WO2014136143A1

WO2014136143A1 - Mobile device, exposure device, and device production method

Info

Publication number: WO2014136143A1
Application number: PCT/JP2013/001450
Authority: WO
Inventors: 柴崎　祐一
Original assignee: 株式会社ニコン
Priority date: 2013-03-07
Filing date: 2013-03-07
Publication date: 2014-09-12

Abstract

A wafer stage (WST) is provided with a coarse movement stage (82), a fine movement stage (83), one pair of voice coil motors (Mb) that are provided to one side and to the other side of the fine movement stage (83) in the X-axis direction, and two pairs of EI cores (Mc₁, Mc₂, Mc₃, Mc₄) that are provided to one side and to the other side in a direction that is parallel to each of axes (Lc₁, Lc₂) that intersect each of the X axis and the Y axis of the fine movement stage (83). As a result, it is possible to precisely drive the wafer table (WTB) that holds a wafer (W) and to arrange a voice coil motor and an EI core within the coarse movement stage (82) in a compact manner.

Description

MOBILE DEVICE, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD

The present invention relates to a moving body apparatus, an exposure apparatus, and a device manufacturing method, and in particular, a moving body apparatus including a moving body having a coarse / fine movement structure, an exposure apparatus in which an object to be exposed is placed on the moving body apparatus, and the The present invention relates to a device manufacturing method using an exposure apparatus.

In lithography processes for manufacturing electronic devices (microdevices) such as semiconductor elements (integrated circuits, etc.) and liquid crystal display elements, step-and-repeat projection exposure apparatuses (so-called steppers) or step-and-scan projections An exposure apparatus (a so-called scanning stepper (also called a scanner)) or the like is mainly used.

For example, in an exposure apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor, a coarse / fine movement type stage apparatus including a coarse movement stage and a fine movement stage is used as a wafer stage apparatus on which a wafer to be exposed is placed. Usually, the fine movement stage is driven at least in a horizontal plane by an electromagnetic actuator. As an actuator for driving the fine movement stage, a linear motor or a voice coil motor (hereinafter abbreviated as VCM as appropriate) is often used.

Usually, VCM is characterized by high accuracy but relatively low efficiency, so some of the wafer stage devices have relatively low magnetic rigidity in the high-precision constant-velocity driving section of scanning that requires a fine movement stage. It is known to use a VCM that generates a force, and to use a more efficient actuator that generates a relatively large force in a low-accuracy acceleration / deceleration section of a scan, although the accuracy is low (for example, Patent Document 1). In the wafer stage apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, an electromagnetic actuator that does not generate heat relatively, such as an EI core actuator, is used as an efficient actuator.

On the other hand, it is said that wafers will gradually become larger due to demands for improving productivity, and planar motors will become the mainstream as a driving source for wafer stages for next-generation 450 mm wafers. When a planar motor is used as the drive source for the coarse movement stage and other electromagnetic actuators (eg, VCM or EI core actuator) are used as the drive source for the fine movement stage, the fine movement stage is required to be as light and compact as possible. It is done.

US Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0061218

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the base member, the first moving member that moves on the base member along a two-dimensional plane including the first axis and the second axis orthogonal to each other, and the first movement A second moving member supported by the member so as to be relatively movable; and a driving force along a first direction parallel to the first axis and a second direction parallel to the second axis. A first actuator that acts between the first moving member and the second moving member, and a driving force along a third direction that intersects each of the first and second directions and is parallel to the two-dimensional plane; There is provided a first moving body device including at least a pair of second actuators that act between one moving member and the second moving member.

According to this, when the moving body moves on the base member, the first actuator that causes the driving force along the first direction and the second direction to act between the first moving member and the second moving member, The second moving member is driven with respect to the first moving member by at least a pair of second actuators that apply a driving force along the three directions between the first moving member and the second moving member. As a result, the second moving member can be precisely driven with respect to the base, and the first and second actuators can be compactly disposed on the first moving member (inside the moving body) to It becomes possible to reduce weight and size.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an exposure apparatus for exposing an object by irradiating an energy beam, wherein the object is held on the second moving member; There is provided a first exposure apparatus comprising: a pattern generation device that forms a pattern on the object by irradiating the object with the energy beam.

According to this, it becomes possible to form the pattern on the object with high accuracy.

In the first exposure apparatus, a plurality of sections on the object held on the second member by repeating scanning driving in the second direction and step driving in the first direction of the moving body. The pattern may be formed in each of the regions. Here, scanning driving means driving of a moving body having a speed component substantially only in the second direction (scanning direction), and step driving means movement having a speed component in the first direction (step direction). Means body drive. In this specification, the terms scan driving and step driving are used in this sense.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the base member, the first moving member that moves on the base member along a two-dimensional plane including the first axis and the second axis orthogonal to each other, and the first movement A second moving member supported by the member so as to be relatively movable; a first driving device that drives the moving body with six degrees of freedom relative to the base member; and A second driving device that drives the first moving member with six degrees of freedom, and when the second moving member is rotationally driven around at least one of the first axis and the second axis, The first driving member is driven to rotate about at least one of the first shaft and the second shaft by the first driving device, and the second moving member is turned to the first member by the second driving device. In contrast, at least one of the first axis and the second axis The second mobile device that rotates around it, is provided.

