JP2005093948A - Aligner and its adjustment method, exposure method, and device manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an aligner which easily confirms a movement error of a shutting component used to shut the unnecessary exposure light when transferring a pattern formed on a mask on a substrate, synchronously moving the mask and the substrate, and which can adjust the movement. <P>SOLUTION: An illumination sensor, which detects exposure light IL through a pin hole 41, is mounted on a wafer stage. In a state where an image of an edge 15a of a moving blind 15 as a shutting component is formed on the pin hole 41 of the illumination sensor, the moving blind 15 and wafer stage are moved, and the movement error of the moving blind 15 is measured on the basis of an output variation of the illumination sensor. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus that transfers a pattern formed on a mask or a reticle onto a substrate such as a wafer, an adjustment method thereof, an exposure method, and a device manufacturing method.

  In a photolithography process that is usually provided as one of the manufacturing processes of microdevices such as semiconductor elements, liquid crystal display elements, imaging devices (CCDs, etc.), thin film magnetic heads, etc., a substrate (a semiconductor wafer coated with a photoresist) as an exposure target Alternatively, an exposure apparatus for projecting and exposing a reduced image of a pattern formed on a mask or reticle (hereinafter collectively referred to as a mask) on a glass plate is used. In recent years, step-and-repeat reduction projection exposure apparatuses (so-called steppers) or step-and-scan exposure apparatuses are frequently used.

  The above stepper places the substrate on a two-dimensionally movable substrate stage, and steps (steps) the substrate with this substrate stage, and a reduced image of the reticle pattern is applied to each shot area on the substrate. An exposure apparatus that sequentially repeats the batch exposure operation. In addition, a step-and-scan exposure apparatus uses a reticle stage on which a reticle is placed and a substrate stage on which a substrate is placed as a projection optical system while irradiating the reticle with slit-shaped pulse exposure light. On the other hand, a part of the pattern formed on the reticle is sequentially transferred to the shot area of the substrate while being synchronously scanned with each other. When the transfer of the pattern to one shot area is completed, the substrate is stepped to transfer the pattern to the other shot area. It is the exposure apparatus which performs.

  A reticle blind is provided in the illumination optical system provided in the above step-and-scan exposure apparatus, and an illumination area on the reticle is defined by the reticle blind. In the case of a step-and-scan type exposure apparatus, the reticle blind is arranged at a position slightly deviated from the conjugate plane of the pattern forming surface of the reticle, and the above-mentioned conjugate blind mainly used for shaping exposure light. A movable blind is disposed on the surface and used to prevent unnecessary exposure at the start and end of exposure of each shot on the substrate.

While the reticle and the substrate are moved synchronously to transfer the reticle pattern onto the substrate, the movable blind moves in the conjugate plane of the pattern forming surface in accordance with the movement of the reticle. By performing such a moving operation, unnecessary exposure light among exposure light irradiated on the reticle is shielded. For details of the method for moving the movable blind during exposure, see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 below.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-094387 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 04-196513

  By the way, in the step-and-scan exposure apparatus described above, the synchronous movement of the reticle and the substrate is controlled with extremely high precision, and the movement of the movable blind and the movement of the reticle and the substrate are temporarily synchronized. However, since the movement control of the movable blind is basically performed by an independent control system, it is not guaranteed that the movable blind follows the reticle and the substrate within a predetermined accuracy (about several tens of μm). Whether or not the movable blind follows the reticle and the substrate within a predetermined accuracy (the presence or absence of a movement error) is only confirmed by actually transferring a predetermined reference pattern onto the substrate.

  In this method, the reticle on which a predetermined reference pattern is formed and the substrate are moved synchronously, and the reference pattern is actually transferred onto the substrate by following the movable blind to these, and the pattern transferred onto the substrate. The line width is observed with a microscope. If the movable blind does not follow the movement of the reticle and the substrate within a predetermined accuracy, unnecessary light is irradiated onto the reticle and the substrate, so that the line width of the pattern formed on the substrate changes. To do. Conventionally, this line width is observed to determine the presence or absence of a movement error of the movable blind. This method needs to repeat the process of actually transferring the pattern onto the substrate, observing the line width of the pattern formed on the substrate, and adjusting the moving speed of the movable blind if the line width has changed. There is a problem that the work is extremely complicated and the work time is prolonged.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is a light shielding used for shielding unnecessary exposure light when transferring a pattern formed on a mask onto the substrate while moving the mask and the substrate synchronously. It is an object of the present invention to provide an exposure apparatus that can easily check and adjust the presence or absence of a movement error of a member, an adjustment method thereof, an exposure method, and a device manufacturing method for manufacturing a device using the exposure apparatus.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the exposure apparatus of the present invention moves the mask (R) and the substrate (W) synchronously and blocks unnecessary light from the exposure light (IL) from the light source (1). An exposure apparatus (EX) for sequentially transferring the pattern formed on the mask onto the substrate while controlling the movement of the light shielding member (15) in a predetermined direction in accordance with the movement of at least one of the mask and the substrate. And a detection device (38, 50) for optically detecting at least a part of the image at a plurality of positions in a detection direction corresponding to the predetermined direction, by moving the light shielding member in the predetermined direction; And a control device (24) for adjusting the movement of the light shielding member in the predetermined direction based on a detection result.
According to the present invention, at least a part of the image of the light shielding member moving in the predetermined direction is detected by the detection device at a plurality of positions in the detection direction corresponding to the predetermined direction, and the light shielding member in the predetermined direction is based on the detection result of the detection device. The movement of is adjusted.
The device manufacturing method of the present invention is characterized by using the above exposure apparatus.
In the exposure apparatus adjustment method of the present invention, the mask (R) and the substrate (W) are moved in synchronization with each scanning direction (SD), and the exposure light (IL) from the light source (1) is moved. Among them, the pattern formed on the mask is controlled via the projection optical system (PL) while controlling the movement of the light shielding member (15) for shielding unnecessary light in a predetermined direction according to the movement of the mask and the substrate. In the adjustment method of the exposure apparatus (EX) that projects onto the substrate, the sensor (38) disposed on the object plane or image plane of the projection optical system is moved in the scanning direction, and the light shielding member is moved in the predetermined direction. The movement error in the predetermined direction of the light shielding member is obtained in accordance with the change in the amount of light detected by the sensor.
According to the present invention, the sensor disposed on the object plane or the image plane of the projection optical system is moved in the scanning direction and the light shielding member is moved in the predetermined direction, and the predetermined direction of the light shielding member is determined according to the change in the amount of light detected by the sensor. The movement error is required.
In the exposure method of the present invention, the mask (R) and the substrate (W) are moved synchronously, and a predetermined direction of the light shielding member (15) for shielding unnecessary light from the exposure light (IL) from the light source (1). In the exposure method of sequentially transferring the pattern formed on the mask onto the substrate while controlling the movement to the mask and the movement of the substrate, the movement of the light shielding member is performed using the adjustment method described above. It is characterized by including the adjustment process to adjust.

