A mounting method

Abstract: A method of supporting or mounting a precision instrument for supporting a mask and a wafer in a vacuum container. It is particularly applicable to a SOR-X ray exposure apparatus wherein the mask and the wafer are disposed in a desired level of the reduced pressure, and exposure energy such as X-rays contained in synchrotron radiation is projected onto the wafer through the mask to print the pattern of the mask onto the wafer. In x-y-z coordinates with the x direction being vertical, the precision instrument in hung at at least two points which are spaced in the x direction, to the inside wall of the vacuum container. At one of the supporting points, the precision instrument is given latitude of x, y and z direction movement, and at the other supporting point, the precision instrument is fixed or is given a latitude only in the x direction. By this, when the vacuum container deforms by the difference between the internal and external pressures, the precision instrument can be supported correctly.

Description: The present invention relates to a vacuum apparatus particularly one where a precision instrument is mounted in a vacuum container which is maintained under a reduced pressure in use. The invention is applicable to a so-called SOR-X rays exposure apparatus wherein a mask and a semiconductor wafer are disposed in a reduced pressure chamber, and exposure energy such as X-rays contained in synchrotron radiation, for example, is projected to the wafer through the mask, thus printing the pattern of the mask to the wafer. More particularly, it relates to apparatus in which a precision instrument for holding a mask and/or a wafer is mounted to the inside of the vacuum container. Referring first to Figures 8A and 8B, there is shown a conventional mounting of a precision instrument to an inside of a vacuum container. Figure 8A shows the container when the external pressure is equal to the internal pressure. A precision instrument 51 is directly mounted to the vacuum container 52 using screws or the like at plural positions. The mounting operation is performed while the internal pressure of the vacuum container 2 is the normal atmospheric pressure or the pressure close thereto, after the moving operation, the pressure is reduced to the desired vacuum level. Figure 9 shows a conventional X-ray exposure apparatus comprising a vacuum container 61, an exhausting port 71, a known rotor type X-ray source 71, an X-ray source supporting frame 72. The X-rays are designated by a reference 73. A mask 74 having a fine pattern is supported by a mask supporting frame 75. A wafer 62 is carried on a wafer carrying table 63 which is supported on a main frame 67. The vacuum container 61 and the main frame 67 are coupled by legs 76. An anti-vibration unit 70 is provided to protect the entire apparatus from vibration. When the internal pressure of the vacuum chamber 52 of Figure 8A is reduced after the instrument is mounted, the vacuum container 52, if thin walled, would contract and deform easily due to the difference between the external pressure (normal atmospheric pressure) and the internal pressure. The deformation of the vacuum chamber 52 produces external force to the precision instrument 51 applied at plural mounting points. Figure 8B is a sectional view illustrating the production of the external force to the precision instrument 51 when the pressure is reduced. The external force is shown by the arrows. When the external force is large, the constituent parts of the precision instrument 51 are changed in their electrical, mechanical and/or optical properties, even to such an extent that the precision instrument 51 would be damaged. Even if the external force is small, the performance of the precision instrument 51 would be deteriorated when a high accuracy is required in the positional relationship between the internal precision instrument 51 and an external instrument. In order to reduce or avoid this external force, it is conventional to use a thick walled vacuum container 52 and to add ribs to the container 52, which however result in a heavy weight construction and high cost. In the X-ray exposure apparatus shown in Figure 9, the adjustment of the various instruments and mechanisms in the vacuum container 61 are executed when the vacuum container 61 is communicated with atmospheric pressure. After the completion of the adjustments, the pressure of the vacuum container is reduced through the exhausting port 71 to provide the desired vacuum level in the container 61. Therefore, when the pressure is reduced, a large force is produced acting on the wall of the container 61 due to the difference between the internal and external pressures, similarly to the apparatus of Figure 8A. This would deform the wall of the container if it were thin walled. The container wall is influenced by the variation of the ambient pressure, and the amount of deformation changes correspondingly. Since the container wall and the main frame 67 are securely fixed by the plural coupling legs 76, the deformation of the container wall results in an external force to the main frame 67. As a result, the main frame 67 is deformed. The main frame 67 is a reference base of the exposure apparatus, and on the main frame 67 there are mounted a measurement system (not shown) for positioning the wafer carrying table 63 and the mask supporting frame 75, and therefore, the main frame 67 deformation would deteriorate the exposure performance of the apparatus. To obviate this problem, it is considered that the thickness of the container wall is increased to suppress the deformation, or the rigidity of the main frame 67 is increased, so that the deformation of the main frame 7 is reduced. However, similarly to the case of Figure 8A apparatus, the size, weight and manufacturing cost of the apparatus are increased. Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide mountings so that transmission of external force due to the reduced inside pressure of the container is minimised to prevent damage or performance deterioration of the instrument are prevented. This is obtained by a vacuum apparatus according to claim 1. Accordingly, a mounting member is provided to absorb the external force that otherwise would be transmitted to the instrument due to deformation of the vacuum container such as contraction, expansion or bending. By this, the influence on the instrument of a reduction of the vacuum container pressure is reduced to prevent performance deterioration of the instrument. The mounting member provided can be, for example, a hinge mechanism, especially a parallel hinge mechanism. These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings: Figures 1A and 1B are perspective views showing a vacuum apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figures 2A and 2B are perspective views illustrating details of the mounting means; Figure 3 is a perspective view of an apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a perspective view of an apparatus (three point mounting) according to a further embodiment of the present invention; Figures 5A and 5B are sectional views illustrating the details of the mounting structure at a third mounting point in the embodiment shown in Figure 4; Figures 6A and 6B are sectional views of a SOR-X ray exposure apparatus according to yet another embodiment of the present invention; Figures 7A and 7B shows a SOR-X ray exposure apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention; Figures 8A and 8B show an example of a thin walled vacuum container; and Figure 9 shows an example of a conventional X-ray exposure apparatus. The following detailed description is given by way of example. Referring to Figure 1, an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the left-right direction, a vertical direction and a front-rear direction are indicated by x, y and z in an x-y-z coordinate system. These directions apply to the subsequent drawings. A precision instrument 1 in the form of a unit is inside a vacuum container, the internal pressure thereof is maintained at a desired reduced pressure level when it is in use. Mounting members 3 and 4 are provided to suspend the precision instrument 1 in the vacuum container 2. The mounting members 3 and 4 are spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the direction x. As shown in Figure 2A, the mounting member 3 has a rod 3a having a reduced diameter portion 3b adjacent a longitudinal central portion thereof. This is effective to restrain a linear displacement of the precision instrument 1 relative to the walls vacuum chamber 2 in all of the directions x, y and z, while permitting rotational movement of the precision instrument 1 in the vacuum container 2 about the x-, y- and z-axes, thus providing a hinge mechanism. The mounting member 3 is fixed both to the precision instrument 1 and the vacuum container 2. The mounting member 4, as shown in Figure 2B, is in the form of parallel leaf springs 4a and 4b extending in the direction x. This is manufactured by hollowing a mass of a material. The mounting member 4 is effective to permit a linear movement in the direction x relative to the vacuum container 2, while restraining linear displacements in the directions y and z, thus providing a parallel hinge mechanism. The mounting member 4 is mounted between the precision instrument 1 and the vacuum container 2 so as not to restrain the rotation of the precision instrument 1 relative to the vacuum container 2 about the axes x, y and z. In Figure 1A, a fine instrument 1 has been mounted to the vacuum container 2, and the inside of the vacuum container 2 communicates with the outside so that the internal pressure of the container is equal to the external pressure (atmospheric pressure) or it is maintained a little lower than that. In Figure 1B, the internal pressure of the vacuum container 2 is reduced by an unshown vacuum pump to a desired reduced pressure level. In Figure 1B, the walls of the vacuum container 2 are contracted and deformed due to the difference between the internal pressure and the external pressure. More particularly, the cubic vacuum container 2, in this embodiment, is deformed such that the central portion of the respective walls displace toward inside. In this embodiment, even if the vacuum container 