According to this, it is possible to always maintain the relative postures of the first and second moving members in a desired state, thereby preventing, for example, a decrease in the control performance of the second drive device.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an exposure apparatus that irradiates an energy beam to expose an object, the second moving body apparatus in which the object is held on the second moving member; There is provided a second exposure apparatus comprising: a pattern generation device that forms a pattern on the object by irradiating the object with the energy beam.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, an object is exposed using one of the first and second exposure apparatuses, a pattern is formed on the object, and the object on which the pattern is formed is A device manufacturing method is provided.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a first moving member that moves along a two-dimensional plane including a first axis and a second axis that are orthogonal to each other, a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate, and Position information in the first direction along the first axis and position information in the second direction along the second axis are supported by the first moving member so as to be movable with respect to the first moving member. A second moving member and a third direction that intersects each of the first and second directions and is parallel to the two-dimensional plane, and is disposed on a lower side or a lateral side of the second moving member; A first actuator that causes a driving force along three directions to act between the first moving member and the second moving member; and a lower side or a side of the second moving member with respect to the third direction. Disposed on the side of the first moving member and the driving force along the third direction. A second actuator that acts between the second movable member, the third mobile device with a provided.

According to this, when the first moving member is driven, positional information regarding the first direction and the second direction of the second moving member that is supported by the first moving member and is movably supported and holds the substrate. Based on this measurement information, the second moving member is driven relative to the first moving member by at least one of the first and second actuators.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate by irradiating an energy beam, wherein the energy beam is applied to the third moving body device and the substrate held by the second moving body. And a pattern generation device that forms a pattern on the substrate by irradiating the substrate.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the substrate is exposed using the third exposure apparatus described above, a pattern is formed on the substrate, and the substrate on which the pattern is formed is developed. A device manufacturing method is provided.

It is a figure which shows schematically the structure of the exposure apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. 2A, 2B, and 2C are a plan view, a front view, and a side view, respectively, showing the wafer stage. It is a perspective view which shows a wafer stage. It is a perspective view which shows the stage main body 81 which removed the wafer table from the wafer stage. It is a perspective view which shows the coarse movement stage which removed the fine movement stage from the stage main body. 6A and 6B are plan views corresponding to the perspective views of FIGS. 4 and 5, respectively. 7A is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the internal structure of the fine movement stage, and FIG. 7B is a plan view showing the internal structure of the voice coil motor that drives the fine movement stage. It is a top view which shows the internal structure of EI core which drives a fine movement stage. The perspective view which looked at the fine movement stage and the wafer table fixed to this upper surface from the back surface side is shown. It is a figure for demonstrating an interferometer system. It is a top view which shows arrangement | positioning of a stage apparatus and a sensor unit. It is a top view which shows arrangement | positioning of an encoder head (X head, Y head) and an alignment system. It is a top view which shows arrangement | positioning of Z head and a multipoint AF type | system | group. It is a block diagram which shows the input / output relationship of the main controller which mainly comprises the control system of the exposure apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the detailed structural example of each structure part of a stage apparatus among the structure parts of the control system of FIG. It is a figure showing the movement path | route on the wafer of an exposure center corresponding to the movement path | route of a wafer stage in exposure of a step and scan system. It is a figure for demonstrating the modification of arrangement | positioning of EI core.

Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a configuration of an exposure apparatus 100 according to an embodiment. The exposure apparatus 100 is a step-and-scan projection exposure apparatus, that is, a so-called scanner. As will be described later, in the present embodiment, a projection optical system PL is provided. In the following description, the direction parallel to the optical axis AX of the projection optical system PL is the Z-axis direction (Z direction), and the scanning direction in which the reticle R and the wafer W are relatively scanned in a plane orthogonal to this is the Y-axis direction ( Y direction), the direction orthogonal to the Z axis and the Y axis is the X axis direction (X direction), and the rotation (tilt) directions around the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis are the θx, θy, and θz directions, respectively. I do.

The exposure apparatus 100 includes an illumination system 10, a reticle stage RST, a projection unit PU, a stage apparatus 50 having a wafer stage WST and a measurement stage MST, a control system for these, and the like. In FIG. 1, reticle R is placed on reticle stage RST, and wafer W is placed on wafer stage WST.

The illumination system 10 includes, for example, a light source, an illumination uniformizing optical system having an optical integrator, and a reticle blind (both not shown) as disclosed in, for example, US Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0025890. An optical system. The illumination system 10 illuminates the slit-shaped illumination area IAR on the reticle R set (restricted) by the reticle blind (masking system) with illumination light (exposure light) IL with substantially uniform illuminance. Here, for example, ArF excimer laser light (wavelength 193 nm) is used as the illumination light IL.

On reticle stage RST, reticle R having a circuit pattern or the like formed on the pattern surface (the lower surface in FIG. 1) is fixed by, for example, vacuum suction. The reticle stage RST can be finely driven in the XY plane by a reticle stage drive system 11 (not shown in FIG. 1, refer to FIG. 14) including, for example, a linear motor, and the scanning direction (left and right direction in FIG. 1). In the Y-axis direction) at a predetermined scanning speed.

Position information of reticle stage RST in the XY plane (including position (rotation) information in the θz direction) is transferred by reticle laser interferometer (hereinafter abbreviated as “reticle interferometer”) 116 to movable mirror 15 (actually And a Y moving mirror (or a retroreflector) having a reflecting surface orthogonal to the Y-axis direction and an X moving mirror having a reflecting surface orthogonal to the X-axis direction), for example, about 0.25 nm. Is always detected with a resolution of. The measurement information of reticle interferometer 116 is sent to main controller 20 (not shown in FIG. 1, refer to FIG. 14). Instead of the movable mirror 15, a reflecting surface formed by mirror finishing on the end surface of the reticle stage RST may be used.

