Exposure apparatus, exposure method, method for manufacturing device
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorYoshitomo Nagahashi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An exposure method and apparatus exposes a substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid. The liquid is circulated in a circulation path. At least a part of the liquid in the circulation path is supplied through a discharge path to a space below the projection optical system, the discharge path being connected to the circulation path. The substrate is exposed via the projection optical system and the liquid.
Claims35
An exposure method which exposes a substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid, the method comprising:
- circulating the liquid in a circulation path;
- supplying at least a part of the liquid in the circulation path through a discharge path to a space below the projection optical system, the discharge path being not a part of the circulation path and being connected to the circulation path, an immersion area being formed on the substrate by supplying the liquid through the discharge path, the space including the immersion area, the immersion area being smaller than an area of an upper surface of the substrate;
- and
- exposing the substrate via the projection optical system and the immersion area of the liquid.
An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid, a space between the projection optical system and the substrate being filled with the liquid, the exposure apparatus comprising:
- a circulation path which circulates the liquid;
- a discharge path which branches from the circulation path and that is not a part of the circulation path;
- and
- a supply port which connects to the discharge path and supplies at least a part of the liquid to the space,
- wherein an immersion area of the liquid is formed on the substrate by supplying the liquid through the discharge path, the space including the immersion area, the immersion area being smaller than an area of an upper surface of the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.