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US 2003/0197848 A1Published application
Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and device manufacturing method
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorNaomasa Shiraishi
Life of this patent
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AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorNaomasa Shiraishi
Estimating the term…
In an exposure apparatus, a main controller calculates the thickness of a light transmitting protective member that protects a pattern surface of a mask, based on detection signals of a first and second reflection beams of a detection beam irradiated from an irradiation system, reflected off the front and back surfaces of the protective member, and received by a photodetection system. This makes exposure that takes into account the variation in the image forming state of the image pattern depending on the calculated thickness of the protective member possible. Accordingly, exposure with high precision is possible, without the difference in thickness of the protective member protecting the pattern surface of the mask affecting the exposure. In addition, when the incident angle of the detection beam is optimized, setting a detection offset in the photodetection system, or resetting the origin will not be necessary.
An exposure apparatus that irradiates an energy beam on a mask and transfers a pattern formed on said mask onto a substrate, said exposure apparatus comprising:
An exposure apparatus that irradiates an energy beam on a mask and transfers a pattern formed on said mask onto a substrate, said exposure apparatus comprising:
An exposure apparatus that irradiates an energy beam on a mask and transfers a pattern formed on said mask onto a substrate, said exposure apparatus comprising:
An exposure method in which an energy beam exposes a substrate via a mask on which a pattern is formed to transfer an image of said pattern on said substrate, said exposure method including:
An exposure method in which an energy beam is irradiated on a mask, and a pattern formed on said mask is transferred onto a substrate via a projection optical system, said exposure method including:
An exposure method in which an energy beam having a wavelength of 157 nm is irradiated on a mask, and a pattern formed on said mask is transferred onto a substrate via a projection optical system, said exposure method including:
An exposure method in which an energy beam is irradiated on a mask, and a pattern formed on said mask is transferred onto a substrate, said exposure method including:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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Aligning or positioning in direction perpendicular to substrate surface: focusing
Mask projection systems: scanning exposure, i.e. relative movement of patterned beam and workpiece during imaging
Handling of masks or workpieces: chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details
Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details: being electrostatic; Electrostatically deformable vacuum chucks
Term end not estimated
This is a continuation of International Application PCT/JP01/10184, with an international filing date of Nov. 21, 2001, the entire content of which being hereby incorporated herein by reference, which was not published in English.
1.Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to exposure apparatus, exposure methods, and device manufacturing methods, and more particularly, to an exposure apparatus and an exposure method used in a lithographic process when manufacturing devices such as a semiconductor device or a liquid crystal display device, and a device manufacturing method using the exposure apparatus and exposure method.
FIG. 1 is a view showing an entire configuration of an exposure apparatus related to a first embodiment in the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a view schematically showing a reticle in FIG. 1 and a reticle AF system;
FIG. 3 is a view for describing an arrangement of a reticle AF system;
<<First Embodiment>>
Following is a description of a first embodiment related to the present invention, referring to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. 1 shows an entire configuration of an exposure apparatus 100 in the first embodiment. Exposure apparatus 100 is a projection exposure apparatus based on a step-and-scan method, that is, a so-called scanning stepper that transfers a pattern of a reticle R serving as a mask onto a wafer W serving as a substrate via a projection optical system PL, by irradiating an exposure illumination light EL serving as an energy beam in the vacuum ultraviolet region onto reticle R and synchronously moving reticle R and wafer W in a predetermined direction (in this case, in a Y-axis direction which is the lateral direction of the page surface in FIG. 1).
Exposure apparatus 100 includes a light source, and an illumination unit ILU, and comprises: an illumination system that illuminates reticle R with exposure illumination light (hereinafter referred to as “exposure light”) EL; a reticle stage RST serving as a mask stage that holds reticle R; a projection optical system PL that projects exposure light EL emitted from reticle R onto wafer W; a wafer stage WST serving as a substrate stage that holds wafer W; a control system that controls these sections, and the like.