U.S. patent application number 11/661372 was filed with the patent office on 2007-11-01 for substrate holder, stage apparatus, and exposure apparatus.
This patent application is currently assigned to nikon Corporation. Invention is credited to Yuichi Shibazaki.
Application Number | 20070252970 11/661372 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35999993 |
Filed Date | 2007-11-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070252970 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shibazaki; Yuichi |
November 1, 2007 |
Substrate Holder, Stage Apparatus, and Exposure Apparatus
Abstract
An object of the invention is to hold a substrate with
satisfactory flatness, even at a circumferential edge part that
surrounds a suction space. The invention is equipped with a
circumferential edge part (33) that surrounds a suction space (38),
and a first support part (34) that is provided in the suction space
(38) and that supports a substrate. Furthermore, the invention is
equipped with a second support part (7) that extends from the
circumferential edge part (33) to the first support part (34) and
that supports the substrate.
Inventors: |
Shibazaki; Yuichi;
(Saitama-ken, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OLIFF & BERRIDGE, PLC
P.O. BOX 19928
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22320
US
|
Assignee: |
nikon Corporation
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
35999993 |
Appl. No.: |
11/661372 |
Filed: |
August 29, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
August 29, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/JP05/15687 |
371 Date: |
February 28, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
355/72 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 21/6838 20130101;
H01L 21/6875 20130101; G03F 7/707 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
355/072 |
International
Class: |
G03F 7/20 20060101
G03F007/20 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 1, 2004 |
JP |
2004-253978 |
Claims
1. A substrate holder that comprises: a circumferential edge part
that surrounds a suction space; and a first support part that is
provided in the suction space and that supports a substrate;
comprising: a second support part that extends from the
circumferential edge part to the first support part and that
supports the substrate.
2. A substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of
the second support parts is provided, the lengths of which extend
from the circumferential edge part to the first support part and
vary.
3. A substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein the support
surface area whereon the substrate is supported by the second
support part is larger than the support surface area whereon the
substrate is supported by the first support part.
4. A substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of
the first support parts is provided.
5. A substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein the first
support parts constitute a pin chuck.
6. A substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein at least one of
the first support part and the second support part is given water
repellency treatment.
7. A substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein the second
support part is made of a ceramic material.
8. A substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein the second
support part is radially provided.
9. A substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein the
circumferential edge part and the second support part are formed
integrally.
10. A substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein the height of
the first support part is the same as the height of the second
support part.
11. A substrate holder according to claim 9, wherein the height of
the first and second support parts is the same as the height of the
circumferential edge part.
12. A stage apparatus that holds and moves a substrate, comprising:
a substrate holder, which serves as a substrate holder that holds
the substrate, according to claim 1.
13. A stage apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a reflecting
part is provided to an end surface of the substrate holder.
14. An exposure apparatus that uses a stage apparatus to expose a
substrate with a pattern, wherein a stage apparatus according to
claim 12 is used as the stage apparatus.
15. An exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein exposure
is performed in a state wherein a liquid is filled between the
substrate and a projection optical system, which projects the
pattern onto the substrate.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate holder, a stage
apparatus, and an exposure apparatus, and more particularly relates
to, for example, a substrate holder and a stage apparatus that are
ideal for vacuum chucking a substrate, such as a wafer, as well as
an exposure apparatus that comprises this substrate holder.
[0002] The disclosure of the following priority application is
hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety: Japanese Patent
Application No. 2004-253978, which was filed on Sep. 1, 2004.
BACKGROUND ART
[0003] Projection type exposure apparatuses and laser repair
apparatuses are known examples of apparatuses that fabricate, for
example, semiconductor wafers (hereinbelow, called wafers) used in
the manufacture of semiconductor devices as well as substrates,
such as glass substrates.
[0004] In the case of a projection type exposure apparatus, a
projection lens (projection optical system) is provided for imaging
and projecting a circuit pattern of a reticle onto a substrate
front surface at a prescribed magnification. This projection lens
needs to have high resolving power, particularly in the case of a
reduction projection lens, while simultaneously securing a large
projection area, and, consequently, the NA (numerical aperture) has
increased year by year while the depth of focus has attendantly
decreased.
[0005] Consequently, with an exposure apparatus as described above,
the substrate must be precisely planar in order to prevent
resolution defects that are caused by the mispositioning of the
substrate front surface with respect to the focal point position,
and thereby to form a fine circuit pattern; therefore, a substrate
holder is used that vacuum chucks the abovementioned substrate and
performs a correction to flatten the substrate within a prescribed
plane.
[0006] Patent Document 1 cites an example of a prior art substrate
holder wherein support pins are provided that support a wafer
inside a suction chamber that is surrounded by an outer
circumferential wall; therein, the wafer is mounted so that its
outer circumferential part covers the outer circumferential wall of
a wafer chuck (substrate holder), which vacuum chucks the wafer by
negatively pressurizing the suction chamber in a state wherein the
wafer is chucked and flat with respect to the upper surfaces of the
support pins and the outer circumferential wall. In addition, with
this type of substrate holder, the suction force applied by the
suction apparatus to negatively pressurize the suction chamber acts
upon the inner flat surface of the wafer, but not upon its outer
circumferential part, which causes such to warp even when using a
wafer that has satisfactory flatness.
[0007] Accordingly, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that
employs the Venturi effect to cause a force to act in a direction
that prevents warpage of the wafer's outer circumferential part by
providing a suction groove, which externally draws a gas into the
suction chamber, to the outer circumferential wall.
[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3,205,468
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0009] Nevertheless, the related art discussed above has the
following types of problems.
[0010] When forming the suction groove in the outer circumferential
wall, there is a problem in that it is necessary to strictly
control the size of the suction groove in order to control the
force that prevents warpage, which makes alignment troublesome.
[0011] In addition, there is also a concern that when liquid is
filled between the wafer and the projection optical system and a
pattern is exposed on the wafer through this liquid, i.e., when
so-called immersion exposure is performed, the liquid will
infiltrate the suction chamber from the suction groove.
[0012] In addition, to reduce the effect of dust located between
the wafer and the support pins, the size of the upper surfaces of
the support pins have shrunk in recent years, thereby creating a
tendency for the support pin tips to bite into the rear surface of
the wafer, which in turn tends to increase warpage (waviness) of
the wafer between the location of the wafer that is supported by
the outer circumferential wall and the location that is supported
by the support pins.