According to the present invention, the presence or absence of a movement error of the light shielding member can be easily confirmed and adjusted.
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily confirm the presence or absence of a movement error of the light shielding member without significantly changing the apparatus configuration.

  Hereinafter, an exposure apparatus, an adjustment method thereof, an exposure method, and a device manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a view showing an outline of the overall configuration of an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The exposure apparatus EX shown in FIG. 1 moves the pattern formed on the reticle R to the wafer W while moving the reticle R as a mask and the wafer W as a substrate relative to the projection optical system PL in FIG. Is a step-and-scan exposure apparatus that manufactures a semiconductor element by sequentially transferring to a semiconductor device.

  In the following description, the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system shown in FIG. 1 is set, and the positional relationship of each member will be described with reference to this XYZ orthogonal coordinate system. The XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is set so that the X axis and the Y axis are parallel to the wafer W, and the Z axis is set in a direction orthogonal to the wafer W. In the XYZ coordinate system in the figure, the XY plane is actually set to a plane parallel to the horizontal plane, and the Z-axis is set vertically upward. In the present embodiment, the direction (scanning direction SD) in which the reticle R and the wafer W are moved is set in the Y direction.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an exposure light source that emits exposure light IL that is a parallel light beam having a substantially rectangular cross section, for example, an ArF excimer laser light source (wavelength 193 nm). Exposure light IL comprising an ultraviolet pulse with a wavelength of 193 nm from the exposure light source 1 passes through a beam matching unit (BMU) 2 and enters a variable dimmer 3 as an optical attenuator. The exposure control unit 23 for controlling the exposure amount of the photoresist on the wafer W controls the start and stop of light emission of the exposure light source 1 and the output (oscillation frequency, pulse energy, number of pulses). Further, the exposure control unit 23 adjusts the dimming rate in the variable dimmer 3 stepwise or continuously.

  The exposure light IL passing through the variable dimmer 3 enters a first fly-eye lens 6 as a first-stage optical integrator (a homogenizer or a homogenizer) through a beam shaping system 5 including lens systems 4a and 4b. To do. The exposure light IL emitted from the first fly-eye lens 6 passes through the first lens system 7a, the optical path bending mirror 8, and the second lens system 7b, and the second fly as a second stage optical integrator. The light enters the eye lens 9.

  On the exit surface of the second fly-eye lens 9, that is, the pupil plane of the illumination system (surface optically conjugate with the pupil plane of the projection optical system PL), an aperture stop plate 10 is rotatably arranged by a drive motor 10a. Yes. The aperture stop plate 10 is a disc configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis, and is a circular aperture stop for normal illumination, an aperture stop for annular illumination, and an aperture for quadrupole deformation illumination (quadrupole illumination). A plurality of aperture stops such as a stop and a small circular aperture stop for a small coherence factor (σ value) are formed along the circumferential direction.

  The rotation shaft of the aperture diaphragm plate 10 is connected to the rotation shaft of the drive motor 10a. By driving the drive motor 10a and rotating the aperture diaphragm plate 10 around the rotation axis O, the second fly-eye lens 9 is rotated. The aperture stop arranged on the exit surface can be switched. The intensity distribution of the exposure light IL on the exit surface of the second fly-eye lens 9 is changed according to the aperture stop arranged on the exit surface of the second fly-eye lens 9. The drive of the drive motor 10a is controlled by a main control system 24 that controls the overall operation of the exposure apparatus EX.

  Note that when performing modified illumination (annular illumination, quadrupole illumination, etc.), the exposure light IL is used as a second fly-eye lens in order to increase the utilization efficiency of the exposure light IL and obtain high illuminance (light quantity, pulse energy). It is desirable to shape the cross-sectional shape of the exposure light IL into a substantially ring-shaped shape at the stage of incidence on the light 9. For this purpose, the first fly-eye lens 6 may be replaced with, for example, a diffractive optical element (DOE) made of an assembly of a number of phase type diffraction gratings. Further, the illumination condition switching system is not limited to the above configuration, and a conical prism (axicon) and / or zoom optical system and a diffractive optical element may be used alone or in combination with the aperture stop plate 10. good. In the case where an internal reflection type integrator (rod integrator or the like) is used as the second stage optical integrator, for example, the exposure light IL with respect to the optical axis IAX of the illumination system is used by using a DOE, a conical prism, or a polyhedral prism. It is desirable to make the light incident on the internal reflection type integrator and change the incident angle range of the exposure light IL on the incident surface according to the illumination conditions.

  The exposure light IL that has been emitted from the second fly-eye lens 9 and passed through one of the aperture stops formed on the aperture stop plate 10 is incident on the beam splitter 11 having a high transmittance and a low reflectivity. The exposure light reflected by the beam splitter 11 enters an integrator sensor 22 composed of a photoelectric detector via a condensing lens 21. The detection signal of the integrator sensor 22 is supplied to the exposure control unit 23. The relationship between the detection signal of the integrator sensor 22 and the illuminance of the exposure light IL on the wafer W is measured in advance with high accuracy and stored in the memory in the exposure control unit 23. The exposure control unit 23 is configured to monitor the average value and the integral value of the illuminance of the exposure light IL with respect to the wafer W indirectly from the detection signal of the integrator sensor 22.

  Incidentally, the integrator sensor 22 is required to have good measurement reproducibility and output linearity in order to achieve a desired integrated light amount control for the wafer W. “Linearity” means the linearity of the relationship between the illuminance (light quantity) of the exposure light IL on the wafer W (image plane) and the output of the integrator sensor 22. This linearity can be ensured by optimizing the amount of light incident on the integrator sensor 22. Therefore, in this embodiment, a variable ND filter (not shown) is disposed in the optical path between the beam splitter 11 and the integrator sensor 22, thereby ensuring the linearity of the integrator sensor 22. The ND filter adjusts the amount of incident light in stages, and can optimize the amount of incident light according to the characteristics of the exposure apparatus, the circuit characteristics connected to the integrator sensor 22, and the like.

