Nikon Corporation

The University of Tokyo

Jiro Inoue

Hiroyuki Nagasaka

Soichi Owa

Nobutaka Magome

Shigeru Hirukawa

Masahiro Nei

Yoshihiko Kudo

Kenichi Shiraishi

Hiroaki Takaiwa

Yasufumi Nishii

Hirotaka Kohno

Motokatsu Imai

Kazuya Ota

Naomasa Shiraishi

Kazuaki Suzuki

Takanori Ichiki

Hiroki Tateno

Daishi Tanaka

Kuno Suzuki

Kenichiro Kaneko

A particle detection method in which particles in a sample are detected includes: a mounting step of mounting, on a stage portion, a fluid device including a channel through which the particles can move; an irradiation step of irradiating the channel with illumination light; and a detection step of detecting scattered light generated from the particles by irradiation with the illumination light. In the irradiation step, the illumination light is converged such as to enter the channel by passing through, among side surfaces of the channel, only the first side surface that faces an illumination light incident direction.

Particle detection method, particle detection device and particle detection system

An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system by which the pattern image is projected onto the substrate, and a movable member which is movable relative to the projection optical system. A liquid-repellent member, at least a part of a surface of which is liquid-repellent, is provided detachably on the movable member, the liquid-repellent member being different from the substrate.

Exposure method, substrate stage, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

In exposing substrate by projecting an image of a pattern onto substrate via projection optical system and liquid, side surface and underside surface of substrate are applied with liquid-repellent treatment. By such a configuration, an exposure method by which when exposing edge areas of the substrate, the exposure can be performed in a condition that a liquid immersion region is formed well and that flowing out of the liquid to the outside of the substrate stage are prevented is provided.

A plurality of fiducial mark plates, on which a plurality of fiducial marks are dispersedly arranged by each measurement sequence which uses the fiducial mark, are arranged on the periphery of a substrate holder on the substrate stage so as to make the positional relationship between the substrate holder constant. This allows the fiducial mark plates to be arranged on the substrate stage at a place where there is little space. In addition, the main controller performs various measurement sequences that include the detection operation to detect the positional information on each fiducial mark using the mark detection system. Accordingly, it becomes possible to downsize the substrate stage, which leads to a reduction in footprint, while maintaining the measurement functions.

Stage unit and exposure apparatus

The exposure apparatus is provided in its main body portion with laser diodes each having different wave-lengths, for illuminating light for alignment onto a mark of a grating form arranged on each of a reticle and a wafer. The main body portion of the exposure apparatus has photomultipliers for receiving the diffraction light returned from each of the reticle mark and the wafer mark. The alignment of the reticle mark with the wafer mark is implemented by comparing phase differences of optical beat signals converted photoelectrically by the photomultipliers and by means of a phase detection comparison system. The light fluxes are transmitted between photomultipliers the laser diodes and the alignment optical system disposed in the main body portion thereof through optical fibers. This arrangement enables the position transducer to reduce an influence of generated heat upon the position detection of the wafer as well as the exposure apparatus, even if a photodetector having a large calorific power is employed.

Position transducer and exposure apparatus with same

Light from an alignment illumination system having a flash lamp is bent by a beam splitter to be illuminated onto an alignment mark on a wafer through a microscope optical system. An alignment signal treatment system reads output values from wafer stage interfermoters at the same time the flashing light is emitted from the flash lamp of the alignment illumination system. Since an image of the alignment mark focused on an imaging element is generated only when the flashing light is emitted, X, Y coordinate values representing a position of a wafer stage upon emission of the flashing light indicate X, Y coordinate values of the position of the wafer stage at the time when the image of the alignment mark is measured by the imaging element. An imaging element such as a CCD images a wafer alignment mark multiple times in synchronization with emission of pulse light while shifting a wafer stage. A plurality of image data are sampled and stored. A position of the wafer stage upon emission of the pulse light is measured by interferometers and stored. When the plurality of image data are added, a shift amount of the wafer stage is taken into consideration. For example, if the shift amount of the wafer stage within a time period between two successive light emissions corresponds to two pixels, the image data are deviated by two pixels. The signal may also be deviated by interpolation calculation.

Projection exposure apparatus

A method and apparatus for exposing an image of a pattern formed in a mask onto a sensitive substrate. The mask is irradiated with an irradiation light. Data is computed relating to the thermal expansion saturation point of the mask due to absorption of the irradiation light. The mask is expanded to the thermal expansion saturation point based on the computed data, and the image of the mask pattern is exposed onto the sensitive substrate.

Exposure apparatus and method preheating a mask before exposing; a conveyance method preheating a mask before exposing; and a device manufacturing system and method manufacturing a device according to the exposure apparatus and method

Growing community of inventors

Kumagaya, Japan

Jiro Inoue