Projection unit PU is arranged below reticle stage RST in FIG. The projection unit PU includes a lens barrel 40 and a projection optical system PL held in the lens barrel 40. As the projection optical system PL, for example, a refractive optical system including a plurality of optical elements (lens elements) arranged along an optical axis AX parallel to the Z axis is used. The projection optical system PL is, for example, double-sided telecentric and has a predetermined projection magnification (for example, 1/4, 1/5, or 1/8). For this reason, when the illumination area IAR on the reticle R is illuminated by the illumination system 10, the illumination light that has passed through the reticle R arranged so that the first surface (object surface) and the pattern surface of the projection optical system PL substantially coincide with each other. Due to IL, a reduced image of the circuit pattern of the reticle R in the illumination area IAR (a reduced image of a part of the circuit pattern) passes through the projection optical system PL (projection unit PU), and the second surface (image) of the projection optical system PL. Formed on a region (hereinafter also referred to as an exposure region) IA that is conjugate to the illumination region IAR on the wafer W having a resist (sensitive agent) coated on the surface. Then, by synchronous driving of reticle stage RST and wafer stage WST, reticle R is moved relative to illumination area IAR (illumination light IL) in the scanning direction (Y-axis direction) and exposure area IA (illumination light IL). By moving the wafer W relative to the scanning direction (Y-axis direction), scanning exposure of one shot area (partition area) on the wafer W is performed, and the pattern of the reticle R is transferred to the shot area. The That is, in the present embodiment, the pattern of the reticle R is generated on the wafer W by the illumination system 10 and the projection optical system PL, and the sensitive layer (resist layer) on the wafer W is exposed on the wafer W by the illumination light IL. A pattern is formed.

In the exposure apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, a local liquid immersion apparatus 8 is provided in order to perform liquid immersion exposure. The local liquid immersion device 8 includes, for example, a liquid supply device 5, a liquid recovery device 6 (both not shown in FIG. 1, refer to FIG. 14), a liquid supply tube 31A, a liquid recovery tube 31B, a nozzle unit 32, and the like. As shown in FIG. 1, the nozzle unit 32 holds an optical element on the most image plane side (wafer W side) constituting the projection optical system PL, here a lens (hereinafter also referred to as “tip lens”) 191. It is suspended and supported by a main frame (not shown) that holds the projection unit PU so as to surround the lower end portion of the lens barrel 40. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the lower end surface of the nozzle unit 32 is set substantially flush with the lower end surface of the front lens 191. The nozzle unit 32 includes a supply port and a recovery port for the liquid Lq, a supply channel and a recovery channel connected to the liquid supply tube 31A and the liquid recovery tube 31B, respectively, and a lower surface on which the recovery port is provided. A wafer W is disposed opposite to the wafer W.

The liquid supply pipe 31A and the liquid recovery pipe 31B are connected to a liquid supply apparatus 5 and a liquid recovery apparatus 6 (both not shown in FIG. 1, refer to FIG. 14), respectively. Here, the liquid supply device 5 includes a tank for storing the liquid, a pressurizing pump, a temperature control device, a valve for controlling the flow rate of the liquid, and the like. The liquid recovery device 6 includes a tank for storing the recovered liquid, a suction pump, a valve for controlling the flow rate of the liquid, and the like.

The main control device 20 (see FIG. 14) controls the liquid supply device 5 to supply the liquid Lq between the tip lens 191 and the wafer W via the liquid supply pipe 31A and to control the liquid recovery device 6. Then, the liquid Lq is recovered from between the front lens 191 and the wafer W via the liquid recovery tube 31B. At this time, main controller 20 controls liquid supply device 5 and liquid recovery device 6 so that the amount of supplied liquid Lq and the amount of recovered liquid Lq are always equal. Accordingly, a certain amount of liquid Lq (see FIG. 1) is always exchanged and held between the front lens 191 and the wafer W, thereby forming the liquid immersion region 14 (see FIGS. 10, 11, etc.). . In addition, even when a measurement stage MST described later is positioned below the projection unit PU, the liquid immersion region 14 can be similarly formed between the tip lens 191 and the measurement table.

In this embodiment, pure water that transmits ArF excimer laser light (light having a wavelength of 193 nm) (hereinafter, simply described as “water” unless otherwise required) is used as the liquid. Note that the refractive index n of water with respect to ArF excimer laser light is approximately 1.44, and the wavelength of the illumination light IL is shortened to 193 nm × 1 / n = about 134 nm in water.

As shown in FIG. 1, the stage device 50 is mounted on a base board 12 and a base board 12 that are supported substantially horizontally by a plurality of (for example, three or four) vibration isolation mechanisms (not shown) on the floor surface. Placed stage base 13, wafer stage WST and measurement stage MST arranged on stage base 13, stage drive system 124 (see FIG. 14) for driving wafer stage WST and measurement stage MST, and wafer stage WST and measurement stage A measurement system 300 (see FIG. 14) including a stage position measurement system 200 for measuring MST position information is provided. As shown in FIG. 14, the stage position measurement system 200 includes an interferometer system 118, an encoder system 150, a surface position measurement system 180, and the like.

The base board 12 is made of a flat plate member, and a support surface for supporting the stage base 13 movably in the XY plane is formed on the upper surface.

