central portion of the upper surface 250A, and these plurality of groove portions 258 are continuously formed at the central portion of the upper surface 250A. There is. A suction hole 251 is arranged inside the groove 258. When the back surface of the substrate P to be exposed is adsorbed and held by the upper surface 250A of the center table 250, the vacuum system 256 is driven with the back surface of the substrate P and the upper surface 250A in contact with each other, and the back surface and the groove portion of the substrate P are driven. By creating a negative pressure in the space formed by 258, the substrate P can be adsorbed and held by the center table 250. On the other hand, even when the liquid receiving member DP is held by the center table 250, the liquid receiving member DP can be set by optimally setting the shape and size of the opening 264 and the groove 258, or the size and position of the suction hole 251. It can be held by the center table 250. Alternatively, a dedicated suction hole for sucking and holding the liquid receiving member DP other than the suction hole 251 and a corresponding groove are provided on the upper surface 250A of the center table 250 (reference numerals 251'and 258'in FIG. 25). (See), the liquid receiving member DP may be sucked and held with respect to the upper surface 250A by using the suction hole 251'. Then, using the center table 250, the liquid receiving member DP can be loaded and unloaded with respect to the substrate stage PST in the same manner as the substrate P to be exposed. Then, the liquid removal work of the optical element 2 and the like is performed. At that time, the liquid receiving member DP on the substrate stage PST is loaded, and when the liquid removal work is completed, the liquid receiving member DP on the substrate stage PST is unloaded. Further, when the liquid receiving member DP is sucked and held by the pin chuck mechanism of the substrate holder, for example, in the pin chuck mechanism so that a substantially sealed space can be formed between the liquid receiving member DP and the back surface other than the opening 264. The liquid receiving member DP can be adsorbed and held on the substrate holder by dividing the region to be negatively pressured into a plurality of regions and selectively performing negative pressure in a region other than the region corresponding to the opening 264. it can.
The liquid 1 held in the liquid receiving member DP may enter between the back surface of the liquid receiving member DP and the upper surface 250A of the center table 250 (and thus the upper surface of the substrate holder) through the opening 264. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a sealing member for preventing the liquid 1 from entering, for example, on the back surface of the liquid receiving member DP or in the vicinity of the opening 264.
Before spraying the gas blown out from the suction hole 251 onto the optical element 2 or the like, the substrate stage PST is moved to a position away from the projection optical system PL, such as the load / unload position B (see FIG. 9). It is preferable to blow out gas from the suction hole 251 at the position. There is a possibility that foreign matter (dust) may be present inside or near the suction hole 251. However, after removing the foreign matter by performing a gas blowing operation in advance at a position away from the projection optical system PL, the optical element 2 etc. It is possible to prevent the inconvenience of contaminating the optical element 2 and the like by blowing gas on the surface.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the first to fourth liquid removing devices have been described, but these removing devices may be mounted alone on the exposure device EX, or these removing devices may be appropriately combined for exposure. It may be mounted on the device EX.
Also in the embodiment shown in FIG. 24, the outlet 64A described with reference to FIG. 8 and the like is provided at a position other than the substrate holder holding the substrate P on the substrate stage PST, and the outlet 64A blows out from the outlet 64A. The liquid 1 adhering to the optical element 2 or the like can be moved by using the gas.
As described above, the liquid 1 in the present embodiment is composed of pure water. Pure water has the advantage that it can be easily obtained in large quantities at semiconductor manufacturing factories and the like, and has no adverse effect on the photoresist, optical element (lens), etc. on the substrate P. Further, since pure water has no adverse effect on the environment and the content of impurities is extremely low, it can be expected to have an effect of cleaning the surface of the substrate P and the surface of the optical element provided on the tip surface of the projection optical system PL. ..
