Source: http://www.google.fr/patents/US9235139
Timestamp: 2017-10-22 15:49:05
Document Index: 667369881

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 2006', 'Application No. 2004', 'Application No. 2005', 'Application No. 14150747', 'Application No. 04', 'Application No. 200603679', 'Application No. 04801655', 'Application No. 200480035901', 'Application No. 2005', 'Application No. 103128271', 'Application No. 201110089902', 'Application No. 2005', 'Application No. 2011', 'Application No. 2012', 'Application No. 098124811', 'Application No. 093116810', 'Application No. 2005', 'Application No. 2014', 'Application No. 200480035901', 'Application No. 2004', 'Application No. 2012', 'Application No. 2012', 'Application No. 2009', 'Application No. 2010', 'Application No. 2012', 'Application No. 04', 'Application No. 2013', 'Application No. 04746086', 'Application No. 207788', 'Application No. 207790', 'Application No. 098124811', 'Application No. 200603679', 'Application No. 2005', 'Application No. 176057', 'Application No. 176057', 'Application No. 04746086', 'Application No. 04801655', 'Application No. 098124811', 'Application No. 100137115']

Brevet US9235139 - Exposure method, substrate stage, exposure apparatus, and device ... - Google Brevets
An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system by which the pattern image is projected onto the substrate, and a movable member which is movable relative to the projection optical...http://www.google.fr/patents/US9235139?utm_source=gb-gplus-shareBrevet US9235139 - Exposure method, substrate stage, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method
Numéro de publication US9235139 B2
Numéro de demande US 13/754,112
Numéro de publication 13754112, 754112, US 9235139 B2, US 9235139B2, US-B2-9235139, US9235139 B2, US9235139B2
Inventeurs Soichi Owa, Nobutaka Magome, Shigeru Hirukawa, Yoshihiko Kudo, Jiro Inoue, Hirotaka Kohno, Masahiro Nei, Motokatsu Imai, Hiroyuki Nagasaka, Kenichi Shiraishi, Yasufumi Nishii, Hiroaki Takaiwa
Citations de brevets (251), Citations hors brevets (74), Classifications (12)
US 9235139 B2
1. An exposure method that exposes a substrate through a projection optical system and an immersion region formed with a liquid below the projection optical system, the exposure method comprising:
supporting an underside surface of the substrate with a supporting portion disposed on a stage which is movable relative to the projection optical system;
surrounding the supporting portion with a first peripheral wall such that the first peripheral wall faces the underside surface of the substrate supported by the supporting portion;
surrounding the supporting portion with a second peripheral wall disposed inside the first peripheral wall such that the supporting portion is included within a first space surrounded by the second peripheral wall; and
recovering a liquid within a second space via a first flow channel of which a recovery port faces the second space, the second space being located outside the first peripheral wall.
2. The exposure method according to claim 1, further comprising sucking a gas within a third space between the first peripheral wall and the second peripheral wall via a second flow channel connected to the third space.
3. The exposure method according to claim 2, wherein a pressure in the third space is set lower than an atmospheric pressure.
4. The exposure method according to claim 2, wherein a pressure in the third space is set higher than a pressure in the first space.
5. The exposure method according to claim 1, further comprising supplying a gas to a third space between the first peripheral wall and the second peripheral wall via a second flow channel connected to the third space.
6. The exposure method according to claim 5, wherein a pressure in the third space is set higher than an atmospheric pressure.
7. The exposure method according to claim 5, wherein a pressure in the third space is set higher than a pressure in the first space.
8. The exposure method according to claim 5, wherein a pressure in the third space is set higher than a pressure in the second space.
9. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein a third space between the first peripheral wall and the second peripheral wall is open to atmosphere via a second flow channel connected to the third space.
10. The exposure method according to claim 9, wherein a pressure in the third space is set substantially equal to an atmospheric pressure.
11. The exposure method according to claim 9, wherein a pressure in the third space is set higher than a pressure in the first space.
12. The exposure method according to claim 1, further comprising controlling a pressure in a third space between the first peripheral wall and the second peripheral wall via a second flow channel connected to the third space.
13. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein a height of a top surface of the second peripheral wall is not higher than a height of a top surface of the supporting portion.
14. The exposure method according to claim 13, wherein a height of a top surface of the first peripheral wall is not higher than the height of the top surface of the supporting portion.
15. The exposure method according to claim 1, further comprising recovering a liquid within a third space between the first peripheral wall and the second peripheral wall via a second flow channel connected to the third space.
16. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the first flow channel is connected to the second space such that the liquid which flowed into the second space through a gap between an edge of the substrate supported by the supporting portion and an edge of a top surface of the stage is recovered via the first flow channel, the top surface being arranged to come into contact with the immersion region.
17. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein
the second space is located between the first peripheral wall and a side surface portion provided around the first peripheral wall such that the side surface portion faces a side surface of the first peripheral wall.
18. The exposure method according to claim 17, wherein the stage includes a third flow channel connected to the second space such that a liquid is supplied to a gap between the side surface portion and the first peripheral wall.
19. The exposure method according to claim 17, wherein the stage includes a third flow channel connected to the second space such that a gas is supplied to a gap between the side surface portion and the first peripheral wall.
20. The exposure method according to claim 17, wherein the stage includes a third flow channel connected to the second space such that a pressure in a gap between the side surface portion and the first peripheral wall is set substantially equal to an atmospheric pressure.
21. The exposure method according to claim 1, further comprising sucking a gas within the first space via a gas flow channel connected to the first space to hold the substrate supported by the supporting portion in a state where a negative pressure is applied to the first space by sucking the gas within the first space through the gas flow channel.
22. The exposure method according to claim 21, wherein a height of a top surface of the second peripheral wall is not higher than a height of a top surface of the supporting portion.
23. The exposure method according to claim 22, wherein a height of a top surface of the first peripheral wall is not higher than the height of the top surface of the supporting portion.
24. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein a height of a top surface of the stage is provided so as to be substantially the same as a height of a top surface of the substrate supported by the supporting portion, the top surface of the stage being arranged outside the first peripheral wall.
25. The exposure method according to claim 24, wherein the top surface of the stage includes a flat surface.
26. A device fabricating method comprising:
exposing a pattern onto a substrate using the exposure method according to claim 1; and
assembling a device on the substrate onto which the pattern is exposed.
This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/232,064, filed Sep. 10, 2008, which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/297,324 filed Dec. 9, 2005, which in turn is a Continuation of International Application No. PCT/JP2004/008578, filed Jun. 11, 2004, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2003-169904 (filed on Jun. 13, 2003), 2003-383887 (filed on Nov. 13, 2003), and 2004-039654 (filed on Feb. 17, 2004). The disclosures of the aforementioned applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Illumination optical system IL is for illuminating mask M supported by mask stage MST with exposure light EL and includes an exposure light source, an optical integrator for uniforming the illuminance of a light flux emitted from the exposure light source, a condenser lens for condensing exposure light EL from the optical integrator, a relay lens system, a variable field stop for setting an illumination area on mask M formed by exposure light EL to be of a slit-like shape, etc. A specified illumination area on mask M is illuminated, by illumination optical system IL, with exposure light EL having a uniform illuminance distribution. As exposure light EL emitted from illumination optical system IL, for example, a bright line of ultraviolet region (g-line, h-line, i-line) emitted from a mercury lamp, a deep ultraviolet light (DUV light) such as a KrF excimer laser light (wavelength of 248 nm), and a vacuum ultraviolet light (VUV light) such as an ArF excimer laser light (wavelength of 193 nm) or an F2 excimer laser light (wavelength of 157 nm) may be used. In the embodiment, an ArF excimer laser light is used. As described above, liquid 1 of the embodiment is purified water, and the purified water can transmit exposure light EL even when the exposure light EL is an ArF excimer laser light. Purified water can also transmit a bright line of ultraviolet region (g-line, h-line, or i-line) and a deep ultraviolet light (DUV light) such as a KrF excimer laser light (wavelength of 248 nm).
