Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and method of manufacturing device

An exposure method of projecting a pattern of a reticle onto a substrate via a projection optical system using slit-shaped light while scanning the reticle and the substrate in a first direction, thereby exposing the substrate, the method comprising the steps of:

• measuring a level of the substrate that is a position of the substrate in a second direction parallel to an optical axis of the projection optical system at a predetermined position on the substrate while a stage which holds the substrate accelerates, at a first measurement point among a plurality of measurement points located with spacings therebetween in the first direction for a measurement device, and measuring the level of the substrate at the predetermined position while the stage moves at a constant velocity, at a second measurement point within a region in which the slit-shaped light is incident on the substrate;
• calculating a difference between the measurement results of the level of the substrate at the predetermined position, which are obtained at the first measurement point and the second measurement point, respectively, to obtain the calculated difference as a correction value for a measurement error due to factors associated with acceleration of the stage;
• and
• measuring the level of the substrate at the first measurement point using the measurement device, and scanning the substrate while positioning the stage in the second direction based on the level measured at the first measurement point,
• wherein when the substrate is exposed at a given position on the substrate after the level of the substrate at the given position is measured at the first measurement point while the stage accelerates, the substrate is scanned while positioning the stage based on the level of the substrate measured at the first measurement point and the obtained value, and, when the substrate is exposed at a given position on the substrate after the level of the substrate at the given position is measured at the first measurement point while the stage moves at a constant velocity, the substrate is scanned while positioning the stage based on the level of the substrate measured at the first measurement point.

A method of manufacturing a device, the method comprising:

• exposing a substrate using an exposure apparatus which projects a pattern of a reticle onto a substrate via a projection optical system using slit-shaped light while scanning the reticle and the substrate, thereby exposing the substrate;
• developing the exposed substrate;
• and
• processing the developed substrate to manufacture the device,
• wherein the exposure apparatus comprises
• a stage which holds the substrate,
• a positioning mechanism which positions the stage in a first direction to scan the substrate and a second direction parallel to an optical axis of the projection optical system,
• a measurement device which measures a level of the substrate that is a position of the substrate in the second direction at a plurality of measurement points located with spacings therebetween in the first direction, and
• a controller,
• the plurality of measurement points include a first measurement point, and a second measurement point within a region in which the slit-shaped light is incident on the substrate,
• the exposure apparatus is configured to measure the level of the substrate at the first measurement point using the measurement device, and scan the substrate while positioning the stage in the second direction using the positioning mechanism based on the level measured at the first measurement point, and
• the controller
• causes, before the substrate is exposed, the measurement device to measure the level of the substrate at a predetermined position on the substrate at the first measurement point while the stage accelerates, and measure the level of the substrate at the predetermined position at the second measurement point while the stage moves at a constant velocity,
• calculates a difference between the measurement results of the level of the substrate at the predetermined position, which are obtained at the first measurement point and the second measurement point, respectively, to obtain the calculated difference as a correction value for a measurement error due to factors associated with acceleration of the stage, and
• scans the substrate while controlling the positioning mechanism based on the level of the substrate the first measurement point and the obtained correction value, when the substrate is exposed at the given position after the level of the substrate at the given position is measured at the first measurement point while the stage accelerates, and scans the substrate while controlling the positioning mechanism based on the level of the substrate measured at the first measurement point without using, when the substrate is exposed after the level of the substrate at the given position is measured at the first measurement point while the stage moves at a constant velocity.

An exposure apparatus which projects a pattern of a reticle onto a substrate via a projection optical system using slit-shaped light while scanning the reticle and the substrate, thereby exposing the substrate, the apparatus comprising:

• a stage which holds the substrate;
• a positioning mechanism which positions said stage in a first direction to scan the substrate and a second direction parallel to an optical axis of the projection optical system;
• a measurement device which measures a level of the substrate that is a position of the substrate in the second direction at a plurality of measurement points located with spacings therebetween in the first direction;
• and
• a controller,
• wherein the plurality of measurement points include a first measurement point, and a second measurement point within a region in which the slit-shaped light is incident on the substrate,
• the exposure apparatus is configured to measure the level of the substrate at the first measurement point using said measurement device, and scan the substrate while positioning said stage in the second direction using said positioning mechanism based on the level measured at the first measurement point, and
• said controller
• causes, before the substrate is exposed, said measurement device to measure the level of the substrate at a predetermined position on the substrate at the first measurement point while said stage accelerates, and measure the level of the substrate at the predetermined position at the second measurement point while said stage moves at a constant velocity,
• calculates a difference between the measurement results of the level of the substrate at the predetermined position, which are obtained at the first measurement point and the second measurement point, respectively, to obtain the calculated difference as a correction value for a measurement error due to factors associated with acceleration of said stage, and
• scans the substrate while controlling said positioning mechanism based on the level of the substrate measured at the first measurement point and the obtained correction value so that the level of the substrate at the given position comes close to an exposure image plane position, when the substrate is exposed at the given position after the level of the substrate at the given position is measured at the first measurement point while said stage accelerates, and scans the substrate while controlling said positioning mechanism based on the level of the substrate measured at the first measurement point without using the obtained correction value so that the level of the substrate at the given position comes close to an exposure image plane position, when the substrate is exposed after the level of the substrate at the given position is measured at the first measurement point while said stage moves at a constant velocity.

An exposure apparatus which projects a pattern of a reticle onto a substrate via a projection optical system using slit-shaped light while scanning the reticle and the substrate, thereby exposing the substrate, the apparatus comprising:

• a stage which holds the substrate;
• a positioning mechanism which positions said stage in a first direction to scan the substrate and a second direction parallel to an optical axis of the projection optical system;
• a measurement device which measures a level of the substrate that is a position of the substrate in the second direction at a plurality of measurement points located with spacings therebetween in the first direction;
• and
• a controller,
• wherein the plurality of measurement points include a first measurement point at which the level of the substrate can be measured earliest, and a second measurement point within a region in which the slit-shaped light is incident on the substrate,
• the exposure apparatus is configured to measure the level of the substrate at the first measurement point using said measurement device, and scan the substrate while positioning said stage in the second direction using said positioning mechanism based on the level measured at the first measurement point, and
• said controller
• causes, before the substrate is exposed, said measurement device to measure the level of the substrate at a predetermined position on the substrate at the first measurement point while said stage accelerates, and measure the level of the substrate at the predetermined position at the second measurement point while said stage moves at a constant velocity,
• calculates a difference between the measurement results of the level of the substrate at the predetermined position, which are obtained at the first measurement point and the second measurement point, respectively, to obtain the calculated difference as a correction value for a measurement error due to factors associated with acceleration of said stage, and
• scans the substrate while controlling said positioning mechanism based on the level of the substrate measured at the first measurement point and the obtained correction value, when the substrate is exposed at a given position after the level of the substrate at the given position is measured at the first measurement point while said stage accelerates, and scans the substrate while controlling said positioning mechanism based on the level of the substrate measured at the first measurement point, when the substrate is exposed after the level of the substrate at the given position is measured at the first measurement point while said stage moves at a constant velocity.