The refractive index n of pure water (water) with respect to the exposure light EL having a wavelength of about 193 nm is said to be approximately 1.44. When ArF excimer laser light (wavelength 193 nm) is used as the light source of the exposure light EL, the substrate P Above, the wavelength is shortened to 1 / n, that is, about 134 nm, and high resolution can be obtained. Furthermore, since the depth of focus is magnified about n times, that is, about 1.44 times that in air, the aperture of the projection optical system PL is required if the same depth of focus as when used in air can be secured. The number can be increased further, which also improves the resolution.
In the present embodiment, the optical element 2 is attached to the tip of the projection optical system PL, and the optical characteristics of the projection optical system PL, for example, aberrations (spherical aberration, coma aberration, etc.) can be adjusted by this lens. The optical element attached to the tip of the projection optical system PL may be an optical plate used for adjusting the optical characteristics of the projection optical system PL. Alternatively, it may be a parallel flat plate capable of transmitting the exposure light EL.
When the pressure between the optical element at the tip of the projection optical system PL and the substrate P generated by the flow of the liquid 1 is large, the optical element is moved by the pressure instead of making the optical element replaceable. It may be firmly fixed so that it does not exist.
In the present embodiment, the space between the projection optical system PL and the surface of the substrate P is filled with the liquid 1. For example, the liquid is attached to the surface of the substrate P with a cover glass made of a parallel flat plate. The configuration may satisfy 1.
Although the liquid 1 of the present embodiment is water, it may be a liquid other than water. For example, the light source of the exposure light EL is F.<sub>2</sub>If it is a laser, this F<sub>2</sub>Laser light does not pass through water, so it is F as liquid 1.<sub>2</sub>It may be a fluorine-based fluid such as perfluoropolyether (PFPE) or a fluorine-based oil that can transmit laser light. In this case, the portion in contact with the liquid 1 is subjected to a liquefaction treatment by forming a thin film with, for example, a substance having a molecular structure having a small polarity and containing fluorine. In addition, the liquid 1 is transparent to the exposure light EL, has a high refractive index as much as possible, and is stable to the photoresist applied to the surface of the projection optical system PL and the substrate P (for example, cedar). It is also possible to use oil). In this case as well, the surface treatment is performed according to the polarity of the liquid 1 used.
When the immersion method is used as described above, the numerical aperture NA of the projection optical system may be 0.9 to 1.3. When the numerical aperture NA of the projection optical system becomes large in this way, the imaging performance may deteriorate due to the polarization effect of the randomly polarized light that has been conventionally used as the exposure light, so it is recommended to use polarized illumination. desirable. In that case, linearly polarized illumination is performed according to the longitudinal direction of the line pattern of the mask (reticle) line and space pattern, and from the mask (reticle) pattern, the S polarization component (TE polarization component), that is, the line pattern. It is preferable that a large amount of diffracted light of the polarization direction component along the longitudinal direction of the light is emitted. When the space between the projection optical system PL and the resist applied to the surface of the substrate P is filled with liquid, the space between the projection optical system PL and the resist applied to the surface of the substrate P is filled with air (gas). Since the transmittance of the diffracted light of the S polarization component (TE polarization component), which contributes to the improvement of contrast, is higher on the resist surface than in the case where the aperture number NA of the projection optical system exceeds 1.0. High imaging performance can be obtained. Further, it is more effective to appropriately combine a phase shift mask, an oblique incident illumination method (particularly a die ball illumination method) that matches the longitudinal direction of the line pattern as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-188169. For example, when a halftone type phase shift mask with a transmittance of 6% (a pattern with a half pitch of about 45 nm) is illuminated by using both the linearly polarized light illumination method and the die ball illumination method, a die ball is formed on the pupil surface of the illumination system. Assuming that the illumination σ defined by the circumscribing circle of the two luminous fluxes is 0.95, the radius of each luminous flux on the pupil surface is 0.125σ, and the number of openings of the projection optical system PL is NA = 1.2, the focal point is better than using randomly polarized light. The depth (DOF) can be increased by about 150 nm.