The stage base 13 is made of a flat plate member, and is supported on the above-described base board 12 via an air bearing (or rolling bearing) (not shown). When the wafer stage WST and the measurement stage MST are driven, the stage base 13 receives a reaction force of the driving force, moves according to the momentum conservation law, and is a counter mass that is a kind of a reaction force canceling device that cancels the reaction force. Function as. Position information of the stage base 13 in the XY plane (position information with reference to the main frame described above) is measured by a stage base position measurement system 169 (see FIG. 14) constituted by, for example, an encoder or an interferometer. An example of the stage base position measurement system 169 is disclosed in, for example, US Patent Application No. 2009/0316133.

Based on the measurement information from the stage base position measurement system 169, the main controller 20 passes the stage base drive system 160 (see FIG. 14) so that the amount of movement of the stage base 13 from the reference position is within a predetermined range. The stage base 13 is driven. That is, the stage base drive system 160 is used as a trim motor.

2B and 2C, the stage base 13 is a plate member having a rectangular shape in plan view in which the coil unit CUa is embedded on the upper surface side. The coil unit CUa includes a plurality of coils that are two-dimensionally arranged in the XY plane. A protection plate (not shown) made of a non-magnetic material is fixed on the upper surface of the stage base 13 so as to cover the coil unit CUa. The protection plate prevents direct contact between wafer stage WST and measurement stage MST and coil unit CUa.

Wafer stage WST has stage main body 81 and wafer table WTB arranged on stage main body 81, as shown in FIG.

2A, 2B, and 2C are views (plan view) of wafer stage WST viewed from above, and views (front view) of wafer stage WST viewed from the −Y direction, respectively. ) And a view (side view) of the wafer stage WST viewed from the + X direction are shown. The stage main body 81 includes a coarse movement stage 82 and a fine movement stage 83 supported on the coarse movement stage 82, as shown in FIGS. Wafer table WTB is mounted on fine movement stage 83 and fixed integrally therewith.

3 is a perspective view of wafer stage WST, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of stage main body 81 with wafer table WTB removed from wafer stage WST of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is stage main body 81 of FIG. The perspective views of the coarse movement stage 82 from which the fine movement stage 83 is removed are respectively shown. 6A and 6B are plan views corresponding to the perspective views of FIGS. 4 and 5, respectively. FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the fine movement stage, and FIG. 7B is a plan view showing the internal structure of the voice coil motor that drives the fine movement stage. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the EI core that drives the fine movement stage. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of fine movement stage 83 and wafer table WTB fixed to the upper surface as viewed from the rear surface side.

Here, wafer stage WST will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6B, etc., coarse movement stage 82 is fixed to each of a rectangular plate-like slider portion 82a in plan view (as viewed from the + Z direction) and the upper surface of slider portion 82a. Three octagonal first ribs 82b disposed substantially along the outer frame of the portion 82a, and three surrounding the vicinity of the bottom of each of the three actuators 28a to 28c constituting the Z / tilt drive mechanism 28 described later. A second rib 82c having a first portion and a second portion for connecting the three first portions to each other; and a third rib 82d for connecting the first rib 82b and the second rib 82c at four locations. is doing. The coarse movement stage 82 is thus lightweight and has a high rigidity.

As shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the slider portion 82a has a magnet unit MUa composed of a plurality of magnets arranged in a matrix with the XY two-dimensional direction as the row direction and the column direction. ing. A magnetic levitation type Lorentz force (electromagnetic force) drive disclosed in, for example, US Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0085676 is performed by the magnet unit MUa and the coil unit CUa embedded in the stage base 13. A planar motor Ma of the type is configured. The magnitude | size and direction of the electric current supplied to each coil which comprises the coil unit CUa are controlled by the main controller 20 (refer FIG. 15). Coarse movement stage 82 (wafer stage WST) is driven in a six-degree-of-freedom direction (X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis, θx, θy, and θz directions) with respect to stage base 13 by planar motor Ma. . In this case, coarse movement stage 82 (wafer stage WST) is driven with a long stroke in the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction, and is finely driven in the remaining directions.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6B, a pair of first ribs 82b located at both ends in the X-axis direction on the upper surface of the slider portion 82a are provided via a pair of support portions 87, respectively. A stator portion 85a is provided. Further, four electromagnets TUc are provided on the first ribs 82b corresponding to the four corners of the slider portion 82a via the support portions 84, respectively. Each of the four electromagnets TUc is accommodated in a housing.

As shown in FIG. 5, each stator portion 85a is composed of a plate-like member parallel to the XY plane, and inside thereof, as shown in FIGS. 7 (A) and 7 (B), a coil unit CUb. Is housed.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6A, the fine movement stage 83 includes a main body portion 83a made of an octagonal plate-like member in plan view, and one side and the other side of the main body portion 83a in the X-axis direction. A pair of mover portions 83b fixed to the respective end portions, and one each fixed to each of the octagonal oblique side portions (four sides other than the four sides substantially orthogonal to the X and Y axes) of the main body portion 83a. A total of four magnetic members MUc.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the mover portion 83b is made of a member having a U-shaped XZ cross section, and will be described later on each of the upper and lower opposing portions (a pair of plate-like portions positioned above and below). A magnet unit MUb is accommodated. In the state of FIG. 4 in which the fine movement stage 83 is incorporated in the coarse movement stage 82, the above-described stator portion 85a is inserted in a non-contact manner between the upper and lower opposed portions of the mover portion 83b.

As the magnetic member MUc, various materials can be used as long as they are magnetically permeable substances that can respond to a force field generated by a coil of an electromagnet TUc described later.