[0013] Waviness of an exposure slit (a slit through which exposure
illumination light is projected), which is for transferring the
pattern to the wafer, is compensated for by correcting the position
of the wafer front surface by driving (e.g., leveling) a wafer
stage so that the flatness of the slit is within a prescribed
value; however, compensating for waviness using the stage drive is
problematic because, for example, waviness increases if the
exposure slit is at a position where it straddles the outer
circumferential wall.
[0014] The present invention was created considering the
abovementioned points, and it is an object of the present invention
to provide a substrate holder that can hold a substrate so that its
flatness is stable and satisfactory even at a circumferential edge
part that surrounds a suction space, as well as a stage apparatus
and an exposure apparatus.
Means for Solving the Problem
[0015] To achieve the abovementioned object, the present invention
adopts the following constitution that corresponds to FIG. 1
through FIG. 8, which show the embodiments.
[0016] A substrate holder of the present invention is a substrate
holder (PH) that comprises: a circumferential edge part (33) that
surrounds a suction space (38); and a first support part (34) that
is provided in the suction space (38) and that supports a substrate
(P); comprising a second support part (7) that extends from the
circumferential edge part (33) to the first support part (34) and
that supports the substrate (P).
[0017] Accordingly, with the substrate holder of the present
invention, the second support part (7) is linear (a projection)
from the circumferential edge part (33) to the first support part
(34) and supports the substrate (P) at the circumferential edge
part (33), which makes it possible to suppress waviness and warpage
that occurs between the circumferential edge part (33) and the
first support part (34).
[0018] In addition, the stage apparatus of the present invention is
a stage apparatus (PST) that holds and moves a substrate (P),
comprising: the abovementioned substrate holder (PH), which serves
as a substrate holder that holds the substrate (P).
[0019] Accordingly, with the stage apparatus of the present
invention, it is possible to hold the substrate (P) and move it to
a prescribed position without causing major waviness or warpage of
the substrate (P) at the circumferential edge part (33) of the
substrate holder (PH).
[0020] Furthermore, an exposure apparatus of the present invention
is an exposure apparatus that uses a stage apparatus to expose a
substrate (P) with a pattern, wherein the abovementioned stage
apparatus (PST) is used as the stage apparatus.
[0021] Accordingly, with the exposure apparatus of the present
invention, the substrate (P) can be moved without causing major
waviness or warpage of the substrate (P) at the circumferential
edge part (33) of the substrate holder (PH), which makes it
possible to transfer the pattern to the substrate (P) with a
prescribed transfer accuracy.
[0022] Furthermore, to facilitate understanding, the present
invention was explained by referencing corresponding symbols in the
drawings, which show one embodiment, but the present invention is
of course not limited thereto.
EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0023] The present invention can support a substrate with a stable
and satisfactory flatness, and can therefore form a high resolution
pattern thereon.
[0024] In addition, when performing an exposure by using a liquid,
the present invention prevents the infiltration of the liquid
between the substrate and the substrate holder, which makes it
possible to stably perform the exposure process.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a substrate bolder according to one
embodiment of the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of the substrate holder
holding a substrate.
[0027] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the substrate holder according to
the second embodiment of the present invention.
[0028] FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram that shows one
embodiment of an exposure apparatus of the present invention.
[0029] FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram that shows a liquid
supply mechanism and a liquid recovery mechanism.
[0030] FIG. 6 is a plan view of a substrate stage.
[0031] FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of principal parts and
shows one embodiment of the substrate stage according to the
present invention.
[0032] FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram that shows another
embodiment of the exposure apparatus.
[0033] FIG. 9 is a flow chart diagram that shows one example of a
semiconductor device fabrication process.
DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE SYMBOLS
[0034] EX: Exposure apparatus [0035] P: Substrate [0036] PH:
Substrate holder [0037] PST: Substrate stage (stage apparatus)
[0038] 1: Liquid [0039] 7: Rib shaped support part (second support
part) [0040] 33: Circumferential wall part (circumferential edge
part) [0041] 34: Support part (first support part) [0042] 38:
Suction space [0043] 52: Substrate stage (substrate holder) [0044]
55A: Reflecting surface (reflecting part)
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0045] The following explains embodiments of a substrate holder, a
stage apparatus, and an exposure apparatus of the present
invention, referencing FIG. 1 through FIG. 9.
[Substrate Holder] <First Embodiment>
[0046] Fit, a first embodiment of the substrate holder according to
the present invention will be explained, referencing FIG. 1 and
FIG. 2. FIG. 1 is a plan view of the substrate holder and FIG. 2 is
a partially enlarged view that shows the substrate holder holding a
substrate P.
[0047] A substrate holder PH vacuum chucks the substrate P and
comprises: a substantially discoidal base part 35; a
circumferential wall part 33 (circumferential edge part), which is
provided along a circumferential edge of the base part 35 so that
it is upright, that supports a rear surface PC of the substrate P
on the inner side of the outer circumference of the substrate P; a
plurality of support parts 34 (first support parts) that are evenly
disposed in a suction space 38, which is on the inner side of and
surrounded by the circumferential wall part 33, and that supports
the substrate P; and a plurality of rib shaped support parts 7
(second support parts), which extend from the circumferential wall
part 33 toward the support parts 34, that linearly supports the
substrate P. Furthermore, in the present embodiment as shown in
FIG. 2, the height of each of the support parts 34 is the same as
the height of each of the rib shaped support parts 7. Furthermore,
the height of each of the support parts 34 and of each of the rib
shaped support parts 7 is the same as the height of the
circumferential wall part 33.
[0048] The support parts 34 constitute a pin chuck (refer to FIG.
2) and are trapezoidal in a cross sectional view; furthermore, each
of the support parts 34 has an upper end surface 34A, the diameter
of which is minute, that holds the rear surface PC of the substrate
P.
[0049] The rib shaped support parts 7 are each formed so that they
extend along the X axial direction and are disposed on both sides
of the substrate holder PH in the X axial directions and are spaced
apart at intervals in the Y axial directions. In addition, the rib
shaped support parts 7 are formed so that one end of each is
connected to the circumferential wall part 33; furthermore, the
lengths of the rib shaped support parts 7 extending from the
circumferential wall part 33 to the support part 34 vary so that
the tips of their other ends form a zigzag shape and do not line up
linearly or arcuately. Furthermore, the support surface area of
each of the rib shaped support parts 7 that supports the substrate
P is set larger than the support surface area of each of the
support parts 34 that supports the substrate P (to facilitate
understanding, FIG. 2 shows the surface area of each of the upper
end surfaces 34A of the support parts 34 larger than it actually
is).
