JP2011100947A - Vibration isolator and method of controlling the same, stage device, and exposure device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce damage to a structure even when vibration caused by an earthquake is applied. <P>SOLUTION: The structure 110 is supported by a plurality of gas spring devices 90 set to predetermined pressure respectively. A vibration isolator includes a detection device 60 which detects pieces of position information on the plurality of gas spring devices, a plurality of volume displacement adjusting devices 85 which are provided on the plurality of gas spring devices respectively to adjust volume displacements of the corresponding gas spring devices based upon detection results of detection device, and a control device which controls the plurality of volume displacement adjusting devices independently of one another. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vibration isolating apparatus, a control method therefor, a stage apparatus, and an exposure apparatus.

  Semiconductor devices and liquid crystal display devices are manufactured by a so-called photolithography technique in which a pattern formed on a mask is transferred onto a photosensitive substrate. An exposure apparatus used in this photolithography exposure process has a mask stage for supporting a mask and a substrate stage for supporting a substrate. A projection optical system is used to project a mask pattern while sequentially moving the mask stage and the substrate stage. To be transferred to the substrate.

  In such an exposure apparatus, in order to block the influence of vibration from the outside, a base part is fixed and installed on the floor part. On the base part, for example, an air spring device A structure including a projection optical system, a reticle stage, and the like is supported in a non-contact manner via a vibration isolator including an air mount.

  When large vibrations due to earthquakes, etc. are applied to the exposure system, it is expected that the main part on the air spring will drop off or collide with the outside or other members in the system, causing serious damage to the inside or outside of the system. The For this reason, a configuration for reducing damage to the structure is disclosed by detecting a change in position or acceleration of the structure constituting the exposure apparatus and detecting a vibration such as an earthquake based on the detection result. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-23885 JP 2006-138769 A

However, the following problems exist in the conventional technology as described above.
When large vibrations as described above are detected, it is conceivable that air is extracted (discharged) from the air spring device and the structure is seated and stabilized. However, the air amount of each air spring device and each air When there is a difference in the amount of exhaust from the spring device, the structures supported by the air spring devices may not be seated at the same time. In this case, a moment starting from the first seated position is generated, which may adversely affect the structure.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and is a vibration isolator capable of reducing damage to a structure even when vibration due to an earthquake or the like is applied, a control method thereof, a stage apparatus, and exposure. An object is to provide an apparatus.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following configuration corresponding to FIGS. 1 to 6 showing the embodiment.
The vibration isolator of the present invention is a vibration isolator (300) that supports a structure (110) with a plurality of gas spring devices (90) each set to a predetermined pressure, and each of the plurality of gas spring devices. A detection device (60) that detects position information, and a plurality of displacement adjustment devices that adjust the exhaust amount of the corresponding gas spring device provided in each of the plurality of gas spring devices based on the detection result of the detection device ( 85) and a control device (CONT) for independently controlling a plurality of displacement adjusting devices.

  The vibration isolator control method of the present invention is a vibration isolator control method for supporting a structure with a plurality of gas spring devices each set to a predetermined pressure, and each of the plurality of gas spring devices. A detection step of detecting position information; and an exhaust amount adjustment step of independently adjusting the exhaust amounts of the plurality of gas spring devices based on the detection result in the detection step.

  Therefore, in the vibration isolator of the present invention, by adjusting the displacement of the gas spring device independently according to the result of detecting the position information of each of the plurality of gas spring devices, a specific gas in the structure is obtained. Only the location of the structure supported by the spring device can be seated, and a moment can be prevented from being generated at the location of the structure supported by another gas spring device, and damage to the structure can be reduced. .

Moreover, the stage apparatus of the present invention includes the above-described vibration isolator.
The exposure apparatus of the present invention includes the stage device described above.
Therefore, in the stage apparatus and the exposure apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to prevent damage to the structure supported by the plurality of gas spring devices even when a large vibration is applied.
In order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, the description has been made in association with the reference numerals of the drawings showing one embodiment, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment.

