Nikon Corporation

Zao Nikon Co., Ltd.

Miyagi Nikon Precision Co., Ltd.

Atsushi Ohta

Takashi Horiuchi

A lithographic projection apparatus includes a substrate table configured to hold a substrate, a projection system arranged to project a patterned beam of radiation onto the substrate, a liquid supply system configured to supply liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate, and a residual liquid detector configured to detect liquid remaining on the substrate and/or the substrate table after an exposure is completed. A device manufacturing method includes projecting, using a projection system of a lithographic apparatus, a patterned beam of radiation through a liquid onto a substrate, the substrate being held by a substrate table, and, after the projecting is complete, detecting residual liquid on the substrate and/or the substrate table.

Substrate conveyance device and substrate conveyance method, exposure apparatus and exposure method, device manufacturing method

A substrate conveyance device that conveys a substrate having been exposed with a pattern image via a projection optical system and a liquid, the substrate conveyance device comprising: a liquid detector that detects the liquid adhering on the substrate.

A method of pattern forming includes forming a resist film on a substrate, transferring a pattern onto the resist film by an immersion lithography method using a liquid immersion fluid to form a latent image on the resist film, conducting a first inspection to inspect whether or not the liquid immersion fluid remains on the resist film after said forming the latent image, developing the resist film after the first inspection, and performing predetermined processing when residual of the liquid immersion fluid is found in the first inspection.

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Shibata-gun, Japan

Atsushi Ohta