Nikon Corporation

Nagoya University

Ken Hattori

Kesayoshi Amano

Masao Nakajima

Masayoshi Naito

Akiko Okano

Yasuo Nakai

Naomasa Shiraishi

Atsushi Yamaguchi

Masato Takahashi

Yutaka Endo

Hideaki Sakamoto

Masaaki Aoyama

Masaya Iwasaki

Yasuo Araki

Naohiko Iwata

Noriaki Itom

Noriaki Itoh

Junichi Kanasaki

The exposure system comprises a projection optical system that irradiates exposure light emitted from a mask onto a substrate, a first support member that supports the projection optical system, and a support structure that supports the first support member, wherein the support member supports the first support member at a position that is higher than the position at which the first support member supports the projection optical system.

Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method

The ablation threshold of a laser fluence with respect to the surface of a sample manufactured in a high vacuum chamber is determined by using the sample. The quantity of vacancy-type defects is determined by radiating a laser beam having a fluence slightly higher than the ablation threshold on the surface. At the same time, the quantities of adatom-type and kink-type defects are determined by radiating a pulsed laser beam having a fluence slightly lower than the ablation threshold on the surface repeatedly to obtain the relation between an emission yield and the number of laser pulses. The quantity of the adatom-type defects is obtained by determining the area (total quantity of emitted atoms) of a rapidly decreasing portion of the relation. The quantity of kink-type defects is obtained by determining a magnitude of an emission yield of a slowly decreasing portion of the relation.

Method of quantitative determination of defect concentration on surfaces

A basic sample having a surface is set in an ultrahigh vacuum chamber. Atoms constituting the sample are deposited on the surface of the sample to remove vacancy-type defects. A laser beam having a predetermined wavelength and a predetermined fluence is radiated on the sample to remove adatom-type and kink-type defects, thereby producing a defect-free surface. In addition, the same material as that for a basic sample is deposited on a defect-free surface to produce a defect-free thin film.

Method of producing defect-free perfect surfaces

Prior to a periphery exposing operation, a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit are retracted to a position separate from a wafer, and a calibrating operation is conducted in the retracted position utilizing a light shield plate different from the wafer to be exposed, thereby obtaining a servo control reference signal for the exposure. At the exposure of the periphery portion of the wafer, the exposure width is controlled according to the reference signal. It is therefore rendered possible to achieve exact peripheral exposure, including the intensity and intensity distribution of the exposing light beam immediately before the irradiation of the peripheral portion of the wafer.

Periphery exposing method and apparatus therefor

An exposing apparatus for exposing the periphery portion of a substrate on which resist is uniformly applied while rotating the substrate by a rotating device around a substantially central portion of the substrate, comprising: an irradiating device capable of irradiating a light beam, which is not sensed by the resist, toward the periphery portion of the resist; a light receiving device disposed to confront the irradiating device, receiving the light beam and outputting a light receipt signal in accordance with the quantity of received light; a detection device for detecting the rotational angle of the resist and outputting an angular signal; a moving device for relatively moving the light beam irradiated and the substrate in a radial direction; and a control device, wherein the substrate is disposed between the irradiating device and the light receiving device so as to shield a portion of the light beam and a control device controls the moving device in accordance with the light receipt signal and the angular signal so as to relatively move the light beam and the substrate in such a manner that the radial directional width of a region which is irradiated with the light beam is substantially constant in the periphery portion of the resist.

Apparatus for exposing peripheral portion of substrate

A device for positioning a circular substrate having a cut portion, comprising: a first rotational stage which is finely rotated around the origin of a rectangular coordinate system; an X-Y stage on the first rotational stage which is two-dimensionally moved in the coordinate system; a second rotational stage on the X-Y stage which is rotated while holding the substrate; a first detecting device for detecting information about the displacement change of the periphery of the substrate from the rotational center during the rotation of the second rotational stage; a first positioning controlling device for controlling the rotation of the second rotational stage in accordance with information detected by the first detecting device so that the cut portion is placed in a predetermined direction on the coordinate system; a second detecting device having three or more detecting points in the coordinate system so as to detect the three or more positions of the periphery, the second detecting device generating information about a detection at each of the three or more detecting points; and a second positioning controlling device for controlling the X-Y stage and the first rotational stage in accordance with the detection information from the second detecting device after the cut portion has been placed in the predetermined direction.

Device for positioning circular semiconductor wafers

An exposure apparatus for selectively exposing the peripheral portion of a circular substrate such as wafer for integrated circuit manufacturing purposes. In this exposure apparatus, the spot of an exposure light beam from a projecting system is projected onto the peripheral portion of a resist-coated surface of a substantially circular substrate in such a manner that a part of the spot projects from the peripheral edge of the substrate. The portion of the spot projecting from the peripheral edge of the substrate is received by a detector arranged opposite to the projecting system through the intermediary of the substrate peripheral portion so that the position of the substrate peripheral edge in the projected spot is detected in accordance with the contour position of the received spot portion. During rotation of the substrate, in accordance with the detection signal the projecting system is controlled to move in the radial direction of the substrate in response to the displacement of the substrate peripheral edge so that the exposure light beam always illuminated the peripheral portion of the substrate within a given dimensional extend in the radial direction. Further, in the present exposure apparatus the rotational speed of the substrate and the exposure conditions by the spot formed on the substrate peripheral portion by the light beam (the intensity and/or size of the integrated exposure light) are controlled in such a manner that the exposure light quantity applied to the substrate peripheral portion by the spot attains a predetermined proper exposure light quantity.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Ken Hattori