  In the present invention, damage to the structure can be reduced even when vibrations such as earthquakes are applied.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the exposure apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the air mount of exposure apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control apparatus of exposure apparatus. It is a figure which shows the support state at the time of exposure. It is a figure which shows the support state at the time of a vibration generation. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the manufacturing process of the microdevice of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the detailed process of step S13 in FIG.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of a vibration isolator, its control method, stage apparatus, and exposure apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the exposure apparatus EX. The exposure apparatus EX moves the reticle (mask) R and the wafer (substrate) W synchronously in a one-dimensional direction while transferring the circuit pattern formed on the reticle R to each shot area on the wafer W via the projection optical system 30. This is a step-and-scan type scanning exposure apparatus, that is, a so-called scanning stepper.

  In the following description, the direction that coincides with the optical axis of the projection optical system 30 is the Z-axis direction, and the synchronous movement direction (scanning direction) between the reticle R and the wafer W in the plane perpendicular to the Z-axis direction is the Y-axis direction. A direction (non-scanning direction) perpendicular to the Z-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is taken as an X-axis direction. Further, the directions around the X, Y, and Z axes are the θX, θY, and θZ directions, respectively.

  The exposure apparatus EX includes an illumination optical system 10 that illuminates a reticle with illumination light from a light source 5, a reticle stage 20 that holds a reticle R, a projection optical system 30 that projects illumination light emitted from the reticle onto a wafer W, and a wafer. A wafer stage 40 for holding W, a main body frame 100 for holding the reticle stage 20 and the projection optical system 30, a main body frame 100, a base frame 200 for supporting the wafer stage 40, and the like are provided.

  The illumination optical system 10 includes a housing 11 and optical components including a relay lens system, an optical path bending mirror, a condenser lens system, and the like disposed in a predetermined positional relationship therein. The laser beam emitted from the light source 5 is incident on the illumination optical system 10 so that the sectional shape of the laser beam is shaped and illumination light (exposure light) having a substantially uniform illuminance distribution is irradiated onto the reticle. It has become.

  The illumination optical system 10 is supported by an illumination system support member 12. The illumination system support member 12 is fixed to the upper surface of the second gantry 120 constituting the main body frame 100, and is provided so as to extend in the Z-axis direction.

  The reticle stage 20 includes a reticle fine movement stage that holds the reticle R, a reticle coarse movement stage that moves together with the reticle fine movement stage with a predetermined stroke in the Y-axis direction, which is the scanning direction, and a linear motor that moves these, etc. (Not shown). The reticle fine movement stage is formed with a rectangular opening, and the reticle R is held by vacuum suction or the like by a reticle suction mechanism provided around the opening. The two-dimensional position and rotation angle of the reticle fine movement stage, and the position of the reticle coarse movement stage in the Y-axis direction are measured with high accuracy by a laser interferometer (not shown). Based on the measurement result, the position of the reticle R and The speed is controlled. The reticle stage 20 is levitated and supported on the upper surface of the second pedestal 120 through a non-contact bearing (not shown) (for example, a hydrostatic bearing).

  The projection optical system 30 is telecentric on both the object plane side (reticle side) and the image plane side (wafer side), and a reduction system that reduces at a predetermined projection magnification β (β is 1/5, for example) is used. ing. For this reason, when the illumination light (ultraviolet pulse light) is irradiated from the illumination optical system 10 to the reticle, the imaging light flux from the portion illuminated by the ultraviolet pulse light in the circuit pattern region formed on the reticle R is generated. A partially inverted image of the circuit pattern is incident on the projection optical system 30 and is slit-like or rectangular in the X-axis direction at the center of the field of view on the image plane side of the projection optical system 30 for each pulse irradiation of ultraviolet pulsed light (multiple The image is limited to a square shape. As a result, the partially inverted image of the projected circuit pattern is reduced and transferred to one resist layer among a plurality of shot areas on the wafer W arranged on the imaging plane of the projection optical system 30.

  The projection optical system 30 has a lower portion inserted into a hole 111 provided in the first frame 110 constituting the main body frame 100. A flange 31 is provided on the outer wall of the projection optical system 30. The projection optical system 30 is supported via the flange 31 in a state where the projection optical system 30 is inserted into the hole 111.

