# US 8,570,484 B2 · Immersion exposure apparatus, device manufacturing method, cleaning method, and cleaning member to remove foreign substance using liquid > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,570,484 B2 - Document ID: US8570484B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/892,944 - Filed: 2007-08-28 - Published: 2008-03-06 - Granted: 2013-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2006-08-30 - Assignees: Nikon Corporation - Applicants: Hiroyuki Nagasaka - Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagasaka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8570484B2 ## CPC - G03F 7/70925: {Cleaning, i.e. actively freeing apparatus from pollutants, e.g. using plasma cleaning} - G03F 7/70341: {Details of immersion lithography aspects, e.g. exposure media or control of immersion liquid supply (chemical composition of immersion liquids G03F7/2041)} - G03F 7/7085: {Detection arrangement, e.g. detectors of apparatus alignment possibly mounted on wafers, exposure dose, photo-cleaning flux, stray light, thermal load} - G03F 7/70866: {of mask or workpiece} - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) ## Abstract A liquid immersion exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with exposure light and a cleaning method of the liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes holding a plate member by a holding section of a substrate stage that can hold the substrate, confining a liquid between a first member and the plate member, thereby a liquid immersion area is formed on a portion of an upper surface of the plate member, the portion being less than the upper surface, varying at least one of a supply rate and a recovery rate of the liquid to move an interface of the liquid between the first member and the plate member, thereby removing a foreign substance from the first member, and unloading the plate member from the substrate stage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cleaning method of a liquid immersion exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with exposure light, the method comprising: holding a plate member by a holding section of a substrate stage that can hold the substrate; during a cleaning operation, confining a liquid between a first member and the plate member, thereby a liquid immersion space being formed on a portion of an upper surface of the plate member, the surface area of the portion being less than the surface area of the upper surface; after forming the immersion space, varying at least one of a supply rate and a recovery rate of the liquid during the cleaning operation, thereby varying a volume of the liquid confined between the first member and the plate member, such that an interface of the liquid between the first member and the portion of the upper surface of the plate member is moved back and forth, in order to remove a foreign substance from the first member; and unloading the plate member from the substrate stage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cleaning method according to claim 1, wherein the foreign substance that has been removed from the first member is held on the plate member and the plate member is removed from the substrate stage with the foreign substance held on the plate member. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The cleaning method according to claim 2, wherein the plate member has a holding region that is able to hold the foreign substance with electrostatic force, and a liquid repellent region formed so as to surround the holding region. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein the liquid repellent region is in a same plane as the upper surface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the plate member has an outer shape similar to the substrate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface is configured to be electrically charged with a potential which is opposite to a zeta potential of the foreign substance. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the first member has a supply port to supply the liquid to the liquid immersion space. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the first member has a recovery port to recover the liquid from the liquid immersion space. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the plate member is placed such that the upper surface of the plate member is opposite to the recovery port. ### Claim 10 A cleaning method of a liquid immersion exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with exposure light, the method comprising: holding a plate member by a holding section of a substrate stage that can hold the substrate; during a cleaning operation, confining a liquid between a first member and the plate member, thereby a liquid immersion space being formed on a portion of an upper surface of the plate member, the surface area of the portion being less than the surface area of the upper surface; after forming the immersion space, varying at least one of a supply rate and a recovery rate of the liquid during the cleaning operation, thereby varying a volume of the liquid confined between the first member and the plate member, such that vibrations of an interface of the liquid between the first member and the portion of the upper surface of the plate member are caused, in order to remove a foreign substance from the first member; and unloading the plate member from the substrate stage. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the foreign substance that has been removed from the first member is held on the plate member and the plate member is removed from the substrate stage with the foreign substance held on the plate member. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the plate member has a holding region that is able to hold the foreign substance with electrostatic force, and a liquid repellent region formed so as to surround the holding region. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein the liquid repellent region is in a same plane as the upper surface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the plate member has an outer shape similar to the substrate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the upper surface of the plate member is configured to be electrically charged with a potential which is opposite to a zeta potential of the foreign substance. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the first member has a supply port to supply the liquid to the liquid immersion space. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein the first member has a recovery port to recover the liquid from the liquid immersion space. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein the plate member is placed such that the upper surface of the plate member is opposite to the recovery port.