In addition, for example, using an ArF excimer laser as the exposure light and using a projection optical system PL with a reduction magnification of about 1/4, a fine line and space pattern (for example, a line and space of about 25 to 50 nm) is used as a substrate. When exposing on P, depending on the structure of the mask M (for example, the fineness of the pattern and the thickness of the chromium), the mask M acts as a polarizing plate due to the Wave guide effect, and the P polarization component (TM polarized light) that lowers the contrast. More diffracted light of the S polarization component (TE polarization component) is emitted from the mask M than the diffracted light of the component). In this case, it is desirable to use the above-mentioned linearly polarized light, but even if the mask M is illuminated with randomly polarized light, high resolution performance can be achieved even when the numerical aperture NA of the projection optical system PL is as large as 0.9 to 1.3. Obtainable.
Further, when the ultrafine line and space pattern on the mask M is exposed on the substrate P, the P polarization component (TM polarization component) is larger than the S polarization component (TE polarization component) due to the Wire Grid effect. For example, using an ArF excimer laser as the exposure light and using a projection optical system PL with a reduction magnification of about 1/4, a line-and-space pattern larger than 25 nm is exposed on the substrate P. In this case, the diffracted light of the S polarization component (TE polarization component) is emitted from the mask M more than the diffracted light of the P polarization component (TM polarization component), so that the opening number NA of the projection optical system PL is 0.9 to 1.3. High resolution performance can be obtained even when the size is large.
Further, not only linearly polarized illumination (S-polarized illumination) aligned with the longitudinal direction of the line pattern of the mask (reticle), but also a circle centered on the optical axis as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-53120. A combination of a polarized illumination method that linearly polarizes in the tangential (circumferential) direction and an oblique incident illumination method is also effective. In particular, when the mask (reticle) pattern includes not only a line pattern extending in a predetermined direction but also a plurality of line patterns extending in different directions, it is also disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-53120. In addition, by using the polarized illumination method that linearly polarized light in the tangential direction of the circle centered on the optical axis and the annular illumination method, high imaging performance can be obtained even when the numerical aperture NA of the projection optical system is large. it can. For example, a polarized illumination method and an annular illumination method (annular ratio) in which a halftone type phase shift mask (a pattern with a half pitch of about 63 nm) having a transmittance of 6% is linearly polarized in the tangential direction of a circle centered on the optical axis. When illuminating in combination with 3/4), if the illumination σ is 0.95 and the numerical aperture of the projection optical system PL is NA = 1.00, the focal depth (DOF) is increased by about 250 nm compared to using randomly polarized light. With a pattern with a half pitch of about 55 nm and a numerical aperture of NA = 1.2 in the projection optical system, the focal depth can be increased by about 100 nm.
The substrate P of each of the above embodiments is not only a semiconductor wafer for manufacturing a semiconductor device, but also a glass substrate for a display device, a ceramic wafer for a thin film magnetic head, or an original plate of a mask or reticle used in an exposure apparatus. (Synthetic quartz, silicon wafer) etc. are applied.
As the exposure device EX, in addition to a step-and-scan scanning exposure device (scanning stepper) that scans and exposes the pattern of the mask M by synchronously moving the mask M and the substrate P, the mask M and the substrate P are used. It can also be applied to a step-and-repeat type projection exposure device (stepper) in which the pattern of the mask M is collectively exposed in a stationary state and the substrate P is sequentially moved step by step. The present invention can also be applied to a step-and-stitch exposure apparatus in which at least two patterns are partially overlapped and transferred on the substrate P.
The present invention can also be applied to a twin-stage type exposure apparatus disclosed in JP-A-10-163099, JP-A-10-214783, JP-A-2000-505958 and the like.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, an exposure apparatus that locally fills a liquid between the projection optical system PL and the substrate P is adopted, but the present invention is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-124873. It can also be applied to an immersion exposure apparatus that moves a stage holding a substrate to be exposed in a liquid tank.