  The wafer stage 40 includes a wafer holder that holds the wafer W, an XY table 41 that is continuously moved in the Y-axis direction by a linear motor or the like integrally with the wafer holder, is stepped in the X-axis direction, and is further movable in the θZ direction. A surface plate 42 that supports the XY table 41 is provided. In order to level and focus the wafer W, the XY table 41 can perform minute movements in three directions: the Z-axis direction, the θX direction (rotation direction around the X axis), and the θY direction (rotation direction around the Y axis). There are 6 degrees of freedom as a whole. The wafer stage 40 includes a counter mass that moves in a direction opposite to the driving direction of the XY table 41 in order to cancel a reaction force generated when the XY table 41 is driven. The position of the XY table 41 in the XY direction and the rotation angle in the θX, θY, and θZ directions are measured with high accuracy by a laser interferometer (not shown). Based on the measurement result, the position of the XY table 41 and the wafer W Speed is controlled.

  The surface plate 42 provided on the wafer stage 40 is supported on the base portion 201 of the base frame 200 via the air mount 400. By the air mount 400, the wafer stage 40 is vibrationally separated from the base frame 200 and actively supported by vibration isolation.

  The main body frame 100 includes a first frame 110 that supports the projection optical system 30 and the like, and a second frame 120 that supports the reticle stage 20 and the like disposed above the projection optical system 30. The first pedestal 110 is made of a plate-shaped member, and includes a hole 111 formed slightly larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical projection optical system 30. The projection optical system 30 is inserted into the hole 111, and projection is performed. The optical system 30 is supported.

  An acceleration sensor 50 and a position sensor (detection device) 60 are attached to the first gantry 110. The acceleration sensor 50 is attached to, for example, the upper surface 110a of the first mount 110, and measures the acceleration of the first mount 110. The position sensor 60 is attached to, for example, the side surface 110b of the first mount 110, and measures the distance between the first mount 110 and the floor F with the floor F as a reference position. The position (that is, the position of the gas spring device 90 that supports the first mount 110) is measured. The attachment positions of the acceleration sensor 50 and the position sensor 60 are not limited to the above positions, and may be configured to be attached to other positions of the first mount 110. The acceleration sensor 50 and the position sensor 60 are connected to the control device CONT, and the measurement values of the acceleration sensor 50 and the position sensor 60 are transmitted to the control device CONT.

  The second pedestal 120 includes a support plate 121 on which the reticle stage 20 is placed, and a plurality of support columns 122 that extend downward from the lower surface of the outer peripheral portion of the support plate 121 and are connected to the first pedestal 110. In consideration of the stability of the second pedestal 120, the number of the support columns 122 is preferably three, but is not limited thereto. Further, the support board 121 and the plurality of support columns 122 may be structured to be coupled by fastening means such as bolts or may be formed integrally. When the support column 122 is fastened to the first mount 110 by fastening means such as bolts, the first mount 110 and the second mount 120 are integrally configured. The column 122 and the first frame 110 are adjusted and fastened so that the projection optical system 30 supported by the first frame 110 and the reticle stage 20 supported by the second frame 120 have a predetermined positional relationship. .

  The base frame 200 is placed substantially horizontally on the floor F of the clean room via, for example, three legs 211. The base frame 200 includes a base portion 201 on which the wafer stage 40 is placed, and a plurality of support columns 202 extending upward from the upper surface of the base portion 201 by a predetermined length. The base frame 200 floats and supports the main body frame (structure) 100 on a support column 202 via a plurality of (for example, three) air mounts (vibration isolation devices) 300. In consideration of the stability of the main body frame 100, it is desirable that there are three support columns 202, but this is not restrictive. The base portion 201 and the plurality of support columns 202 may be structured to be coupled by fastening means or the like, or may be a structure formed integrally.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the air mount 300 and the vicinity thereof.
The air mount 300 supports the main body frame 100, which is a structural body, on the base frame 200 while being vibrationally separated from the floor F, and includes a gas spring device 90 and a pressure adjustment device (displacement amount adjustment device) 85. And. The gas spring device 90 includes a housing 80 having an internal space 81 and a piston 82 connected to the housing 80 via a diaphragm 83. A protrusion (sitting part) 95 for seating the first mount 110 is provided on the housing 80 at a position facing the first mount 110.

  The pressure adjusting device 85 adjusts the pressure of the gas in the internal space 81, and supplies gas to the internal space 81 of the housing 80 via the pipe 86 in the normal state (first state). There is a first adjustment system (feed / discharge device) 85A that sucks the gas in the space 81 and a second adjustment system (discharge device) 85B that exhausts the gas in the internal space 81 in an abnormal state (second state). is doing. The first adjustment system 85A has a servo valve 87 connected to the pipe 86. The serve valve 87 adjusts the amount of gas supplied to the internal space 81 via the supply pipe 88A under the control of the control device CONT, and also adjusts the amount of gas discharged from the internal space 81 via the exhaust pipe 88B. The pressure in the internal space 81 is adjusted by adjusting the discharge amount.

