Illuminance meter, illuminance measuring method and exposure apparatus
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorsHiroaki Narushima, Toshihiko Tsuji
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An illuminance meter is provided to simplify measuring tasks and labor associated with the process of determining the energy level of a radiation used in an exposure apparatus. A wafer-type illuminance meter has an optical sensor fabricated integrally within a dummy wafer, which is made of a thin disk so that it may be handled in a manner similar to a substrate wafer to be imprinted. The illuminance meter is retained on a wafer stage in a manner similar to the substrate wafer so as to be loaded on and unloaded off a number of exposure apparatuses to determine a level of illuminance in the vicinity of the image plane of each exposure apparatus that uses a type of radiation assigned to each exposure apparatus.
Claims23
An illuminance meter which measures an energy level of a radiation illuminating a substrate being held on a substrate holder attached on a substrate stage, comprising:
- an instrument plate to be attached on a substrate holder attaching section of the substrate stage from which the substrate holder has been detached;
- and
- an optical sensor provided on said instrument plate for responding to said radiation.
A method for measuring an energy level of a radiation illuminating a substrate being held on a substrate holder attached on a substrate stage, comprising the steps of:
- detaching said substrate holder from said substrate stage and attaching an illuminance meter on a substrate holder attaching section of said substrate stage;
- and
- detecting said radiation by said illuminance meter to obtain energy information related to said radiation.
An apparatus which exposures a substrate with a radiation to project an image of a masking pattern of a mask on the substrate, comprising:
- a substrate stage;
- a substrate holder attached on said substrate stage so as to hold said substrate;
- and
- a holder exchanger which detaches said substrate holder from said substrate, and attaches an illuminance meter on a substrate holder attaching section of said substrate stage to detect said radiation.
A method for exposing a substrate being held on a substrate holder attached on a substrate stage with a radiation to project an image of a pattern of a mask on said substrate, comprising the steps of:
- detaching the substrate holder and attaching an illuminance meter which has an optical sensor responsive to said radiation on the substrate stage to measure an energy level of said radiation;
- obtaining energy information on said radiation by detecting said radiation with said illuminance meter:
- detaching said illuminance meter and replacing with said substrate being held on the substrate holder so as to attach said substrate holder on the substrate stage and to position said substrate on the substrate holder;
- and
- calibrating a sensor for measuring said radiation in accordance with the detected energy information.
An illuminance meter which determines an energy level of a radiation radiating on a substrate held on a substrate stage, comprising:
- an instrument plate to be held on the substrate stage by vacuum suction;
- an optical sensor disposed on the instrument plate and detecting said radiation;
- wherein said substrate is vacuum chucked together with a substrate holder on a substrate edge;
- and the instrument plate is attached on said substrate holder so as to be interchangeable with said substrate.
An illuminance meter which determines an energy level of a radiation radiating on a substrate held on a substrate stage, comprising:
- an instrument plate to be held on the substrate stage by vacuum suction;
- an optical sensor disposed on the instrument plate and detecting said radiation;
- wherein said substrate is vacuum chucked together with a substrate holder on a substrate stage;
- and the instrument plate is attached on said substrate stage so as to be interchangeable with said substrate holder.
A method for determining an energy level of a radiation radiating on a substrate attached on a substrate stage, comprising the steps of:
- retaining an illuminance meter on the substrate stage by vacuum suction to determine an energy level of said radiation;
- and
- determining the energy level of said radiation with said illuminance meter to obtain energy information on said radiation;
- wherein said substrate is vacuum chucked together with a substrate holder on said substrate stage;
- and an instrument plate is held on said substrate holder so as to be interchangeable with said substrate.
A method for determining an energy level of a radiation radiating on a substrate attached on a substrate stage, comprising the steps of
- retaining an illuminance meter on the substrate stage by vacuum suction to determine an energy level of said radiation;
- and
- determining the energy level of said radiation with said illuminance meter to obtain energy information on said radiation;
- wherein said substrate is vacuum chucked together with a substrate holder on said substrate stage;
- and an instrument plate is held on said substrate stage so as to be interchangeable with said substrate holder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.