In this embodiment, the coil unit CUb accommodated in each of the pair of stator portions 85a and the pair of magnet units MUb accommodated in the mover portion 83b corresponding to the coil units CUb correspond to the pair of voice coils. A motor Mb is configured (see FIG. 7A). Hereinafter, the voice coil motor Mb will be described.

Since the + X side and −X side voice coil motors Mb of the main body 83a have the same configuration, the + X side voice coil motor Mb will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the coil unit CUb is one X in a rectangular shape in plan view with the Y-axis direction as the longitudinal direction arranged at the center inside the stator portion 85a (the casing). A coil (hereinafter referred to as “coil” as appropriate) 56a, and two Y coils (hereinafter referred to as rectangular) in plan view having the X-axis direction as a longitudinal direction and disposed on one side and the other side of the coil 56a in the Y-axis direction, respectively. (Referred to as “coils” where appropriate) 55a, 57a.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the magnet unit MUb is a plan view in which the Y-axis direction arranged in the X-axis direction at the center of each of the upper and lower facing parts of the mover 83b is the longitudinal direction. A pair of rectangular permanent magnets 56b, and permanent magnets having a rectangular shape in a plan view with each pair of X-axis directions arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction on one side and the other side of the permanent magnets 56b as the longitudinal direction.

Magnets

55b and 57b. As shown in FIG. 7B, each pair of

permanent magnets

55b and 57b faces the

coils

55a and 57a, and each pair of

permanent magnets

56b and 57b faces the coil 56a. The positional relationship with the magnet is determined.

FIG. 7B shows only the magnet unit MUb accommodated in the upper facing portion of the upper and lower facing portions of the mover portion 83b, but is housed in the lower facing portion. The magnet unit MUb is similarly configured. Each pair of

permanent magnets

55b, 56b, and 57b is arranged so that the directions of the magnetic poles of one and the other are opposite to each other. Each of the pair of

permanent magnets

55b, 57b, and 56b is opposed to the surface on the + Z side or −Z side of the

coils

55a, 57a, and 56a constituting the coil unit CUb. That is, the

coils

55a, 56a, and 57a included in the coil unit CUb in the stator 85a are provided by the pair of

permanent magnets

55b, 56b, and 57b included in the pair of magnet units MUb in the vertically opposed portion of the mover 83b. Are sandwiched in the Z-axis direction.

The + X side voice coil motor Mb is configured by the stator portion 85a and the movable portion 83b having the above-described configuration. In this case, strictly speaking, each of the pair of upper and lower

permanent magnets

55b, 56b, and 57b and each of the

coils

55a, 56a, and 57a constitutes three voice coil motors. The whole of one voice coil motor is regarded as one voice coil motor Mb.

As described above, the voice coil motor Mb on the + X side and the −X side of the main body 83a is configured. Each of the voice coil motors Mb drives the fine movement stage 83 minutely in the Y-axis direction relative to the coarse movement stage 82 when a current flows through the Y coils 55a and 57a, and a current flows through the X coil 56a. The fine movement stage 83 is finely driven in the X-axis direction with respect to the coarse movement stage 82.

A pair of voice coil motors Mb, that is, the + X side voice coil motor Mb of the main body 83a and the −X side voice coil motor Mb of the main body 83a generate different driving forces in the Y-axis direction. Thus, the fine movement stage 83 can be driven (rotated) in the θz direction with respect to the coarse movement stage 82.

The pair of voice coil motors Mb are respectively generated in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis by the main controller 20 controlling the magnitude and direction of the current supplied to each coil constituting each coil unit CUb. The driving force in the direction is controlled (see FIG. 15). Instead of each voice coil motor Mb, for example, a voice coil motor (or linear motor) having a two-stage (or multi-stage) configuration similar to the fine movement stage drive system disclosed in US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0073653. It is also possible to adopt.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6A, four electromagnets TUc provided at each of the four corners of the slider portion 82a, and the octagonal shape of the main body portion 83a facing each electromagnet TUc. Four EI core actuators Mc ₁ , Mc ₂ , Mc ₃ , and Mc ₄ are configured by the four magnetic members MUc fixed to the four oblique sides. Hereinafter, the EI core actuator (hereinafter abbreviated as EI core) will be described.

Since each of the four EI cores Mc ₁ , Mc ₂ , Mc ₃ , and Mc ₄ is configured in the same manner, only one of them will be described here. FIG. 8 shows one EI core Mc ₁ surrounded by a broken-line square Sq in FIG. 6A, that is, the EI core Mc ₁ positioned at the corner of the + X side and −Y side end of the stage main body 81. Is shown enlarged.

As shown in FIG. 8, the electromagnet TUc includes an E-shaped core TUc ₀ called an E core (or E element), and a coil TUc ₁ wound around three convex portions of the core TUc _0. Including. In the E core TUc ₀ , the three convex portions are parallel to the axis L _C1 intersecting each of the X axis and the Y axis in the XY plane, and the tip surfaces of the three convex portions are planes orthogonal to the axis L _C1. They are arranged in parallel. In the present embodiment, the axis L _C1 intersects the X axis and the Y axis at an angle other than 45 degrees, for example. For example, the axis L _C1 forms an angle of about 40 degrees with respect to the X axis. As long as the core TUc ₀ is a magnetically permeable member, iron or other materials can be used. Further, the core TUc ₀ is not limited to the E core, and may be a C-shaped core or a multi-fork core. As the electromagnet TUc, one in which the coil TUc ₁ is wound around only the central convex portion of the three convex portions of the core TUc ₀ can be used.