The type of the exposure device EX is not limited to the exposure device for manufacturing the semiconductor element that exposes the semiconductor element pattern on the substrate P, the exposure device for manufacturing the liquid crystal display element or the display, the thin film magnetic head, and the image pickup device (CCD). ) Or, it can be widely applied to an exposure device for manufacturing a reticle or a mask.
When using a linear motor (see USP5,623,853 or USP5,528,118) for the board stage PST or mask stage MST, air levitation with air bearings and Lorentz force Alternatively, either a magnetic levitation type using a reactance force may be used. Further, each stage PST and MST may be a type that moves along a guide, or may be a guideless type that is not provided with a guide.
As the drive mechanism of each stage PST and MST, a flat motor that drives each stage PST and MST by electromagnetic force by facing a magnet unit in which magnets are arranged in two dimensions and an armature unit in which coils are arranged in two dimensions is used. You may use it. In this case, either one of the magnet unit and the armature unit may be connected to the stage PST and MST, and the other of the magnet unit and the armature unit may be provided on the moving surface side of the stage PST and MST.
The reaction force generated by the movement of the substrate stage PST is not transmitted to the projection optical system PL, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-166475 (USP5,528,118), mechanically using a frame member. You may let it escape to the floor (earth). A frame member is used as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-330224 (US S / N 08 / 416,558) so that the reaction force generated by the movement of the mask stage MST is not transmitted to the projection optical system PL. It may be mechanically released to the floor (ground).
As described above, the exposure apparatus EX of the embodiment of the present application maintains the predetermined mechanical accuracy, electrical accuracy, and optical accuracy of various subsystems including each component listed in the claims of the present application. , Manufactured by assembling. In order to ensure these various precisions, before and after this assembly, adjustments for achieving optical accuracy for various optical systems, adjustments for achieving mechanical accuracy for various mechanical systems, and various electrical systems Is adjusted to achieve electrical accuracy. The assembly process from the various subsystems to the exposure apparatus includes mechanical connections between the various subsystems, wiring connections of electric circuits, piping connections of atmospheric pressure circuits, and the like. It goes without saying that there is an individual assembly process for each subsystem before the assembly process from the various subsystems to the exposure apparatus. After the process of assembling the various subsystems into the exposure device is completed, comprehensive adjustment is performed to ensure various accuracy of the exposure device as a whole. It is desirable that the exposure device is manufactured in a clean room where the temperature, cleanliness, etc. are controlled.
As shown in FIG. 27, for microdevices such as semiconductor devices, step 201 for designing the function and performance of the microdevice, step 202 for manufacturing a mask (reticle) based on this design step, and a substrate which is a base material of the device. Step 203, exposure processing step 204 for exposing the mask pattern to the substrate by the exposure apparatus EX of the above-described embodiment, device assembly step (including dicing step, bonding step, packaging step) 205, inspection step 206, etc. Manufactured after.