[0050] Furthermore, the substrate holder PH is manufactured by, for
example, sandblasting or etching a ceramic material to remove
portions that do not include the circumferential wall part 33, the
support parts 34, and the rib shaped support parts 7. In other
words, the substrate holder PH is constituted so that the
circumferential wall part 33, the support parts 34, and the rib
shaped support parts 7 are integrally formed on the base part 35
from a ceramic material.
[0051] In addition, the substrate holder PH comprises a suction
apparatus 40 that negatively pressurizes the suction space 38,
which is surrounded by the circumferential wall part 33. The
suction apparatus 40 comprises: a plurality of suction ports 41,
which are provided to an upper surface of the base part 35 of the
substrate holder PH; a vacuum part 42, which includes an externally
provided vacuum pump; and a passageway 43, which is formed inside
the base part 35 and connects the vacuum part 42 to each of the
suction ports 41. The suction ports 41 are provided at prescribed
locations on the upper surface of the base part 35 that are
different from the locations of the support parts 34. The suction
apparatus 40 is constituted so that it negatively pressurizes the
suction space 38 by suctioning the gas (air) inside the suction
space 38, which is formed so that it is surrounded by the
circumferential wall part 33, the base part 35, the support parts
34, and the substrate P supported on the rib shaped support parts
7.
[0052] With the substrate holder PH constituted as described above,
after the substrate P is mounted on the circumferential wall part
33, the support parts 34, and the rib shaped support parts 7, the
suction space 38 is negatively pressurized by the operation of the
vacuum part 42 of the suction apparatus 40, and the rear surface PC
of the substrate P is thereby vacuum chucked to the circumferential
wall part 33, the support parts 34, and the rib shaped support
parts 7.
[0053] At this time, the negative pressure suction force from the
suction apparatus 40 acts upon an inner flat surface of the
substrate P, which is supported by the support parts 34, but does
not act upon the circumferential edge part of the substrate P,
which is supported by the circumferential wall part 33; however,
the negative pressure suction force does act upon the surroundings
of the rib shaped support parts 7, which extend from the
circumferential wall part 33 to the support parts 34, and,
consequently, warpage and waviness that arise in the substrate P in
the vicinity of the circumferential wall part 33 can be suppressed.
In addition, although the rib shaped support parts 7 linearly
support the substrate P, they are rib shaped and thus the area of
their surfaces that contacts the wafer does not greatly increase;
therefore, the rib shaped support parts 7 are not affected by
dust.
[0054] Accordingly, with the present embodiment, it is possible to
support the substrate P with satisfactory flatness even in the
vicinity of the circumferential wall part 33. In addition, in the
present embodiment, because the substrate P also makes contact with
and is supported by the circumferential wall part 33, it is not
necessary to strictly control the size of the gap of the suction
groove, as in the case wherein the Venturi effect is employed; in
addition, it is possible to avoid the infiltration of liquid into
the suction space 38 and to maintain stable vacuum chucking of the
substrate P even when performing immersion exposure. Furthermore,
in the present embodiment, the lengths of the rib shaped support
parts 7 that extend toward the support parts 34 are varied, and
therefore, even if the tip parts of the rib shaped support parts 7
are arrayed, for example, linearly or arcuately, it is possible to
exclude the possibility that the plurality of rib shaped support
parts 7 will function as a virtual circumferential wall part and
unfortunately cause warpage of the substrate P, and it is therefore
also possible to more reliably support the substrate P flatly.
Namely, the positions (boundary positions) where the support of the
substrate P switches between the rib shaped support parts 7 and the
support parts 34 are not all the same, and therefore the flatness
of the substrate P does not degrade at these boundary
positions.
[0055] In addition, with the substrate holder PH of the present
embodiment, the circumferential wall part 33, the support parts 34,
and the rib shaped support parts 7 are integrally formed, and it is
therefore possible to simplify the fabrication process as compared
with the case wherein each of the support parts are separately
formed; furthermore, forming the support parts integrally
contributes to the improvement of production efficiency, and also
makes it possible to easily form the support surfaces of the
substrate P so that they are flush with one another and to support
the substrate P with a more satisfactory flatness. In particular,
in the substrate holder PH according to the present embodiment, the
rib shaped support parts 7 are provided on both sides of the
substrate holder PH in the X axial directions, and extend in the X
axial directions; therefore, when performing a scanning exposure
(discussed later), even if the longitudinal directions of an
exposure slit ES (shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 1)
are set to the X axial directions and an exposure is performed at a
position wherein one end part of the exposure slit ES in the X
axial directions straddles the circumferential wall part 33, it is
possible to suppress the occurrence of warpage and waviness in the
substrate P within the exposure slit ES.
Second Embodiment
[0056] Continuing, the second embodiment of the substrate holder
according to the present invention will now be explained,
referencing FIG. 3.
[0057] Constituent elements in this figure that are the same as
those in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are
assigned the same symbols.
[0058] In the substrate holder PH according to the second
embodiment, rib shaped support parts 7A, which support the
substrate P, are provided radially; furthermore, one end of each of
the rib shaped support parts 7A is connected to the circumferential
wall part 33, and the other end of each extends toward the support
parts 34. The support surface area wherein these rib shaped support
parts 7A support the substrate P is also set larger than the
support surface area wherein the support parts 34 supports the
substrate P. In addition, in the present embodiment as well, the
lengths of at least adjacent rib shaped support parts 7A, which
extend toward the support parts 34, vary. Other aspects of the
constitution of the present embodiment are the same as the
abovementioned first embodiment.
[0059] In addition to obtaining the same operation and effect of
the first embodiment, the present embodiment makes it possible to
support the substrate P with satisfactory flatness in any direction
in the vicinity of the circumferential wall part 33. For example,
as shown in FIG. 3, even if the longitudinal directions of the
exposure slit ES is set to the Y axial directions, it is possible
to suppress the occurrence of warpage and waviness in the substrate
P within the exposure slit ES. Consequently, it is possible to
relax the positioning accuracy of the substrate holder PH about the
Z axis, and thereby to lessen the work needed for positioning.