2 contracts and deforms in this manner, the mounting members 3 and 4 having the structure described above absorb the deformation of the container 2, and therefore, the precision instrument 1 is imparted by the force required only for deforming the mounting members 3 and 4 as the reaction force. The force can be determined by the shapes and materials of the mounting members 3 and 4. By selecting these properly, the magnitude of the external force can be reduced to a sufficient extent. By doing so, when the vacuum container 2 deforms from the state of Figure 1A to the state of Figure 1B, the precision instrument 1 can be correctly maintained at the predetermined position in the x-y-z coordinates, according to this embodiment. Referring to Figure 3, there is shown another embodiment wherein the positions of the mounting members 3 and 4 are so selected that the deformation due to the pressure reduction is small, more particularly in the neighborhood 2a and 2b of the edges of the cubic vacuum container 2. In this embodiment, reinforcing plates 5a and 5b are mounted along the edges 2a and 2b to further strengthen the rigidity of the position where the mounting members 3 and 4 are provided. By this, the change of the precision instrument 1 position due to the pressure reduction can be further decreased. This mounting arrangement is particularly advantageous when a highly precise relative positional relation is desired between the precision instrument 1 and another instrument disposed outside the vacuum container 2. Referring to Figure 4, there is shown an embodiment wherein a restraint is imparted to the rotational displacement of the precision instrument 1 about the axis x relative to the vacuum container 2. In the previous embodiment, the number of mounting members is two. In the present embodiment, an additional mounting member 6 is used at the bottom of the precision instrument 1 to restrain only the z direction displacement of the precision instrument 1 relative to the vacuum container 2. By this, a swinging movement of the precision instrument 1 about the x axis can be suppressed. Figures 5A and 5B illustrate the details of the mounting member 6. The mounting member 6 includes a known spherical seat mechanism 7. A movable member 7b is rotatable relative to the housing 7a about the x-axis, y-axis and z-axis as shown in Figure 5A, and simultaneously, the movable member 7b is movable in the directions x and y, while it is confined in the direction z, as shown in Figure 5B. An L-shaped rod 8 is fixed to the precision instrument 1 at its end, and is also fixed to the movable member 7b at its other end. The housing 7a of the spherical seat mechanism 7 is fixed to the side wall of the vacuum container 2 adjacent a corner 2c. The end of the rod 8 is connected to the precision instrument 1 at a position which is substantially the centre of the bottom surface of the precision instrument 1 in the direction x. Referring to Figure 6, a SOR-X ray exposure apparatus will be described. In this apparatus, a mask and a wafer are disposed in a desired reduced pressure ambience, and the exposure energy such as the x-rays contained in a synchrotron radiation is applied to the wafer through the mask to print the pattern of the mask on the wafer. Figures 6A and 6B are front and side views of the apparatus. A vacuum container 11 is effective to keep the reduced pressure in the exposure ambience around an unshown mask and a wafer 12. An X-stage 13 moves the wafer 12 in the direction x when the shot areas of the wafer 12 are sequentially exposed to the pattern of the mask in a step-and-repeat manner. The x-stage 13 is guided by an x-axis guiding bar. A y-stage 15 moves the wafer 12 in the direction y during the step-and-repeat exposure, similarly to the x-stage 13. The y-stage 15 is guided by a y-axis guiding bar. The x-axis guiding bar 14 is securely fixed to the y-stage 15. A main frame 17 supports the y-stage 15 through the y-axis guiding bar 16. A mounting member 18 having a spherical seat and a mounting member 19 serve to hang the main frame 17 in the vacuum container 11. The function of the mounting members are similar to the mounting members 3 and 4 described in conjunction with Figure 1. A mounting member 35, having a glancing spherical seat, has the same functions as the mounting member 6 shown in Figures 4 and 5A and 5B. The apparatus further comprises an anti-vibration unit 20 for the vacuum container 11, a vacuum exhausting port 21 connected to an unshown vacuum pump, a laser source 22 for a laser interferometer for determining the positions of the x-stage 13 and the y-stage 15, a laser optical path 23, half mirrors 24, 25 and 31 a reference mirror 26 for determining the position of the x-stage 13, a detector 27 for the interferometer for determining the position of the x-stage 13, a square mirror 28 movable together with the x-stage 13, a reference mirror 30 for determining the position of the y-stage 15, and a detector 29 for the interferometer for determining the position of the y-stage. The port 21 is formed in the vacuum container 11. The above elements for determining the position of the x-stage 13 and