US 6,400,441 B1 · Projection exposure apparatus and method

Abstract

Two stages (WS1), (WS2) holding wafers can independently move between a positional information measuring section (PIS) under an alignment system (24a) and an exposing section (EPS) under a projection optical system (PL). The wafer exchange and alignment are performed on the stage (WS1), during which wafer (W2) is exposed on the stage (WS2). A position of each shot area of wafer (WS1) is obtained as a relative position with respect to a reference mark formed on the stage (WS1) in the section (PIS). Relative positional information can be used for the alignment with respect to an exposure pattern when the wafer (WS1) is moved to the section (EPS) to be exposed. Therefore, it is not necessary that a stage position is observed continuously in moving the stage. Exposure operations are performed in parallel by the two wafer stages (WS1) and (WS2) so as to improve the throughput.

Claims36

Dependent claims

A projection exposure method for exposing sensitive substrates by projecting a pattern formed on a mask through a projection optical system onto the sensitive substrates, comprising:

preparing a first substrate stage and a second substrate stage, each of which is movable independently on a two-dimensional plane while holding a sensitive substrate;
and
performing, by using the first substrate stage, at least one of an exchange operation for the sensitive substrate and a detecting operation for a mark on the first stage or on the sensitive substrate held on the first stage, while executing a scanning exposure operation for the sensitive substrate held on the second substrate stage, wherein each of shot areas on the sensitive substrate held on the second substrate stage is exposed by moving the second substrate stage while projecting the pattern on the mask onto the sensitive substrate held on the second substrate stage, and wherein the two substrate stages are controlled such that the two substrate stages do not physically interfere with each other.

A projection exposure apparatus for sequentially exposing sensitive substrates by projecting a pattern formed on a mask illuminated with an exposure beam, the apparatus comprising:

a projection system, disposed in a path of the exposure beam, which projects the pattern onto a sensitive substrate;
a stage system, disposed on an image plane side of the projection system, which has a first substrate stage and a second substrate stage, each of which is movable independently in a plane while holding a sensitive substrate;
and
a control system, functionally associated with the stage system, which controls the stage system to perform, by controlling the first substrate stage, at least one of an exchange operation for the sensitive substrate and a detecting operation for a mark on the first substrate stage or on the sensitive substrate held on the first substrate stage, while executing a scanning exposure operation for the sensitive substrate held on the second substrate stage, wherein each of shot areas on the sensitive substrate held on the second substrate stage is exposed while moving the second substrate stage, and wherein the control system controls the two substrate stages such that the two substrate stages do not physically interfere with each other.

1 more element

A projection exposure apparatus for sequentially exposing sensitive substrates by projecting a pattern formed on a mask illuminated with an exposure beam, the apparatus comprising:

a projection system, disposed in a path of the exposure beam, which projects the pattern onto a sensitive substrate;
a stage system, disposed on an image plane side of the projection system, which has a first substrate stage and a second substrate stage, each of which is movable independently in a plane while holding a sensitive substrate;
and
a control system, functionally associated with the stage system, which controls the stage system to perform, by controlling the first substrate stage, at least one of an exchange operation for the sensitive substrate and a detecting operation for a mark on the first substrate stage or on the sensitive substrate held on the first substrate stage, while executing an exposure operation for the sensitive substrate held on the second substrate stage, wherein a moving region of the first substrate stage during the at least one of the exchange operation and the detecting operation overlaps a moving region of the second substrate stage of the two substrate stages during the exposure operation, and wherein the control system controls the two substrate stages such that the two substrate stages do not physically interfere with each other.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Projection exposure apparatus and method

Life of this patent

Projection exposure apparatus and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims36