Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and method for producing device
AssigneesNikon Corporation, Nikon Engineering Co., Ltd.
InventorsHiroyuki NAGASAKA, Takeshi OKUYAMA
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by irradiating the substrate with exposure light via a projection optical system and a liquid. The exposure apparatus is provided with a liquid immersion mechanism for supplying the liquid and recovering the liquid. The liquid immersion mechanism has an inclined surface, which is opposite to a surface of the substrate and is inclined with respect to the surface of the substrate, and a liquid recovering port of the liquid immersion mechanism is formed in the inclined surface. A flat portion is provided between the substrate and the projection optical system. A liquid immersion area can be maintained to be small.
Claims1
An exposure apparatus comprising:
- a projection optical system having an optical element;
- a nozzle member having a liquid recovery port that is arranged such that a surface of a substrate is opposite to the liquid recovery port during exposure;
- a recovery tank which is connectable to a vacuum system, the recovery tank being connected to the liquid recovery port so that liquid recovered from the liquid recovery port is drawn to the recovery tank;
- a liquid level sensor that measures a liquid level in the recovery tank;
- and
- a controller that controls liquid discharge from the recovery tank on the basis of the output of the liquid level sensor,
- wherein a liquid immersion area is formed on a portion of the surface of the substrate while performing liquid recovery from the recovery port of the nozzle member, and
- the substrate is exposed by radiating an exposure beam onto the substrate through the liquid immersion area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.