Stage apparatus, exposure apparatus, and method of manufacturing device

A stage apparatus which holds a plate member, the apparatus comprising:

• a stage;
• a first positioning member which is placed on said stage, and is configured to contact a lower surface of the plate member to position the plate member in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the plate member;
• a second positioning member which is placed on said stage, and is configured to contact an upper surface of the plate member to position the plate member in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the plate member, together with said first positioning member;
• an elastic, first enclosing member configured to form a first enclosed space around said first positioning member;
• an elastic, second enclosing member configured to form a second enclosed space around said second positioning member;
• a first suction mechanism and a second suction mechanism configured to respectively suck air from the first enclosed space and air from the second enclosed space so that the plate member is chucked by vacuum absorption;
• and
• a driving unit configured to move said second positioning member and said second enclosing member from a position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member face the upper surface of the plate member to a position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member do not face the upper surface,
• wherein said second positioning member and said second enclosing member are configured to rotate so as to move from the position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member face the upper surface of the plate member to the position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member do not face the upper surface, and
• wherein said driving unit lifts said second positioning member and said second enclosing member from a lower position to rotate said second positioning member and said second enclosing member.

An exposure apparatus which projects a pattern of a reticle onto a substrate to expose the substrate,

• the reticle being held by a stage apparatus,
• wherein the stage apparatus comprises
• a stage,
• a first positioning member which is placed on the stage, and is configured to contact a lower surface of the reticle to position the reticle in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the reticle,
• a second positioning member which is placed on the stage, and is configured to contact an upper surface of the reticle to position the reticle in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the reticle, together with the first positioning member,
• an elastic, first enclosing member configured to form a first enclosed space around the first positioning member,
• an elastic, second enclosing member configured to form a second enclosed space around the second positioning member,
• a first suction mechanism and a second suction mechanism configured to respectively suck air from the first enclosed space and air from the second enclosed space so that the reticle is chucked by vacuum absorption,
• a driving unit configured to move said second positioning member and said second enclosing member from a position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member face the upper surface of the plate member to a position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member do not face the upper surface, and
• a third positioning member configured to position said second positioning member and said second enclosing member at the position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member face the upper surface of the plate member,
• wherein said driving unit moves said second positioning member and said second enclosing member in a direction parallel to the plane of the plate member between the position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member face the upper surface of the plate member and the position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member do not face the upper surface.

A method of manufacturing a device, the method comprising:

• exposing a substrate to light by using an exposure apparatus;
• developing the exposed substrate;
• and
• processing the developed substrate to manufacture the device,
• wherein
• the exposure apparatus projects a pattern of a reticle held by a stage apparatus onto a substrate to expose the substrate, and
• the stage apparatus comprises
• a stage,
• a first positioning member which is placed on the stage, and is configured to contact a lower surface of the reticle to position the reticle in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the reticle,
• a second positioning member which is placed on the stage, and is configured to contact an upper surface of the reticle to position the reticle in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the reticle, together with the first positioning member,
• an elastic, first enclosing member configured to form a first enclosed space around the first positioning member,
• an elastic, second enclosing member configured to form a second enclosed space around the second positioning member,
• a first suction mechanism and a second suction mechanism configured to respectively suck air from the first enclosed space and air from the second enclosed space so that the reticle is chucked by vacuum absorption,
• a driving unit configured to move said second positioning member and said second enclosing member from a position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member face the upper surface of the plate member to a position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member do not face the upper surface, and
• a third positioning member configured to position said second positioning member and said second enclosing member at the position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member face the upper surface of the plate member,
• wherein said driving unit moves said second positioning member and said second enclosing member in a direction parallel to the plane of the plate member between the position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member face the upper surface of the plate member and the position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member do not face the upper surface.

