Nikon Corporation

Niko Corporation

Masahiko Yasuda

Taro Sugihara

Kazuya Ota

Shinji Mizutani

Yuho Kanaya

Tadashi Nagayama

Takahiro Masada

Mitsuru Kobayashi

Nobutaka Magome

Osamu Furukawa

Masaharu Kawakubo

Hiroki Tateno

Kenichi Shiraishi

Tetsuo Taniguchi

Masahiro Nei

Noriaki Tokuda

Yuuki Ishii

Hiroaki Narushima

Yasuo Araki

An exposure method and apparatus expose a substrate with illumination light via a projection optical system and a liquid of a liquid immersion area formed under the projection optical system. A second stage on which the substrate is held and a third stage are relatively moved, based on outer periphery positional information of the second stage, in order to cause the second stage to come close, from one side in a first direction, to the third stage that faces the projection optical system. The second and third stages that have come close together are moved from the one side to an other side in the first direction with respect to the projection optical system to place the second stage to face the projection optical system instead of the third stage while substantially maintaining the liquid immersion area under the projection optical system.

Position measurement method, position control method, measurement method, loading method, exposure method and exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes a projection system, a movable stage, an alignment system and a measurement member. The projection system has a last optical element, and projects a beam onto a substrate through an immersion liquid. The movable stage has a holder by which the substrate is held. The alignment system detects an alignment mark on the substrate not through the immersion liquid. The measurement member is provided on the movable stage, and has a reference mark to be detected by the alignment system not through the immersion liquid. The measurement member has a material to form the reference mark, the material being covered with a light-transmissive material. The movable stage is movable to a position so that the measurement member is under the projection system and a gap between the projection system and the measurement member is filled with the immersion liquid.

Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and method for producing device

An exposure method and apparatus exposes an object with an exposure beam via a projection optical system and a liquid of a liquid immersion area formed under the projection optical system. A first stage on which the object is held and a second stage are moved relative to each other so that the second stage approaches the first stage that is placed facing the projection optical system, the second stage having an upper surface contactable with a liquid immersion area. The first and second stages that have approached each other are moved with respect to the projection optical system so that the second stage is placed facing the projection optical system instead of the first stage. For relative movement of the first and second stages in the approaching, driving of the first and second stages is controlled based on outer periphery positional information of the first stage.

An exposure apparatus exposes an object with an exposure beam. The apparatus includes first and second stages, a measurement device and a controller. The first stage mounts the object. The second stage is movable relative to the first stage. The measurement device obtains position information of an outer periphery edge of the first stage. The controller controls at least one of a position of the first stage and a position of the second stage based on the position information of the outer periphery edge so that the first and second stages do not touch each other.

An exposure method and apparatus exposes a substrate that is loaded on a stage via a carrier system, with an exposure beam via a projection optical system and a liquid. An object carried by the carrier system is mounted in a depressed section of the stage. Information on a positional relation between the object mounted in the depressed section and the depressed section is obtained. The substrate is loaded on the stage based on the obtained information so that the substrate carried to above the stage by the carrier system is mounted in the depressed section. A part of the substrate mounted in the depressed section is irradiated with the exposure beam via the projection optical system and a liquid immersion area formed by the liquid under the projection optical system.

A loading method and apparatus loads an object via a carrier system in an exposure apparatus that exposes the object with an exposure beam via a projection optical system and a liquid. Position information of the depressed section is obtained by detecting a part of a stage that mounts the object in a depressed section placed at a part of an upper surface of the stage. The carrier system carries the object to above the stage placed at an exchange position of the object, the exchange position being distanced from the projection optical system. The object is loaded on the stage based on the position information of the depressed section so that the carried object is mounted in the depressed section.

A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes a projection system having a last optical element, the projection system projecting a beam onto a substrate through an immersion liquid; a movable stage having a holder by which the substrate is held; a measurement member provided on the movable stage, the measurement member having a measurement portion covered with a light-transmissive material; a first alignment system by which an alignment mark is detected not through the immersion liquid; and a second alignment system which optically obtains, using the measurement member, first positional information of the beam projected by the projection system through the immersion liquid. In order to obtain the first positional information, the movable stage is moved so that the measurement member is under the projection system and a gap between the projection system and the measurement member is filled with the immersion liquid.

To perform high-speed and highly accurate measurement by setting desired measuring conditions for each measuring object. In an alignment sensor of exposure apparatus, in the case of performing position measurement for a plurality of sample shots, measurement is performed by changing the measuring conditions, in response to a measuring axis direction, a mark or a layer whereupon a mark to be measured exists. At that time, for the measuring objects to be measured under the same measuring conditions, for example, a position in a Y axis direction and a position in an X axis direction, measurement is continuously performed. When the measuring condition is changed, a baseline value is remeasured. The changeable measuring conditions are wavelength of measuring light, use and selection of a retarder, NA and &#x3c3; of an optical system, a light quantity of measuring light, illumination shape, signal processing algorithm, etc.

Measurement method, measurement apparatus, exposure method, and exposure apparatus

A part of a plate of a predetermined shape detachably mounted on a moving body is detected by an alignment system while the position of the moving body is measured by a measurement unit that sets a movement coordinate system of the movement body, and based on the detection results and the measurement results of the measurement unit corresponding to the detection results, position information of an outer periphery edge of the plate is obtained. Therefore, even if there are no alignment marks on the moving body for position measurement, the position of the plate, or in other words, the position of the moving body can be controlled on the movement coordinate system set by the measurement unit, based on the position information of the outer periphery edge of the plate.

An exposure apparatus includes a substrate stage movable while holding a substrate, a substrate alignment system which detects an alignment mark () on the substrate held by the substrate stage and detects a reference mark (PFM) provided on the substrate stage, and a mask alignment system which detects, via a projection optical system, a reference mark (MFM) provided on the substrate stage. The reference mark (PFM) on the substrate stage is detected without a liquid by using the substrate alignment system, and the reference mark (MFM) on the substrate stage is detected using the mask alignment system via the projection optical system and the liquid. Then, a positional relationship between a detection reference position of the substrate alignment system and a projection position of an image of a pattern is obtained, thereby accurately performing alignment processing in the liquid immersion exposure.

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Itabashi-ku, Japan

Masahiko Yasuda