Exposure apparatus and method responsive to light beam wavelength variation

A scanning exposure method employing an exposure apparatus having a mask stage to position a mask having a pattern for transfer formed thereon, a substrate stage to position a substrate, an interferometer to measure a position of said substrate stage by using a light beam for measurement, and a stage control system to drive said substrate stage on the basis of a value measured by said interferometer and a wavelength of said light beam, the pattern on said mask is transferred onto each shot area on said substrate by scanning exposure, said scanning exposure method comprising:

• detecting a change in an environment of an optical path of said light beam used by said interferometer;
• obtaining at least one of a first variation amount of a wavelength of said light beam on the basis of the detected change in the environment during a scanning exposure operation for a shot area on said substrate, and a second variation amount of a wavelength of said light beam on the basis of the detected change in the environment during a driving operation for moving said substrate stage to a subsequent shot area after the scanning exposure operation for said shot area;
• and
• at least one of a first driving operation which drives said substrate stage to a subsequent shot area on the basis of said first variation amount, and a second driving operation which drives said substrate stage during a scanning exposure operation for the subsequent shot area on the basis of said second variation amount.

A scanning exposure apparatus in which a pattern formed on a mask is transferred onto a substrate, the apparatus comprising:

• a projection system, disposed between said mask and said substrate, which projects a pattern image on one side thereof,
• a mask stage, disposed on the other side of said projection system, which moves said mask;
• a substrate stage, disposed on the one side of said projection system which moves said substrate;
• an interferometer system, optically connected with said substrate stage and said mask stage, which measures position data of said substrate stage and said mask stage by using a light beam;
• a sensor which detects data related to a refractive index of an optical path of said light beam, and
• a control system, connected to said interferometer and said sensor, which obtains an amount of a variation in wavelength of said light beam on the basis of a result of the detection obtained by said sensor during a scanning exposure operation for a shot area on said substrate.

A method for making a scanning exposure apparatus in which a pattern formed on a mask is transferred onto a substrate, the method comprising:

• providing a projection system, disposed between said mask and said substrate, which projects a pattern image on one side thereof;
• providing a mask stage, disposed on the other side of said projection system, which moves said mask;
• providing a substrate stage, disposed on the one side of said projection system, which moves said substrate;
• providing an interferometer system, optically connected with said substrate stage and said mask stage, which is used for moving said mask stage and said substrate stage synchronously;
• providing a sensor which detects data related to a reflective index of an optical path of a light beam used by said interferometer system;
• providing a control system, connected to said interferometer and said sensor, which obtains an amount of a variation in wavelength of said light beam on the basis of a result of the detection obtained by said sensor during a scanning exposure for a shot area on said substrate.