US 7,742,147 B2 · Exposure apparatus

Abstract

An exposure apparatus for measuring a position of a stage, configured to hold a substrate, using a laser interferometer, and exposing the substrate through an original, and an optical element opposite to the substrate with a gap between the optical element and the substrate filled with liquid. A first supply nozzle is arranged around the optical element, which supplies the liquid to the gap, a first recovery nozzle arranged around the first supply nozzle recovers the liquid from the gap, a second supply nozzle supplies a gas outside the first recovery nozzle, a controller controls an amount of the liquid supplied from the first supply nozzle and an amount of the liquid and gas recovered from the first recovery nozzle, and a wall portion is arranged around the optical element and substantially parallel to a surface of the substrate. If Q1 is the amount of the liquid supplied from the first supply nozzle and Q2 is a sum of the amount of the liquid and gas recovered from the first recovery nozzle, a relationship Q1<Q2 is satisfied.

Claims6

Dependent claims

An exposure apparatus which has a function of measuring a position of a stage configured to hold a substrate using a laser interferometer and exposes the substrate through an original and an optical element opposite to the substrate, with a gap between the optical element and the substrate filled with a liquid, said apparatus comprising:

a first supply nozzle arranged around the optical element and configured to supply the liquid to the gap;
a first recovery nozzle arranged around said first supply nozzle and configured to recover the liquid from the gap;
a second supply nozzle configured to supply a gas outside said first recovery nozzle;
a controller configured to control an amount of the liquid supplied from said first supply nozzle and an amount of the liquid and gas recovered from said first recovery nozzle;
and
a wall portion arranged around the optical element and substantially parallel to a surface of the substrate,
wherein letting Q1 be an amount of the liquid supplied from said first supply nozzle and Q2 be a sum of the amount of the liquid and gas recovered from said first recovery nozzle, said controller controls operation to satisfy a relationship Q1<Q2 and to form a current of the gas from said second supply nozzle to said first recovery nozzle, and
said second supply nozzle is arranged at the stage, so as to surround the substrate, to form a gas curtain outside said first recovery nozzle by supplying the gas to said wall portion and to partition the gap containing a vapor produced from the liquid and a space around the gap with the gas curtain and said wall portion.

5 more elements

An exposure apparatus which has a function of measuring a position of a stage for holding a substrate using a laser interferometer and exposes the substrate through an original and an optical element opposite to the substrate, with a gap between the optical element and the substrate filled with a liquid, the stage being configured to hold the substrate and to be drivable in an X-direction and a Y-direction orthogonal to each other, said apparatus comprising:

a first supply nozzle arranged around the optical element and configured to supply the liquid to the gap;
a first recovery nozzle arranged around said first supply nozzle and configured to recover the liquid from the gap;
a second supply nozzle configured to supply a gas outside said first recovery nozzle;
a controller configured to control an amount of the liquid supplied from said first supply nozzle and an amount of the liquid and gas recovered from said first recovery nozzle;
an X-direction laser interferometer configured to measure the X-direction position of the stage;
a Y-direction laser interferometer configured to measure the Y-direction position of the stage;
a first reflection mirror arranged on the stage and configured to reflect measurement light radiated from said X-direction laser interferometer;
a second reflection mirror arranged on the stage and configured to reflect measurement light radiated from said Y-direction laser interferometer;
and
a conditioner configured to blow a conditioned gas from a direction facing one of said first reflection mirror and said second reflection mirror,
wherein letting Q1 be an amount of the liquid supplied from said first supply nozzle, and Q2 be a sum of the amount of the liquid and gas recovered from said first recovery nozzle, said controller controls operation to satisfy a relationship Q1<Q2 and to form a current of the gas from said second supply nozzle to said first recovery nozzle, and
said second supply nozzle is arranged only adjacent to one of said first reflection mirror and said second reflection mirror, which one does not face said conditioner, and said second supply nozzle is not arranged adjacent to the other of said first reflection mirror and said second reflection mirror, which faces said conditioner.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Exposure apparatus

Life of this patent

Exposure apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims6