Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Kotaro Akutsu

Eiji Osanai

Keiji Emoto

Hirohito Ito

Hirohide Matsuhisa

Mitsuru Inoue

Nobushige Korenaga

Shinji Ohishi

Shigeto Kamata

Shinichi Chiba

Shin Matsui

Yukio Yamane

Atsushi Takasaki

Choshoku Sai

Toshikazu Sakai

An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate to a pattern. The apparatus includes a channel which causes pure water to flow as a coolant, a temperature adjustment unit which adjusts a temperature of the coolant flowing in the channel, and a UV sterilization unit which performs UV sterilization processing for the coolant flowing in the channel.

Exposure apparatus

An apparatus includes a static gas bearing provided upon a first object and configured to form a gas layer between the first object and a second object by use of gas supplied thereto, and to support the first object movably relative to the second object, a plurality of exhaust grooves provided upon the first object and configured to surround the static gas bearing, and a plurality of exhaust flowpassages provided through the first object, connecting to a respective one of the plurality of exhaust grooves, and configured to exhaust gas from a respective one of the plurality of exhaust grooves. An outermost exhaust flowpassage of the plurality of exhaust flowpassages connected to an outermost exhaust groove, which is outermost of one of the plurality of exhaust grooves with respect to the static gas bearing, is shorter than an innermost exhaust flowpassage of the plurality of exhaust flowpassages connected to an innermost exhaust groove, which is innermost one of the plurality of exhaust grooves with respect to the static gas bearing, so that a conductance of the outermost exhaust flowpassage is greater than that of the innermost exhaust flowpassage.

Static gas bearing system, stage mechanism, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

A substrate holding device has a substrate holding unit and supporting elements movable to protrude from a substrate-holding surface of the substrate holding unit. The substrate holding unit holds the substrate in a predetermined state with a first holding force after relative positions of the substrate and the substrate holding unit are adjusted while the supporting elements lift the substrate off the substrate-holding surface. Before the relative positions of the substrate and the substrate holding unit are adjusted, the substrate holding device holds the substrate with a second holding force that is smaller than the first holding force and includes a zero holding force. Thus, the substrate holding device is able to align and hold the substrate in a short time.

Substrate holding device, substrate processing apparatus using the same, and method for aligning and holding substrate

An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate to a pattern. The apparatus includes a channel which causes pure water to flow as a coolant, a temperature adjustment unit which adjusts a temperature of the pure water flowing in the channel, and a coolant generation device which generates the pure water flowing in the channel as the coolant with a resistivity of not less than 1 M&#x3a9;&#xb7;cm.

An exposure apparatus which draws a pattern on a substrate with electron beams. The apparatus includes a substrate stage which supports the substrate, a transfer stage which moves the substrate stage, an electromagnetic actuator which moves the substrate stage relative to the transfer stage, a first measurement system which measures a position of the transfer stage, a second measurement system which measures a position of the substrate stage, a controller which controls the electromagnetic actuator on the basis of measurement results obtained by the first and second measurement systems, a deflector which deflects electron beams with which the substrate is irradiated, and a filter which performs filtering for a measurement result obtained by the second measurement system and supplies the filtered measurement result to the deflector.

A stage system including a first fixed guide having a first guide surface being parallel to a first direction and a second direction being orthogonal to the first direction, a first movable guide to be guided by the first fixed guide and having three freedoms of straight motions in the first and second directions and a motion in a rotational direction about a third direction being orthogonal to the first and second directions, the first movable guide extending in the second direction, a second fixed guide having a second guide surface being parallel to the first and second directions, a second movable guide to be guided by the second fixed guide and having three freedoms of straight motions in the first and second directions and a motion in a rotational direction about the third direction, the second movable guide having a second guide extending in the first direction, and a movable member to be guided in the first and second directions by the first and second movable guides.

