JP2022176233A - Object holding device and exposure equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent rise and falling of a plurality of support members having a support surface supporting an object.

SOLUTION: An object holding device comprises: a plurality of support members having support surfaces that support objects; a base portion that supports the plurality of support members; a pipeline portion provided between the plurality of support members and the base portion and having a pipeline for feeding gas between the plurality of support members and the base portion; and a connection portion that connects the plurality of support members in a state where each support surface of the plurality of support members supported by the base portion about a vertical direction is positioned in a predetermined range.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to an object holding device and an exposure apparatus, and more particularly to an object holding device that holds an object and an exposure device that includes the object holding device.

Conventionally, in the lithography process for manufacturing electronic devices (microdevices) such as liquid crystal display elements and semiconductor elements (integrated circuits, etc.), a pattern formed on a mask or reticle (hereinafter collectively referred to as "mask") is exposed to an energy beam. is used to transfer onto a glass plate or wafer (hereinafter collectively referred to as "substrate").

In this type of exposure apparatus, there is known a substrate holding device in which a substrate holder of a substrate stage device holds the substrate by, for example, vacuum suction (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

A substrate holding device is required to hold a substrate with high flatness.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0266961

The present invention has been made under the circumstances described above, and according to a first aspect, a plurality of support members each having a support surface for supporting an object, a base portion for supporting the plurality of support members, and the a pipe line portion provided between a plurality of support members and the base portion and having a pipe line for supplying gas between the plurality of support members and the object; and a connection portion that connects the plurality of support members in a state in which each support surface of the plurality of support members is positioned within a predetermined range.

According to a second aspect, an exposure apparatus comprising: an object holding device of the present invention; and a pattern forming device for forming a predetermined pattern on the object held by the object holding device using an energy beam; is provided.

According to a third aspect, there is provided a method of manufacturing a flat panel display, including exposing the substrate using the exposure apparatus of the present invention and developing the exposed substrate.

According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a device manufacturing method including exposing the object using the exposure apparatus of the present invention and developing the exposed object.

It is a figure showing roughly composition of a liquid crystal exposure device concerning one embodiment. It is a figure which shows the fine movement stage with which the liquid crystal exposure apparatus of FIG. 1 is equipped (partially abbreviate|omission of an upper surface). 3 is an exploded view of the fine movement stage of FIG. 2; FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the fine movement stage of FIG. 2; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 4; 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 4; FIG. It is the top view which removed some members from the fine movement stage. It is a figure for demonstrating the assembly procedure of a fine movement stage. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a chuck portion included in the fine movement stage; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a pipe line portion and a holder portion included in the fine movement stage; It is the top view seen from the back side of the chuck part. It is a figure which shows an example of the modification of a fine movement stage. FIG. 13 is a plan view of the fine movement stage of FIG. 12; FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the fine movement stage of FIG. 12; It is a figure which shows an example of the fastening structure of a chuck part. It is a figure which shows the other example of the fastening structure of a chuck|zipper part. It is a figure which shows an example of the lifting prevention structure of a chuck part. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the structure for preventing the chuck part from rising. It is a figure which shows the lapping process with respect to a fine movement stage. FIG. 10 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining the procedure for replacing the chuck part; FIG. 11 is a diagram (part 2) for explaining the procedure for replacing the chuck part; FIG. 13 is a diagram (part 3) for explaining the replacement procedure of the chuck part; FIG. 12 is a diagram (part 4) for explaining the replacement procedure of the chuck part; It is a figure which shows the back surface of the chuck part for exchange. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining another example (part 1) of the procedure for replacing the chuck unit; FIG. 26 is a plan view of a chuck portion used in the replacement procedure according to FIG. 25; It is a figure for demonstrating the other example (part 2) of the replacement|exchange procedure of a chuck part. FIG. 28 is a view showing the back surface of the chuck part used in the replacement procedure according to FIG. 27; It is a figure which shows the modification of a chuck part. It is a figure for demonstrating the collision prevention structure of adjacent chuck parts.

An embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 30. FIG.

FIG. 1 schematically shows the configuration of an exposure apparatus (here, a liquid crystal exposure apparatus 10) according to one embodiment. The liquid crystal exposure apparatus 10 is a step-and-scan projection exposure apparatus, a so-called scanner, which uses an object (here, a glass substrate P) as an exposure target. A glass substrate P (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate P”) is formed into a rectangular shape (square shape) in a plan view, and is used for a liquid crystal display device (flat panel display) or the like.

The liquid crystal exposure apparatus 10 includes an illumination system 12, a projection optical system 14, a substrate stage device 20 that holds a substrate P whose surface (the surface facing the +Z side in FIG. 1) is coated with a resist (sensitizer), and these components. It has a control system, etc. Hereinafter, the direction in which the mask M and the substrate P are scanned relative to the projection optical system 14 during exposure is defined as a first direction (here, the X-axis direction), and the direction orthogonal to the X-axis in the horizontal plane is defined as a second direction. (here, the Y-axis direction), the direction perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis is the Z-axis direction (the direction parallel to the optical axis direction of the projection optical system 14), and the directions of rotation about the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis. are the θx, θy, and θz directions, respectively. Also, the positions in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions will be described as the X position, the Y position, and the Z position, respectively.

The illumination system 12 is configured in the same manner as the illumination system disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,729,331, etc., and irradiates the mask M with exposure illumination light (illumination light) IL. As the illumination light IL, light such as i-line (wavelength 365 nm), g-line (wavelength 436 nm), h-line (wavelength 405 nm) (or combined light of the i-line, g-line, and h-line) is used.

As the mask M, a transmissive photomask is used. A predetermined circuit pattern is formed on the lower surface of the mask M (the surface facing the -Z side in FIG. 1). The mask M is driven by a predetermined long stroke in the scanning direction (X-axis direction) by a mask stage device (not shown).

A projection optical system 14 is arranged below the mask M. As shown in FIG. The projection optical system 14 is a so-called multi-lens projection optical system having the same configuration as the projection optical system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,552,775. It comprises a plurality of lens modules that form a

In the liquid crystal exposure apparatus 10, when the illumination light IL from the illumination system 12 illuminates the illumination area on the mask M, the illumination light IL passing through the mask M illuminates the illumination area through the projection optical system 14. A projected image (partial erect image) of the circuit pattern of the inner mask M is formed in an irradiation area (exposure area) of the illumination light conjugate to the illumination area on the substrate P. FIG. The mask M moves relative to the illumination area (illumination light IL) in the scanning direction, and the substrate P moves relative to the exposure area (illumination light IL) in the scanning direction. Scanning exposure of one shot area is performed, and the pattern formed on the mask M is transferred to the shot area.

The substrate stage device 20 is a device for controlling the position of the substrate P with respect to the projection optical system 14 (illumination light IL) with high accuracy. It is driven with a predetermined long stroke and finely driven in directions of 6 degrees of freedom. The configuration of the substrate stage device (excluding the fine movement stage 22) used in the liquid crystal exposure apparatus 10 is not particularly limited. A substrate stage device 20 having a so-called coarse and fine movement configuration is used, which includes a gantry type two-dimensional coarse movement stage and a fine movement stage that is finely driven with respect to the two-dimensional coarse movement stage.

The substrate stage device 20 includes a fine movement stage 22, a Y coarse movement stage 24, an X coarse movement stage 26, a self-weight support device 28, and the like.