  The second adjustment system 85 </ b> B is branched from the pipe 86, bypasses the serve valve 87, is connected to the exhaust pipe 88 </ b> B, an electromagnetic valve 91 interposed in the middle of the exhaust pipe 89, And a variable throttle 92 interposed downstream of the valve 91 on the exhaust side. The electromagnetic valve 91 opens and closes the exhaust pipe 89 under the control of the control device CONT. The variable throttle 92 adjusts the flow rate of the gas exhausted through the exhaust pipe 89 by the control of the control device CONT.

  The internal space 81 is in a state of being sealed by the inner wall of the housing 80, the piston 82 and the diaphragm 83, and a gas having a predetermined pressure is sealed by the pressure adjusting device 85. The first mount 110 abuts on the support surface 82 a of the piston 82 and is supported by the gas in the internal space 81 via the piston 82. By adjusting the pressure of the gas in the internal space 81 by the pressure adjusting device 85, the piston 82 can be moved in the Z-axis direction. The air mount 400 also has the same configuration as the air mount 300.

  At the time of exposure, the pressure of the gas in the internal space 81 is adjusted by the pressure adjusting device 85 so that the support surface 82a of the piston 82 is positioned at the height H1, for example. The position H2 is the position of the support surface 82a of the piston 82 when the pressure of the gas in the internal space 81 is about 70% during exposure. When the gas pressure in the internal space 81 is decreased, the support surface 82a of the piston 82 moves downward, and the support position of the first gantry 110 moves downward. The position H3 is the position of the upper end of the protrusion 95 when the support pressure of the internal space 81 is zero. When the pressure of the gas in the internal space 81 is zero, the height of the support surface 82a of the piston 82 matches the height of the upper end surface of the projection 95, and the first gantry 110 is formed by the projection 95 (housing 80). Will be supported.

  The control device CONT controls the exposure apparatus EX in an integrated manner. In addition, the control device CONT controls the positions of the reticle R and the wafer W based on the detection results of the laser interferometers provided on the reticle stage 20 and the wafer stage 40, and displays an image of the circuit pattern formed on the reticle R. The exposure operation for transferring to the shot area on the wafer W is repeatedly performed. Further, the control device CONT controls the operation of the serve valve 87, the electromagnetic valve 91, and the variable throttle 92 based on the measured values of the acceleration sensor 50 and the position sensor 60, so that the gas in the inner space 81 of the air mount 300 is controlled. The pressure is adjusted.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device CONT.
As shown in FIG. 3, the control device CONT has an input unit 71, a calculation unit 72, a determination unit 73, a pressure adjustment unit 74, a CPU 75 and a storage unit 76, and these units are connected via a bus line 77. Yes.

  The input unit 71 is a part for inputting various types of information. For example, the measurement value of the acceleration sensor 50 and the measurement value of the position sensor 60 are input. The calculation unit 72 is a part that performs various calculations and controls. The determination unit 73 is a part that determines whether or not various measurement values exceed a threshold value. The pressure adjustment unit 74 controls the operation of the pressure adjustment mechanism 85 of the air mount 300. The memory | storage part 76 is a site | part which records various information, for example, the threshold value used for judgment of a judgment part is memorize | stored. This threshold value can be set to an acceleration corresponding to seismic intensity 6 in the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity class, for example. This acceleration value is merely an example, and the threshold value may of course be set to another acceleration.

Next, the operation of the exposure apparatus EX configured as described above will be described.
In the exposure apparatus EX, an image of a circuit pattern in the illumination area of the reticle R is formed in a slit shape on the wafer W whose surface is coated with a resist at a projection magnification β via the projection optical system 30 under illumination light. It is projected onto the exposure area (area conjugate to the illumination area). In this state, the reticle R and the wafer W are synchronously moved in a predetermined scanning direction (X-axis direction), whereby the circuit pattern of the reticle R is transferred to one shot area on the wafer W.