Magnetic member MUc is fixed to the inclined portion of the main body portion 83a of the fine movement stage 83 is arranged to face the distal end surface of the core of the electromagnet TUc TUc 0 ₍₃ single convex portion) across the gap G. Facing surface of the magnetic member MUc facing the front end face of the electromagnet TUc is orthogonal to the axis L _C1.

Other EI core is also configured similarly to the EI core Mc _1. That is, as shown in FIG. 6 (A), in the EI core Mc ₁ and symmetrical arrangement with respect to the center of the main body portion 83a of the fine movement stage 83, another EI core Mc ₃ is provided. That is, the EI core Mc ₁ and axis Lc ₁ and parallel to the direction of the opposite side of the main body portion 83a (corner side of the -X side and + Y side of the stage main body 81), an electromagnet constituting the EI core Mc ₃ TUc and magnetic member MUc are provided in the same manner as described above.

Each of the above-described two (a pair) EI cores Mc ₁ and Mc ₃ is parallel to the axis Lc ₁ between the magnetic member MUc and the core TUc ₀ when a current is passed through the coil TUc _{1 of the} electromagnet TUc. Generate suction force (driving force) in various directions. For example, the EI core Mc ₁ described above generates a suction force in the direction indicated by the black arrow in FIG. EI core Mc ₃ generates a suction force which the opposite direction. The two (a pair of) EI cores Mc ₁ and Mc ₃ finely drive the fine movement stage 83 in the direction parallel to the axis Lc ₁ with respect to the coarse movement stage 82 using the suction force as a driving force.

The remaining pair of EI cores Mc ₂ and Mc ₄ are the same as the pair of EI cores Mc ₁ and Mc ₃ described above, except that the center of the main body 83a of the fine movement stage 83 is shown in FIG. 6A. With respect to the Y-axis that passes through, a pair of EI cores Mc ₁ and Mc ₃ are arranged symmetrically. Each of the pair of EI cores Mc ₂ and Mc ₄ has an axis Lc that is symmetrical with respect to the axis Lc ₁ with respect to the Y axis, which attracts the magnetic member MUc toward the core TUc ₀ when a current flows through the coil TUc _{1 of the} electromagnet TUc. ₂ generates a suction force (driving force) in a direction parallel to ₂ . The pair of EI cores Mc ₂ and Mc ₄ finely drives the fine movement stage 83 in a direction parallel to the axis Lc ₂ with respect to the coarse movement stage 82.

As is apparent from the above description, the axes Lc ₁ and Lc ₂ are determined so as to form angles of about 40 degrees and −40 degrees with respect to the X axis, respectively. These directions correspond to the direction of the maximum acceleration acting on the wafer stage WST during the shot-to-shot stepping operation of the wafer (wafer stage WST) in the later-described step-and-scan exposure operation. That is, in consideration of the direction of the maximum acceleration, the direction of the suction force by each of the _four EI cores Mc ₁ , Mc ₂ , Mc ₃ , Mc ₄ (that is, the direction in which each EI core is attached) is set. .

The directions of the axes Lc ₁ and Lc ₂ may be determined according to the moving range (moving path) of wafer stage WST during the exposure operation. That is, when the movement range in the Y-axis direction that is the scanning direction is wider than the movement range in the X-axis direction, the axes Lc ₁ and Lc ₂ are set to an angle smaller than 45 degrees with respect to the X-axis as in this embodiment. As a result, the size of wafer stage WST in the Y-axis direction can be reduced. Thereby, it is possible to suppress an increase in the occupied area by the exposure apparatus without changing the moving range of wafer stage WST. Depending on the movement range (movement path) of wafer stage WST, axes Lc ₁ and Lc ₂ may be set to an angle larger than 45 degrees with respect to the X axis.

Each of the four EI cores Mc ₁ , Mc ₂ , Mc ₃ , Mc ₄ is controlled by the main controller 20 (see FIG. 15). The main controller 20 controls the magnitude of the current supplied to the coil TUc ₁ constituting the electromagnet TUc included in each of the _four EI cores Mc ₁ , Mc ₂ , Mc ₃ , and Mc ₄ , thereby allowing the EI core Mc ₁ and Mc ₂ to generate and stop the suction force (drive force) and to control the magnitude of the drive force. In place of at least one of the EI cores Mc ₁ , Mc ₂ , Mc ₃ , and Mc ₄ , a magnetic member MUc is provided on the slider portion 82 a side (support portion 84 side) opposite to the above, and the main body portion It is also possible to use an actuator of a type in which an electromagnet TUc is arranged on the 83a side.

Fine movement stage 83 is supported in a non-contact manner relative to coarse movement stage 82 by Z / tilt driving mechanism 28 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6B and self-weight canceller 29 (see FIG. 7A). ). The self-weight canceller 29 is disposed at the center of the upper surface of the slider portion 82 a of the coarse movement stage 82. The Z / tilt driving mechanism 28 is disposed at each vertex of an equilateral triangle whose center of gravity coincides with the center of the upper surface of the slider portion 82a, and supports the fine movement stage 83 (main body portion 83a) and is independent at the support point. And three

actuators

28a, 28b, and 28c (for example, voice coil motors) that are driven in the Z-axis direction. The stators of the actuators 28 a to 28 c are fixed to the coarse movement stage 82, and the mover is fixed to the fine movement stage 83. By the Z / tilt drive mechanism 28 (three actuators 28a to 28c), the fine movement stage 83 is finely driven with respect to the coarse movement stage 82 in the three degrees of freedom in the Z-axis direction, the θx direction, and the θy direction.