The fine movement stage 22 is generally formed in a plate shape (or box shape) that is rectangular in plan view (see FIG. 2), and the substrate P is mounted on its upper surface (substrate mounting surface). The dimensions of the upper surface of the fine movement stage 22 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions are set to be about the same as the substrate P (actually, somewhat shorter). The substrate P is placed on the upper surface of the fine movement stage 22 and held by vacuum suction on the fine movement stage 22 , so that almost the entire surface (entire surface) is flattened along the upper surface of the fine movement stage 22 . Therefore, it can be said that the fine movement stage 22 of this embodiment is a member having the same function as the substrate holder provided in the conventional substrate stage device. A detailed configuration of the fine movement stage 22 will be described later.

The Y coarse movement stage 24 is arranged below the fine movement stage 22 (on the −Z side). The Y coarse movement stage 24 has a pair of X beams 30a. The X beam 30a consists of a member having a rectangular YZ section extending in the X-axis direction. The pair of X beams 30a are arranged parallel to each other at a predetermined interval in the Y-axis direction. The Y coarse movement stage 24, which includes a pair of X beams 30a, is driven with a predetermined long stroke in the Y-axis direction by a Y actuator (not shown).

The X coarse movement stage 26 is arranged above the Y coarse movement stage 24 (on the +Z side) and below the fine movement stage 22 (between the fine movement stage 22 and the Y coarse movement stage 24). The X coarse movement stage 26 is a plate-like member that is rectangular in plan view, and is mounted on a pair of X beams 30a via a plurality of mechanical linear guide devices 30b. The X coarse movement stage 26 is movable relative to the Y coarse movement stage 24 in the X-axis direction, while it moves integrally with the Y coarse movement stage 24 in the Y-axis direction. The X coarse movement stage 26 is driven with a predetermined long stroke in the X axis direction by a plurality of X actuators 30c with respect to the Y coarse movement stage 24 . Although a linear motor is illustrated as the X actuator 30c in FIG. 1, the type of the X actuator is not particularly limited. Similarly, the type of Y actuator for driving the Y coarse movement stage 24 is not particularly limited.

A Y stator 32 a is attached to the upper surface of the X coarse movement stage 26 . The Y stator 32a, together with the Y mover 32b attached to the side surface of the fine movement stage 22, is a Y linear motor (a voice coil motor in this embodiment) for applying thrust to the fine movement stage 22 in the Y-axis direction. configure. In the substrate stage device 20, a plurality of Y linear motors are spaced apart in the X-axis direction. Although not shown, the substrate stage device 20 also has a plurality of X linear motors for applying thrust in the X-axis direction to the fine movement stage 22 . The configuration of the X linear motor is the same as the Y linear motor, except for the different placement. That is, an X stator is attached to the upper surface of the X coarse movement stage 26, and an X mover is attached to the side surface of the fine movement stage 22, respectively.

The main controller (not shown) controls the relative positions of the fine movement stage 22 and the X coarse movement stage 26 to fall within a predetermined range when the X coarse movement stage 26 moves in the X-axis and/or Y-axis directions. Using the plurality of X, Y linear motors, the fine movement stage 22 is applied with thrust in directions of three degrees of freedom in the horizontal plane (X-axis, Y-axis, and θz directions), and the plurality of X, Y linear motors are used. , the fine movement stage 22 is finely driven with respect to the X coarse movement stage 26 in the directions of three degrees of freedom in the horizontal plane. Positional information of the fine movement stage 22 in the directions of three degrees of freedom in the horizontal plane is obtained by a laser interferometer (not shown) using a bar mirror 34b fixed to the fine movement stage 22 via a mirror base 34a. Although only the Y bar mirror extending in the X-axis direction is shown in FIG. An X-bar mirror extending in the Y-axis direction is fixed. A measurement system using a laser interferometer is disclosed, for example, in US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0018950, etc., so description thereof will be omitted. The positional information of the fine movement stage 22 in the directions of three degrees of freedom in the horizontal plane may be obtained using an encoder system having a head and a scale instead of an interferometer.

A Z stator 36 a is attached to the upper surface of the X coarse movement stage 26 . The Z stator 36a, together with a Z mover 36b attached to the lower surface of the fine movement stage 22, is a Z linear motor (a voice coil motor in this embodiment) for applying a Z-axis direction thrust to the fine movement stage 22. configure. In the substrate stage device 20, the Z linear motors are arranged at least at three locations that are not on the same straight line. A main controller (not shown) uses a plurality of Z linear motors to finely drive the fine movement stage 22 with respect to the X coarse movement stage 26 in the Z tilt directions (Z axis, θx, and θy directions). Positional information of the fine movement stage 22 in the Z tilt direction is obtained by a Z sensor 38a attached to the lower surface of the fine movement stage 22 using a target 38b attached to the self-weight support device 28. FIG. In the substrate stage device 20, the Z sensors 38a (and corresponding targets 38b) are arranged at least at three non-collinear locations. A measurement system using a plurality of Z sensors 38a is disclosed, for example, in US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0018950, etc., so description thereof will be omitted.

The dead weight support device 28 includes a weight cancellation device 40a that supports the weight of the fine movement stage 22 from below, and a Y step guide 42a that supports the weight cancellation device 40a from below.

The weight cancellation device 40 a is inserted into an opening formed in the X coarse movement stage 26 . The weight cancellation device 40a is mechanically connected to the X coarse movement stage 26 via a plurality of connecting members 40b, and moves together with the X coarse movement stage 26 in the X-axis and/or Y-axis direction. do. The weight cancellation device 40a supports the weight of the fine movement stage 22 from below via the leveling device 44 without contact. This allows the fine movement stage 22 to move relative to the weight cancellation device 40a in the X-axis, Y-axis, and .theta.z directions, and to swing relative to the horizontal plane (relative movement in the .theta.x and .theta.y directions). The configuration and functions of the weight canceling device 40a are disclosed in US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0018950 as an example, and thus description thereof is omitted.

The Y step guide 42a is made of a member extending parallel to the X axis and arranged between the pair of X beams 30a. The weight cancellation device 40a is mounted on the Y step guide 42a via the air bearing 40c. The Y step guide 42a is placed on the pedestal 16 via a mechanical linear guide device 42b, and is movable relative to the pedestal 16 in the Y-axis direction. Limited. The pedestal 16 is part of a member that supports the projection optical system 14 and the like, and is vibrationally separated from the Y coarse movement stage 24 and the X coarse movement stage 26 . The Y step guide 42a is mechanically connected to the pair of X beams 30a via a plurality of connecting members 42c. The Y step guide 42 a is pulled by the Y coarse movement stage 24 to move together with the Y coarse movement stage 24 in the Y-axis direction.

Next, the configuration of the fine movement stage 22 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2 , the fine movement stage 22 includes a surface plate section 50 , a pipeline section 60 , a base section 72 and a chuck section 74 . The surface plate portion 50 is formed in a rectangular box shape in plan view, and the pipeline portion 60 and the holder portion 70 are each formed in a plate shape in a plan view rectangular shape. In the fine movement stage 22, a pipeline section 60 is arranged (stacked) on a surface plate section 50, a base section 72 is arranged (stacked) on the pipeline section 60, and a chuck section 74 is arranged on the base section 72 ( By stacking), it has a four-layer structure as a whole.

