Exposure apparatus

A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate, the apparatus comprising:

• a chuck for holding a substrate;
• a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;
• a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover;
• and
• a top plate which is mounted on said stage and has a surface substantially flush with a substrate support surface of said chuck,
• wherein a dimension from a side surface of the substrate to an outer edge of said top plate is larger than that of a substrate-side opening of said cover in a scanning direction.

A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate, the apparatus comprising:

• a chuck for holding a substrate;
• a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;
• a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover;
• and
• a top plate which is mounted on said stage and has a surface substantially flush with a surface of said stage on which said chuck is held,
• wherein a dimension from a side surface of the substrate to an outer edge of said top plate is larger than that of a substrate-side opening of said cover in a scanning direction.

A scanning exposure apparatus comprising:

• a chuck for holding a substrate for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate,
• the apparatus comprising:
• a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;
• a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover;
• a top plate which is mounted on said stage and has a surface substantially flush with a surface of the substrate;
• and
• a vent hole which communicates with a gap between a side surface of the substrate and said top plate, and is larger in volume than the gap,
• wherein a dimension from the side surface of the substrate to an outer edge of said top plate is larger than that of a substrate-side opening of said cover in a scanning direction.

An exposure apparatus comprising:

• a chuck for holding a substrate;
• a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;
• a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas;
• and
• a top plate which is mounted on said stage and forms a surface substantially flush with a surface of the substrate,
• wherein a gap between a side surface of the substrate and the surface of said top plate is smaller in width than a gap between a side surface of said chuck and said top plate.

A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate, the apparatus comprising:

• a chuck for holding a substrate;
• a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;
• a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a first supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover;
• a top plate which is mounted on said stage and forms a surface flush with a surface of the substrate;
• and
• a second supply port for supplying inert gas into a gap formed between a side surface of the substrate and said top plate;
• wherein a dimension from the side surface of the substrate to an outer edge of said top plate is larger than that of a substrate-side opening of said cover in a scanning direction.

An exposure apparatus comprising:

• a chuck for holding a substrate;
• a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;
• a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas;
• a top plate which is mounted on said stage and forms a surface flush with a surface of the substrate;
• and
• a vent hole which makes a gap between a side surface of the substrate and said top plate communicate with the surface of said top plate.

An exposure apparatus comprising:

• a chuck for holding a substrate;
• a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;
• a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas;
• a top plate which is mounted on said stage and forms a surface flush with a surface of the substrate;
• and
• a vent hole which makes a gap between a side surface of the substrate and said top plate communicate with a side surface, of said stage, substantially parallel to a scan direction of said stage.

An exposure apparatus comprising:

• a chuck for holding a substrate;
• a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;
• a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas;
• and
• a top plate which is mounted on said stage to hold said chuck,
• wherein a side surface of said chuck has an inclined surface.

An exposure apparatus comprising:

• a chuck for holding a substrate;
• a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;
• a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas;
• and
• a top plate which is mounted on said stage to hold said chuck,
• wherein a side surface of said top plate has an inclined surface.

A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate, the apparatus comprising:

• a chuck for holding a substrate;
• a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;
• a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover;
• and
• a top plate which is mounted on said stage and has a surface substantially flush with a surface of the substrate,
• wherein a shorter-side direction of an opening of said cover is substantially parallel to a scan direction of said stage, said top plate is arranged to form a gap between said top plate and a side surface of the substrate, and a depth of the gap is not less than a width of the gap.

A scanning exposure apparatus for exposure with a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate, the apparatus comprising:

• a chuck for holding a substrate;
• a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;
• a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover, and
• a top plate which is mounted on said stage and has a surface substantially flush with a substrate support surface of said chuck,
• wherein a shorter-side direction of an opening of said cover is substantially parallel to a scan direction of said stage.

A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate, the apparatus comprising:

• a chuck for holding a substrate;
• a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;
• a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover;
• and
• a top plate which is mounted on said stage and has a surface substantially flush with a surface of said stage on which said chuck is held,
• wherein a shorter-side direction of an opening is substantially parallel to a scan direction of said stage.

A scanning exposure apparatus comprising:

• a chuck for holding a substrate for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate;
• the apparatus comprising:
• a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;
• a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover;
• a top plate which is mounted on said stage and has a surface substantially flush with a surface of the substrate;
• and
• a vent hole which communicates with a gap between a side surface of the substrate and said top plate, and is larger in volume than the gap,
• wherein a shorter-side direction of an opening is substantially parallel to a scan direction of said stage.

A scanning exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with a pattern formed on an original while scanning the original and the substrate, the apparatus comprising:

• a chuck for holding a substrate;
• a stage for moving said chuck to align the substrate;
• a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near said stage with inert gas, said mechanism having a cover covering the exposure optical path between a substrate-side lower end of an optical system and a vicinity of said stage, and a first supply port for supplying inert gas into said cover;
• a top plate which is mounted on said stage and forms a surface flush with a surface of the substrate;
• and
• a second supply port for supplying inert gas into a gap formed between a side surface of the substrate and said top plate,
• wherein a shorter-side direction of an opening is substantially parallel to a scan direction of said stage.