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US 6,473,157 B2Granted
Method of manufacturing exposure apparatus and method for exposing a pattern on a mask onto a substrate
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorKanefumi Nakahara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exposure method, which exposes a pattern of a mask carried on a mask stage onto a substrate, includes transferring the mask to the mask stage by a transfer device, and moving the transfer device to a position in which it does not hinder an exposure.
Claims41
A method of manufacturing an exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on a mask onto a substrate, comprising:
- providing a mask stage on which one mask is placed when said pattern on said one mask is exposed onto said substrate;
- providing a case storage site at which a mask case housing said one mask is stored;
- providing a temporary storage site at which a plurality of masks can be stored;
- providing a first transfer device which takes said one mask out of its mask case at said case storage site and transfers said one mask to said temporary storage site;
- providing mask holding portions on respective ends of a rotation member, each holding portion being capable of holding a mask;
- and
- providing a second transfer device, which includes said rotation member, and which transfers said one mask between said temporary storage site and said mask stage.
4 more elements
A method of manufacturing an exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on a mask onto a substrate, comprising:
- providing a mask stage on which one mask is placed;
- providing a case storage site at which a mask case housing said one mask is stored;
- providing a temporary storage site at which a plurality of masks can be stored;
- providing a first transfer device which takes said one mask out of its mask case at said case storage site and transfers said one mask to said temporary storage site;
- and
- providing a second transfer device which transfers said one mask between said temporary storage site and said mask stage.
3 more elements
A method of exposure for exposing a pattern on a mask onto a substrate, comprising:
- storing a mask case in which one mask is housed, at a case storage site;
- taking said one mask out of its mask case stored at the case storage site;
- transferring, by means of a first transfer device, said one mask taken out of it mask case to a temporary storage site at which a plurality of masks can be stored;
- transferring, by means of a second transfer device, said one mask between said temporary storage site and a mask stage which holds said one mask at a position at which said one mask is subjected to exposure, said second transfer device including a rotation member having mask holding portions at respective ends thereof, each of which is capable of holding a mask;
- and
- exposing a pattern of said one mask on said stage onto a substrate.
3 more elements
An exposure method for exposing a pattern on a mask onto a substrate, comprising:
- storing a mask case in which one mask is housed, at a case storage site;
- taking said one mask out of its mask case stored at the case storage site;
- transferring, by means of a first transfer device, said one mask taken out of its mask case to a temporary storage site at which a plurality of masks can be stored;
- transferring said one mask between said temporary storage site and a mask stage which holds said one mask at a position at which said one mask is subjected to exposure;
- and
- exposing a pattern of said one mask transferred to said stage onto a substrate.
3 more elements
A method of manufacturing an exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on a mask onto a substrate, comprising:
- providing a mask stage on which one of a plurality of masks is placed;
- providing a temporary storage site having a plurality of mask holding positions at which said plurality of masks, respectively, can be held;
- providing a first transfer device at a location from which said first transfer device is movable to a plurality of positions corresponding to said plurality of mask holding positions, respectively, and that transfers said one mask to one of said plurality of mask holding positions of said temporary storage site at which a mask is not held;
- and
- providing a second transfer device at a location from which said second transfer device is movable to a plurality of positions corresponding to said plurality of mask holding positions, respectively, and that transfers said one mask between said temporary storage site and said mask stage.
2 more elements
An exposure method for exposing a pattern on a mask onto a substrate, comprising:
- transferring one of a plurality of masks to a temporary storage site having a plurality of mask holding positions at which said plurality of masks, respectively, can be held, by means of a first transfer device movable to a plurality of positions corresponding to said plurality of mask holding positions, respectively;
- transferring said one mask between said temporary storage site and a mask stage that holds said one mask at a position at which said one mask is subjected to exposure, by means of a second transfer device movable to a plurality of positions corresponding to said plurality of mask holding positions, respectively;
- and
- exposing a pattern of said one mask transferred to said stage onto a substrate.
1 more element
An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern on a mask onto a substrate, comprising:
- a mask stage on which one of a plurality of masks is placed;
- a temporary storage site having a plurality of mask holding positions at which said plurality of masks, respectively, can be held;
- a first transfer device at a location from which said first transfer device is movable to a plurality of positions corresponding to said plurality of mask holding positions, respectively, and that transfers said one mask to one of said plurality of mask holding positions of said temporary storage site at which a mask is not held;
- and
- a second transfer device at a location from which said second transfer device is movable to a plurality of positions corresponding to said plurality of mask holding positions, respectively, and that transfers said one mask between said temporary storage site and said mask stage.
2 more elements
An exposure apparatus for translating a pattern on a mask onto an object, comprising:
- a mask stage on which one of a plurality of masks is held for use in said translating;
- a transferring system that receives said one mask at a delivering position in said exposure apparatus and that has a predetermined route between said delivering position and said mask stage, wherein said transferring system transfers said one mask by moving it along said predetermined route;
- and
- a mask storage site at a location accessible from said predetermined route by said transferring system, said mask storage site having a plurality of mask holding positions at which said plurality of masks, respectively, can be held imultaneously,
- wherein said transferring system transfers a mask from one of said mask holding positions of the mask storage site to said mask stage using a part of said predetermined route.
2 more elements
A method for translating a pattern provided on a mask onto an object using an exposure apparatus, comprising:
- delivering one of a plurality of masks to a first position in said exposure apparatus;
- transferring said one mask from said first position to a different second position along a predetermined route, said second position corresponding to an exposure position where said one mask is used for said pattern translating;
- storing said one mask temporarily at a mask storage site having a plurality of mask holding positions at which said plurality of masks, respectively, can be held simultaneously;
- and
- transferring said one mask between said mask storage site and said second position.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.