Environmental-control method and apparatus for an exposure system
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorAkikazu Tanimoto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A specified gas is supplied into a chamber where masks or reticles to be exposed are arranged. Part of the air-gas mixture within the chamber is exhausted into the atmosphere. After that, when the gas within the chamber reaches a specified concentration, part of the air-gas mixture within the chamber is circulated and an appropriate concentration of gas is supplied to the chamber.
Claims50
An environmental-control method for controlling a gas concentration within a chamber comprising:
- supplying a predetermined gas into said chamber which includes air therein;
- monitoring the predetermined gas concentration within said chamber;
- exhausting a portion of an air-gas mixture in said chamber until said predetermined gas concentration in said chamber reaches a predetermined value;
- and
- circulating a portion of the air-gas mixture in said chamber after said predetermined gas concentration in said chamber reaches said predetermined value.
An environmental-control apparatus for controlling a gas concentration within a chamber comprising:
- a supply device connected to said chamber which includes air therein, said supply device supplying a predetermined gas into said chamber;
- a sensor which detects the predetermined gas concentration within said chamber;
- and
- a circulator connected to said chamber, said circulator exhausting a portion of an air-gas mixture in said chamber until said predetermined gas concentration in said chamber reaches a predetermined value and circulating said portion of the air-gas mixture in said chamber after said predetermined gas concentration in said chamber reaches said predetermined value.
An environmental-control apparatus for an exposure apparatus that forms an image of a pattern on a predetermined surface by exposure light beam, comprising:
- an illumination unit disposed on an optical path of the exposure light beam to illuminate a mask having said pattern;
- a projection unit disposed on the exposure light beam to form the image of the pattern on the predetermined surface;
- a mask chamber disposed between the illumination unit and the projection unit to surround a space that includes the mask;
- a gas-supply device connected to said mask chamber to supply a specified gas into said mask chamber;
- an exhaust device connected to said mask chamber to exhaust a gas mixture which includes said specified gas within said mask chamber;
- a detector which detects the concentration of said specified gas within said mask chamber;
- and
- a circulation-controller connected to said detector, said circulation-controller circulating a part of the gas mixture which includes said specified gas in said mask chamber when said specified gas within said mask chamber reaches a predetermined concentration.
An environmental-control apparatus for an exposure apparatus having a chamber filled with a specified gas, said chamber being adapted to have positioned therein, a substrate to be illuminated by light, said environmental-control apparatus comprising:
- a gas-supply device connected to said chamber to supply a specified gas into said chamber;
- an exhaust device connected to said chamber to exhaust a gas mixture which includes said specified gas within said chamber;
- a detector which detects the concentration of said specified gas within said chamber;
- a circulation-controller connected to said detector, said circulation-controller circulating a part of the gas mixture which includes said specified gas in said chamber when said specified gas within said chamber reaches a predetermined concentration;
- a storage, spaced from an optical path of said light, to store substrates to be exchanged with the substrate positioned in said chamber;
- a transfer chamber arranged between said storage and said chamber;
- and
- a pressure-controller connected to at least one of said storage, said transfer chamber, and said chamber, to set parameters to satisfy the following equations and
- A≧B>C A>B>D
- wherein A is the pressure within said chamber;
- B is the pressure within said storage;
- C is the pressure within said transfer chamber;
- and D is the pressure outside the apparatus.
An environmental-control apparatus for an exposure apparatus having a chamber filled with a specified gas, said chamber being adapted to have positioned therein, a substrate to be illuminated by light, said environmental-control apparatus comprising:
- a gas-supply device connected to said chamber to supply a specified gas into said chamber;
- an exhaust device connected to said chamber to exhaust a gas mixture which includes said specified gas within said chamber;
- a detector which detects the concentration of said specified gas within said chamber;
- and
- a circulation-controller connected to said detector, said circulation-controller circulating a part of the gas mixture which includes said specified gas in said chamber when said specified gas within said chamber reaches a predetermined concentration, wherein said circulation-controller comprises
- a duct having one end communicating with said chamber and another end communicating with said gas-supply device, to guide the gas mixture within said chamber to said gas-supply device,
- a mixer, connected to said duct and said gas-supply device, to mix said gas mixture within said chamber supplied through said duct with said gas from said gas-supply device when desired, and
- a passage-controller connected to said mixer, to guide said gas mixture supplied via said duct to said mixer when said specified gas within said chamber reaches said predetermined concentration.
An environmental-control apparatus for an exposure apparatus having a chamber filled with a specified gas, said chamber being adapted to have positioned therein, a substrate to be illuminated by light, said environmental-control apparatus comprising:
- a gas-supply device connected to said chamber to supply a specified gas into said chamber;
- an exhaust device connected to said chamber to exhaust a gas mixture which includes said specified gas within said chamber;
- a detector which detects the concentration of said specified gas within said chamber;
- a circulation-controller connected to said detector, said circulation-controller circulating a part of the gas mixture which includes said specified gas in said chamber when said specified gas within said chamber reaches a predetermined concentration;
- and
- an ionizer, disposed in a path of said specified gas supplied from said gas-supply device, to ionize at least a part of said specified gas supplied from said gas-supply device to said chamber.
An exposure method for illuminating a mask having a pattern with an exposure light beam from an illumination unit and forming an image of the pattern on a predetermined surface through a projection unit, comprising:
- exhausting a gas mixture in a chamber disposed between the illumination unit and the projection unit before exposure is started while supplying a selected gas to said chamber;
- monitoring the selected gas concentration within said chamber;
- and
- circulating a part of the gas mixture which includes the selected gas in said chamber when said selected gas concentration in said chamber reaches a predetermined concentration.
An exposure apparatus for forming an image of a pattern on a predetermined surface by exposure light beam, comprising:
- an illumination unit disposed on an optical path of the exposure light beam to illuminate a mask having said pattern;
- a projection unit disposed on an optical path of the exposure light beam to form the image of the pattern on the predetermined surface;
- a mask chamber disposed between the illumination unit and the projection unit to surround a space that includes the mask;
- a gas-supply device, connected to said mask chamber, to supply a specified gas into said mask chamber;
- an exhaust device, connected to said mask chamber, to exhaust part of a gas mixture which includes said specified gas within said mask chamber;
- a detector that detects the concentration of said specified gas within said mask chamber;
- and
- a circulation-controller, connected to said detector and said mask chamber, to circulate a part of said gas mixture in said mask chamber when said specified gas within said mask chamber reaches a predetermined concentration.
An exposure apparatus having a chamber filled with a specified gas, said chamber being adapted to have positioned therein a substrate, comprising:
- a storage spaced from said optical path of said light to store a substrate to be exchanged with the substrate within said chamber;
- a transfer chamber, positioned between said chamber and said storage forming a transfer space through which said substrate is transferred between said chamber and storage;
- and
- a controller connected to at least one of said chamber, said storage, and said transfer chamber, to control a condition such that A≧B>D,
- where
- A=pressure in said chamber;
- B=pressure in said storage;
- and
- D=pressure outside said apparatus.
An exposure apparatus having a chamber filled with a specified gas, said chamber being adapted to have positioned therein a substrate, comprising:
- a storage spaced from said optical path of said light to store a substrate to be exchanged with the substrate within said chamber;
- a transfer chamber positioned between said chamber and said storage forming a transfer space through which said substrate is transferred between said chamber and storage;
- and
- a controller connected to at least one of said chamber, said storage, and said transfer chamber, to control a condition such that A≧B>C,
- where
- A=pressure in said chamber;
- B=pressure in said storage;
- and
- C=pressure in said transfer chamber.
An exposure method for illuminating a substrate with an exposure light beam, comprising:
- surrounding a space that includes a substrate with a chamber;
- transferring the substrate within a transfer chamber;
- storing a substrate to be exchanged with the substrate within the chamber;
- wherein said transfer chamber is positioned between said chamber and the storage which stored that substrate to be exchanged with the substrate within the chamber, and which forms a transfer space through which said substrate is transferred between said chamber and said storage, and
- establishing a condition such that A>B>D,
- where
- A=pressure in said chamber;
- B=pressure in said storage;
- and
- D=pressure outside said chamber, said storage, and said transfer chamber.
An exposure method for illuminating a substrate with an exposure light beam, comprising:
- surrounding a space which includes a substrate with a chamber;
- transferring the substrate within a transfer chamber;
- storing a substrate to be exchanged with the substrate within the chamber;
- wherein said transfer chamber is positioned between said chamber and the storage which stored the substrate to be exchanged with the substrate within the chamber, and which forms a transfer space through which said substrate is transferred between said chamber and said storage, and
- establishing a condition such that A>B>C,
- where
- A=pressure in said chamber;
- B=pressure in said storage;
- and
- C=pressure in said transfer chamber.
A method for making an exposure apparatus having a chamber filled with a specified gas, said chamber being adapted to have positioned therein a substrate, comprising:
- positioning said chamber in an optical path of an exposure light beam;
- positioning a storage storing substrate to be exchanged with the substrate within said chamber, at a position spaced from said chamber;
- positioning a transfer chamber, which forms a transfer space through which said substrate is transferred between said chamber and said storage, between said chamber and said storage;
- and
- establishing a condition such that A>B>D,
- where
- A=pressure in said chamber;
- B=pressure in said storage;
- and
- D=pressure outside said apparatus, by a control device connected to at least one of said chamber, said storage and said transfer chamber.
A method for making an exposure apparatus having a chamber filled with a specified gas, said chamber being adapted to have positioned therein a substrate, comprising:
- positioning said chamber in an optical path of an exposure light beam;
- positioning a storage storing substrate to be exchanged with the substrate within said chamber, at a position spaced from said chamber;
- positioning a transfer chamber, which forms a transfer space through which said substrate is transferred between said chamber and said storage, between said chamber and said storage;
- and
- establishing a condition such that A≧B>C,
- where
- A=pressure in said chamber;
- B=pressure in said storage;
- and
- C=pressure in said mask transfer chamber,
- by a control device connected to at least one of said chamber, said storage and said transfer chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.