  Further, a zoom optical system may be used between the beam splitter 11 and the integrator sensor 22 instead of the ND filter. Since the zoom optical system can continuously change the focal length of the optical system, there is an advantage that the incident light quantity (incident light quantity per unit area) to the integrator sensor 22 can be continuously adjusted. Therefore, even when a change in illuminance of the exposure light IL emitted from the variable attenuator 3 or a change in illumination conditions such as the illumination σ shape occurs, the amount of light incident on the integrator sensor 22 is optimized according to the change. The linearity of the integrator sensor 22 can be secured over a wide range.

  The exposure light IL transmitted through the beam splitter 11 sequentially enters the fixed blind (fixed illumination field stop) 14 and the movable blind (movable illumination field stop) 15 through the lens systems 12 and 13 along the optical axis IAX. The fixed blind 14 is arranged to extend in a straight slit shape or a rectangular shape (hereinafter collectively referred to as a “slit shape”) in a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction SD at the center in a circular field of the projection optical system PL described later. With an opening.

The movable blind 15 is configured to be movable in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis IAX. For example, in order to prevent unnecessary exposure at the start and end of scanning exposure on each shot area on the wafer W, This is used to vary the width of the illumination field area in the scanning direction. Further, it is used to vary the width of the illumination field in accordance with the size of the pattern area of the reticle R in the direction (non-scanning direction) orthogonal to the scanning direction SD. The opening / closing operation of the movable blind 15 is controlled by the drive control unit 33. Information on the aperture ratio of the movable blind 15 is also supplied to the exposure control unit 23, and the value [W / cm ² ] obtained from the detection signal of the integrator sensor 22 is multiplied by the aperture ratio (open area [cm ² ]). The obtained value becomes the power [W] of the actual exposure light on the wafer W. As described above, the opening / closing operation of the movable blind 15 is basically controlled by the drive control unit 3, but the moving speed of the movable blind 15 when transferring the pattern formed on the reticle R onto the wafer W ( In the example shown in FIG. 1, the movement speed in the Z direction) is set by a control signal from the main control system 24 as a control device.

  The fixed blind 14 is arranged on a surface defocused by a predetermined amount in the optical axis IAX direction from the conjugate surface CJ with respect to the surface on which the pattern of the reticle R is formed (hereinafter referred to as the reticle surface). In this way, the fixed blind 14 is defocused from the conjugate plane CJ with respect to the reticle plane in order to prevent unevenness in the integrated light quantity in the scanning direction SD, so that the wafer in the scanning direction SD of the exposure light IL irradiated onto the wafer W can be prevented. This is because the illuminance distribution (light quantity distribution) on W is trapezoidal.

  The movable blind 15 is arranged at a position slightly separated from the conjugate plane CJ with respect to the reticle plane, but is actually arranged almost on the conjugate plane CJ. Therefore, even if the illumination condition is changed, the image of the blind edge of the movable blind 15 is accommodated within the light shielding band formed around the pattern of the reticle R. The exposure light IL that has passed through the movable blind 15 during exposure passes through an optical path bending mirror 17, an imaging lens system 18, a condenser lens 19, and a main condenser lens system 20 in order, and a reticle of a reticle R as a mask. Illuminate the illumination area (illumination field area) IA of the surface.

  The exposure light source 1, the beam matching unit 2, the variable dimmer 3, the beam shaping system 5 including the lens systems 4a and 4b, the first fly-eye lens 6, the first lens system 7a, the optical path bending mirror described above. 8, second lens system 7b, second fly-eye lens 9, aperture stop plate 10, beam splitter 11, lens systems 12, 13, fixed blind 14, movable blind 15, mirror 17 for optical path bending, lens for image formation The system 18, the condenser lens 19, and the main condenser lens system 20 constitute at least a part of the illumination optical system IS.

  Under the exposure light IL, the image of the circuit pattern in the illumination area IA of the reticle R is projected at a predetermined projection magnification β (β is, for example, 1/4 or 1/5) through the bilateral telecentric projection optical system PL. Then, the image is transferred to a slit-shaped exposure area (projection area) EA on the wafer W as a substrate disposed on the imaging plane of the projection optical system PL. Here, the shape of the exposure area EA and the illuminance distribution of the exposure light IL irradiated to the exposure area EA will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of the exposure area EA on the wafer W and the illuminance distribution in the scanning direction SD of the exposure light IL irradiated to the exposure area EA. As shown in FIG. 2A, the exposure area EA has a rectangular shape in which the short side is arranged along the scanning direction SD (Y direction) and the long side is arranged along the non-scanning direction. The exposure light IL having the illuminance distribution shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2B, the exposure light IL has a trapezoidal distribution in the scanning direction SD (Y direction), and includes a slope portion SL having a gradient illuminance distribution and a flat portion FL having a constant illuminance distribution. Have. FIG. 2B shows an ideal distribution in the case where there is no illuminance unevenness (light amount unevenness) of the exposure light IL in the scanning direction SD.

  In the distribution shown in FIG. 2B, SW1 indicates the width of the exposure light IL in the scanning direction SD defined by the size of the opening of the fixed blind 14 (hereinafter referred to as slit width). The slit width SW1 is the distance between the portions where the strength of the slope portion is I / 2, and is the width of the short side along the scanning direction SD of the exposure area EA shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, SW2 indicates the slope width. The slope width SW2 is defined by the defocus amount (distance from the conjugate plane CJ) in the optical axis IAX direction of the fixed blind 14 with respect to the conjugate plane CJ with respect to the reticle plane.

1, the illustrated projection optical system PL is a dioptric system (refractive system), but it goes without saying that a catadioptric system (catadioptric system) or a reflective system can also be used. In the present embodiment, since the exposure light IL is vacuum ultraviolet light, it is largely absorbed by oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, etc. in normal air. In order to avoid this, the optical path of the exposure light IL from the exposure light source 1 to the wafer W shown in FIG. 1 has a high-purity purge gas (noble gas such as helium or neon) having high transmittance even for vacuum ultraviolet light. Or a so-called inert gas such as nitrogen gas). Further, as the glass material of the refractive member constituting the projection optical system PL, for example, synthetic quartz or fluorite (calcium fluoride: CaF ₂ ) is used.

  The reticle R is sucked and held on the reticle stage 31, and the reticle stage 31 is placed on the reticle base 32 so as to move at a constant speed in the Y direction and to be inclined in the X direction, the Y direction, and the rotation direction. . The two-dimensional position and rotation angle of the reticle stage 31 (reticle R) are measured in real time by a laser interferometer in the drive control unit 33. Based on the measurement result and the control information from the main control system 24, the drive motor (linear motor, voice coil motor, etc.) in the drive control unit 33 controls the scanning speed and position of the reticle stage 31.