the y-stage 15 are fixed on the main frame 17. This apparatus is assembled in the following manner. First, the y-axis guiding bar 16 is mounted to assure the movement accuracy of the y-stage 15 relative to a reference provided in the main frame 17. Next, the x guiding bar 14 is mounted to assure the perpendicularity of the movement of the x-stage 13 relative to the direction of movement of the y-stage 15. The position measurement system for the x-stage 13 and the y-stage 15 is all mounted on the main frame 17, and the optical axes are adjusted correctly. The above mounting and adjusting operations are performed in the normal atmospheric pressure. Thereafter, an unshown door of the container 11 is closed, and the air therein is discharged by the unshown vacuum pump through the exhausting port 21. With respect to the position of the main frame 17 relative to the walls of the container 11, the mounting member 18 having the spherical seat restrains it only in the y direction, and the supporting member 35 having the glancing spherical seat restrains it in only z direction. The mounting member 19 restrains the main frame 17 in all directions to assure the position of the main frame 17 relative to the wall of the container Even when the container walls deform due to the air discharge described above, and deformations of the top and bottom surfaces 11a and 11b (Figure 6B) of the container which are provided with mounting members 18, 19 and 35 for the main frame 17, is produced in all directions, namely, in the directions x, y and z and in the rotational directions about x-axis, y-axis and z-axis, the main frame 17 is free from deformation if the deformation is within the stroke of the two spherical seats. In this embodiment, a spherical seat is used for absorbing the deformation, but it may be replaced with a leaf spring structure or a sliding mechanism. Referring to Figure 7, another embodiment will be described wherein the vacuum container 11 is not placed on the floor on anti-vibration mounts 20, but it is suspended from an anti-vibration base 38 supported through the anti-vibration unit, in a SOR-X ray exposure apparatus. Figures 7A and 7B are front and side views of the apparatus. An L-rod 39 has an end securedly fixed to the top surface of the vacuum container 11 and the other end connected to the bottom surface of the main frame 17 through a mounting member 41 having a spherical seat. The mounting member 41 has the function, the same as that of the mounting member 35 of Figure 6 to restrain the displacement of the main frame 17 in the z direction. The vacuum container suspended from the anti-vibration base 38 by a mounting member 45 and a mounting member 37 having a spherical seat. The mounting member 45 has a confining function in all directions, but the mounting member 37 having the spherical seat restrains only the displacement in the y direction of the vacuum chamber 11 relative to the anti-vibration base. The mounting points of the mounting members 19 and 45 are aligned in the direction x. Similarly, the supporting points of the mounting members 18 and 37 are along a line extended in the direction y. The end of the L-shaped rod having the other end fixed to the anti-vibration plate 38 is connected to the bottom surface of the vacuum chamber 11 through the mounting member 42 having a spherical seat. A mounting member 42 restrain movement of the vacuum container 11 relative to the anti-vibration base 38 only in the direction z. The supporting points of the mounting members 41 and 42 are on a line extending in the direction y. The other structures are the same as in the Figure 6 apparatus, and description thereof will be omitted for simplicity. According to this embodiment, the deformation of the anti-vibration base 38 by its own weight is not transmitted to the main frame 17. As described in the foregoing, according to the present invention, the mounting member for mounting the precision instrument to the vacuum container is deformable or rotatable, and therefore, the external force applied to the precision instrument due to the deformation of the vacuum container resulting from the reduction of the internal pressure can be significantly reduced. This is effective to prevent performance change or damage of the precision instrument. In addition, the influence of the deformation of the vacuum container is not significantly transmitted to the internal precision instrument, and therefore, a vacuum container having a reduced wall thickness can be used so that the weight of the apparatus can be reduced. If the present invention is applied to a precision instrument such as a fine stage or the like used in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus or the like, the advantages are a very significant enhancement of the performance of the precision instrument, a reduction of the weight of the entire apparatus and a reduction of the size of the apparatus. While the invention has been described with reference to the structures disclosed herein, it is not confined to the details set forth and this application is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within the scope of the claims.