Stage Apparatus and Exposure Apparatus
[0060] Continuing, the stage apparatus, which comprises the
abovementioned substrate holder PH, and the exposure apparatus,
which comprises the stage apparatus that serves as a substrate
stage, will now be explained, referencing FIG. 4 through FIG.
7.
[0061] An exposure apparatus EX shown in FIG. 4 comprises: a mask
stage MST that supports a mask M; a substrate stage PST that
supports a substrate P via the abovementioned substrate holder PH;
an illumination optical system IL that illuminates the mask M,
which is supported by the mask stage MST, with exposure light EL of
the exposure slit ES; a projection optical system PL that projects
and exposes a pattern image of the mask M illuminated by the
exposure light EL onto the substrate P that is supported by the
substrate stage PST, which serves as the stage apparatus; and a
control apparatus CONT that provides overall control of the
operation of the entire exposure apparatus EX.
[0062] The exposure apparatus EX of the present embodiment is a
liquid immersion type exposure apparatus that applies the liquid
immersion method to substantially shorten the exposure wavelength,
improve the resolution, as well as substantially increase the depth
of focus, and comprises a liquid supply mechanism 10 that supplies
a liquid 1 between the projection optical system PL and the
substrate P, and a liquid recovery mechanism 20 that recovers the
liquid 1 on the substrate P. In the present embodiment, pure water
is used as the liquid 1. At least during the transfer of the
pattern image of the mask M onto the substrate P, the exposure
apparatus EX forms an immersion area AR2 with the liquid 1, which
is supplied by the liquid supply mechanism 10, on at least one part
of the substrate P that includes a projection area AR1 of the
projection optical system PL.
[0063] Specifically, the exposure apparatus EX fills the space
between an optical element 2 at the tip part of the projection
optical system PL and the front surface (exposure surface) of the
substrate P with the liquid 1, projects the pattern image of the
mask M onto the substrate P through the projection optical system
PL and through the liquid 1 between this projection optical system
PL and the substrate P, and thereby exposes the substrate P.
[0064] Here, the present embodiment explains an example of a case
of using a scanning type exposure apparatus (a so-called scanning
stepper) as the exposure apparatus EX that exposes the substrate P
with the pattern formed on the mask M, while synchronously moving
the mask M and the substrate P in mutually different orientations
(reverse directions) in the scanning direction. In the following
explanation, the directions that coincide with an optical axis AX
of the projection optical system PL are the Z axial directions, the
directions in which the mask M and the substrate P synchronously
move (in the scanning directions) within the plane perpendicular to
the Z axial directions are the X axial directions, and the
directions (non-scanning directions) perpendicular to the Z axial
directions and the Y axial directions are the Y axial directions.
In addition, the directions about the X, Y and Z axes are the
.theta.X, .theta.Y and .theta.Z directions, respectively.
Furthermore, "substrate" herein includes a semiconductor wafer
coated with a photoresist, which is a photosensitive material, and
"mask" includes a reticle wherein a device pattern, which is
reduction projected onto the substrate, is formed.
[0065] The illumination optical system IL illuminates the mask M,
which is supported by the mask stage MST, with the exposure light
EL, and comprises, for example: an exposure light source; an
optical integrator that uniformizes the intensity of the luminous
flux emitted from the exposure light source; a condenser lens that
condenses the exposure light EL from the optical integrator; a
relay lens system; and a variable field stop that sets an
illumination region, which is on the mask M and is illuminated by
the exposure light EL, to be slit shaped. The illumination optical
system IL illuminates the prescribed illumination region on the
mask M with the exposure light EL, which has a uniform luminous
flux intensity distribution. Examples of light that can be used as
the exposure light EL emitted from the illumination optical system
IL include: deep ultraviolet light (DUV light), such as KrF excimer
laser light (248 nm wavelength) and the bright lines (g, h, and i
lines) in the ultraviolet region emitted from, for example, a
mercury lamp; and vacuum ultraviolet light (VUV light), such as ArF
excimer laser light (193 nm wavelength) and F.sub.2 laser light
(157 nm wavelength). ArF excimer laser light is used in the present
embodiment. As discussed above, the liquid 1 in the present
embodiment is pure water, and the exposure light EL can transmit
therethrough even if it is light from an ArF excimer laser. In
addition, deep ultraviolet light (DUV light), such as KrF excimer
laser light (248 nm wavelength) and the bright lines (g, h, and i
lines) in the ultraviolet region, can also transmit through pure
water.
[0066] The mask stage MST supports the mask M and is two
dimensionally movable in the plane perpendicular to the optical
axis AX of the projection optical system PL, i.e., in the XY plane,
and is finely rotatable in the .theta.Z directions. A mask stage
drive apparatus MSTD, such as a linear motor, drives the mask stage
MST. The control apparatus CONT controls the mask stage drive
apparatus MSTD. Movable mirrors 50 are provided on the mask stage
MST. In addition, a laser interferometer 51 is provided at a
position opposing each movable mirror 50. The laser interferometers
51 measure in real time the position in the two dimensional
directions and the rotational angles of the mask M on the mask
stage MST, and outputs these measurement results to the control
apparatus CONT. The control apparatus CONT drives the mask stage
drive apparatus MSTD based on the measurement results of the laser
interferometers 51, thereby positioning the mask M, which is
supported by the mask stage MST.
[0067] The projection optical system PL projects and exposes the
pattern of the mask M onto the substrate P with a prescribed
projection magnification .beta., and comprises a plurality of
optical elements, which includes the optical element 2 (lens)
provided at the tip part of the projection optical system PL on the
substrate P side, and this plurality of optical elements is
supported by a lens barrel PK. In the present embodiment, the
projection optical system PL is a reduction system that has a
projection magnification .beta. of, for example, 1/4 or 1/5.
Furthermore, the projection optical system PL may also be a unity
magnification system or an enlargement system In addition, the
optical element 2 at the tip part of the projection optical system
PL of the present embodiment is provided so that it is attachable
and detachable (replaceable) to and from the lens barrel PK, and
the liquid 1 of the immersion area AR2 contacts the optical element
2.