Furthermore, top surface 33A of peripheral wall 33 is a flat surface. The height of peripheral wall 33 is lower than the height of supporting portions 34, and gap 13 is formed between substrate P held by supporting portions 34 and peripheral wall 33. Gap B is smaller than gap A between inner side surface 36 of concave portion 32 and side surface PB of substrate P. For example, in consideration of the production tolerance of the outline of substrate P and of the positioning accuracy of substrate P, gap A is preferably about 0.1 to 1.0 mm. In contrast, gap B is about 2.0 to 5.0 μm. Furthermore, between inner side surface 36 of concave portion 32 and substrate holder PH's side surface 37 that faces inner side surface 36 is formed gap C. Here, the diameter of substrate holder PH is formed to be smaller than the diameter of substrate P, and thus gap A is smaller than gap C. It should be noted that, in the embodiment, no cut portion (orientation flat, notch, etc.) for aligning is formed on substrate P; substrate P is substantially circular; gap A is from 0.1 to 1.0 mm around the entire circumference of substrate P; and thus, penetration of the liquid can be prevented.
FIG. 12 is a drawing showing flat member 153 that is movably provided and that has flat surface 153A corresponding to the shape of “orifla” portion OF of substrate P. By moving flat member 153 in the approaching or leaving direction relative to the substrate P, gap A between orifla portion OF and flat member 153 can be kept to be smaller than the predetermined value, even if for example, the size of orifla portion OF varies.
By the way, there is a case where when mounting substrate P on substrate stage PST, the substrate is mounted on substrate stage PST, with the position of cut portion being differently positioned relative to substrate stage PST, in accordance with the process condition of the circuit and/or with the pattern of mask M. For example, there is a case where when mounting a first substrate on substrate stage PST, the substrate is mounted in a condition that the cut portion is directed to the −Y side and where when mounting a second substrate on substrate stage PST, the substrate is mounted in a condition that the cut portion is directed to the +X side. To address this case, it may be configured such that by movably providing plate portion 30 having protrusion portion 150, plate portion 30 is rotated in accordance with the position of cut portion of substrate P supported by supporting portions 34. For example, when, as shown in FIG. 14A, making supporting portions 34 support substrate P so that notch portion NT is directed to −Y side, plate portion 30 is rotated so that protrusion portion 150 is directed to −Y side in accordance with the position of notch portion NT; and, when, as shown in FIG. 14B, making supporting portions 34 support substrate P so that notch portion NT is directed to +X side, plate portion 30 is rotated so that protrusion portion 150 is directed to +X side in accordance with the position of notch portion NT. In this case, although not shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, substrate holder PH on which peripheral wall 33N having concave portion 37N also rotates in accordance with the position of notch portion NT. It may be, as described above, configured such that protrusion portion 150 (and convex portion 36N), a gap adjustment portion, is provided movably in the rotation direction (θZ-direction). Similarly, plate portion 30 having flat portion 151 and substrate holder on which peripheral wall 33F having flat portion 37F is formed may be provided so that they rotate in accordance with the position of “orifla” portion OF. By adopting such configurations, penetration of liquid 1 between plate portion 30 and substrate P (cut portion) can also be prevented, irrespective of the position of the cut portion of substrate P.
The refractive index n of purified water (water) relative to exposure light EL having a wavelength of about 193 nm is said to be approximately 1.44, and when ArF excimer laser light (having 193 nm wavelength) is used as the light source of exposure light EL, the wavelength is effectively shortened, on substrate P, as if multiplied by 1/n, i.e., effectively becomes approximately 134 mm, and thus, a high resolution can be obtained. Furthermore, since the depth of focus increases by approximately n times, i.e., approximately by 1.44 times, compared with that in the air, when securing of the depth of focus on par with the depth of focus realized when the projection optical system is used in the air suffices, the numerical aperture of the projection optical system PL can be further increased; which also improves the resolution.
A reaction force generated by the movement of mask stage MST may be, as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 1108-330224 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,874,820), mechanically released to the floor (earth) by use of a frame member so that the force does not transmit to projection optical system PL.
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Classification internationale G03B27/54, G03B27/52, G03F7/20, G03B27/60, G03B27/42, G03B27/32, G03B27/58
Classification coopérative G03B27/58, G03F7/2041, G03F7/70341, G03F7/70716, G03F7/707