  On the other hand, the wafer W is sucked and held on the wafer stage 35 via the wafer holder 34, and the wafer stage 35 moves two-dimensionally on the wafer base 36 along the XY plane parallel to the image plane of the projection optical system PL. That is, the wafer stage 35 moves at a constant speed in the Y direction on the wafer base 36 and moves stepwise in the X and Y directions. Further, the wafer stage 35 incorporates a Z leveling mechanism for controlling the position of the wafer W in the Z direction (focus position) and the tilt angles around the X axis and the Y axis.

  Although not shown, the projection optical system projects a slit image obliquely to a plurality of measurement points on the surface (wafer surface) of the wafer W on the side surface of the projection optical system PL, and the reflection from the wafer surface. A multipoint autofocus sensor is also provided, which includes a light receiving optical system that receives light and generates a focus signal corresponding to the focus positions of the plurality of measurement points. It is supplied to the focus control unit in the control system 24. At the time of scanning exposure, the focusing control unit in the main control system 24 continuously drives the Z leveling mechanism in the wafer stage 35 by the autofocus method based on the information of those focus signals (focus positions). Thereby, the surface of the wafer W is focused on the image plane of the projection optical system PL.

  The positions of the wafer stage 35 in the X and Y directions and the rotation angles around the X, Y, and Z axes are measured in real time by a laser interferometer in the drive control unit 37. Based on this measurement result and control information from the main control system 24, a drive motor (linear motor or the like) in the drive control unit 37 controls the scanning speed and position of the wafer stage 35. In addition, the exposure apparatus of the present embodiment has an illuminance as a detection apparatus that detects the illuminance (light quantity) of the exposure light IL irradiated onto the exposure area EA on the wafer W on the wafer stage 35 via the projection optical system PL. The sensor 38 is fixed.

  3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating an example of the configuration of the illuminance sensor 38, where FIG. 3A is a perspective view, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3A, the illuminance sensor 38 includes a chassis 40 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The chassis 40 is a case made of a metal having high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, and a detection surface 42 having a pinhole 41 and a reflection surface 43 are provided on the upper surface thereof. The pinhole 41 formed in the detection surface 42 is provided for measuring the illuminance of the exposure light IL irradiated through the projection optical system PL, and its diameter is about several tens of μm. The reflecting surface 43 is provided to measure the position in the Z direction of the pinhole 41 formed in the illuminance sensor 38 using an autofocus sensor (not shown).

  The reflecting surface 43 has a size (for example, 15 mm × 15 mm) that can reflect a slit image from an autofocus sensor (not shown), and a glass plate having high flatness is pasted on the chassis 40. Alternatively, it is formed by polishing a corresponding portion of the upper surface of the chassis 40 and depositing aluminum. In FIG. 3A, reference numeral 44 denotes a wiring for taking out a detection signal of a light receiving element 45 (see FIG. 3B) (not shown) to the outside of the illuminance sensor 38.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, the illuminance sensor 38 includes a light receiving element 45 in which a light receiving surface 45a serving as a detection unit is disposed at a position corresponding to the pinhole 41 inside the chassis 40. The light receiving element 45 is, for example, a PIN photodiode, and a light receiving surface 45a is attached to the electric substrate 46 via a foot 45b. A wiring 44 is connected to the electric substrate 46 so that a detection signal of the light receiving element 45 is taken out of the illuminance sensor 38. Here, the light receiving element 45 may be any of light conversion elements using, for example, a photovoltaic effect, a Schottky effect, a photoelectromagnetic effect, a photoconductive effect, a photoelectron emission effect, a pyroelectric effect, and the like.

  When the pinhole 41 provided in the illuminance sensor 38 is arranged in the exposure area EA and the exposure light IL is irradiated onto the exposure area EA, only the exposure light IL that has passed through the pinhole 41 in the irradiated exposure light IL is obtained. It is detected by the light receiving element 45. The illuminance sensor 38 is not provided with the light receiving element 45 inside, but only the light receiving surface 45a is provided inside, and the light received by the light receiving surface 45a using an optical fiber, a mirror, or the like is outside the chassis 40. It may be configured to perform photoelectric conversion using a photoelectric detection device such as a photomultiplier tube.

  The detection signal of the illuminance sensor 38 described above is supplied to the exposure control unit 23. Note that the illuminance (light quantity), the illuminance unevenness (light quantity distribution), and the integrated light quantity unevenness measurement using the illuminance sensor 38 are periodically executed, for example. At that time, the aperture stop plate 10 in FIG. 1 is driven to switch the illumination condition to normal illumination, annular illumination, modified illumination, small σ value illumination, etc., and the measurement of the illuminance unevenness is executed for each illumination condition. . Then, the state of illuminance unevenness with the lapse of the operation time of the exposure apparatus is stored in the storage unit in the main control system 24 as a table for each illumination method. Further, the illuminance sensor 38 is used not only for measuring the illuminance unevenness of the exposure light IL but also for measuring the integrated light quantity. Further, as will be described in detail later, the illuminance sensor 38 is also used to measure whether or not the movable blind 15 follows the reticle stage 31 and the wafer stage 35 (presence of movement error).

  The main control system 24 sends various information such as the movement position, movement speed, movement acceleration, and position offset of the reticle stage 31 and the wafer stage 35 to the drive control units 33 and 37. Accordingly, the reticle R is scanned via the reticle stage 31 in the + Y direction (or -Y direction) at the speed Vr with respect to the illumination area IA of the exposure light IL via the wafer stage 35. Thus, the wafer W is scanned with respect to the exposure area EA of the pattern image of the reticle R in the −Y direction (or + Y direction) at a velocity β · Vr (β is the projection magnification from the reticle R to the wafer W). At this time, the opening / closing operation of the movable blind 15 is controlled by the drive control unit 33 in order to prevent exposure to unnecessary portions at the start and end of the scanning exposure. The movement direction of the reticle R and the wafer W is opposite because the projection optical system PL of this embodiment performs reverse projection.