[0068] The optical element 2 is made of fluorite. Because fluorite
has a strong affinity for water, the liquid 1 can adhere to
substantially the entire surface of a liquid contact surface 2a of
the optical element 2. Namely, because the liquid 1 (water)
supplied in the present embodiment has a strong affinity for the
liquid contact surface 2a of the optical element 2, the liquid
contact surface 2a of the optical element 2 and the liquid 1 have
strong adhesion characteristics, and therefore the optical path
between the optical element 2 and the substrate P can be reliably
filled with the liquid 1. Furthermore, the optical element 2 may be
made of quartz, which also has a strong affinity for water. In
addition, the liquid contact surface 2a of the optical element 2
may be given hydrophilic (lyophilic) treatment in order to further
increase its affinity with the liquid 1. In addition, because the
vicinity of the tip of the lens barrel PK contacts the liquid 1
(water), at least that vicinity is made of a metal, such as Ti
(titanium), that is rust resistant.
[0069] The substrate stage PST supports the substrate P and
comprises: a substrate table 52 that holds the substrate P via the
substrate holder PH discussed above; an XY stage 53 that supports
the substrate table 52; and a base 54 (base plate) that supports
the XY stage 53. A substrate stage drive apparatus PSTD, such as a
linear motor, drives the substrate stage PST. The control apparatus
CONT controls the substrate stage drive apparatus PSTD. Driving the
substrate table 52 controls the position of the substrate P, which
is held on the substrate table 52, in the Z axial directions (the
focus position) and in the .theta.X and .theta.Y directions. In
addition, driving the XY stage 53 controls the position of the
substrate P in the X and Y directions (the position in the
directions substantially parallel to the image plane of the
projection optical system PL). In other words, the substrate table
52 functions as a Z stage that controls the focus position and the
inclination angles of the substrate P via the substrate holder PH,
and aligns the front surface of the substrate P with the image
plane of the projection optical system PL by using an auto focus
system and an auto leveling system; further, the XY stage 53
positions the substrate P in the X axial directions and the Y axial
directions. Furthermore, the substrate table 52 and the XY stage 53
may of course be integrally provided.
[0070] Movable mirrors 55 are provided on the substrate stage PST
(substrate table 52). In addition, a laser interferometer 56 is
provided at a position opposing each movable mirror 55. The
position in the two dimensional directions and the rotational
angles of the substrate P on the substrate stage PST are measured
in real time by the laser interferometers 56, and these measurement
results are outputted to the control apparatus CONT. The control
apparatus CONT drives the substrate stage drive apparatus PSTD
based on the measurement results of the laser interferometers 56,
and thereby positions the substrate P supported on the substrate
stage PST.
[0071] Furthermore, each of the movable mirrors 55 may be formed by
mirror polishing a side surface of the substrate stage PST
(substrate table 52), and the height of each of the movable mirrors
55 may be at the same as the height of the substrate P (wafer).
[0072] In addition, a plate part 30, which surrounds the substrate
P, is provided on the substrate stage PST (substrate table 52). The
plate part 30 and the substrate table 52 are integrally provided,
and a recessed part 32 is formed on the inner side of the plate
part 30. Furthermore, the plate part 30 and the substrate table 52
may be separately provided. The substrate holder PH, which holds
the substrate P, is disposed in the recessed part 32 (refer to FIG.
7). The plate part 30 has a flat surface 31 (flat part) that is at
a height that is substantially the same as a front surface PA of
the substrate P, which is held by the substrate holder PH that is
disposed in the recessed part 32.
[0073] The liquid supply mechanism 10 supplies the prescribed
liquid 1 to the substrate P and comprises: a first liquid supply
part 11 and a second liquid supply part 12 that are capable of
supplying the liquid 1; a first supply member 13, which is
connected to the first liquid supply part 11 via a supply pipe 11A
that has a passageway, that comprises a supply port 13A that
supplies the liquid 1 fed from this first liquid supply part 11 to
the substrate P; and a second supply member 14, which is connected
to the second liquid supply part 12 via a supply pipe 12A that has
a passageway, that comprises a supply port 14A that supplies the
liquid 1 fed from this second liquid supply part 12 to the
substrate P. The first and second supply members 13, 14 are
disposed proximate to the front surface PA of the substrate P, and
are provided at positions that are mutually different in directions
within the plane of the substrate P. Specifically, the first supply
member 13 of the liquid supply mechanism 10 is provided in one of
the scanning directions (-X direction) with respect to the
projection area AR1, and the second supply member 14 is provided in
the other direction (+X direction).
[0074] Each of the first and second liquid supply parts 11, 12
comprises, for example, a tank that stores the liquid 1 and a
pressure pump, and supplies the liquid 1 to the substrate P through
the supply pipes 11A, 12A and the supply members 13, 14. In
addition, the liquid supply operation of the first and second
liquid supply parts 11, 12 is controlled by the control apparatus
CONT, which is capable of independently controlling the amount of
liquid 1 supplied by the first and second liquid supply parts 11,
12 to the substrate P per unit of time. In addition, each of the
first and second liquid supply parts 11, 12 comprises a liquid
temperature adjusting mechanism and supplies the substrate P with
the liquid 1, which has a temperature that is substantially the
same as the temperature (e.g., 23.degree. C.) inside the chamber
that houses the apparatus.
[0075] The liquid recovery mechanism 20 recovers the liquid 1 on
the substrate P and comprises: first and second recovery members
23, 24 that comprise recovery ports 23A, 24A, respectively, that
are disposed proximate to the front surface PA of the substrate P;
and first and second liquid recovery parts 21, 22, which are
respectively connected to these first and second recovery members
23, 24 via recovery pipes 21A, 22A, which have passageways. Each of
the first and second liquid recovery parts 21, 22 comprises, for
example, a suction apparatus (e.g., a vacuum pump) and a tank that
stores the recovered liquid 1; further, these first and second
liquid recovery parts 21, 22 recover the liquid 1 on the substrate
P via the first and second recovery members 23, 24 and the recovery
pipes 21A, 22A. The liquid recovery operation of the first and
second liquid recovery parts 21, 22 is controlled by the control
apparatus CONT, which is capable of controlling the amount of
liquid 1 recovered by the first and second liquid recovery parts
21, 22 per unit of time.