  In the normal state, that is, in the first state during normal exposure in which no error information is generated, as shown in FIG. 2, the first adjustment in the pressure adjustment device 85 with the exhaust pipe 89 closed by the electromagnetic valve 91 is performed. The gas pressure in the internal space 81 of the air mount 300 is adjusted by the system 85A so that the upper end of the piston 82 is positioned at the position H1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a support state of the first gantry 110 at the time of exposure. As shown in FIG. 4, during exposure, exposure is performed while adjusting the pressure in the internal space 81 so that the position of the first gantry 110 in the Z-axis direction does not change.

  In this state, for example, when the floor portion F vibrates in a magnitude greater than a predetermined value due to the occurrence of an earthquake or the like, the vibration of the floor portion F is transmitted to the first frame 110 of the exposure apparatus 1. And the force by the said vibration is applied to the 1st mount frame 110. FIG. Further, the distance between the first gantry 110 and the floor portion F changes due to vibration. When the first mount 110 collides with or comes into contact with another member, an impact is applied to the projection optical system 30 supported by the first mount 110, and the projection optical system 30 is damaged. In addition, other members that have collided with the first mount 110 may be damaged. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the vibration is detected and the first gantry 110 is supported in an appropriate support state (predetermined state). Hereinafter, the image stabilization method of the exposure apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail.

First, when vibration is transmitted to the first gantry 110, the acceleration of the vibration based on the force applied to the first gantry is measured by the acceleration sensor 50. Further, the position sensor 60 measures the position of the first gantry 110 based on a change in the distance between the first gantry 110 and the floor F.
The determination unit 73 determines whether or not the measurement values of the acceleration sensor 50 and the position sensor 60 exceed the threshold value stored in the storage unit 76. When neither of the two measured values exceeds the threshold value, the gas pressure in the internal space 81 is not changed, and the first state described above is maintained.

  On the other hand, if at least one of the two measured values is an abnormal signal exceeding the threshold value, the control device CONT switches the pressure adjustment of the gas in the internal space 81 from the first adjustment system 85A to the second adjustment system 85B. . Specifically, the control device CONT stops gas supply / discharge through the servo valve 87 and drives the electromagnetic valve 91 to open the exhaust pipe 89. Thereby, the gas in the internal space 81 is discharged from the exhaust pipe 89 according to the exhaust amount set by the variable throttle 92 due to the support load of the first mount 110 transmitted through the piston 82. And piston 82 and the 1st mount 110 descend | fall as the gas of the internal space 81 is discharged | emitted and a pressure falls.

  At this time, the control device CONT determines the position of the support surface 82a of the piston 82 (the position of the first stand 110 and the gas spring device 90 based on the change in the distance between the first stand 110 and the floor F measured by the position sensor 60. In accordance with the position of the plurality of air mounts 300, the amount of restriction of the variable throttle 92 is adjusted so that the support surface 82a of the piston 82 simultaneously becomes the height of the upper end surface of the projection 95 in the plurality of air mounts 300. Control.

  For example, when the upper end surfaces of the protrusions 95 in the plurality of air mounts 300 are substantially the same height, and the plane formed by these upper end surfaces is a substantially horizontal plane, it is formed by the support surfaces 82a of the plurality of pistons 82. The amount of gas exhausted from each internal space 81 is adjusted so that the flat plane is also a substantially horizontal plane. When the plane formed by the upper end surfaces of the plurality of protrusions 95 is an inclined surface inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, the plane formed by the support surfaces 82a of the plurality of pistons 82 is parallel to the inclined surface. The exhaust amount of gas from each internal space 81 is adjusted so that

  In this manner, the gas in the internal space 81 is discharged and pressure is maintained in a state where the plane formed by the upper end surfaces of the plurality of protrusions 95 and the plane formed by the support surfaces 82a of the plurality of pistons 82 are kept parallel. By lowering the piston 82 (and the first mount 110) while lowering the height, the support surface 82a of the piston 82 simultaneously becomes the height of the upper end surface of the protrusion 95 in the plurality of air mounts 300. As a result, the first gantry 110 supported by the support surface 82a is simultaneously seated on the plurality of protrusions 95 provided.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a state when the position of the support surface 82a of the piston 82 is moved to the position H3 in FIG. 2 (illustration of the protrusion 95 is omitted in FIG. 5).
When the support surface 82a of the piston 82 is moved from the position H1 in FIG. 2 to the position H3 by the control device CONT, as shown in FIG. 5, the first pedestal 110 is moved from the support position 110P during exposure to the floor more than the support position 110P. It moves to a position (predetermined support position) 110Q close to the portion F and is supported at the support position 110Q. Thus, the state in which the first mount 110 is supported by the air mount 300 at the predetermined support position 110Q closer to the floor F than the support position 110P at the time of exposure is the predetermined state.