The length and width direction (X-axis and Y-axis directions) of the surface plate portion 50, the pipeline portion 60, the base portion 72, and the chuck portion 74 are set to be substantially the same. The dimension of the portion 50 in the thickness direction (Z-axis direction) is set to be larger (thick) than those of the pipeline portion 60 , the base portion 72 , and the chuck portion 74 . The total dimension of the surface plate portion 50 , the pipeline portion 60 , and the base portion 72 in the thickness direction (Z-axis direction) is set larger (thick) than the chuck portion 74 . Moreover, the total weight of the surface plate portion 50, the pipeline portion 60, and the base portion 72 is heavier than that of the chuck portion 74, for example, about 2.5 times the weight.

A surface plate portion 50 that is the bottom layer is a portion that serves as the base of the fine movement stage 22 . The platen portion 50 includes a lower surface portion 52, an upper surface portion 54, an outer wall portion 56, and a honeycomb structure 58, as shown in FIG. Each of the lower surface portion 52 and the upper surface portion 54 is a plate-like member that is rectangular in plan view and made of CFRP (carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic). The outer wall portion 56 is a rectangular frame-shaped member in plan view, and is made of an aluminum alloy or CFRP. The inside of the outer wall portion 56 is filled with a honeycomb structure 58 . The honeycomb structure 58 is made of aluminum alloy. Although only a part of the honeycomb structure is shown in FIG. 3 from the viewpoint of avoiding complication of the drawing, the honeycomb structure 58 is actually arranged inside the outer wall portion 56 with almost no space. (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

The outer wall portion 56 filled with the honeycomb structure 58 has the upper surface portion 54 adhered to its upper surface and the lower surface portion 52 adhered to its lower surface. As a result, the surface plate portion 50 has a so-called sandwich structure, is lightweight and highly rigid (especially highly rigid in the thickness direction), and is easy to manufacture. In addition, the materials for forming the respective elements that constitute the surface plate portion 50 are not limited to those described above, and can be changed as appropriate. Moreover, the fastening structure of the lower surface portion 52, the upper surface portion 54, and the outer wall portion 56 is not limited to adhesion.

An opening 52 a is formed in the central portion of the lower surface portion 52 . In the honeycomb structure 58, recesses (hollows) are formed in portions corresponding to the openings 52a (see FIGS. 5 and 6), and the above-described leveling device 44 is fitted into the recesses. Here, the structure of the leveling device 44 is not particularly limited as long as it has a function of supporting the fine movement stage 22 so as to be swingable with respect to the horizontal plane (in the θx and θy directions). Accordingly, although FIG. 1 illustrates a spherical bearing device, the leveling device 44 is not limited to this, and may be a resilient hinge device as shown in FIGS. It may be a pseudo-spherical bearing device as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010/0018950.

The pipeline section 60 includes a plurality of pipes 62 extending in the Y-axis direction, and the plurality of pipes 62 are arranged side by side in the X-axis direction. The dimension in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction) of the pipe 62 is set to be substantially the same as the dimension in the Y-axis direction of the surface plate portion 50 . The number of pipes 62 is not particularly limited, and can be changed as appropriate according to the desired performance required of fine movement stage 22 . In FIG. 6 and the like, the number of pipes 62 is shown to be smaller than the actual number in order to facilitate understanding of the configuration and function of the fine movement stage 22 . Also, the cross-sectional shape of the XZ cross section of the pipe 62 is not particularly limited. In FIG. 6 and the like, a so-called square pipe having a rectangular XZ cross section is used as the pipe 62, but it is not limited to this, and a so-called round pipe as shown in FIG. 12 may be used. When a round pipe is used, it is preferable to process the round pipe so that the upper surface and the lower surface of the outer peripheral surface of the round pipe are parallel to each other (so that the cross section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction is barrel-shaped). In this embodiment, the pipe 62 is made of CFRP, but the material of the pipe 62 is also not particularly limited and can be changed as appropriate. If CFRP is not used as the material for the pipe 62, it is preferable to use a member having a coefficient of expansion different from that of CFRP. Further, although it has been described that the plurality of pipes 62 extend in the Y-axis direction and are arranged side by side in the X-axis direction, the present invention is not limited to this, and the plurality of pipes 62 are arranged so as to extend in the X-axis direction and be arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction. Also good.

As shown in FIG. 3, the base portion 72 is a rectangular thin plate member in plan view, and is made of stone, ceramics, or the like. Although the material of the base portion 72 is not particularly limited, it is preferable to use a material that has excellent hardness and can be easily processed with high accuracy. In the fine movement stage 22 , a plurality of base portions 72 are mounted on a plurality of pipes 62 forming the conduit portion 60 . Each base portion 72 is laid on the pipeline portion 60 in a state of being in close contact with each other (contacting to an extent that the gap is negligible), and is fixed to the plurality of pipes 62 with an adhesive.

Each base portion 72 is processed (eg, by lapping) such that the surface (the surface opposite to the surface to be bonded to the pipe 62) has a very high degree of flatness. In addition, the surface height positions of the plurality of base portions 72 are adjusted so that the difference in level between the base portions 72 is substantially negligible in a state where the plurality of base portions 72 are spread over the pipeline portion 60 . there is Note that if a plane having an area equivalent to that of the substrate P (see FIG. 1) can be formed above the pipeline portion 60, the size (area) of each base portion 72 can be as shown in FIG. , may have a common size, or, as shown in FIG. 7, base portions 72 of different sizes may be mixed. Also, the total number of base portions 72 is not particularly limited, and the base portion 72 may be composed of one sheet. Although it has been described that the base portion 72 is processed so as to have a very high degree of flatness, the present invention is not limited to this. One or part of the base portions 72 may be lower than the other base portions 72, or the base portions 72 may be partially missing or have a recess. As will be described later, it is sufficient that the chuck portion 74 is flat when placed on the base portion 72 , and the base portion 72 may have a chip or recess smaller than the size of the chuck portion 74 .

The surface height position adjustment between the base portions 72 described above is preferably performed by lapping or the like. In this case, the lapping process can be performed with various accessories (the bar mirror 34b, the movers 32b and 36b, and the plurality of chuck parts 74) attached to the fine movement stage 22, taking into consideration the deflection so as to achieve the desired accuracy. desirable. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the vicinity of the end portion of the upper surface of the base portion 72 is chamfered. A groove is formed. The V-shaped groove is filled with a joint material 72a to prevent moisture from entering between adjacent base portions 72 during lapping.

Returning to FIG. 3, the chuck portion 74 is a portion on which the substrate P (see FIG. 1) is placed. The chuck portion 74 sucks and holds the substrate P in cooperation with the pipeline portion 60 and the base portion 72 . The chuck portion 74 is a thin plate-like member having a rectangular shape in a plan view, and is made of ceramics or the like. Generation of static electricity from the substrate P can be suppressed by forming the chuck portion 74 from ceramics. Although the material of the chuck portion 74 is not particularly limited, it is preferable to use a material that is lightweight and can be easily processed with high accuracy. By using a lightweight material as the material of the base portion 72, deformation of the base portion and/or the pipe portion 60 can be prevented. The thickness (eg, 8 mm) of the chuck portion 74 is set thinner than the thickness (eg, 12 mm) of the base portion. In the fine movement stage 22, a plurality of chuck portions 74 are laid on a flat surface formed by laying a plurality of base portions 72 (partially not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3). The chuck portion 74 is held by suction on the corresponding base portion 72 (below the chuck portion 74). A structure for attracting and holding the chuck portion 74 to the base portion 72 (a structure for attracting and holding the chuck portion 74) will be described later.