Claims: A vacuum apparatus comprising: a vacuum container (2;11); and a precision instrument (1;13-17) mounted to the inside of said vacuum container (2;11); which apparatus is characterised in that: said vacuum container (2;11) has thin walls and is thus relatively easily deformable upon reduction of internal pressure; and said precision instrument (1;13-17) is mounted to the inside of said vacuum container (2;11) and suspended therefrom by first and second mounting members (3,4;19,18), which first and second mounting members (3,4;19,18) are spaced apart in a first horizontal direction (X), wherein said first mounting member (3,19) restrains relative linear displacement between said instrument (13-17) and said vacuum container (2;11) in a vertical direction (Y), in said first horizontal direction (X), and in a second horizontal direction (Z) perpendicular to said first horizontal direction (X) while allowing relative rotational displacement about each of these directions (X,Y,Z); and said second mounting member (4;18) restrains relative linear displacement between said instrument (1;13-17) and said vacuum container (2,11) in the vertical direction (Y) but allows relative linear displacement in the first horizontal direction whereby it functions to absorb deformation of said vacuum container (2;11) upon reduction of internal pressure. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second mounting member (4) is more flexible in the first horizontal direction (X), than in the second horizontal direction (Z). An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said second mounting member (4) consists of a parallel leaf-spring member (4,4a,4b). An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second mounting member (18) also allows relative linear displacement in the second horizontal direction (Z). An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said second mounting member (18) consists of a spherical seat mechanism or other sliding mechanism. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 2 to 5 wherein said first mounting member (3;19) consists of a rod member (3a) having a reduced diameter portion (3b) adjacent to a longitudinal central portion thereof. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein there is provided a third mounting member (6; 35; 39,41) to restrain relative rotational displacement between said instrument (1; 13-17) and said vacuum container (2;11). An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, as depending from any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein said third mounting member (6;35; 39,41) is affixed to the centre of the bottom surface of said instrument (1;13-17) in the first horizontal direction (X) and restrains relative linear displacement only in said second horizontal direction (Z). An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said third mounting member (6; 35; 39,41) comprises a spherical seat mechanism (6;35;41). An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said vacuum container (2;11) is cuboid and has a top wall, a bottom wall, front and rear walls, and side walls, and is deformable by inwards displacement of the central portion of each wall upon reduction of internal pressure; and said precision instrument (1; 13-17) is suspended from the top wall of said vacuum container (2;11) by said first and second mounting members (3,4; 18,19), which mounting members are spaced apart and aligned in the first horizontal direction (X) which also is substantially parallel to said front and rear walls. An apparatus as claimed in claims 9 and 10 wherein said third mounting member (35) includes an L-shaped member which is affixed to the bottom wall of said vacuum container (11). An apparatus as claimed in claims 9 and 10 wherein said third mounting member (39,41) includes an L-shaped member (39) which is affixed to the top wall of said vacuum container (11). An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said vacuum container (11) is suspended from an anti-vibration base (38) resting upon anti-vibration mounts (20), said vacuum container (11) being suspended by: a fourth mounting member (45) which restrains relative linear displacement between said vacuum container (11) and said anti-vibration base (38) in said vertical direction (Y) and in both first and second horizontal directions (X,Z); a fifth mounting member (37) consisting of a spherical seat mechanism, which restrains relative linear displacement only in said vertical direction; and, a sixth mounting member (40,42) comprising an L-shaped member (40)and a spherical seat mechanism (42) which restrains relative linear displacement only in said second horizontal direction (Z); and in which apparatus: said fifth mounting member (37) is aligned with said one (18) of the pair of mounting members (18,19); said fourth mounting member (45) is aligned with said other one (19) of the pair of mounting members (18,19); and the spherical seat mechanism (42) of the sixth mounting member (40,42) is aligned with the spherical seat mechanism (41) of the third mounting member (39,41), all in said vertical direction (Y). An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said precision instrument (13-17) comprises a stage device (13-17). A wafer exposure apparatus comprising: a vacuum apparatus as claimed in claim 14; and external exposure means for exposing a wafer mounted upon said stage device (13-17). Apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said external exposure means comprises a synchronous orbit radiation (SOR) X-ray source.

Inventors: CHIBA HIROSHI, EBINUMA RYUICHI, IWAMOTO KAZUNORI, KARIYA TAKAO, OHKAWA SHINKICHI, UZAWA SHUNICHI, CHIBA, HIROSHI, EBINUMA, RYUICHI, IWAMOTO, KAZUNORI, KARIYA, TAKAO, OHKAWA, SHINKICHI, UZAWA, SHUNICHI
Applicants: CANON KK, CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1989
Main classification: G12B5
IPC codes: G03F7, G12B5