A stage apparatus which holds a plate member, the apparatus comprising:

• a stage;
• a first positioning member which is placed on said stage, and is configured to contact a lower surface of the plate member to position the plate member in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the plate member;
• an elastic, first enclosing member configured to form a first enclosed space around said first positioning member;
• an elastic, second enclosing member which is placed on said stage, and is configured to contact an upper surface of the plate member to form a second enclosed space;
• a first suction mechanism and a second suction mechanism configured to respectively suck air from the first enclosed space and air from the second enclosed space so that the plate member is chucked by vacuum absorption;
• a driving unit configured to move said second enclosing member from a position where said second enclosing member face the upper surface of the plate member to a position where said second enclosing member do not face the upper surface;
• and
• a stopper configured to position said second enclosing member at the position where said second enclosing member faces the upper surface of the plate member,
• wherein said driving unit moves said second enclosing member in a direction parallel to the plane of the plate member between the position where said second enclosing member faces the upper surface of the plate member and the position where said second enclosing member does not face the upper surface.

An exposure apparatus which projects a pattern of a reticle onto a substrate to expose the substrate,

• the reticle being held by a stage apparatus,
• wherein the stage apparatus comprises
• a stage,
• a first positioning member which is placed on the stage, and is configured to contact a lower surface of the reticle to position the reticle in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the reticle,
• a second positioning member which is placed on the stage, and is configured to contact an upper surface of the reticle to position the reticle in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the reticle, together with the first positioning member,
• an elastic, first enclosing member configured to form a first enclosed space around the first positioning member,
• an elastic, second enclosing member configured to form a second enclosed space around the second positioning member,
• a first suction mechanism and a second suction mechanism configured to respectively suck air from the first enclosed space and air from the second enclosed space so that the reticle is chucked by vacuum absorption,
• a driving unit configured to move said second positioning member and said second enclosing member from a position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member face the upper surface of the plate member to a position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member do not face the upper surface,
• wherein said second positioning member and said second enclosing member are configured to rotate so as to move from the position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member face the upper surface of the plate member to the position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member do not face the upper surface, and
• wherein said driving unit lifts said second positioning member and said second enclosing member from a lower position to rotate said second positioning member and said second enclosing member.

A method of manufacturing a device, the method comprising:

• exposing a substrate to light by using an exposure apparatus;
• developing the exposed substrate;
• and
• processing the developed substrate to manufacture the device,
• wherein
• the exposure apparatus projects a pattern of a reticle held by a stage apparatus onto a substrate to expose the substrate, and
• the stage apparatus comprises
• a stage,
• a first positioning member which is placed on the stage, and is configured to contact a lower surface of the reticle to position the reticle in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the reticle,
• a second positioning member which is placed on the stage, and is configured to contact an upper surface of the reticle to position the reticle in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the reticle, together with the first positioning member,
• an elastic, first enclosing member configured to form a first enclosed space around the first positioning member,
• an elastic, second enclosing member configured to form a second enclosed space around the second positioning member,
• a first suction mechanism and a second suction mechanism configured to respectively suck air from the first enclosed space and air from the second enclosed space so that the reticle is chucked by vacuum absorption,
• a driving unit configured to move said second positioning member and said second enclosing member from a position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member face the upper surface of the plate member to a position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member do not face the upper surface,
• wherein said second positioning member and said second enclosing member are configured to rotate so as to move from the position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member face the upper surface of the plate member to the position where said second positioning member and said second enclosing member do not face the upper surface, and
• wherein said driving unit lifts said second positioning member and said second enclosing member from a lower position to rotate said second positioning member and said second enclosing member.

A stage apparatus which holds a plate member, the apparatus comprising:

• a stage;
• a first positioning member which is placed on said stage, and is configured to contact a lower surface of the plate member to position the plate member in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the plate member;
• an elastic, first enclosing member configured to form a first enclosed space around said first positioning member;
• an elastic, second enclosing member which is placed on said stage, and is configured to contact an upper surface of the plate member to form a second enclosed space;
• a first suction mechanism and a second suction mechanism configured to respectively suck air from the first enclosed space and air from the second enclosed space so that the plate member is chucked by vacuum absorption;
• a driving unit configured to move said second enclosing member from a position where said second enclosing member face the upper surface of the plate member to a position where said second enclosing member do not face the upper surface;
• and
• a stopper configured to position said second enclosing member at the position where said second enclosing member faces the upper surface of the plate member,
• wherein said second enclosing member is configured to rotate so as to move from the position where said second enclosing member faces the upper surface of the plate member to the position where said second enclosing member does not face the upper surface, and
• said driving unit lifts said second enclosing member from a lower position to rotate said second enclosing member.