One (one) chuck portion 74 is set to have a smaller area than one (one) base portion 72 . Although the example shown in FIG. 3 shows the case where two chuck portions 74 are placed on one base portion 72 , the chuck portions placed on one base portion 72 The number of 74 is not particularly limited. Also, the area of one chuck portion 74 is not limited to the above. . In the case of the same area, one chuck portion 74 may be mounted on one base portion 72, or if the chuck portion 74 has a larger area, one chuck portion may be mounted. 74 may be supported by a plurality of base portions 72 . Note that the base portion 72 and the chuck portion 74 may be collectively referred to as the holder portion 70 . In this case, the holder section 70 has a two-layer structure of a base section 72 (lower layer) and a chuck section 74 (upper layer). As described above, the fine movement stage 22 has a four-layer structure including the surface plate portion 50, the pipeline portion 60, the base portion 72, and the chuck portion 74. The surface plate portion 50, the pipeline portion 60, and the holder portion It can also be said that it is a three-layer structure consisting of 70 .

In the fine movement stage 22 , a substrate mounting surface is formed by a plurality of chuck portions 74 mounted (covered) on a plurality of base portions 72 . Each chuck portion 74 is processed with high accuracy so that the thickness is substantially the same. Therefore, the substrate mounting surface of the fine movement stage 22 formed by the plurality of chuck portions 74 follows the plane formed by the plurality of base portions 72 and has a high degree of flatness. The chuck part 74 is mounted on the base part 72 so as to be replaceable and separable. Further, the chuck portion 74 is placed on the surface plate portion 50 and/or the pipeline portion 60 so as to be replaceable/separable.

Next, the configuration of the chuck portion 74 will be described. The fine movement stage 22 is a so-called pin chuck type holder, and as shown in FIG. The multiple pins 74a are arranged at substantially equal intervals. Since the diameter of the pin 74a in the pin chuck type holder is very small (for example, about 1 mm in diameter) and the width of the peripheral wall portion 74b is narrow, the possibility of supporting the back surface of the substrate P by catching dust or foreign matter can be reduced. It is also possible to reduce the possibility of deformation of the substrate P due to the pinching of the foreign matter. The number and arrangement of the pins 74a are not particularly limited, and can be changed as appropriate. The peripheral wall portion 74 b is formed so as to surround the outer periphery of the upper surface of the chuck portion 74 . The plurality of pins 74a and the peripheral wall portion 74b are set to have the same height position (Z position) of the tip. In addition, the upper surface of the chuck portion 74 is subjected to various surface treatments such as coating treatment and ceramic thermal spraying so that the surface becomes black in order to suppress reflection of the illumination light IL (see FIG. 1).

In the fine movement stage 22, the substrate P (see FIG. 1) is placed on the plurality of pins 74a and the peripheral wall portion 74b, and a vacuum suction force is supplied to the space surrounded by the peripheral wall portion 74b. The air inside is vacuum-sucked, so that the substrate P is held by suction on the chuck portion 74 . The substrate P is flattened along the tips of the plurality of pins 74a and the peripheral wall portion 74b. A structure for attracting and holding the substrate P to the chuck portion 74 (a structure for attracting and holding the substrate P) will be described later.

Further, the fine movement stage 22 is configured such that a substrate P (see FIG. 1) is placed on the plurality of pins 74a and the peripheral wall portion 74b, and a pressurized gas (such as compressed air) is supplied to the space surrounded by the peripheral wall portion 74b. , the adsorption of the substrate P on the substrate mounting surface can be released. A structure for releasing the adsorption of the substrate P on the substrate mounting surface, in other words, for floating the substrate P on the substrate mounting surface (floating support structure for the substrate P) will be described later.

Also, as shown in FIG. 11, a plurality of pins 74c and 74d and a peripheral wall portion 74e are formed on the lower surface of the chuck portion 74 as well. That is, the lower surface of the chuck portion 74 also has a pin chuck structure. When the chuck portion 74 is placed on the base portion 72 , the tips of the plurality of pins 74 c and 74 d and the peripheral wall portion 74 e contact the upper surface of the base portion 72 . The plurality of pins 74c, 74d are arranged at substantially equal intervals. The pin 74d has a larger (thicker) radial dimension than the pin 74c, and has a wider contact area with the base portion 72 (see FIG. 10) than the pin 74c. Through-holes 74f and 74g are provided approximately in the center of the pin 74d. These through holes 74f and 74g are configured to pass through the chuck portion 74, respectively, and communicate with the through hole 72b communicating with the suction pipe 62b provided in the base portion 72 and the through hole of the exhaust pipe 62c. It communicates with the through-hole of the base portion 72 . The through-hole 74f is a hole for sucking air, and the space (air) formed by the pin chuck formed on the upper surface of the chuck part 74 and the substrate P is vacuum-sucked through the through-hole 74f to Adsorb and hold. The through hole 74g is a compressed air exhaust hole for exhausting (blowing out) air, and is configured to have a diameter (opening diameter) smaller than that of the through hole 74f. At the time of releasing, air having a force sufficient to float the substrate P is blown through the through hole 74g.

The number and arrangement of the pins 74c and 74d are not particularly limited and can be changed as appropriate. The positions of the plurality of pins 74a and the plurality of pins 74c and 74d in the XY direction may be the same, or may be arranged at different positions. The peripheral wall portion 74 e is formed so as to surround the outer periphery of the lower surface of the chuck portion 74 . The plurality of pins 74c, 74d and the peripheral wall portion 74e are set to have the same height position (Z position) of the tip. In the fine movement stage 22, the chuck portion 74 is attracted and held by the base portion 72 by supplying a vacuum suction force to the space surrounded by the peripheral wall portion 74e while the chuck portion 74 is placed on the base portion 72. be. That is, on the lower surface (rear surface) side of the base portion 72 and the chuck portion 74, through a space (a space to be vacuum-sucked) surrounded by the base portion 72, the peripheral wall portion 74e of the chuck portion 74, the pins 74c, and the pins 74d. , the chuck portion 74 is fixed to the base portion 72 . On the other hand, as described above, the through-holes 74f and 74g on the lower surface of the chuck portion 74 are arranged so as to communicate with the through-holes of the base portion 72, so that they are not fixed to the base portion 72. .

Here, the fixing of the chuck portion 74 to the base portion 72 in this embodiment means that while the chuck portion 74 is being partially sucked (the above-mentioned space) under the lower surface of the chuck portion 74 as in the above-described vacuum suction, , to maintain a state in which it does not peel off from the base portion 72 (no positional deviation in the Z direction) and does not cause relative positional deviation with respect to the base portion 72 (positional deviation in the X and Y directions). Furthermore, when this vacuum adsorption is released and the action of the aforementioned adsorption force on the chuck portion 74 disappears, the chuck portion 74 can be detached (removed) from the base portion 72 . Although it has been described that the chuck portion 74 is placed along the plane formed by the plurality of base portions 72, it does not have to be a plane. If the surface formed by the plurality of base portions 72 and the lower surface of the chuck portion 74 have substantially the same shape, the plurality of base portions 72 may be curved rather than flat.

Here, the fine movement stage 22 has various mechanisms for preventing the plurality of chuck portions 74 from floating from the base portion 72 . In the examples shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, a plate-like convex portion 76 is formed on the +Y side end of the chuck portion 74, and a concave portion (convex portion) corresponding to the convex portion 76 is formed on the −Y side end of the chuck portion 74. 76, not shown) are formed. Adjacent chuck portions 74 are mechanically fastened by mating projections 76 with corresponding recesses. Also, the chuck portion 74 arranged along the outer periphery of the fine movement stage 22 is mechanically fastened to the base portion 72 by fastening members 78 . Each chuck portion 74 may be fastened to the surface plate portion 50 or the pipeline portion 60 (see FIG. 12). The fastening members 78 are provided at the corners of the base portion 72, the platen portion 50, or the pipeline portion 60, for example, on the +X side and the +Y side, and separate members are used to attach the chuck portion from the -X side and the -Y side. 74 may be pressed against the fastening member 78 for fastening.

In addition, in the example of the fastening structure shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, concave portions 176 are formed at the ends of the chuck portion 74 on the +Y side and the −Y side, respectively, and band-shaped members 178 ( band 178) is inserted. The band 178 is fastened to the surface plate portion 50 (which may be the base portion 72 or the pipeline portion 60 ), thereby preventing the chuck portion 74 from floating from the base portion 72 .

Note that the fastening structure of the chuck portion 74 and the lifting prevention structure can be changed as appropriate. Although the convex portion 76 and the concave portion corresponding to the convex portion 76 are provided at the Y side end portion of the chuck portion 74, they may be provided at the X side end portion. You may make it provide in both ends. In the example shown in FIG. 15, concave portions 276 (mortise holes) are formed in the chuck portion 74 and both end portions in the Y-axis direction. 278 are assembled with an adhesive or the like. In this example, since the main body portion of the chuck portion 74 does not have a protrusion on the surface during molding, it can be processed with high precision to obtain desired outer dimensions. Moreover, if the tenon 278 is not made of a brittle material, it is resistant to chipping.

Also, in the example shown in FIG. 16, a magnet 374 is embedded in the lower surface side of the chuck portion 74 . In this case, by forming the base portion 72 from a magnetic material, it is possible to prevent the chuck portion 74 from floating up and falling off. In this case, each chuck portion 74 may not be connected. In order to more reliably prevent the chuck portions 74 from floating or falling off, the chuck portions 74 may be connected. Alternatively, the magnet 374 of the chuck portion 74 may be used to temporarily fix the chuck portion 74 to the base portion 72 , and the chuck portion 74 may be attracted and held to the base portion 72 .

12 to 14, each chuck portion 74 is fastened to the surface plate portion 50 by a strip-shaped band 178, but as shown in FIG. Each chuck part 74 may fasten. 18, instead of the band 178 (see FIG. 13) and wire rope 476 (see FIG. 17), a single bar 576 is inserted between the adjacent chuck portions 74. can be In this case, the concave portion 578 formed at the end of the chuck portion 74 in the Y-axis direction is preferably formed to have a triangular cross section so that one bar 576 straddles the pair of chuck portions 74 .

Next, the sucking and holding structure of the chuck portion 74, the sucking and holding structure of the substrate P, and the floating support structure of the substrate P in the fine movement stage 22 described above will be described with reference to FIG. 7 and the like. As described above, the pipeline section 60 of the fine movement stage 22 is composed of a plurality of pipes 62 . As shown in FIG. 7, the plurality of pipes 62 includes a suction pipe 62a for supplying a vacuum suction force for sucking the chuck portion 74, and a suction pipe for supplying a vacuum suction force for sucking the substrate P. 62b, an exhaust pipe 62c for supplying pressurized gas for floating the substrate P, and a pipe 62d arranged in the gap between the pipes 62a to 62c. Vacuum suction force or pressurized gas is not supplied to the pipe 62d, and it functions exclusively as a member for supporting the plurality of base portions 72 together with the pipes 62a to 62c. Note that FIG. 7 shows an example in which the chuck portion 74 is placed on a set of five pipes 62 (two pipes 62a, one pipe 62b, and two pipes 62c) via the base portion 72 ( An example in which a set of five pipes 62 are arranged corresponding to one chuck portion 74) is shown, but the number, combination, arrangement, etc. of the pipes 62a to 62c are not limited to this, and may be used as appropriate. Change is possible. Further, instead of providing the suction pipe 62b and the exhaust pipe 62c separately, a dual-purpose pipe 62e may be provided that also serves the respective functions.

As shown in FIG. 10, a plug 64 is fitted to one longitudinal end (-Y side end in this embodiment) of the substrate suction pipe 62b. A plug 66 with a joint (hereinafter simply referred to as "joint 66") is fitted to the other end of the pipe 62b in the longitudinal direction. A vacuum suction force (see the black arrow in FIG. 10) is supplied to the joint 66 from the outside of the fine movement stage 22 via a conduit member (tube, etc.) not shown (the inside of the pipe 62b is brought into a vacuum state). When the dual-purpose pipe 62e is provided, the vacuum suction force and pressurized gas are switchably supplied.

A plurality of through holes 68 are formed in the upper surface of the pipe 62b. A through hole 72b is formed in the base portion 72 of the holder portion 70 at a position in the XY plane substantially the same as the through hole 68 when placed on the pipe 62b. Further, in the chuck portion 74 of the holder portion 70, a through hole 74f is formed at a position where the through holes 68, 72b and the positions in the XY plane are substantially the same when placed on the base portion 72. . The through holes 68, 72b, and 74f communicate with each other, and when a vacuum suction force is supplied to the inside of the pipe 62b, the peripheral wall portion 74b (see FIG. 9) is supplied with a vacuum suction force. As a result, the fine movement stage 22 attracts and holds the substrate P (see FIG. 1) placed on the chuck portion 74 .

The strength of the vacuum suction force supplied to the through holes 68, 72b, and 74f may be changed according to the position within the fine movement stage. By increasing the strength of the vacuum suction force supplied to the through holes 68, 72b, and 74f arranged in the central portion of the fine movement stage 22, the air pool generated in the central portion of the substrate P can be eliminated. Also, the strength of the vacuum suction force may be weakened when the air pool disappears. Further, the vacuum suction force supplied to the through holes 68, 72b, and 74f arranged in the central portion of the fine movement stage 22 is supplied earlier than the through holes 68, 72b, and 74f arranged in the peripheral portion of the fine movement stage 22, that is, the time difference It is also possible to supply the Here, as shown in FIG. 11, the through hole 74f is formed so as to pass through the pin 74d (thick pin), and the vacuum suction force from the pipe 62b is supplied to the lower surface side of the chuck portion 74. never

9 shows an example in which two through-holes 74f are formed in the chuck portion 74, the number and arrangement of the through-holes 74f (corresponding through-holes 68 and 72b are the same) It is not limited and can be changed as appropriate. Incidentally, the diameters of the through holes 68, 72b, and 74f may be different. By increasing the diameter of the through-hole positioned lower, that is, by making the diameter of the through-hole 68 larger than the diameter of the through-hole 74f, or vice versa, by increasing the diameter of the through-hole positioned higher. Alternatively, the diameter of the through hole 74 f may be made larger than the diameter of the through hole 68 . This facilitates alignment when stacking (mounting) the chuck portion 74, the base portion 72, and the pipe 62b. Further, the diameters of the through holes 68, 72b, 74f may be increased as the through holes 68, 72b, 74f are located closer to the center of the fine movement stage. Also, the diameters of the through holes 68, 72b, and 74f may be increased as they are closer to the plug 64 in the Y-axis direction.