  The main control system 24 reads various exposure conditions for scanning and exposing the photoresist of each shot area on the wafer W with an appropriate exposure amount from the exposure data file, and cooperates with the exposure control unit 23 to perform an optimal exposure sequence. Execute. That is, when a command to start scanning exposure for one shot area on the wafer W is issued from the main control system 24 to the exposure control unit 23, the exposure control unit 23 starts to emit light from the exposure light source 1 and the integrator sensor 22 The integrated value of the illuminance (sum of pulse energy per unit time) of the exposure light IL with respect to the wafer W is calculated. The integrated value is reset to 0 at the start of scanning exposure. Then, the exposure control unit 23 sequentially calculates the integrated value of the illuminance, and according to the result, the exposure light source 1 so that an appropriate exposure amount can be obtained at each point of the photoresist on the wafer W after the scanning exposure. Output (oscillation frequency, pulse energy, number of pulses) and the dimming rate of the variable dimmer 3 are controlled. Then, at the end of the scanning exposure to the shot area, the light emission of the exposure light source 1 is stopped.

  The main control system 24 determines the optimum illumination conditions (illumination NA, illumination shape, etc.) for the pattern of the reticle R, and sets the integrated light quantity within a predetermined accuracy at each point on the wafer W according to the conditions. The minimum number of exposure pulses necessary for control is changed. Further, the main control system 24 detects the exposure light IL irradiated to the exposure area EA while driving the wafer stage 35 with the illuminance sensor 38, and exposure light based on the detection signal output via the exposure control unit 23. The integrated light quantity of IL is calculated. Furthermore, the main control system 24 uses the illuminance sensor 38 to measure the presence or absence of a movement error of the movable blind 15 and adjusts the movement speed of the movable blind 15 based on the measurement result.

  The configuration of the exposure apparatus EX according to the embodiment of the present invention and the operation during exposure have been described above. Next, the method for measuring the movement error of the movable blind 15 and the movement of the movable blind 15 are adjusted based on the measurement result. The method of performing will be described in detail. Note that the measurement and adjustment described above are performed at the initial start-up to finish the exposure apparatus EX and drive the performance to the initial performance, or at regular or irregular maintenance. In the present embodiment, an illuminance sensor 38 provided on the wafer stage 35 is used to measure the movement error of the movable blind 15.

  As described with reference to FIG. 3, the illuminance sensor 38 has a pinhole 41, and only the exposure light IL that has passed through the pinhole 41 is detected by the light receiving element 45. Since the illuminance sensor 38 can move together with the wafer stage 35, the movable blind 15 is moved while moving the wafer stage 35 so that the pinhole 41 of the illuminance sensor 38 is arranged at the position where the edge image of the movable blind 15 is to be projected. By detecting the change in the amount of light incident on the pinhole 41, the movement error of the movable blind 15 can be measured.

  In measuring the movable blind 15, first, the main control system 24 outputs a control signal to the drive control unit 37, and the wafer stage 35 is moved so that the pinhole 41 of the illuminance sensor 38 is disposed at a predetermined initial position. . Further, the main control system 24 outputs control information for controlling the movable blind 15 to perform a predetermined operation after the movement of the wafer stage 35 is started to the drive control unit 33.

  Here, the control information output by the main control system 24 includes, for example, the time from the start of the movement of the wafer stage 35 to the start of the movement of the movable blind 15, the moving speed of the movable blind 15, and the start of movement of the movable blind 15. It includes information that defines the time until the end of movement. Note that when the movement error of the movable blind 15 is measured, the wafer stage 35 and the reticle stage 31 may be moved in synchronization with each other. However, for the sake of simplicity of explanation, the reticle stage 31 is moved. Suppose that only the wafer stage 35 is moved.

  When the above processing is completed, the main control system 24 outputs a command for starting the movement of the wafer stage 35 to the drive control units 33 and 37 and outputs a command for starting scanning exposure to the exposure control unit 23. As a result, the movement of the wafer stage 35 is started, and the movable blind 15 starts moving after a predetermined time elapses after the wafer stage 35 starts moving. Further, the exposure control unit 23 starts light emission of the exposure light source 1. With the above control, the movable blind 15 and the pinhole 41 formed in the illuminance sensor 38 at the measurement start point are in the positional relationship shown in FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the positional relationship between the movable blind 15 and the pinhole 41 at the measurement start time. 4 shows only the pinhole 41 formed in the movable blind 15, the projection optical system PL, and the illuminance sensor 38, and is arranged on the optical path from the movable blind 15 to the reticle R in FIG. The optical member such as a lens and the reticle R are not shown. Further, in FIG. 4, the moving direction of the movable blind 15 is D1, and the moving direction of the pinhole 41 is D2. Corresponding to FIG. 1, the moving direction D1 is, for example, the + Z direction, and the moving direction D2 is, for example, the −Y direction (a direction parallel to the synchronous moving direction of the wafer stage 35).

  In FIG. 4, the hatched area indicates a light shielding area where the exposure light IL is shielded by the movable blind 15, and the other areas indicate areas where the exposure light IL is transmitted. At the start of measurement, the pinhole 41 formed in the illuminance sensor 38 is located at the projection position of the image of the edge 15a of the movable blind 15 (image formation position of the edge 15a). In other words, at the measurement start position, the time from when the illuminance sensor 38 is set to a predetermined initial position so that the movable blind 15 and the pinhole 41 have the positional relationship shown in FIG. Is set.

  As described above, the movable blind 15 is arranged almost on the conjugate plane CJ. However, in reality, it is difficult to arrange the movable blind 15 completely on the conjugate plane CJ due to mechanical structural limitations. It is arranged at a position deviated from. For this reason, the image of the edge 15a of the movable blind 15 is projected on the pinhole 41 in a slightly blurred state. The blur width of the edge 15a is about 50 to 100 μm. Here, as shown in FIG. 4, the case where the pinhole 41 is located inside the image forming position of the edge 15 a of the movable blind 15 at the start of measurement will be described as an example. It is sufficient that at least a part of the image of the edge 15a is projected onto the pinhole 41.

  Here, let us consider a case where there is no movement error of the movable blind 15 with respect to the wafer stage 35. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a positional relationship between the movable blind 15 and the pinhole 41 when there is no movement error of the movable blind 15. As shown in FIG. 5A, the pinhole sensor 41 is located inside the image forming position of the edge 15a at the start of measurement. Even if the time passes and the movable blind 15 and the pinhole 41 are in the positional relationship shown in FIG. 5B, the pinhole 41 is located inside the image forming position of the edge 15a.

  When the time further elapses and the measurement is finished, the movable blind 15 and the pinhole 41 have the positional relationship shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5C, the pinhole 41 is still located inside the formation position of the edge 15a even at the end of the measurement. As described above, when there is no movement error of the movable blind 15, the movable blind 15 and the wafer stage 35 are moved in a state where the pinhole 41 is always disposed inside the position where the edge 15a is formed.