1 ... Liquid, 2 ... Optical element (part), 7 ... Reference member, 10 ... Liquid supply mechanism, 13, 14 ... Supply nozzle (part), 20 ... Second liquid Recovery device, 30 ... Liquid recovery mechanism (1st liquid recovery device), 31, 32 ... Recovery nozzle (parts), 40 ... 1st liquid removal device, 41 ... Spraying device, 60 .. Second liquid remover, 61 ... sprayer, 62 ... suction device, 65 ... recovery port, 81 ... suction device, AR1 ... projection area, AR2 ... immersion area, EX ... exposure equipment, P ... substrate, PL ... projection optics, PST ... substrate stage
28 sheets
Sheet 1 Sheet 2 Sheet 3 Sheet 4 Sheet 5 Sheet 6 Sheet 7 Sheet 8 Sheet 9 Sheet 10 Sheet 11 Sheet 12 Sheet 13 Sheet 14 Sheet 15 Sheet 16 Sheet 17 Sheet 18 Sheet 19 Sheet 20 Sheet 21 Sheet 22 Sheet 23 Sheet 24 Sheet 25 Sheet 26 Sheet 27 Sheet 28
Every citation, both ways
| Document | Relation | Office | Cited during |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP2001284304A | Cites | Japan | Search report |
| JP2001284304A | Cites | Japan | Search report |
| JP2001300453A | Cites | Japan | Search report |
| JP2001300453A | Cites | Japan | Search report |
| JP2010109391A | Cites | Japan | Search report |
| WO9949504A1 | Cites | World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) | Search report |
| WO9949504A1 | Cites | World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) | Search report |
| JPH05100182A | Cites | Japan | Search report |
| JPH05100182A | Cites | Japan | Search report |
| JPH11283903A | Cites | Japan | Search report |
| JPH11283903A | Cites | Japan | Search report |
110 members in 7 offices
Priority claims6
| Document | Office | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003146423 | Japan | – | |
| 2003146423 | Japan | A | |
| 2003305280 | Japan | – | |
| 2003305280 | Japan | A | |
| 2004049231 | Japan | – | |
| 2004049231 | Japan | A |
Members110
| Document | Office | Kind | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US835732A | United States of America | A | |
| WO2004105107A1 | World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) | A1 | |
| TW200509205A | Taiwan Province of China | A | |
| JP2005277363A | Japan | A | |
| KR20060009950A | Republic of Korea | A | |
| EP1628329A1 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A1 | |
| US2006077367A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| JP2007059929A | Japan | A | |
| US2007064210A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| US2007132968A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| US2007247600A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| US2008030695A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| US2008030696A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| US7388649B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| US2008225249A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| US2008225250A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| US2008231825A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| EP1628329A4 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A4 | |
| TW200952045A | Taiwan Province of China | A | |
| JP2010109391A | Japan | A | |
| JP2011139105A | Japan | A | |
| JP2011139106A | Japan | A | |
| JP2011139107A | Japan | A | |
| JP2011159995A | Japan | A | |
| US2011199594A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| KR20110110318A | Republic of Korea | A | |
| TW201137939A | Taiwan Province of China | A | |
| KR20110126733A | Republic of Korea | A | |
| TWI353624B | Taiwan Province of China | B | |
| US8072576B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| KR20110136891A | Republic of Korea | A | |
| KR20120005562A | Republic of Korea | A | |
| US8125612B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| US8130363B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| US8134682B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| TW201218248A | Taiwan Province of China | A | |
| US8169592B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| US8174668B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| EP2466615A2 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A2 | |
| EP2466616A2 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A2 | |
| EP2466617A2 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A2 | |
| EP2466618A2 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A2 | |
| EP2466619A2 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A2 | |
| EP2466620A2 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A2 | |
| JP2012129562A | Japan | A | |
| TW201230147A | Taiwan Province of China | A | |