  In the predetermined state, the position of the center of gravity with respect to the floor portion F is lowered by the amount that the support position is close to the floor portion F, and the support state is stabilized. Become. When the pressure of the gas in the internal space 81 is reduced, for example, the wafer stage 40 is moved to a position off from directly below the projection optical system 30 so that the projection optical system 30 and the wafer stage 40 come into contact with each other. It is preferable to avoid this.

  When the vibration of the floor F stops and the exposure operation by the exposure apparatus 1 is performed again, the pressure adjustment of the gas in the internal space 81 is switched from the second adjustment system 85B to the first adjustment system 85A, and the support state of the first gantry 110 is changed. Must be returned to the first state during exposure. When the gas pressure in the internal space 81 is set to zero, it takes a long time to return the gas pressure in the internal space 81 to the pressure during exposure. For this reason, when shifting from the first state at the time of exposure to the predetermined state, the support surface 82a of the piston 82 is made to be slightly lower than the height of the upper end surface of the protrusion 95 or this height, It is preferable to set the pressure of the gas in the internal space 81 as high as possible.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the first gantry 110 is seated in response to the swing of the floor F, the control device CONT responds to the detection result of the position sensor 60 with the plurality of gas spring devices 90. Therefore, the first gantry 110 can be seated on the plurality of protrusions 95 substantially simultaneously. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to avoid the adverse effects that occur when the first gantry 110 is not seated at the same time, and it is possible to reduce the damage to the device by quickly responding to sudden shaking such as an earthquake. become.

  As described above, the preferred embodiments according to the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the examples. Various shapes, combinations, and the like of the constituent members shown in the above-described examples are examples, and various modifications can be made based on design requirements and the like without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the first gantry 110 is seated on the plurality of protrusions 95 at the same time in response to the abnormality signal. However, the lowering speed at the time of seating also adjusts the exhaust amount of the variable throttle 92. It is good also as a structure controlled by. That is, in order to alleviate the impact applied to the first gantry 110 when seated, it is preferable to adjust the exhaust amount of the variable throttle 92 so that the descending speed during seating becomes zero as much as possible.
In this case, by adjusting the exhaust amount so that the descending speed changes at a constant acceleration from the speed at which the descending is started by the exhaust through the variable throttle 92 until the first mount 110 is seated, It is preferable to reduce the adverse effect on the apparatus by reducing the applied force.

Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated as a structure which controls the exhaust_gas | exhaustion amount of several gas spring apparatus 90 independently according to the detection result of the position sensor 60, it is not limited to this, For example, several When the support load applied to the gas spring device 90 is uneven, the exhaust amount may be adjusted according to the magnitude of the support load.
For example, when the position of the center of gravity of the structure including the first gantry 110 is deviated from the center of the apparatus (on the optical axis of the exposure light) according to the position of the reticle stage 20 shown in FIG. There is a possibility that the support load applied to the gas spring device 90 is increased, and the amount of gas exhausted from the internal space 81 in the gas spring device 90 is increased as compared with others. Therefore, for example, by obtaining the position of the center of gravity of the structure from the position of the reticle stage 20 when an abnormal signal is issued, it is possible to predict the support load applied to each gas spring device 90 in advance and adjust the exhaust amount. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the displacement with higher accuracy and a shorter response speed.
Further, for example, depending on the position of the center of gravity of the structure and the position of the gas spring device 90, each first adjustment system 85A (servo valve) with a constant displacement corresponding to the magnitude of the support load to the gas spring device 90. 87) The gas may be discharged from the second adjustment system 85B with a small amount of exhaust gas according to the detection result of the position sensor 60 while discharging the gas.
In this case, it is possible to achieve both high-speed seating of the structure and highly accurate displacement adjustment.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although it was set as the structure which provided the acceleration sensor 50 and the position sensor 60 on the 1st mount 110, the structure which can detect the change of the speed of the 1st mount 110, for example by providing a speed sensor. It does not matter. These acceleration sensor, position sensor, and speed sensor may be configured to attach any one type of sensor, or may be configured to be combined with a plurality of types of sensors. When a plurality of types of sensors are combined and attached, any combination may be used.

