Exposure apparatus for aligning photosensitive substrate with image plane of a projection optical system
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorYuji Imai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An exposure apparatus comprises a substrate holding portion for holding a photosensitive substrate including a surface, a substrate stage for two-dimensional positioning of the photosensitive substrate via the substrate holding portion, the substrate stage including an upper surface, and an exposure system for transferring a pattern on a mask to the photosensitive substrate by an exposing illumination light. The substrate holding portion is provided in the substrate stage so that the portion of the upper surface of the substrate stage surrounding the photosensitive substrate is substantially flush with the surface of the photosensitive substrate.
Claims25
An exposure apparatus which transfers a pattern of a mask onto a substrate, comprising:
- a projection optical system located between said mask and said substrate to project an image of the pattern onto said substrate, said projection optical system having an image position;
- a focus detecting system which irradiates a detection beam to detect a position of said substrate relative to the image position of said projection optical system, said focus detecting system including an optical axis;
- a gas supplying system to supply a gas to at least a part of said focus detecting system along the optical axis of said focus detecting system;
- and
- a cover member which is different from a chamber which surrounds at least part of said exposure apparatus to cover at least a portion of an optical path of said detection beam to which the gas is supplied.
An exposure method which transfers a pattern of a mask onto a substrate utilizing an exposure apparatus, comprises the steps of:
- providing a projection optical system between said mask and said substrate, said projection optical system having an image position;
- providing a focus-detecting light beam to detect a position of said substrate relative to the image position of said projection optical system;
- moving a stage which holds said substrate in a first direction substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of said projection optical system;
- irradiating an optical member with a position detecting light beam to detect a position of said stage relative to said first direction, said optical member being disposed on a side surface of said stage;
- confining said focus-detecting light beam in gas having a controlled temperature by a cover which is different from a chamber which surrounds at least part of said exposure apparatus;
- projecting said focus-detecting light beam confined in the gas onto said substrate;
- and
- controlling a position of said substrate on the basis of a detecting result of said focus-detecting light beam and said position light beam.
A method for making an exposure apparatus which transfers a pattern of a mask onto a substrate, comprising:
- providing a projection optical system between said mask and said substrate to project an image of said pattern onto said substrate, said projection optical system having an image position;
- providing a focus-detecting system which irradiates a detection beam to detect a position of said substrate relative to the image position of said projection optical system;
- providing a gas supplying system which supplies a gas to at least a part of said focus detecting system;
- and
- providing a cover member which is different from a chamber which surrounds at least part of said exposure apparatus, to cover at least a portion of an optical path of said detection beam to which the gas is supplied.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.