Method for controlling stages, apparatus therefor, and scanning type exposure apparatus

A scanning type exposure method for an exposure apparatus comprising a mask stage for holding a mask, which is movable in a predetermined scanning direction, a substrate stage for holding a substrate, which is movable in the scanning direction in synchronization with the mask stage, and a vibration-preventive pedestal for supporting the substrate stage, said method comprising:

• irradiating the mask with illumination light;
• performing exposure for the substrate with a pattern on the mask by synchronously moving the mask stage and the substrate stage in the predetermined scanning direction;
• detecting, during the moving of the mask and the substrate stage, positional discrepancy amount between the stages, and calculating a vibration amount of the vibration-preventive pedestal;
• and
• controlling the moving of the mask stage and the substrate stage such that positional discrepancy between the stages which is detected during the moving of the stages is corrected on the basis of the detected positional discrepancy amount and the calculated vibration amount.

An apparatus for controlling stages to be used for an exposure apparatus comprising a mask stage for holding a mask, which is movable in a predetermined scanning direction, a substrate stage for holding a substrate, which is movable in the scanning direction, and a vibration-prevention pedestal for supporting the substrate stage, said apparatus comprising:

• a first stage control system that is electrically connected to one stage of the mask stage and the substrate stage and that performs velocity control for the one stage;
• and
• a second stage control system that is electrically connected to the other stage, and controls the other stage in synchronization with the velocity control for the one stage so that the one stage and the other stage are in a predetermined positional relationship;
• said second stage control system comprising:
• a positional error-detecting device that detects a positional error between the mask stage and the substrate stage during the controlling of the first and second stage control systems;
• a calculation device that is electrically connected to the vibration-preventive pedestal, and that calculates a vibration amount of the vibration-preventive pedestal;
• and
• a controller that is electrically connected to the positional error-detecting device and the calculation device, and that controls the velocity of the other stage on the basis of the positional error detected during the controlling of the first and second stage control systems and the calculated vibration amount.

An apparatus for controlling stages to be used for an exposure apparatus comprising a mask stage for holding mask, which is movable in a predetermined scanning direction, a substrate stage for holding a substrate, which is movable in the scanning direction, and a vibration-preventive pedestal for supporting the substrate stage, said apparatus comprising:

• the mask stage having a first stage which is movable in the scanning direction, and a second stage which is relatively movable on the first stage along the scanning direction;
• a first velocity control system that is electrically connected to the substrate stage, and that performs velocity control for the substrate stage;
• a second velocity control system that is electrically connected to the first stage, and that performs velocity control for the first stage;
• and
• a stage position control system that is electrically connected to the first and second velocity control systems and the second stage, and that controls the position of the second stage in synchronization with the velocity control by the first and second velocity control systems so that the substrate stage and the second stage are in predetermined positional relationship;
• said stage position control system comprising:
• a positional error-detecting device that detects a positional error between the substrate stage and the second stage;
• a memory in which at least a damping coefficient and a spring constant of a secondary vibration system including the vibration-preventive pedestal are stored;
• a calculation device that is electrically connected to the vibration-preventive pedestal and the memory, and that calculates a vibration amount of the vibration-preventive pedestal at a predetermined time interval on the basis of the damping coefficient, the spring constant, thrusts of the substrate stage and the first stage, and a transfer function of the secondary vibration system;
• and
• a controller that is electrically connected to the positional error-detecting device and calculation device and the second stage, and that controls the position of the second stage on the basis of the detected positional error and the calculated vibration amount.

A scanning type exposure apparatus comprising:

• a mask stage which holds a mask and is movable in a predetermined scanning direction;
• a substrate stage which holds a substrate and is movable in the scanning direction in synchronization with the mask stage;
• a vibration-preventive pedestal that supports the substrate stage;
• a first stage control system that is electrically connected to one stage of the mask stage and the substrate stage and that performs velocity control for the one stage;
• a second stage control system that is electrically connected to the other stage, and that controls the other stage in synchronization with the velocity control for the one stage so that the one stage and the other stage are in a predetermined positional relationship.
• a positional error-detecting device that detects a positional error between the mask stage and substrate stage during the controlling of the first and second stage control systems;
• a calculation device that is electrically connected to the vibration-preventive pedestal, and that calculates a vibration amount of the vibration-preventive pedestal in the scanning direction;
• and
• a controller that is electrically connected to the positional error-detecting device and the calculation device and that controls the velocity of the other stage on the basis of the positional error detected during the contrlling of the first and second stage control systems and the calculated vibration amount.

An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on a mask while moving the mask and substrate synchronously, comprising:

• a mask stage that holds the mask;
• a substrate stage that holds the substrate;
• a supporting member that supports at least one of the mask stage and the substrate stage;
• a detecting device that detects a positional discrepancy of the mask stage relative to the substrate stage during the synchronous movement of the mask and the substrate;
• and
• a control system that is electrically connected to the mask stage and the substrate stage and that corrects a positional discrepancy of the mask stage relative to the substrate stage, which is detected by the detecting device, during the synchronous movement of the mask and the substrate, based on information on a vibration of the supporting member.

An exposure method for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on a mask while moving a mask stage for holding the mask and a substrate stage for holding the substrate synchronously, comprising:

• obtaining information on a vibration of a supporting member which supprts at least one of the mask stage and the substrate stage;
• detecting a positional discrepancy of the mask stage relative to the substrate stage during the synchronous movement of the mask and the substrate;
• and
• correcting the detected positional discrepancy of the mask stage relative to the substrate stage, during the synchronous movement of the mask stage and the substrate stage, based on information on the vibration of the supporting member.
• 20.The exposure method according to claim 19, wherein the positional discrepancy of the mask stage relative to the substrate stage is corrected by controlling the mask stage.

A method for controlling a first stage for holding a first object and a second stage for holding a second object to move the first and second stages synchronously, comprising:

• obtaining information on a vibration of a supporting member that supports at least one of the first stage and the second stage;
• detecting a positional discrepancy of the first stage relative to the second stage during the synchronous movement of the first stage and the second stage;
• and
• controlling a position of the first stage relative to the second stage, during the synchronous movement of the first and second stages, based on information on a vibration of the supporting member and the positional discrepancy detected during the synchronous movement of the first stage and the second stage.

An exposure apparatus, comprising:

• a first stage;
• a second stage;
• a detecting device that detects a positional discrepancy of the first stage relative to the second stage during a movement of at least one of the first stage and the second stage;
• a calculation device that calculates information on a vibration amount of a support member of the at least one of the first stage and the second stage;
• and
• a controller that is electrically connected to the first and second stages and to the calculation device, wherein the controller corrects the detected positional discrepancy of the first stage relative to the second stage based on the information on the vibration of the support member of the at least one of the first stage and the second stage.

A method for maing an exposure apparatus, comprising:

• providing a first stage;
• providing a second stage;
• providing a detecting device that detects a positional discrepancy of the first stage relative to the second stage during a movement of at least one of the first stage and the second stage;
• providing a support member of at least one of the first stage and the second stage;
• providing a calculation device that calculates information on a vibration amount of the support member;
• and
• providing a controller that, when in operation, corrects the detected positional discrepancy of the first stage relative to the second stage based on the information on the vibration of the support member of the at least one of the first stage and the second stage.

A method for controlling a first stage and a second stage comprising:

• determining a positional discrepancy of the first stage relative to the second stage with a detecting device;
• canceing a component of the positional discrepancy, which results from vibration of at least part of the detecting device, from the determined positional discrepancy;
• and
• driving the first stage relative to the second stage based on the positional discrepancy from which the component of the positional discrepancy that resulted from the vibration has been cancelled.