The sucking and holding structure of the chuck portion 74 is configured substantially the same as the sucking and holding structure of the substrate P described above. That is, a plug 64 and a joint 66 are fitted to both ends of the pipe 62a for sucking the chuck portion, and a vacuum suction force is supplied from the outside of the fine movement stage 22 to the inside of the pipe 62a via the joint 66. FIG. A through hole is formed in the upper surface of the pipe 62a (see FIG. 7), and through the through hole and the through hole formed in the base portion 72 (see FIG. 7), a peripheral wall portion 74e of the lower surface of the chuck portion 74 is provided. (see FIG. 11) a vacuum suction force is supplied to the enclosed space. Reference character D in FIG. 11 indicates a region corresponding to the through hole formed in the base portion 72, and it can be seen that the vacuum suction force is supplied to a position that does not overlap the pins 74c and 74d.

In the above-described embodiment, the vacuum suction method (structure) was described as a method (structure) for fixing the chuck portion 74 to the base portion 72. However, the method (structure) for fixing the chuck portion 74 is not limited to suction. None. For example, the chuck portion 42 may be fixed to the base portion 72 by bonding a portion of the back surface of the chuck portion 74 to the base portion 72 with an adhesive. In this case, the performance required for the adhesive that adheres the chuck portion 74 and the base portion 72 is that the two are easy to separate and difficult to shift. When the adhesive hardens, it becomes very hard and expands, and it is required that the adhesive does not lift the chuck portion 74 from the base portion 72, that is, it does not cause a step. Since the flatness of the upper surface of the chuck portion 42 is determined by the close contact between the back surface of the chuck portion 74 and the base portion 72, the adhesive is pasty before hardening and enters the grooves on the back surface of the chuck portion 42, but after hardening, it is elastic. A rubber-like material is preferable, and for example, it is preferable to use a moisture-curable, peelable deformed silicone-based sealing material.

Further, as a method for fixing the chuck portion 74 to the base portion 72, the above-described vacuum suction method and adhesion method may be used together.

It should be noted that since air cannot be taken in and out from the place where the adhesive is applied to the chuck portion 74, when the adhesive is applied to the back surface of the chuck portion 74, an air flow path and a Apply in a position that does not block the suction hole.

A magnet is built in the chuck portion 74, and the base portion 72 (see FIG. 2, etc.) is made of a magnetic material, and the chuck portion 474 is fixed to the base portion 72 by the magnetic force of the magnet. can be

It is also conceivable to reverse the relationship between the magnet and the magnetic material so that the chuck portion 74 is made of a magnetic material and the base portion 72 is provided with the magnet. In some cases, static electricity is likely to be generated on the surface of the chuck portion 74, so countermeasures against static electricity (use of a static eliminator) are required. It is also necessary to take countermeasures against heat generated by the exposure light and heat transferred from the stage, and temperature control (use of cooling gas).

In addition, when the chuck portion 74 cannot be sucked and held (vacuum sucked) to the base portion 72 during transportation or assembly of the apparatus, the chuck portion 74 is prevented from slipping from the base portion 72 using the above-mentioned adhesive, magnet, or the like. You can make it so that it does not come off.

The floating support structure for the substrate P is also constructed substantially in the same manner as the suction holding structure for the substrate P described above. That is, when the pressurized gas is supplied to the pipe 62c for floating the substrate, the through holes formed in the pipe 62c, the through holes of the base portion 72 communicating with the through holes, and the through holes of the chuck portion 74 respectively communicate with the through holes. Pressurized gas is supplied into the peripheral wall portion 74b via 74g (see FIG. 9). As a result, the fine movement stage 22 can float the substrate P (see FIG. 1) placed on the chuck portion 74 from below. As described above, the substrate P is sucked and held by the pipe line portion 60, the base portion 72, and the chuck portion 74, and the surface thereof is corrected along the substrate mounting surface. In other words, it can be said that the three-layer structure of the pipeline section 60, the base section 72, and the chuck section 74 functions as a substrate holder.

Note that the fine movement stage 22 may have floating pins for floating the substrate P from the chuck portion 74 using a mechanical member. The levitation pin has a surface that abuts on the substrate P, and is composed of a rod-shaped member that supports the surface. The surfaces of the floating pins and the upper surface of the chuck portion 74 form a substrate mounting surface. In addition, the floating pins function as a structure for preventing the chuck portions 74 from floating by being arranged between the chuck portions 74 . Note that the number and arrangement of floating pins are not particularly limited.

Although the pipeline section 60 has been described as having a plurality of pipes 62, grooves are provided in one or a plurality of plate-like members, and the grooves are covered by the surface plate section 50 and/or the base section 72. By doing so, a flow path through which pressurized gas (compressed air, etc.) flows may be formed, or a flow path to which vacuum suction force is supplied (air in the space is vacuum-sucked) may be formed. .

In the liquid crystal exposure apparatus 10 (see FIG. 1) configured as described above, the substrate P is loaded onto the fine movement stage 22 by a plate loader (not shown) under the control of a main controller (not shown). At the same time, alignment measurement is performed using an alignment detection system (not shown), and after completion of the alignment measurement, a plurality of shot areas set on the substrate P are sequentially subjected to a step-and-scan exposure operation. Since this exposure operation is the same as the conventional step-and-scan exposure operation, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

During the alignment measurement and scanning exposure, the fine movement stage 22 holds the substrate P by suction. Further, the fine movement stage 22 is moved to the lower surface of the substrate P during pre-alignment operation before the substrate P to be exposed is mounted on the substrate mounting surface, or when the exposed substrate P is unloaded to an external device. Pressurized gas is ejected to release the adsorption of the substrate P from the substrate mounting surface.

According to the fine movement stage 22 (substrate holder) according to the present embodiment described above, the substrate mounting surface (substrate holding surface) is formed by tiling the plurality of chuck portions 74 on the plane formed by the plurality of base portions 72 . ) is formed, the flatness of the substrate mounting surface can be easily ensured simply by processing the thickness of each chuck portion 74 with high accuracy. Moreover, since the chuck part 74 is smaller than the size of the substrate P, it can be easily processed with high precision and good flatness. Moreover, it is easy to use a ceramic material, which is lightweight and highly rigid, but difficult to increase in size, as the chuck part 74 .

Further, in the substrate stage device 20, replacement of the fine movement stage 22 is efficient because it is possible to replace only the desired chuck portion 74 without replacing the entire substrate mounting portion.

Moreover, since each chuck portion 74 is fixed to the base portion 72 by vacuum suction, the chuck portions 74 can be evenly attracted. Therefore, deformation of the chuck portion 74 can be suppressed.

Further, since the fine movement stage 22 has the surface plate portion 50, which is the bottom layer, made of a honeycomb structure, it is lightweight and has high rigidity, and can hold the substrate P with good flatness.

Further, in the fine movement stage 22, since the pipe line portion 60 is arranged (inserted) between the surface plate portion 50 and the base portion 72, the base portion 72 is more likely to move than when the pipe line member is separately connected to the holder portion 70. , and the arrangement (including replacement) of the chuck part 74, the assembly of the fine movement stage 22 is easy.

Although the fine movement stage 22 has been described as having a four-layer structure including the surface plate portion 50, the pipeline portion 60, the base portion 72, and the chuck portion 74, the upper surface of the pipeline portion 60 has the same flatness as the upper surface of the base portion 72. can be formed, the base portion 72 does not have to be laminated on the pipeline portion 60 . In this case, it can be said that the fine movement stage 22 has a three-layer structure of the surface plate section 50 , the pipeline section 60 and the chuck section 74 .