[0076] FIG. 5 is a plan view that schematically depicts the
constitution of the liquid supply mechanism 10 and the liquid
recovery mechanism 20. As depicted in FIG. 5, the projection area
AR1 of the projection optical system PL is set to a slit shape
(rectangular shape), wherein the longitudinal directions are in the
Y axial directions (the non-scanning directions), and are formed on
a part of the substrate P so that the immersion area AR2, which is
filled with the liquid 1, includes the projection area AR1.
Furthermore, the first supply member 13 of the liquid supply
mechanism 10, which is for forming the immersion area AR2 of the
projection area AR1, is provided in one of the scanning directions
(-X direction) with respect to the projection area AR1, and the
second supply member 14 is provided in the other direction (+X
direction).
[0077] The first and second supply members 13, 14 are formed
substantially arcuately in a plan view, and are set so that their
supply ports 13A, 14A are at least as large in the Y axial
directions as the projection area AR1 in the Y axial directions.
Furthermore, the supply ports 13A, 14A, which are formed
substantially arcuately in a plan view, are disposed so that the
projection area AR1 is interposed therebetween in the scanning
directions (the X axial directions). The liquid supply mechanism 10
supplies the liquid 1 to both sides of the projection area AR1
simultaneously via the supply ports 13A, 14A of the first and
second supply members 13, 14.
[0078] The first and second recovery members 23, 24 of the liquid
recovery mechanism 20 respectively comprise recovery ports 23A,
24A, which are arcuately and continuously formed so that they face
the front surface PA of the substrate P. Furthermore, the first and
second recovery members 23, 24, which are disposed so that they
face one another, form a substantially annular recovery port The
recovery ports 23A, 24A of the first and second recovery members
23, 24 are disposed so that they surround the first and second
supply members 13, 14 of the liquid supply mechanism 10 as well as
the projection area AR1. In addition, a plurality of partition
members 25 are provided inside the recovery ports 23A, 24A, which
are continuously formed so that they surrounds the projection area
AR1.
[0079] The liquid 1 supplied to the substrate P from the supply
ports 13A, 14A of the first and second supply members 13, 14 is
supplied so that it spreads between the substrate P and the lower
end surface at the tip part (optical element 2) of the projection
optical system PL. In addition, the liquid 1 that flows to the
outer side of the first and second supply members 13, 14 with
respect to the projection area AR1 is recovered by the recovery
ports 23A, 24A of the first and second recovery members 23, 24,
which are disposed on the outer side of the first and second supply
members 13, 14 with respect to the projection area AR1.
[0080] When performing a scanning exposure of the substrate P in
the present embodiment, the amount of liquid 1 supplied per unit of
time from the near side of the projection area AR1 in the scanning
directions is set larger than that on the opposite side thereof.
For example, if the exposure process is performed while moving the
substrate P in the +X direction, the control apparatus CONT sets
the amount of liquid 1 supplied from the -X side of the projection
area AR1 (i.e., from the supply port 13A) greater than that from
the +X side (i.e., from the supply port 14A); on the other hand,
when performing the exposure process while moving the substrate P
in the -X direction, the amount of liquid 1 supplied from the +X
side of the projection area AR1 is set greater than that from the
-X side. In addition, with respect to the scanning directions, the
amount of liquid 1 recovered per unit of time on the near side of
the projection area AR1 is set less than that on the opposite side.
For example, when moving the substrate P in the +X direction, the
amount of liquid 1 recovered from the +X side of the projection
area AR1 (i.e., by the recovery port 24A) is greater than that from
the -X side (i.e., by the recovery port 23A).
[0081] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the substrate table 52 of the
substrate stage PST, viewed from above. A movable mirror 55 is
disposed at two mutually perpendicular edge parts of the substrate
table 52, which is rectangularly shaped in a plan view. A fiducial
mark FM, which is used when aligning the mask M and the substrate P
with respect to a prescribed position, is provided in the vicinity
of the part where the movable mirrors 55, 55 intersect. In
addition, though they are not shown, various sensors, such as
luminous flux intensity sensors, are provided around the substrate
P on the substrate stage PST.
[0082] In addition, the recessed part 32, which is circular in a
plan view, if formed at the substantially center part of the
substrate table 52, and a support part 52a is protrudingly provided
to this recessed part 32 in order to support the substrate holder
PH, as shown in FIG. 7. Furthermore, the substrate holder PH, which
holds the substrate P, is disposed inside the recessed part 32 in a
state wherein the substrate holder PH is supported by the support
part 52a, and wherein there is a gap between the substrate holder
PH and the substrate table 52. Furthermore, the pressure in the gap
between the substrate table 52 and the substrate holder PH is set
to atmospheric pressure (open). Furthermore, the plate part 30,
which has the flat surface 31 (flat part) that is at a height
substantially the same as the front surface PA of the substrate P,
is provided integrally with the substrate table 52 around the
substrate P.
[0083] In the present embodiment, among the surfaces of the
substrate holder PH, the upper end surfaces of the circumferential
wall part 33, the support parts 34 and the rib shaped support parts
7, as well as a side surface 37 are liquid repellent. Liquid
repellency treatments (water repellency treatments) for the
substrate holder PH include coating it with a fluororesin material
or a liquid repellent material, such as acrylic resin material, or
adhering a thin film consisting of the abovementioned liquid
repellent material. Liquid repellent materials used to impart
liquid repellency include materials that are insoluble in the
liquid 1.
[0084] The substrate table 52 (plate part 30) comprises a side wall
part 73 that forms the recessed part 32. The side wall part 73 is
formed so that it is spaced apart from the substrate holder PH by a
gap C, i.e., it has a shape that planarly overlaps (the outer
circumference of) the substrate P, which is held by the flat
surface 31, by a width B. The upper surface of the side wall part
73 is a circle of a size that, in a plan view, is spaced apart from
the outer circumference (side surface PB) of the substrate P by a
gap A (e.g., 0.3 to 0.5 mm), and comprises a liquid repellent
surface 72 that, in a cross sectional view, opposes the outer
circumferential part of the rear surface PC of the substrate P,
which is held by the substrate holder PH. The liquid repellent
surface 72 is formed at a position at which it does not contact the
rear surface PC of the substrate P and is spaced apart therefrom by
a gap of, for example, 0.2 mm (namely, at a depth of the thickness
of the substrate P +0.2 mm from the flat surface 31).
