Exposure method and exposure apparatus
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorKazuya Ota
Life of this patent
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Abstract
While a current photosensitive substrate is being exposed on a substrate stage, the next photosensitive substrate for exposure is loaded on a temperature-adjustment plate for a predetermined time to remove a quantity of heat corresponding to a heat accumulation on the substrate stage during exposure. A substrate transporting system carries and loads the next photosensitive substrate, which has been cooled by the temperature-adjustment plate, onto the substrate stage. A pattern image of a mask is exposed and transferred onto the next photosensitive substrate through a projection optical system.
Claims27
An exposure method for exposing a mask pattern onto a photosensitive substrate loaded on a substrate stage, comprising the step of removing a quantity of heat from the photosensitive substrate prior to loading the photosensitive substrate onto the substrate stage, the quantity of heat corresponding to a heat quantity that is accumulated on the substrate stage during exposure of the substrate.
An exposure apparatus comprising:
- a substrate stage that supports a photosensitive substrate;
- a projection optical system disposed in a vicinity of the substrate stage, the projection optical system projecting a pattern formed in a mask onto the photosensitive substrate;
- and
- a temperature-adjustment plate disposed remote from the substrate stage, the temperature-adjustment plate cooling the photosensitive substrate by removing a quantity of heat from the photosensitive substrate prior to loading the photosensitive substrate onto the substrate stage, the quantity of heat corresponding to a heat quantity that is accumulated on the substrate stage during exposure of the substrate.
An exposure method comprising the steps of:
- removing a quantity of heat from a substrate;
- loading the substrate from which said quantity of heat has been removed onto a substrate stage;
- and
- exposing the substrate loaded on the substrate stage to radiation flux.
An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate into a prescribed pattern using radiation, the apparatus comprising:
- a substrate stage for supporting a substrate;
- and
- a heat remover for removing a quantity of heat from the substrate before the substrate is loaded on the substrate stage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.