Next, a procedure for assembling the fine movement stage 22 and a method for exchanging the chuck portion 74 will be described. The fine movement stage 22 is assembled, for example, by placing the holder section 70 on the pipeline section 60 after the pipeline section 60 is loaded on the surface plate section 50 . As described above, the holder portion 70 is formed by laying a plurality of base portions 72 to form a highly flat plane, and laying a plurality of chuck portions 74 on the plane.

Here, each of the plurality of chuck portions 74 is processed with high precision so as to have a uniform thickness. can be difficult.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 19, after a plurality of chuck portions 74 are spread over the plane formed by the plurality of base portions 72, the surface formed by the plurality of chuck portions 74 (substrate mounting surface) is On the other hand, by performing lapping, the substrate mounting surface is processed into a flat surface with high accuracy (flatness). In the present embodiment, the object to be processed is the large-sized fine movement stage 22, so lapping is performed by hand lapping in which the lapping tool 98 is manually moved with respect to the object to be processed. As a result, the fine movement stage 22 having a very flat substrate mounting surface can be manufactured without strictly controlling the thickness of each of the plurality of chuck portions 74 . In order to prevent moisture used during hand wrapping from permeating below the chuck portion 74, the seams between the adjacent base portions 72 are waterproofed using a joint material (see FIG. 10) or the like as described above. preferably. Also, although FIG. 19 shows the case where lapping is performed in a state in which each chuck portion 74 is vacuum-sucked and held with respect to the base portion 72, this suction-holding need not always be performed.

Further, since the chuck portion 74 is formed with a plurality of small-diameter pins 74a that come into contact with the substrate P, there is a possibility that the pins 74a may be damaged or the surface processing (such as the film) may be damaged. As described above, in this embodiment, it is possible to pinpoint replace only the chuck portion 74 in which the defect has occurred, so the efficiency is good, but the chuck portion 74 attached after the replacement and the other (existing) chuck portions 74, there is a possibility that a minute step will occur.

In the example shown in FIG. 20 , the replacement chuck portion 174 is formed thinner than the existing chuck portion 74 . An adhesive is applied to the lower surface of the chuck portion 174 along the outer periphery (tip of the peripheral wall portion 74e). Further, the adhesive is applied so as to surround the gas supply and vacuum suction holes formed in the chuck portion 174 . As shown in FIG. 24, a groove is formed around the tip of the peripheral wall portion 74e and the hole formed in the pin 74d, and the adhesive is applied to the groove. The adhesive preferably cures when exposed to air and can be easily peeled off after curing. Note that the groove for applying the adhesive may be formed in the base portion 72 .

As shown in FIG. 21 , the chuck portion 174 is thinner than the other chuck portions 74 , so a step is formed between the chuck portions 174 and 74 . Therefore, a plate 98 made of ceramics is bridged between the pair of chuck portions 74 adjacent to the replacement chuck portion 174 . The plate 98 may be made of a material other than ceramics as long as it is a substantially rigid body. Since the chuck portion 174 is thinner than the chuck portion 74 , a gap is formed between the upper surface of the chuck portion 174 and the lower surface of the plate 98 .

Next, as shown in FIG. 22, compressed air is supplied from the base portion 72 arranged below the chuck portion 174 . A plurality of the flow paths are formed in the base portion 72 along the longitudinal direction of the pipe 62 (here, the Y-axis direction), and some of them are formed narrower on the upper surface side. As shown in FIG. 24, the lower surface of the replacement chuck portion 174 is formed with a bearing surface 74h that protrudes downward in the same manner as the pin 74c. It is ejected against. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 22, the chuck part 174 floats above the base part 72 due to the static pressure of the compressed air and comes into close contact with the lower surface of the plate 98 . In this state, the adhesive hardens after a predetermined period of time. After curing, the adhesive functions as a part of the peripheral wall portion 74e and as a pipeline for gas supply and gas suction.

Then, as shown in FIG. 23, when the plate 98 installed between the pair of chuck portions 74 is removed, the height position of the surface of the chuck portion 174 becomes substantially the height position of the surface of the other chuck portions 74. be in a consistent state. Thereby, the overall flatness of the substrate mounting surface formed by the plurality of chuck portions 74 and the replacement chuck portion 174 is ensured. According to the replacement direction of the chuck part 74 described above, only the desired chuck part 74 (part of the substrate mounting surface) can be easily replaced without removing the fine movement stage 22 from the substrate stage device 20 .

It should be noted that the procedure for positioning and fixing the replacement chuck portion 174 is not limited to this. In the example shown in FIG. 26, a plug 94 that can be easily removed from above is attached to a vacuum suction through hole 74f (see FIG. 9) formed in the chuck portion 174. In the example shown in FIG. Further, a pipe line for ejecting pressurized gas to float and support the substrate P is formed inside a pin 74i that is somewhat thicker than the other pins 74a. 74 g of through-holes for gas ejection are opened. In this case, as shown in FIG. 25, a joint 98a for vacuum suction is connected to the plate 98, and the replacement chuck portion 174 is vacuum-sucked from the upper surface side so that the other chuck portion 74 can be pulled out. and the height position of the top surface are aligned. Plug 94 is removed after the adhesive cures. According to this example, unlike the example described above (see FIG. 24, etc.), there is no need to process the back surfaces of the base portion 72 and the chuck portion 174 for air flow.

In the example shown in FIGS. 27 and 28, the replacement chuck portion 174 is formed with a plurality of threaded holes penetrating in the thickness direction, and set screws 74j are screwed into the screws. . A tool hole 98b having a larger diameter than the screw diameter of the set screw 74j is formed through the plate 98 in the thickness direction at a position coinciding with the screw hole. In this example, when the tool 98c is inserted through the tool hole 98b and the set screw 74j is turned, the tip of the set screw 74j abuts against the base portion 72, after which the chuck portion 174 is lifted from the base portion 72 and brought into close contact with the plate 98. . In this example, since air (high pressure, vacuum pressure) is not required to align the surface position of the upper surface of the chuck portion 174 for replacement and the surface position of the upper surface of the existing chuck portion 74, the replacement work of the chuck portion 74 is performed. is easy. In the example shown in FIGS. 27 and 28, the height position of the upper surface of the chuck portion 174 is mechanically defined by the set screw 74j. It is not limited to a curable material, and an elastic material such as a caulking agent may be used.

Note that the configuration of the fine movement stage 22 and the like according to the embodiment described above is an example, and can be changed as appropriate. As with the chuck portion 474 according to the modification shown in FIG. 29, the entire chuck portion 474 may be made of a porous material. The substrate P may be sucked and held by supplying a vacuum suction force to the porous material. In this case, it is preferable to incorporate a magnet inside the chuck portion 474, form the base portion 72 (see FIG. 2, etc.) from a magnetic material, and adhere (fix) the chuck portion 474 to the base portion 72 by magnetic force.