The self-weight canceller 29 includes, as an example, a pad member 29a, a piston member 29b, and a cylinder member 29c (see FIG. 7A). The pad member 29a is in a state of being close to the lower surface of the fine movement stage 83, and has a substantially hemispherical shape in which the upper surface is a flat surface and the lower surface is a curved surface (spherical surface). A through hole (not shown) penetrating in the Z-axis direction is formed from the center of the upper surface of the pad member 29a. The piston member 29b is formed of a member having a circular shape in the XY section and having a concave portion with a predetermined depth, and is provided on the lower side (−Z side) of the pad member 29a. The upper surface of the piston member 29b is curved (spherical) corresponding to the lower surface of the pad member 29a, and a through-hole (not shown) penetrating in the Z-axis direction is formed from the center. . The cylinder member 29c is fixed to the upper surface of the slider portion 82a. The cylinder member 29c is formed of a substantially cylindrical member, and its peripheral wall has an inverted U-shaped cross section and a shape in which an inner foot portion is set shorter than an outer foot portion. The piston member 29b inserted into the internal space of the cylinder member 29c is slidable in the Z-axis direction.

The space surrounded by the slider portion 82a, the cylinder member 29c, and the piston member 29b is a substantially sealed space (air chamber). Therefore, by supplying gas from the gas supply device (not shown) into the air chamber, the air chamber is set to a higher pressure than the outside.

Here, the gas in the air chamber passes through the through hole of the piston member 29b and is supplied between the upper surface of the piston member 29b and the lower surface of the pad member 29a. For this reason, a minute gap is formed between the piston member 29b and the pad member 29a by the static pressure of the gas that has entered between the upper surface of the piston member 29b and the lower surface of the pad member 29a. Further, part of the gas that has passed through the through hole of the piston member 29 b is supplied between the upper surface of the pad member 29 a and the lower surface of the fine movement stage 83 through the through hole formed in the pad member 29 a. Thus, a minute gap is formed between the pad member 29 a and the fine movement stage 83 by the static pressure of the gas that has entered between the upper surface of the pad member 29 a and the lower surface of the fine movement stage 83.

According to the self-weight canceller 29, the self-weight of the fine movement stage 83 is supported by the gas in the air chamber. Further, by making the driving force generated by the three actuators 28a to 28c of the Z / tilt driving mechanism 28 the same, the fine movement stage 83 can be driven in the Z-axis direction with respect to the coarse movement stage 82. By varying the driving force generated by each of the three actuators 28a to 28c, the fine movement stage 83 can be driven in the rotation direction (θx) around the X axis and the rotation direction (θy) around the Y axis. It has become.

Further, since the upper surface of the pad member 29a and the lower surface of the fine movement stage 83 and the lower surface of the pad member 29a and the upper surface of the piston member 29b are maintained in non-contact by the air pressure in the air chamber, the fine movement stage 83 in the XY plane is maintained. It is possible to support its own weight in a state in which minute movement and inclination in the inclination direction with respect to the XY plane are allowed.

Note that the configuration of the self-weight canceller is merely an example, and for example, a bellows may be used in place of the cylinder member 29c and the piston member 29b. Further, fine movement stage 83 may be supported by a self-weight canceller via a roller or the like.

Instead of each voice coil motor Mb, a voice coil motor (or linear motor) having a two-stage (or multi-stage) configuration similar to the fine movement stage drive system disclosed in the aforementioned US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0073653. ), The fine movement stage 83 can be finely driven in the direction of 6 degrees of freedom with respect to the coarse movement stage 82 by the voice coil motor without providing the Z / tilt drive mechanism 28.

The fine movement stage drive system 34 includes the pair of voice coil motors Mb, the four EI cores Mc ₁ to Mc ₄ , and the Z / tilt drive mechanism 28 described so far (see FIG. 15). Further, the coarse motor stage drive system is configured by the planar motor Ma. Then, the fine movement stage drive system 34 and the coarse movement stage drive system (planar motor Ma) are used to move the fine movement stage 83 and the wafer table WTB (wafer W) mounted on the fine movement stage 83 to the stage base 13 in the direction of 6 degrees of freedom. A wafer stage drive system 36 is configured to drive (see FIG. 15).

In addition, although the moving magnet type motor is adopted as the planar motor Ma and the voice coil motor Mb, a moving coil type motor can also be adopted. Further, the configuration in which the Z / tilt drive mechanism 28 includes three actuators has been described as an example, but a configuration including four or more actuators may be employed. In this case, since the actuator is redundant with respect to the degree of freedom, the fine movement stage 83 can be controlled to a higher degree.

At the center of the stage body 81, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6B, a rectangular frame-shaped portion surrounding the self-weight canceller 29, the center of the + Y side of the rectangular frame-shaped portion, and both ends of the −Y side A support member 88 having three straight portions extending outward from each is provided. A pin 88a extending in the + Z direction is fixed to the tip of each of the three straight portions of the support member 88. The support member 88 and the three pins 88a are driven in the Z-axis direction by a drive device 89 (see FIG. 14). At the time of wafer exchange or the like, the support member 88 is driven in the Z-axis direction by the driving device 89, and the three pins 88a are moved to the three openings (see FIG. 6A) of the fine movement stage 83 (main body 83a) and the wafer holder. By moving up and down through the opening of WH (not shown in FIG. 6A, see FIG. 3), the wafer W is supported by the three pins 88a, or the wafer W is moved up and down.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, a plate member Tb ₀ is fixed to the end surface on the + Y end side of wafer stage WST (coarse movement stage 82). One end of each of the two tubes Tb is fixed to Tb ₀ by two fixing members Tb ₁ . Various sensors on wafer stage WST, power source power (current) of motor, etc., cooling medium for cooling motor, pressurized gas for air bearing, etc. from outside wafer stage WST via two tubes Tb Is supplied to wafer stage WST. The tube Tb also includes wiring for transferring output signals from various sensors and control signals to the motor and the like.