  Next, consider a case where there is a movement error of the movable blind 15 with respect to the wafer stage 35. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a positional relationship between the movable blind 15 and the pinhole 41 when the movable blind 15 moves faster than a desired control state. As shown in FIG. 6A, the pinhole sensor 41 is located inside the image forming position of the edge 15a at the measurement start time.

  However, since the relative moving speed of the movable blind 15 is faster than the moving speed of the wafer stage 35, the pinhole 41 is delayed with respect to the image of the edge 15a as shown in FIG. Therefore, a part of the image of the edge 15a is hung on the pinhole 41. In FIG. 6B and FIG. 6C, the position of the movable blind 15 when there is no movement error is indicated by a broken line. Further, when the time elapses and the measurement is finished, the pinhole 41 is located outside the image forming position of the edge 15a as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a positional relationship between the movable blind 15 and the pinhole 41 when the movable blind 15 moves slower than a desired control state. As shown in FIG. 7A, the pinhole sensor 41 is located inside the image forming position of the edge 15a at the measurement start time. However, since the relative moving speed of the movable blind 15 is slower than the moving speed of the wafer stage 35, the time elapses with respect to the image of the edge 15a as shown in FIGS. 7B and 7B. As a result, the pinhole 41 advances. In FIG. 7B and FIG. 7C, the position of the movable blind 15 when there is no movement error is indicated by a broken line.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between the position of the illuminance sensor 38 obtained when measuring the movement error of the movable blind 15 and the output thereof. When there is no movement error of the movable blind 15 with respect to the wafer stage 35, as described with reference to FIG. 5, the pinhole 41 formed in the illuminance sensor 38 is always disposed inside the formation position of the edge 15a. It is in. For this reason, the illuminance of the exposure light IL detected by the illuminance sensor 38 is constant regardless of the position of the illuminance sensor 38, and the relationship between the position of the illuminance sensor 38 and its output is a straight line OP1 in FIG.

  Next, when the movable blind 15 moves relatively quickly with respect to the wafer stage 35, the pinhole 41 is delayed with respect to the image of the edge 15a over time as described with reference to FIG. Thus, when the measurement is finished, the exposure light IL that is not shielded or dimmed by the movable blind 15 is irradiated onto the pinhole 41. For this reason, the illuminance of the exposure light IL detected by the illuminance sensor 38 gradually increases in accordance with the position of the illuminance sensor 38, and the relationship between the position of the illuminance sensor 38 and its output is a straight line OP2 in FIG.

  On the other hand, when the movable blind 15 moves relatively slowly with respect to the wafer stage 35, as described with reference to FIG. 7, the pinhole 41 advances with respect to the image of the edge 15a as time elapses. When the measurement is finished, the pinhole 41 is located in the light shielding area of the movable blind 15. Therefore, the illuminance of the exposure light IL detected by the illuminance sensor 38 gradually decreases according to the position of the illuminance sensor 38, and the relationship between the position of the illuminance sensor 38 and its output is a straight line OP3 in FIG.

  Thus, it is possible to measure whether or not there is a movement error of the movable blind 15 depending on whether or not the output changes according to the position of the illuminance sensor 38. Further, when the output changes according to the position of the illuminance sensor 38, the relative speed of the movable blind 15 with respect to the wafer stage 35 is fast or slow depending on the degree of change (whether the output becomes larger or smaller). That is, it is possible to measure whether the movable blind 15 is delayed or advanced as compared with a desired state.

  Further, the magnitude (amount) of the movement error of the movable blind 15 can be obtained according to the degree of change in the output of the illuminance sensor 38. The output of the illuminance sensor 38 changes because the overlapping state of the image of the edge 15a with respect to the pinhole 41 changes. As shown in FIG. 6C or FIG. In the state of being arranged outside the image forming position, the output of the pinhole 41 is kept constant and there is no temporal change. The blur width of the image of the edge 15a is known, and the light quantity distribution in this image is also known. In addition, since the diameter of the pinhole 41 is also known, the magnitude of the movement error of the movable blind 15 can be obtained from the degree of change in the output of the illuminance sensor 38.

  The main control system 24 determines the presence / absence of a movement error of the movable blind 15 based on the measurement result performed using the illuminance sensor 38. If there is a movement error, the main control system 24 moves according to the degree of the error and the degree of the error. The control information for controlling the movement of the blind 15 is adjusted (corrected). For example, the moving speed of the movable blind 15 corresponding to the moving error is calculated, and a control signal indicating the calculated moving speed is output to the drive control unit 33. In this way, the movement of the movable blind 15 is adjusted.

  When the above adjustment is completed, the main control system 24 outputs a control signal to the drive control unit 37 to place the illuminance sensor 38 at a predetermined initial position. Thereafter, a command for starting the movement of the wafer stage 35 is output to the drive control units 33 and 37, and a command for starting scanning exposure is output to the exposure control unit 23 to perform the same measurement. By performing the above measurement and adjustment until the output change according to the position of the illuminance sensor 38 does not occur, the movement error of the movable blind 15 with respect to the wafer stage 35 can be eliminated. That is, the movable blind 15 can be moved in a desired state.

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the movable blind 15 is moved while moving the illuminance sensor 38 in which the pinhole 41 is formed, and the movement error of the movable blind 15 is measured. In the embodiment, the movement error of the movable blind 15 is measured using a sensor having a light receiving surface extending in the scanning direction SD in place of the illuminance sensor 38 or separately from the illuminance sensor 38.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sensor having a light receiving surface extending in the scanning direction SD. In FIG. 9, reference numeral 50 denotes a sensor having a light receiving surface extending in the scanning direction SD. For example, a one-dimensional CCD can be used. When a one-dimensional CCD is used as the sensor 50, a large number of pixels are arranged on the light receiving surface along the scanning direction SD. The sensor 50 is disposed on the wafer stage 35 in order to measure the movement error of the movable blind 15. When measuring the movement error of the movable blind 15 using the sensor 50, the sensor 50 is positioned so that the light receiving surface crosses the exposure area EA in the scanning direction SD, and the position of the sensor 50 in the scanning direction SD is not changed. . That is, only the movable blind 15 is moved without moving the wafer stage 35 in the scanning direction SD. The position of the sensor 50 in the X direction can be arbitrarily set.