As a method for fixing the chuck portion 474 made of a porous material to the base portion 72, the above-described method using an adhesive may be used. In addition, a part of the lower surface of the chuck part 474 made of a porous material is provided with a region that can be vacuum-sucked (for example, a hollow is formed in a part, and a member that prevents air leakage (rubber etc.) to form a space that can be vacuum-sucked, etc., may be fixed by vacuum suction. Further, by forming the chuck part 474 from a porous material and supplying pressurized gas to the porous material as described above, it is possible to obtain a non-contact holder that floats and supports the substrate P. A plurality of microscopic holes communicating with the conduit section 60 are formed on the upper surface (substrate mounting surface) of the chuck section 474 made of a porous material. The non-contact holder 32 floats the substrate P by ejecting the pressurized gas (for example, compressed air) supplied from the pipeline portion 60 onto the lower surface of the substrate P through (part of) the hole. In addition, the non-contact holder sucks the air between the lower surface of the substrate P and the substrate support surface by a vacuum suction force in combination with the ejection of the pressurized gas. As a result, a load (preload) acts on the substrate P, and the substrate P is flattened along the upper surface of the non-contact holder. That is, the substrate P can be levitated and supported (non-contact supported) on the chuck portion 474 while the substrate P is being flattened (flattened).

Further, as in the modification shown in FIG. 30, a cushioning member 676 may be inserted between the adjacent chuck portions 74 in order to prevent the adjacent chuck portions 74 from colliding with each other. The cushioning member 676 is preferably made of a viscoelastic material.

Note that the configuration of the embodiment described above can be changed as appropriate. In the above-described embodiment, the fine movement stage 22 can selectively support the substrate P in a non-contact manner (ejection of pressurized gas to the lower surface of the substrate P) and hold the substrate P by suction (vacuum suction of the substrate P). However, the configuration is not limited to this, and a configuration in which only one of these functions is performed may be used.

In the above-described embodiment, each chuck portion 74 is fixed to the base portion 72 by a vacuum suction force (fixed in a state in which it is not mechanically constrained). It may be fixed to the base portion 72 with an adhesive or the like. In this case, in order to secure the stability of the chuck portion 74 and the ease of replacement, the adhesive is less deformable when cured and can be easily peeled off, such as an epoxy resin adhesive. It is preferred to use an adhesive. In this case, it is preferable to apply a release agent or a release agent to the base portion 72 or the chuck portion 74 in advance in order to facilitate the separation from the base portion 72 . As the release agent and mold release agent, it is preferable to use a fluorine-based mold release agent that has a thin coating film (for example, about 0.1 to 1.0 μm) and a low surface tension.

In addition, although the fine movement stage 22 of the present embodiment is movable in two axial directions in the horizontal plane with a long stroke, it is not limited to this, and can be moved in only one axial direction in the horizontal plane with a long stroke. , or the position in the horizontal plane may be fixed. Further, although the fine movement stage 22 is configured to be finely movable in directions of six degrees of freedom in the horizontal plane, the configuration of the above embodiments may be applied to a substrate holding member (substrate holder) that is not configured to be finely moved.

The illumination light may be ultraviolet light such as ArF excimer laser light (wavelength 193 nm), KrF excimer laser light (wavelength 248 nm), or vacuum ultraviolet light such as F ₂ laser light (wavelength 157 nm). As the illumination light, infrared or visible single-wavelength laser light emitted from a DFB semiconductor laser or fiber laser is amplified by a fiber amplifier doped with erbium (or both erbium and ytterbium), A harmonic wavelength-converted into ultraviolet light using a nonlinear optical crystal may also be used. Alternatively, a solid-state laser (wavelength: 355 nm, 266 nm) or the like may be used.

Also, the case where the projection optical system 14 is a multi-lens projection optical system having a plurality of optical systems has been described, but the number of projection optical systems is not limited to this, and may be one or more. Further, the projection optical system is not limited to the multi-lens type projection optical system, and may be a projection optical system using a large Offner-type mirror. Also, the projection optical system 14 may be an enlargement system or a reduction system.

In addition, the application of the exposure apparatus is not limited to the exposure apparatus for liquid crystals that transfers the liquid crystal display element pattern onto a rectangular glass plate, but the exposure apparatus for manufacturing organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) panels, and for manufacturing semiconductors. exposure equipment, thin-film magnetic heads, micromachines, and exposure equipment for manufacturing DNA chips. In addition to microdevices such as semiconductor elements, glass substrates, silicon wafers, etc. are also used for manufacturing masks or reticles used in optical exposure apparatuses, EUV exposure apparatuses, X-ray exposure apparatuses, electron beam exposure apparatuses, and the like. It can also be applied to an exposure apparatus that transfers a circuit pattern to a substrate.

Also, the object to be exposed is not limited to a glass plate, and may be other objects such as a wafer, a ceramic substrate, a film member, or mask blanks. Moreover, when the exposure target is a substrate for a flat panel display, the thickness of the substrate is not particularly limited, and includes a film-like (flexible sheet-like member). Note that the exposure apparatus of the present embodiment is particularly effective when the exposure target is a substrate having a side length or a diagonal length of 500 mm or more.

For electronic devices such as liquid crystal display elements (or semiconductor elements), a step of designing the function and performance of the device, a step of manufacturing a mask (or reticle) based on this design step, and a step of manufacturing a glass substrate (or wafer) , a lithography step of transferring the pattern of the mask (reticle) to the glass substrate by the exposure apparatus and exposure method of each embodiment described above, a development step of developing the exposed glass substrate, and a portion other than the portion where the resist remains. It is manufactured through an etching step for removing exposed members by etching, a resist removal step for removing unnecessary resist after etching, a device assembly step, an inspection step, and the like. In this case, in the lithography step, the above-described exposure method is executed using the exposure apparatus of the above-described embodiment, and the device pattern is formed on the glass substrate, so highly integrated devices can be manufactured with high productivity. .

As explained above, the object holding device of the present invention is suitable for holding an object. Also, the exposure apparatus of the present invention is suitable for forming a predetermined pattern on an object. Also, the method for manufacturing a flat panel display of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing a flat panel display. Moreover, the device manufacturing method of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing microdevices.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Liquid-crystal exposure apparatus, 20... Substrate stage apparatus, 22... Fine movement stage, 50... Surface plate part, 60... Pipe line part, 70... Holder part, 72... Base part, 74... Chuck part, P... Substrate.

Claims (6)

a plurality of first members each including a first holding surface for holding an object, and a first portion and a second portion provided at mutually different positions on the back side of the first holding surface;
a second member including a second holding surface that holds the first member, the second portion being attracted to the second holding surface;
a base;
a pipeline portion provided between the base portion and the second member, communicating with the first portion of the first member through the second member, and allowing gas to pass therethrough;
The first member can hold the object by sucking the gas passing through the first portion and the pipeline portion, and the second portion is not attracted to the second holding surface. An object holding device removable from the second member. The pipeline section has a first pipeline and a second pipeline,
The plurality of first members suck the gas passing through the first conduit and the first portion to hold the object at a first position with a first holding force, and 2. The object holding device according to claim 1, wherein the gas passing through the first portion is sucked to hold the object at the second position with a second holding force different from the first holding force. The position of the first conduit is closer to the central part of the base than the position of the second conduit,
3. The object holding device according to claim 2, wherein said first holding force is greater than said second holding force. The first member has a plurality of pin portions capable of holding the object, and a wall portion surrounding the plurality of pin portions. The object holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the object is held by sucking the gas in the space between the plurality of pin portions. The first member has a wall portion surrounding the second portion, and the second portion is formed by sucking gas in a space between the wall portion and the second portion through the conduit portion. 4. Any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second part can be removed from the second member by being adsorbed to the second holding surface and not sucking the gas in the space so that the second part is not adsorbed to the second holding surface. or the object holding device according to claim 1. an object holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 5;
and a pattern forming device that forms a pattern on the object held by the object holding device by using an energy beam.

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