[0085] The front surface PA, which is the exposure surface of the
substrate P, is coated with a photoresist 90 (photosensitive
material). In the present embodiment, the photosensitive material
90 is a photosensitive material (e.g., TARF-P6100 manufactured by
Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd.) for ArF excimer laser light, is liquid
repellent (water repellent), and has a contact angle of
approximately 70 to 80.degree..
[0086] In addition, in the present embodiment, the side surface PB
of the substrate P is given liquid repellency treatment (water
repellency treatment). Specifically, the side surface PB of the
substrate P is also coated with the abovementioned liquid repellent
photosensitive material 90. Furthermore, the rear surface PC of the
substrate P is also given liquid repellency treatment by coating it
with the abovementioned photosensitive material 90.
[0087] Furthermore, part of the surface of the substrate table 52
(substrate stage PST) is given liquid repellency treatment and is
therefore liquid repellent In the present embodiment, the flat
surface 31 of the substrate table 52 (plate part 30), the liquid
repellent surface 72, and a step part 36 therebetween are all
liquid repellent. The same treatment that is given to the substrate
holder PH is also used for the liquid repellency treatment of the
substrate table 52 (plate part 30). Furthermore, the substrate
table 52 may be formed from a liquid repellent material (e.g.,
fluororesin).
[0088] In addition, the substrate stage PST comprises a recovery
apparatus 60 that suctions and recovers the liquid 1 that flows
into a second space 39 (which is formed by the step part 36, the
side surface PB of the substrate P, and the liquid repellent
surface 72) that communicates with the portion that opposes the
rear surface PC of the substrate P. In the present embodiment, the
suction apparatus 60 comprises: a tank 61 that is capable of
storing the liquid 1; a passageway 62, which is provided inside the
substrate table 52, that connects the space 39 and the tank 61; and
a pump 64 that is connected to the tank 61 via a valve 63.
Furthermore, liquid repellency treatment is also given to an inner
wall surface of the passageway 62.
[0089] The following explains the method by which the exposure
apparatus EX that has the constitution discussed above performs
immersion exposure of an edge area E of the substrate P.
[0090] As shown in FIG. 7, when performing immersion exposure of
the edge area E of the substrate P, the liquid 1 of the immersion
area AR2 is disposed at part of the front surface PA of the
substrate P and at part of the flat surface 31 of the plate part
30. At this time, the negative pressure suction force from the
suction apparatus 40 does not act upon the substrate P at the
circumferential wall part 33; however, the substrate P is linearly
supported by the rib shaped support parts 7, which extend from the
circumferential wall part 33 to the support parts 34 in the
vicinity of the circumferential wall part 33, and the negative
pressure suction force acts upon the surroundings of the support
parts 7; consequently, the negative pressure suction force does not
cause warpage and the like, and the substrate P can be supported
with satisfactory flatness.
[0091] Consequently, it is possible to correct for waviness within
the projection area AR1, which is set by the exposure slit ES
discussed above, and to keep flatness in the projection area AR1
within a prescribed value by driving the substrate table 52 via the
substrate stage drive apparatus PSTD to control the position of the
substrate P in the Z axial directions as well the front surface
position in the .theta.X and .theta.Y directions. As a result, the
pattern of the mask M can be projected onto a flat substrate P via
the projection optical system PL and the liquid 1, and a high
resolution pattern can thereby be formed on the substrate P.
[0092] Herein, because the side surface PB of the substrate P and
the step part 36 that opposes such are given liquid repellency
treatment and because the gap therebetween is not large, as shown
in FIG. 7, it is difficult for the liquid 1 of the immersion area
AR2 to infiltrate the gap A and virtually no liquid 1 flows therein
as a result of the surface tension of the liquid 1. In addition, if
the liquid 1 infiltrates the second space 39 from the gap A, both
the rear surface PC of the substrate P and the liquid repellent
surface 72 are liquid repellent and the gap between the rear
surface PC and the liquid repellent surface 72 is minute;
therefore, it is difficult for the liquid 1 that has infiltrated
the second space 39 to infiltrate this gap and virtually none of
the liquid 1 flows from that gap to the recessed part 32 as a
result of the surface tension thereof. Furthermore, the liquid 1
that flows into the second space 39 is suctioned and recovered
(refer to FIG. 4) by the recovery apparatus 60 into the tank 61 via
the passageway 62 with a timing, such as when the substrate is
replaced, that does not cause interference, even if vibrations
attendant with suctioning are transmitted to the substrate P. The
tank 61 is provided with a discharge passageway 61A, and the liquid
1 is discharged from the discharge passageway 61A if a prescribed
amount has accumulated.
[0093] At this time, even if the liquid 1 reaches the substrate
holder PH by way of, for example, the rear surface PC of the
substrate P, warpage of the substrate P is suppressed, it is
possible to reliably prevent the infiltration of the liquid 1 into
the suction space 38 via the circumferential wall part 33 and the
rib shaped support parts 7 because the upper end surfaces of the
circumferential wall part 33 and the rib shaped support parts 7 are
given liquid repellency treatment, and thus a stabler exposure
process can be performed. In addition, because the upper end
surfaces of the circumferential wall part 33, the rib shaped
support parts 7, and the support parts 34 are given liquid
repellency treatment, even if the liquid 1 scatters and adheres to
these upper end surfaces during, for example, the replacement of
the substrate P, it is possible to easily eliminate the liquid 1 on
the upper end surfaces by measures such as blowing air, and thereby
prevent such from adversely affecting the vacuum chucking of the
substrate after that replacement.
[0094] Furthermore, the substrate holder PH of the abovementioned
embodiment is constituted so that one end of each of the rib shaped
support parts 7 is connected to the circumferential wall part 33,
but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the rib
shaped support parts 7 may be disposed so that they are spaced
apart from the circumferential wall part 33 by a gap.
[0095] In addition, the substrate stage PST of the abovementioned
embodiment is constituted so that the substrate holder PH and the
substrate table 52 are separately provided, but the present
invention is not limited thereto, and they can also be formed
integrally. Namely, the substrate table 52 can also be constituted
so that it is made to function as the substrate holder. In this
case, movable mirrors are not provided on the substrate table 52,
which is the substrate holder, and, as shown in FIG. 8, the end
surfaces of the substrate table 52 that oppose the laser
interferometers 56 can be made to be reflecting surfaces 55A
(reflecting parts). This constitution can reduce the number of
parts and costs, and can also eliminate errors in mounting the
movable mirrors, which makes it possible to improve the measurement
accuracy of the laser interferometers when they measure the
substrate table 52 (i.e., the substrate P).