| EP2498131A2 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A2 | |
| EP2498131A3 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A3 | |
| EP2466616A3 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A3 | |
| EP2466615A3 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A3 | |
| EP2466617A3 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A3 | |
| KR20120115591A | Republic of Korea | A | |
| KR20120115592A | Republic of Korea | A | |
| JP5058550B2 | Japan | B2 | |
| EP2466618A3 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A3 | |
| EP2466619A3 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A3 | |
| JP2012248902AThis record | Japan | A | |
| JP2012248903A | Japan | A | |
| EP2535769A2 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A2 | |
| EP2466620A3 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A3 | |
| EP2535769A3 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A3 | |
| US8384877B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| US2013169945A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| JP5252025B2 | Japan | B2 | |
| KR101327697B1 | Republic of Korea | B1 | |
| KR101345540B1 | Republic of Korea | B1 | |
| TWI424470B | Taiwan Province of China | B | |
| JP5440228B2 | Japan | B2 | |
| JP5440541B2 | Japan | B2 | |
| JP5440542B2 | Japan | B2 | |
| JP2014075609A | Japan | A | |
| US8760617B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| US8780327B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| JP5590083B2 | Japan | B2 | |
| US2014293249A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| KR20150015003A | Republic of Korea | A | |
| JP2015029154A | Japan | A | |
| TWI474380B | Taiwan Province of China | B | |
| KR101508811B1 | Republic of Korea | B1 | |
| JP5699976B2 | Japan | B2 | |
| JP5700011B2 | Japan | B2 | |
| TW201519285A | Taiwan Province of China | A | |
| KR101523828B1 | Republic of Korea | B1 | |
| KR101523829B1 | Republic of Korea | B1 | |
| KR101536033B1 | Republic of Korea | B1 | |
| TWI503865B | Taiwan Province of China | B | |
| JP5794291B2 | Japan | B2 | |
| KR20150115948A | Republic of Korea | A | |
| JP2015222451A | Japan | A | |
| TWI518742B | Taiwan Province of China | B | |
| US9304392B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| JP5907238B2 | Japan | B2 | |
| EP3032572A1 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A1 | |
| US2016216612A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| TW201635346A | Taiwan Province of China | A | |
| KR101677829B1 | Republic of Korea | B1 | |
| EP2498131B1 | European Patent Office (EPO) | B1 | |
| HK1221072A | Hong Kong, China | A | |
| HK1221072A1 | Hong Kong, China | A1 | |
| JP2017107215A | Japan | A |
16 legal events, as the office reported them to INPADOC
Over the term
Point at a mark for the eventEvents
| Event | Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Cancellation because of no payment of annual feesLAPS | LAPS | |
| Receipt of annual feesJAPANESE INTERMEDIATE CODE: R250R250 | R250 | |
| Receipt of annual feesJAPANESE INTERMEDIATE CODE: R250R250 | R250 | |
| Receipt of annual feesJAPANESE INTERMEDIATE CODE: R250R250 | R250 | |
| Certificate of patent or registration of utility modelJAPANESE INTERMEDIATE CODE: R150R150 | R150 | |
| First payment of annual fees (during grant procedure)JAPANESE INTERMEDIATE CODE: A61A61 | A61 | |
| Written decision to grant a patent or to grant a registration (utility model)JAPANESE INTERMEDIATE CODE: A01A01 | A01 | |
| Decision of grant or rejection writtenTRDD | TRDD | |
| Written amendmentJAPANESE INTERMEDIATE CODE: A523A521 | A521 | |
| Notification of reasons for refusalJAPANESE INTERMEDIATE CODE: A131A131 | A131 | |
| Report on retrievalJAPANESE INTERMEDIATE CODE: A971007A977 | A977 | |
| Notification of resignation of power of attorneyJAPANESE INTERMEDIATE CODE: A7424RD04 | RD04 | |
| Notification of appointment of power of attorneyJAPANESE INTERMEDIATE CODE: A7423RD03 | RD03 | |
| Written amendmentJAPANESE INTERMEDIATE CODE: A523A521 | A521 | |
| Written amendmentJAPANESE INTERMEDIATE CODE: A523A521 | A521 | |
| Written request for application examinationJAPANESE INTERMEDIATE CODE: A621A621 | A621 |
Numbers
- Publication
- 2012248902
- Application
- 205079
Titles2
- Japanese
- 露光装置及びデバイス製造方法
- English
- Exposure equipment and device manufacturing method
Classification
- CPC, 14
- G03B27/52
- H10P76/2041
- G03F7/7085
- G03F7/70316
- G03F7/70775
- G03F7/70958
- G03F9/7015
- G03F9/7088
- G03F9/7096
- G03F7/70341
- G03F7/70925
- G03F7/2041
- G03F7/00
- G03F7/70916
- IPC, 2
- H01L21 027
- G03F7 20