  When the movable blind 15 is moved in a state where the exposure light IL is emitted from the exposure light source 1, the image of the edge of the movable blind 15 formed on the wafer stage 35 is aligned with the movement of the movable blind 15. 35 is moved in the scanning direction SD. The position of the image of the edge of the movable blind 15 on the wafer stage 35 is detected based on the time change of the output signal from each pixel of the sensor 50 that occurs with the movement of the image of the edge. Since the position of the image of the edge of the movable blind 15 is known, the movement error (speed error) of the movable blind 15 can be obtained based on the output of the sensor 50.

  Based on the output of the sensor 50, the main control system 24 corrects the control information of the movable blind 15 so as to eliminate the control error of the movable blind 15 and sends it to the control unit 33. For example, the main control system 24 is a movable blind for setting the velocity error calculated in consideration of the projection magnification of the projection optical system PL and the magnification of the optical element arranged on the optical path from the movable blind 15 to the reticle R to zero. 15 movement speeds are calculated, and the calculation result is output to the drive control unit 33. In this way, the movement of the movable blind 15 is adjusted. For confirmation, the position of the image of the edge of the movable blind 15 on the wafer stage 35 may be confirmed using the sensor 50 again.

  In the above description, the case where a one-dimensional CCD is used as the sensor 50 has been described as an example. However, a two-dimensional CCD may be used, and a wafer as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-014005. You may use the aerial image measuring device for measuring the spatial distribution of the light (image) projected on W. When this aerial image measurement device is used, when the measurement visual field is narrow, the change in the edge image formation position is measured while moving the movable blind 15 in accordance with the movement of the movable blind 15 in the same manner as the illuminance sensor 38. As with the sensor 50, the movement of the edge image of the movable blind 15 can be measured without positioning and moving.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not restrict | limited to the said embodiment, It can change freely within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the illuminance sensor 35 or the sensor 50 is formed on the wafer stage 35 and the movement error of the movable blind 15 relative to the wafer stage 35 is measured has been described as an example. However, the movement error of the movable blind 15 may be measured by attaching a sensor similar to the illuminance sensor 35 or the sensor 50 to the reticle stage 31 and performing the same measurement. In this case, it is necessary to attach the sensor to a surface where the light receiving surface of the sensor is the same as the reticle surface or substantially conjugate with the reticle surface. These sensors may be configured to be removable from the reticle stage or wafer stage. In the above-described embodiment, the movable blind 15 is arranged in the illumination system. However, the projection optical system PL that forms a pattern image of the reticle R between the reticle R and the wafer W is used. In that case, a movable blind may be arranged in the projection optical system PL.

In the above-described embodiment, an ArF excimer laser light source has been described as an example of the exposure light source 1. However, as the exposure light source 1, for example, g-line (wavelength 436 nm) and i-line (wavelength 365 nm) are used. Ejecting ultra-high pressure mercury lamp, KrF excimer laser (wavelength 248 nm), ArF excimer laser (wavelength 193 nm), F ₂ laser (wavelength 157 nm), Kr ₂ laser (wavelength 146 nm), high-frequency generator of YAG laser, or semiconductor laser The high frequency generator can be used.

  Furthermore, a single wavelength laser beam in the infrared region or visible region oscillated from a DFB semiconductor laser or fiber laser as a light source is amplified by, for example, a fiber amplifier doped with erbium (or both erbium and yttrium), and nonlinear optics You may use the harmonic which wavelength-converted into the ultraviolet light using the crystal | crystallization.

In the above embodiment, the beam shaping system 5 including the lens systems 4a and 4b provided in the illumination optical system, the first fly-eye lens 6, the first lens system 7a, the second lens system 7b, and the second fly-eye lens. 9, glass systems of the lens systems 12 and 13, the imaging lens system 18, the condenser lens 19, and the main condenser lens system 20, and the refractive material constituting the projection optical system PL are fluorite (calcium fluoride). : CaF ₂ ) is used as an example. However, these are vacuum ultraviolet rays such as quartz crystals doped with fluoride crystals such as fluorite (calcium fluoride: CaF ₂ ) or mixed crystals thereof, or substances such as fluorine and hydrogen, depending on the wavelength of the exposure light IL. It is selected from optical materials that transmit light. The quartz glass doped with a predetermined substance has a reduced transmittance when the wavelength of the exposure light is shorter than about 150 nm. Therefore, when vacuum ultraviolet light having a wavelength of about 150 nm or less is used as the exposure light IL, an optical element is used. As the optical material, fluoride crystals such as fluorite (calcium fluoride) or mixed crystals thereof are used.

  The present invention can also be applied to an immersion exposure apparatus. The present invention is not limited to an exposure apparatus used for manufacturing a semiconductor element, but also used for manufacturing a display including a liquid crystal display element (LCD) or the like, and an exposure apparatus for transferring a device pattern onto a glass plate, a thin film magnetic head The present invention can also be applied to an exposure apparatus that is used for manufacturing and transfers a device pattern onto a ceramic wafer, and an exposure apparatus that is used to manufacture an image sensor such as a CCD. Furthermore, in an exposure apparatus that transfers a circuit pattern onto a glass substrate or a silicon wafer in order to manufacture a reticle or mask used in an optical exposure apparatus, EUV exposure apparatus, X-ray exposure apparatus, electron beam exposure apparatus, or the like. The present invention can also be applied. Here, in an exposure apparatus using DUV (far ultraviolet) light, VUV (vacuum ultraviolet) light, or the like, a transmission type reticle is generally used. As a reticle substrate, quartz glass, fluorine-doped quartz glass, fluorite, Magnesium fluoride or quartz is used. Further, in a proximity type X-ray exposure apparatus or an electron beam exposure apparatus, a transmission mask (stencil mask, membrane mask) is used, and a silicon wafer or the like is used as a mask substrate. Such an exposure apparatus is disclosed in WO99 / 34255, WO99 / 50712, WO99 / 66370, JP-A-11-194479, JP-A2000-12453, JP-A-2000-29202, and the like. .

  Next, an embodiment of a manufacturing method of a micro device using the exposure apparatus and the exposure method according to the embodiment of the present invention in the lithography process will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing example of a microdevice (a semiconductor chip such as an IC or LSI, a liquid crystal panel, a CCD, a thin film magnetic head, a micromachine, or the like). As shown in FIG. 10, first, in step S10 (design step), a function / performance design (for example, circuit design of a semiconductor device) of a micro device is performed, and a pattern design for realizing the function is performed. Subsequently, in step S11 (mask manufacturing step), a mask (reticle) on which the designed circuit pattern is formed is manufactured. On the other hand, in step S12 (wafer manufacturing step), a wafer is manufactured using a material such as silicon.