  In the embodiment described above, the displacement adjustment is described for the air mount 300, but it is needless to say that the air mount 400 can be similarly applied.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although it was set as the structure which provides the protrusion 95 in which a structure seats to the gas spring apparatus 90, it is not limited to this, It is good also as a structure provided in another structure.

  Further, as the wafer W, not only a semiconductor wafer for manufacturing a semiconductor device but also a glass substrate for a display device, a ceramic wafer for a thin film magnetic head, and the like are applied.

  As the exposure apparatus EX, in addition to the step-and-scan type scanning exposure apparatus (scanning stepper) that scans and exposes the pattern of the reticle R by synchronously moving the reticle R and the wafer W, the reticle R and the wafer W It can also be applied to a step-and-repeat projection exposure apparatus (stepper) in which the pattern of the reticle R is collectively exposed while the wafer is stationary and the wafer W is sequentially moved stepwise.

  Further, in the step-and-repeat exposure, after the first pattern and the wafer W are substantially stationary, a reduced image of the first pattern is transferred onto the wafer W using the projection optical system, and then the second pattern With the projection optical system, the reduced image of the second pattern may be partially overlapped with the first pattern and batch exposure may be performed on the wafer W (stitch type batch exposure apparatus). ). Further, the stitch type exposure apparatus can be applied to a step-and-stitch type exposure apparatus in which at least two patterns are partially overlapped and transferred on the wafer W and the wafer W is sequentially moved.

  Further, as disclosed in, for example, US Pat. No. 6,611,316, two mask patterns are synthesized on a substrate via a projection optical system, and one shot on the substrate is obtained by one scanning exposure. The present invention can also be applied to an exposure apparatus that performs double exposure of a region almost simultaneously. The present invention can also be applied to proximity type exposure apparatuses, mirror projection aligners, and the like.

  As the exposure apparatus EX, US Pat. No. 6,341,007, US Pat. No. 6,400,441, US Pat. No. 6,549,269, US Pat. No. 6,590,634, US Pat. No. 6,208,407, and US Pat. The present invention can also be applied to a twin stage type exposure apparatus having a plurality of substrate stages as disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent No. 6262796.

  Furthermore, as disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,897,963, European Patent Application No. 1713113, etc., a substrate stage for holding a substrate, a reference member on which a reference mark is formed, and / or various photoelectric devices. The present invention can also be applied to an exposure apparatus that includes a measurement stage equipped with a sensor. An exposure apparatus including a plurality of substrate stages and measurement stages can be employed.

  Further, the present invention can also be applied to an immersion exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with exposure light via a liquid as disclosed in, for example, International Publication No. 99/49504 pamphlet. When the present invention is applied to an immersion exposure apparatus, the time required for return after stopping vibration can be shortened by setting the support pressure of the air mount 300 when vibration occurs to a value exceeding zero.

  The type of the exposure apparatus EX is not limited to an exposure apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor element that exposes a semiconductor element pattern on a wafer, but an exposure apparatus for manufacturing a liquid crystal display element or a display, a thin film magnetic head, an image sensor (CCD) Alternatively, it can be widely applied to an exposure apparatus for manufacturing a reticle or a mask.

  An exposure apparatus to which the present invention is applied assembles various subsystems including the constituent elements recited in the claims of the present application so as to maintain predetermined mechanical accuracy, electrical accuracy, and optical accuracy. It is manufactured by. In order to ensure these various accuracies, before and after assembly, various optical systems are adjusted to achieve optical accuracy, various mechanical systems are adjusted to achieve mechanical accuracy, and various electrical systems are Adjustments are made to achieve electrical accuracy. The assembly process from the various subsystems to the exposure apparatus includes mechanical connection, electrical circuit wiring connection, pneumatic circuit piping connection and the like between the various subsystems. Needless to say, there is an assembly process for each subsystem before the assembly process from the various subsystems to the exposure apparatus. When the assembly process of the various subsystems to the exposure apparatus is completed, comprehensive adjustment is performed to ensure various accuracies as the entire exposure apparatus. The exposure apparatus is preferably manufactured in a clean room where the temperature, cleanliness, etc. are controlled.

