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US 2016/0103397 A1Published application
Exposure Apparatus with Component from which Liquid is Protected and/or Removed and Device Fabricating Method
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorsHideaki HARA, Hiroaki TAKAIWA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by filling a liquid between a projection optical system and the substrate, and projecting the image of a pattern onto the substrate through the projection optical system and the liquid, and includes a liquid removing mechanism that intermittently blows a gas against a reference member, movable mirror, and the like, to which the liquid is adhered in order to remove that liquid.
Claims15
A stage system used in an exposure apparatus having a projection optical system, the stage system comprising:
- a substrate holding member that is movable in the exposure apparatus, the substrate holding member including:
- (i) a holder portion that is configured to hold a substrate to be exposed via the projection optical system through a liquid in the exposure apparatus,
- (ii) an outer side surface facing in a direction radially outward with respect to the holder portion,
- (iii) an edge portion having an end part of an upper surface of the substrate holding member, the edge portion being provided below an end surface of the projection optical system, the edge portion protruding laterally beyond the outer side surface in the direction radially outward of the outer side surface with respect to the holder portion, and
- (iv) a surrounding portion that surrounds the holder portion and is located between the substrate and the edge portion when the substrate is held by the holder portion.
2 more elements
An exposure apparatus comprising:
- a projection optical system;
- a substrate holding member that is movable in the exposure apparatus, the substrate holding member including:
- (i) a holder portion that is configured to hold a substrate to be exposed via the projection optical system through a liquid in the exposure apparatus,
- (ii) an outer side surface facing in a direction radially outward with respect to the holder portion,
- (iii) an edge portion having an end part of an upper surface of the substrate holding member, the edge portion being provided below an end surface of the projection optical system, the edge portion protruding laterally beyond the outer side surface in the direction radially outward of the outer side surface with respect to the holder portion, and
- (iv) a surrounding portion that surrounds the holder portion and is located between the substrate and the edge portion when the substrate is held by the holder portion.
3 more elements
An exposure method comprising:
- holding a substrate on a substrate holding member which has a holder portion to hold the substrate;
- supplying a liquid onto the substrate such that an optical path between a lower end surface of a projection optical system and an upper surface of the substrate is filled with the supplied liquid forming a liquid immersion area;
- and
- exposing the substrate held on the substrate holding member with an exposure beam through the liquid immersion area, while moving the substrate holding member, wherein
- the liquid immersion area is moved relative to the substrate during the exposure, and
- the substrate holding member further includes:
- an outer side surface facing in a direction radially outward with respect to the holder portion,
- an edge portion having an end part of an upper surface of the substrate holding member, the edge portion being provided below an end surface of the projection optical system, the edge portion protruding laterally beyond the outer side surface in the direction radially outward of the outer side surface with respect to the holder portion, and
- a surrounding portion that surrounds the holder portion and is located between the substrate and the edge portion when the substrate is held by the holder portion.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.