Exposure apparatus and method for producing device
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorsHideo Mizutani, Nobutaka Magome
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exposure apparatus, wherein an exposure of a substrate (P) is carried out by filling at least a portion of the space between a projection optical system and the substrate (P) with a liquid and projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate (P) via the projection optical system and the liquid, includes a bubble detector (20) which detects air bubble or bubbles in the liquid between the projection optical system and the substrate (P). Consequently, the exposure apparatus is capable of suppressing deterioration of a pattern image caused by bubbles in the liquid when an exposure is carried out while filling the space between the projection optical system and the substrate with the liquid.
Claims54
An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by transferring an image of a pattern through a liquid onto the substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:
- a projection optical system which projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate;
- and
- a bubble detector which has a light-receiving system to detect a bubble in the liquid between the projection optical system and the substrate.
An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by transferring an image of a pattern through a liquid onto the substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:
- a projection optical system which projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate;
- and
- a liquid shortage detector which has a light-receiving system to detect shortage of the liquid between the projection optical system and the substrate.
An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by radiating an exposure light beam onto the substrate via a projection optical system and through a liquid, the exposure apparatus comprising:
- a gas-detecting system which has a light-receiving system to detect a presence or absence of a gas portion in an optical path for the exposure light beam.
An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by radiating an exposure light beam onto the substrate via a projection optical system and through a liquid, the exposure apparatus comprising:
- a surface position-detecting system which detects a surface position of the substrate by projecting a detecting light beam onto the substrate through the liquid on the substrate and receiving the detecting light beam reflected on the substrate, wherein:
- a presence or absence of a gas portion in an optical path for the detecting light beam is detected on the basis of an output of the surface position-detecting system.
A liquid immersion exposure apparatus comprising:
- an immersion system which has a liquid supply port and a liquid recovery port to form an immersion area on an object;
- and
- a gas-detecting system which has a light-receiving system to detect a gas portion in a liquid used for liquid immersion exposure.
An immersion exposure apparatus comprising:
- an optical element;
- and
- a detecting system having a light receiver, which detects a gas portion in a liquid between the optical element and an object by using the light receiver, the liquid being used for immersion exposure.
An immersion exposure apparatus comprising:
- an optical element;
- and
- a detecting system which has a light receiver, and which detects shortage of liquid for immersion exposure in a space between the optical element and an object by using the light receiver.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.