Stage system, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

In order to perform a measurement operation of a pattern and a processing operation in parallel while the positions of two substrate stages are accurately measured and wire/hose units are prevented from becoming tangled, a substrate processing apparatus includes an alignment system for measuring the pattern arrangements of the substrates, a processing system disposed separately from the alignment system and used for processing the substrates, substrate stages which are able to support the substrates and move in an xy plane, and position measurement systems which measure the positions of the substrate stages. Four position measurement systems are arranged for the measurement in the x direction, and three position measurement systems are arranged for the measurement in the y direction. One of the position measurement systems for the measurement in the y direction is disposed at a side opposite to the remaining positioning measurement systems across the substrate stages.

Substrate processing apparatus

A stage system that can meet enlargement of a stroke and thus, particularly, that can be suitably incorporated into an electron beam exposure apparatus. The stage system includes an X driving member () being movable along an X direction, a Y driving member () being movable along a Y direction, an X-Y movable member being movable in the Y direction relative to the X driving member, through a Y lateral static-pressure bearing (), and also being movable in the X direction relative to the Y driving member through an X lateral static-pressure bearing, wherein a fluid discharged from the X lateral static-pressure bearing is combined with a fluid discharged from the Y lateral static-pressure bearing, and wherein the combined fluid is discharged from a discharging bore (&#x2033;) formed in the X driving member.

An electron beam exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with a predetermined pattern using one or a plurality of electron beams. The apparatus includes a substrate stage on which a substrate is mounted, a transfer stage which drives the substrate stage on an X-Y plane, an electromagnetic actuator which drives the substrate stage in a rotation direction about a Z-axis with respect to the transfer stage, and a measuring system which measures a position of the substrate stage in the rotation direction about the Z-axis using a measuring beam along a direction perpendicular to the plurality of electron beams.

Electron beam exposure apparatus and semiconductor device manufacturing method

A positioning device includes a stage which is movable along a reference surface, a stage driving mechanism for driving the stage, and an inertia imparting mechanism for reducing a reaction force produced by driving the stage. The inertia imparting mechanism has a mass body, which is movable with respect to a stage base or a structure, and a mass body driving mechanism for driving the mass body, and the stage base or structure is given inertia by driving the mass body. The inertia imparting mechanism also includes a reaction force compensation, which, by moving the mass body, reduces reaction force caused by motion of the stage, and a positioning compensation control system, which compensates for the position of the mass body. Thus, it is possible to reduce a reaction force produced by motion of the stage, and to compensate for position offset of the mass body.

Positioning device, exposure device, and device manufacturing method

A positioning system includes a movable member being movable along a reference plane containing first and second directions, and a position measuring device for measuring positional information related to the movable member, wherein the movable member includes an element having a reflection surface inclined with respect to the reference plane, and wherein the position measuring device includes a measuring system for causing a measurement beam to be reflected by the inclined reflection surface and for detecting positional information related to the movable member with respect to a direction intersecting the reference plane.

Positioning system and position measuring method for use in exposure apparatus

A positioning apparatus includes a movable stage, a first linear motor for moving the stage in a predetermined direction, a platform for supporting the first linear motor, and an inertial force application mechanism for applying a force for canceling a force acting on the platform, which is generated when the stage is moved by the first linear motor. The inertial force application mechanism includes amass body, a guide for supporting and guiding the mass body, a second linear motor for moving the mass body, and a controller for controlling the second linear motor. Since the inertial force application mechanism of the positioning apparatus prevents transmission of vibration generated by an increase in an exciting force of the stage, rapid and precise positioning can be performed.

Positioning apparatus and exposure apparatus using the same

A precision stage is provided so as to be movable along the Z axis, in the .theta. direction, which is the direction of rotation about the Z axis, and in two oblique directions inclined with respect to the Z axis. The stage has a sensor for measuring stage position along the Z axis. Reference-position return of this sensor is carried out. Reference-position return of two Y laser interferometers for measuring the .theta. position of the precision stage is carried out in a state in which the positions of the precision stage in the direction along the Z axis and in the oblique directions are held at predetermined reference positions. After this reference-position return is carried out, reference-position return is performed with regard to an X laser interferometer and the two Y laser interferometers in a state in which the positions of the precision stage in the direction along the Z axis, in the oblique directions and in the .theta. direction are held at predetermined reference positions.

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Saitama, Japan

Kotaro Akutsu