  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. 6 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing example of a micro device (a semiconductor chip such as an IC or LSI, a liquid crystal panel, a CCD, a thin film magnetic head, a micro machine, etc.).

  First, in step S10 (design step), function / performance design (for example, circuit design of a semiconductor device) of a micro device is performed, and 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), using the mask and wafer prepared in steps S10 to S12, an actual circuit or the like is formed on the wafer by lithography or the like, as will be described later. 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. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a detailed process of step S13 in the case of a semiconductor device.
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 pre-processing 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 pre-process is completed, the post-process is executed as follows. In this post-processing process, first, in step S25 (resist formation step), a photosensitive agent is applied to the wafer. Subsequently, 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), 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.

  Further, in order to manufacture reticles or masks used in not only microdevices such as semiconductor elements but also light exposure apparatuses, EUV exposure apparatuses, X-ray exposure apparatuses, electron beam exposure apparatuses, etc., from mother reticles to glass substrates and The present invention can also be applied to an exposure apparatus that transfers a circuit pattern to a silicon wafer or the like. Here, in an exposure apparatus using DUV (deep ultraviolet), 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. In proximity-type X-ray exposure apparatuses, electron beam exposure apparatuses, and the like, a transmissive 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. .

  60 ... Position sensor (detection device), 85 ... Pressure adjustment device (exhaust amount adjustment device), 85A ... First adjustment system (supply / discharge device), 85B ... Second adjustment system (discharge device), 90 ... Gas spring device, 95 ... Projection (sitting part), 100 ... Main body frame (structure), 300 ... Air mount (anti-vibration device), CONT ... Control device, EX ... Exposure device

Claims (11)

A vibration isolator that supports the structure with a plurality of gas spring devices each set to a predetermined pressure,
A detection device for detecting position information of each of the plurality of gas spring devices;
A plurality of exhaust amount adjusting devices that adjust the exhaust amount of the corresponding gas spring device provided in each of the plurality of gas spring devices based on the detection result of the detection device;
A control device for independently controlling each of the plurality of displacement adjustment devices;
A vibration isolator. A supply / discharge device for supplying and discharging gas to and from the gas spring device in a first state; and a discharge device for discharging gas from the gas spring device in a second state;
The anti-vibration device according to claim 1, wherein the control device switches between the first state and the second state in accordance with an abnormal signal.   The vibration control device according to claim 1, wherein the control device further independently controls the exhaust amount from the plurality of gas spring devices based on information on a gravity center position of the structure. Provided corresponding to each of the plurality of gas spring devices, and having a plurality of seating portions for seating the structure,
The detection device detects position information from a reference position of the plurality of gas spring devices,
4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control device causes the structure to be seated on the plurality of seating portions so that position information of the plurality of gas spring devices obtained by the detection device satisfies a predetermined relationship. 5. The vibration isolator according to one item.   The said detection apparatus is a vibration isolator as described in any one of Claim 1 to 4 with which two or more are provided corresponding to each of these gas spring apparatuses.   A stage apparatus provided with the vibration isolator as described in any one of Claims 1-5.   An exposure apparatus comprising the stage apparatus according to claim 6. A method of controlling a vibration isolator that supports a structure with a plurality of gas spring devices each set to a predetermined pressure,
A detection step of detecting position information of each of the plurality of gas spring devices;
An anti-vibration device control method comprising: an exhaust amount adjustment step of independently adjusting the exhaust amount of each of the plurality of gas spring devices based on a detection result in the detection step. Supplying and discharging gas to and from the gas spring device in a first state;
A step of discharging the gas by independently and variably controlling the exhaust amount from the plurality of gas spring devices in the second state;
The method for controlling a vibration isolator according to claim 8, further comprising a step of switching between the first state and the second state in accordance with an abnormal signal.   Furthermore, the control method of the vibration isolator of Claim 8 or 9 which adjusts the exhaust_gas | exhaustion amount from these gas spring apparatuses independently based on the information regarding the gravity center position of the said structure. Corresponding to each of the plurality of gas spring devices, a plurality of seating portions for seating the structure are provided,
11. The structure according to claim 8, wherein the structure is seated on the plurality of seating portions so that position information of the plurality of gas spring devices obtained in the detection step satisfies a predetermined relationship. Control method of vibration isolator.

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