Nikon Corporation

Yosuke Shirata

Masahiko Okumura

Michael R Sogard

Akikazu Tanimoto

Kenichi Shiraishi

Bausan Yuan

Saburo Kamiya

Yoshiki Kida

Kiyoshi Uchikawa

An adjusting method that adjusts an immersion exposure apparatus that comprises a first holder, which holds a substrate, and a second holder, which holds the substrate before the substrate is held by the first holder, and that exposes the substrate, which is held by the first holder, through a liquid. The adjusting method comprises: holding a thermometer with the first holder; holding the thermometer with the second holder; and adjusting the temperature of at least one of the first holder and the second holder based on the detection result of the thermometer held by the first holder and the detection result of the thermometer held by the second holder.

Exposure apparatus adjusting method, exposure apparatus, and device fabricating method

An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate with exposure light that passes through an exposure liquid. The exposure apparatus comprises: an optical member, which has an emergent surface wherefrom the exposure light emerges; a first supply port, which supplies the exposure liquid; a liquid immersion member, which is capable of forming an immersion space so that an optical path of the exposure light that emerges from the optical member is filled with the exposure liquid; a second supply port, which supplies a cleaning liquid so that it contacts the liquid immersion member; and a preventive apparatus, which prevents the cleaning liquid and the optical member from contacting one another.

Exposure apparatus, cleaning method, and device fabricating method

An exposure apparatus comprises: a first detection apparatus, which detects the temperature of a liquid after the liquid contacts a prescribed object; and a processing apparatus that detects the relationship between the temperature of the liquid and the temperature of the object based on the detection result of the first detection apparatus.

Exposing method, exposure apparatus, and device fabricating method

Process tools and methods are disclosed that involve interferometric and other measurements of movements and positions relative to a process position, such as movements and positions of a stage relative to a lithographic optical system. An exemplary apparatus includes a stage that places a workpiece relative to the tool, and that is movable in at least one direction relative to the tool. At least one first interferometer system is situated relative to the stage to determine stage position in a movement direction relative to the process position. A movement-measuring device determines displacement of the tool from the process position. Using data from the interferometer system and movement-measuring device a processor determines a position of the stage relative to the tool. The processor also corrects the determined position for displacement of the tool.

Interferometric position-measuring devices and methods

A lithography system of in-line type includes environment sensors disposed within a chamber in which an exposure apparatus body is housed and a chamber in which a coater/developer body is housed. During a lithography process, on the basis of measured values such as air pressure temperature and humidity measured by the environment sensors, and environment control portion controls air conditioning portions in such a manner that the environmental conditions in the chambers becomes substantially the same as each other. Whereby, even when a wafer is transferred through a connecting portion, the environmental conditions in the chambers do not badly influence each other.

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Saitama, Japan

Yosuke Shirata