[0096] The liquid 1 in each of the abovementioned embodiments
comprises pure water. Pure water is advantageous because it can be
easily obtained in large quantities at, for example, a
semiconductor fabrication plant, and does not adversely impact, for
example, the optical element (lens) and the photoresist on the
substrate P. In addition, because pure water has no adverse impact
on the environment and has an extremely low impurity content, it
can also be expected to have the effect of cleaning the front
surface of the substrate P and the surface of the optical element
provided to the tip surface of the projection optical system
PL.
[0097] Furthermore, PFPE (perfluorinated polyether) may be used as
the liquid 1.
[0098] Further, because the refractive index n of pure water
(water) with respect to the exposure light EL that has a wavelength
of approximately 193 nm is substantially 1.44, if an ArF excimer
laser (193 nm wavelength) is used as the light source of the
exposure light EL, then the wavelength of the light on the
substrate P would shorten by a multiple of 1/n, i.e., to
approximately 134 nm, thereby obtaining a high resolution.
Furthermore, because the depth of focus will increase approximately
n times, i.e., approximately 1.44 times, that of in air, the
numerical aperture of the projection optical system PL can be
further increased if it is preferable to ensure a depth of focus
that is approximately the same as that when used in air, and the
resolution is also improved from this standpoint.
[0099] Furthermore, the substrate P in each of the abovementioned
embodiments is not limited to a semiconductor wafer for fabricating
semiconductor devices, and is also applicable to, for example, a
glass substrate for a display device, a ceramic wafer for a thin
film magnetic head, and a mask or the original plate of a reticle
(synthetic quartz, silicon wafer) used by an exposure
apparatus.
[0100] The exposure apparatus EX can also be adapted to a
step-and-scan type scanning exposure apparatus (scanning stepper)
that scans and exposes the pattern of the mask M by synchronously
moving the mask M and the substrate P, as well as to a
step-and-repeat type projection exposure apparatus (stepper) that
performs a full field exposure of the pattern of the mask M with
the mask M and the substrate P in a stationary state, and
sequentially steps the substrate P. In addition, the present
invention can also be adapted to a step-and-stitch type exposure
apparatus that partially and superposingly transfers at least two
patterns onto the substrate P. Furthermore, the present invention
can also be adapted to an exposure apparatus, wherein a projection
optical system PL projects a spot light to expose the substrate P
with a pattern, without using the mask M.
[0101] In addition, the present invention can also be adapted to a
twin stage type exposure apparatus as disclosed in, for example,
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. H10-163099,
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. H10-214783,
and Published Japanese Translation No. 2000-505958 of the PCT
International Publication.
[0102] The type of exposure apparatus EX is not limited to
semiconductor device fabrication exposure apparatuses that expose
the pattern of a semiconductor device on the substrate P, but can
also be widely adapted to exposure apparatuses for fabricating
liquid crystal devices or displays, and exposure apparatuses for
fabricating, for example, thin film magnetic heads, imaging devices
(CCDs), or reticles and masks.
[0103] If a linear motor is used in the substrate stage PST or the
mask stage MST (refer to U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,853 and U.S. Pat. No.
5,528,118), then either an air levitation type that uses an air
bearing, or a magnetic levitation type that uses Lorentz's force or
reactance force may be used. In addition, each of the stages PST,
MST may be a type that moves along a guide or may be a guideless
type.
[0104] For the drive mechanism of each of the stages PST, MST, a
planar motor may be used wherein a magnet unit, in which magnets
are arranged two dimensionally, and an armature unit, in which
coils are arranged two dimensionally, are opposed to one another,
and each of the stages PST, MST are driven by electromagnetic
force. In this case, any one of the magnet unit and the armature
unit is connected to the stages PST, MST and the other one should
be provided on the moving surface side of the stages PST, MST.
[0105] The reaction force generated by the movement of the
substrate stage PST may be mechanically discharged to the floor
(ground) by using a frame member so that it is not transmitted to
the projection optical system PL, as recited in Japanese Unexamined
Patent Application, Publication No. H08-166475 (U.S. Pat. No.
5,528,118).
[0106] The reaction force generated by the movement of the mask
stage MST may be mechanically discharged to the floor (ground) by
using a frame member so that it is not transmitted to the
projection optical system PL, as recited in Japanese Unexamined
Patent Application, Publication No. H08-330224 (U.S. Pat. No.
5,874,820). In addition, the reaction force may be counteracted by
using the law of conservation of momentum, as recited in Japanese
Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 8-63231 (U.S. Pat.
No. 6,255,796).
[0107] The exposure apparatus EX of the embodiments in the present
application is manufactured by assembling various subsystems,
including each constituent element recited in the claims of the
present application, so that prescribed mechanical electrical, and
optical accuracies are maintained. To ensure these various
accuracies, adjustments are performed before and after this
assembly, including an adjustment to achieve optical accuracy for
the various optical systems, an adjustment to achieve mechanical
accuracy for the various mechanical systems, and an adjustment to
achieve electrical accuracy for the various electrical systems. The
process of assembling the exposure apparatus from the various
subsystems includes the mutual mechanical connection of the various
subsystems, the wiring and connection of electrical circuits, the
piping and connection of the atmospheric pressure circuit, and the
like. Naturally, before the process of assembling the exposure
apparatus from these various subsystems, there are also the
processes of assembling each individual subsystem. When the process
of assembling the exposure apparatus from the various subsystems is
finished, a comprehensive adjustment is performed to ensure the
various accuracies of the exposure apparatus as a whole.
Furthermore, it is preferable to manufacture the exposure apparatus
in a clean room wherein, for example, the temperature and the
cleanliness level are controlled.
[0108] As shown in FIG. 9, a micro-device, such as a semiconductor
device, is manufactured by: a step 201 that designs the functions
and performance of the micro-device; a step 202 that fabricates a
mask M (reticle) based on this design step; a step 203 that
fabricates a substrate P (wafer), which is the base material of the
device; a wafer processing step 204 wherein the exposure apparatus
EX of the embodiments discussed above exposes a pattern of the mask
M onto the substrate P (wafer); a device assembling step 205
(including a dicing process, a bonding process, and a packaging
process); an inspecting step 206; and the like.
* * * * *