  Next, in step S13 (wafer processing step), as will be described later, an actual circuit or the like is formed on the wafer using lithography and the like using the mask and wafer prepared in steps S10 to S12. Next, in step S14 (device assembly step), device assembly is performed using the wafer processed in step S13. This step S14 includes processes such as a dicing process, a bonding process, and a packaging process (chip encapsulation) as necessary. Finally, in step S15 (inspection step), inspections such as an operation confirmation test and a durability test of the microdevice manufactured in step S14 are performed. After these steps, the microdevice is completed and shipped.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a detailed flow of step S13 of FIG. 10 in the case of a semiconductor device. In FIG. 11, in step S21 (oxidation step), the surface of the wafer is oxidized. In step S22 (CVD step), an insulating film is formed on the wafer surface. In step S23 (electrode formation step), an electrode is formed on the wafer by vapor deposition. In step S24 (ion implantation step), ions are implanted into the wafer. Each of the above steps S21 to S24 constitutes a pretreatment process at each stage of the wafer processing, and is selected and executed according to a necessary process at each stage.

  At each stage of the wafer process, when the above-described pre-processing step is completed, the post-processing step is executed as follows. In this post-processing step, first, in step S25 (resist formation step), a photosensitive agent is applied to the wafer. In step S26 (exposure step), the circuit pattern of the mask is transferred to the wafer by the lithography system (exposure apparatus) and the exposure method described above. Next, in step S27 (development step), the exposed wafer is developed, and in step S28 (etching step), the exposed members other than the portion where the resist remains are removed by etching. In step S29 (resist removal step), the resist that has become unnecessary after the etching is removed. By repeatedly performing these pre-processing steps and post-processing steps, multiple circuit patterns are formed on the wafer.

  If the microdevice manufacturing method of the present embodiment described above is used, it is unnecessary in the movable blind 15 in which the wafer W is exposed with the exposure light IL having a constant illuminance distribution and the speed is adjusted in the exposure step (step S26). The exposure light IL is effectively shielded, and unnecessary exposure light IL is not irradiated onto the wafer W. Therefore, a fine pattern formed on the reticle R can be accurately transferred onto the wafer W, and as a result, a highly integrated device having a minimum line width of about 0.1 μm can be produced with a high yield. .

1 is a diagram showing an outline of the overall configuration of an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the illumination intensity distribution in the scanning direction SD of the shape of the exposure area EA on the wafer W, and the exposure light IL irradiated to the exposure area EA. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an illuminance sensor 38. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the positional relationship of the movable blind 15 and the pinhole 41 in the measurement start time. It is a figure which shows an example of the positional relationship of the movable blind 15 and the pinhole 41 when there is no movement error of the movable blind 15. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the positional relationship of the movable blind 15 and the pinhole 41 in case the movable blind 15 moves faster than a desired control state. It is a figure which shows an example of the positional relationship of the movable blind 15 and the pinhole 41 in case the movable blind 15 moves late | slower than a desired control state. It is a figure which shows an example of the relationship between the position of the illumination intensity sensor 38 obtained when measuring the movement error of the movable blind 15, and its output. It is a figure which shows an example of the sensor which has the light-receiving surface extended in the scanning direction SD. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the manufacturing process of a microdevice. It is a figure which shows an example of the detailed flow of step S13 of FIG. 10 in the case of a semiconductor device.

Explanation of symbols

1 Exposure light source (light source)
15 Movable blind (shading member)
24 Main control system (control device)
31 Reticle stage (mask stage)
35 Wafer stage (substrate stage)
38 Illuminance sensor (detection device, sensor)
50 sensor (detection device)
EA exposure area (projection area)
EX exposure equipment IL exposure light PL projection optical system R reticle (mask)
SD Scanning direction W Wafer (substrate)

Claims (11)

While moving the mask and the substrate synchronously, while controlling the movement of the light shielding member that blocks unnecessary light of the exposure light from the light source in a predetermined direction according to the movement of at least one of the mask and the substrate, In an exposure apparatus for sequentially transferring the pattern formed on the mask onto the substrate,
A detection device that moves the light shielding member in the predetermined direction and optically detects at least a part of the image at a plurality of positions in a detection direction corresponding to the predetermined direction;
An exposure apparatus comprising: a control device that adjusts the movement of the light shielding member in the predetermined direction based on a detection result of the detection device.   The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection device includes a light receiving portion extending in the detection direction, and detects at least a part of the image of the light shielding member in a state where the light receiving portion is positioned.   The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection apparatus includes a detection unit movable in the detection direction, and detects at least a part of the image of the light shielding member while moving the detection unit.   The light receiving unit of the detection device is disposed on a pattern forming surface of the mask, an image surface on which an image of the mask pattern is formed, or a surface optically substantially conjugate with them. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2 or 3.   5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the light receiving unit of the detection apparatus is provided on a mask stage for holding the mask or a substrate stage for holding the substrate.   6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a light receiving unit of the detection apparatus is provided on the substrate stage and is also used for detecting a light amount distribution in a projection region on which an image of the mask pattern is projected. The mask and the substrate perform synchronous movement while moving in the respective scanning directions,
The exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the detection direction is parallel to a scanning direction of the mask or a scanning direction of the substrate.   A device manufacturing method using the exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The mask and the substrate are moved in synchronization with each scanning direction, and the movement of the light shielding member for shielding unnecessary light from the exposure light from the light source in a predetermined direction is controlled in accordance with the movement of the mask and the substrate. However, in the adjustment method of the exposure apparatus that projects the pattern formed on the mask onto the substrate via a projection optical system,
Moving the sensor arranged on the object plane or image plane of the projection optical system in the scanning direction, and moving the light shielding member in the predetermined direction;
A method of adjusting an exposure apparatus, comprising: obtaining a movement error of the light shielding member in the predetermined direction according to a change in light amount detected by the sensor.   9. The exposure apparatus adjustment method according to claim 8, wherein the sensor moves to a position where an edge image of the light shielding member is to be formed in accordance with the movement of the light shielding member in the predetermined direction. The mask and the substrate are moved synchronously, and the movement of the light shielding member that blocks unnecessary light out of the exposure light from the light source in a predetermined direction is controlled according to the movement of the mask and the substrate, and formed on the mask. In an exposure method for sequentially transferring the formed pattern onto the substrate,
An exposure method comprising an adjustment step of adjusting the movement of the light shielding member using the adjustment method according to claim 9.

Images