The other end of each of the two tubes Tb is fixed to the measurement stage MST via the fixing member Tb ₂ (see FIG. 1), and is arranged outside the stage apparatus 50 via the measurement stage MST. Is connected to a tube carrier (not shown). In the present embodiment, measurement stage MST moves while maintaining a distance within a certain range from wafer stage WST during a series of operations of wafer exchange, alignment, and exposure. Therefore, measurement stage MST also functions as a tube carrier for wafer stage WST.

At the center of the upper surface of wafer table WTB, a wafer holder WH (not shown in FIG. 6, refer to FIG. 3) for holding wafer W by vacuum suction or the like is provided. As shown in FIG. 2 (A), a circular opening that is slightly larger than the wafer holder is formed in the center outside the wafer holder (wafer mounting area), and has a rectangular outer shape (contour). A (liquid repellent plate) 27 is provided. The surface of the plate 27 is subjected to a liquid repellency treatment with respect to the liquid Lq. The plate 27 is installed such that the entire surface (or part) of the plate 27 is substantially flush with the surface of the wafer W.

The plate 27 is located at the center of the wafer table WTB in the X-axis direction, and has a first liquid repellent area 27a having a rectangular outer shape (contour) in which the circular opening is formed at the center, and the first liquid repellent area 27a. And a pair of rectangular second liquid repellent areas 27b located at the + X side end and −X side end of the wafer table WTB. In the present embodiment, since water is used as the liquid Lq as described above, the first and second

liquid repellent regions

27a and 27b are also referred to as first and second

water repellent plates

27a and 27b, respectively.

A measurement plate 30 is provided in the vicinity of the + Y side end of the first water repellent plate 27a. A reference mark (not shown) is formed at the center of the measurement plate 30, and a pair of aerial image measurement slit patterns (slit-shaped measurement patterns) SL are formed on both sides of the reference mark in the X-axis direction. . The surface of the measurement plate 30 is set almost flush with the surface of the wafer W. Corresponding to each aerial image measurement slit pattern SL, a pair of light transmission systems that guide the illumination light IL transmitted therethrough to the outside of wafer stage WST, specifically, to a light receiving system (not shown) provided in measurement stage MST. 30a (see FIG. 6A) is provided on wafer stage WST.

On the pair of second water repellent plates 27b, scales used in an encoder system described later are formed. More specifically, scales 39 ₁ and 39 ₂ are formed on the pair of second water repellent plates 27b, respectively. Each of the scales 39 ₁ and 39 ₂ is constituted by a reflective two-dimensional diffraction grating in which, for example, a diffraction grating having a periodic direction in the Y-axis direction and a diffraction grating having a periodic direction in the X-axis direction are combined. The pitch of the lattice lines of the two-dimensional diffraction grating is set to 1 μm, for example, in both the Y-axis direction and the X-axis direction. In FIG. 2A, for the convenience of illustration, the pitch of the grating is shown larger than the actual pitch. The same applies to FIG.

Further, in order to protect the diffraction grating, it may be covered with a glass plate having water repellency, for example, a low thermal expansion coefficient. Here, for example, a glass plate having a thickness of 1 mm can be used, and the glass plate is placed on the upper surface of wafer table WTB so that the surface of the glass plate is the same height (same surface) as the wafer surface.

A positioning pattern (not shown) for determining the relative position between the encoder head and the scale, which will be described later, is provided near the end of the scale of each second water repellent plate 27b. This positioning pattern can be constituted by, for example, a grid line having a reflectance different from that of the scale.

As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C and the like, reflection surfaces 17a and 17b used in an interferometer system to be described later are formed on the −Y end surface and the −X end surface of wafer table WTB. . In addition, a reflection surface 17c used in the interferometer system is formed below the −Y end of wafer table WTB.

As can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 9, the wafer table WTB includes a rectangular plate-shaped top plate portion 33a, a rectangular frame-shaped portion 33b along the outer periphery of the lower surface of the top plate portion 33a, and a rectangular frame-shaped portion 33b. It has a plurality of rib portions 33c arranged inside and projecting from the lower surface of the top plate portion 33a. As one of the plurality of ribs 33c, it is provided with a main body portion 83a and the rib portion 33c ₀ of octagonal frame shape having the same shape of the fine movement stage 83, wafer table WTB via the rib portion 33c ₀ is The fine movement stage 83 is integrally fixed.

Further, the four support portions 84 fixed on the coarse movement stage 82 and the upper portions of the four electromagnets TUc fixed thereto are formed in a rectangular frame shape with a part of the plurality of rib portions 33c of the wafer table WTB. The fine movement stage 83 and the wafer table WTB are attached to the coarse movement stage 82 in a state of being accommodated in a space partitioned by the portion 33b. This lowers the overall height of wafer stage WST.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the measurement stage MST has a stage main body 92 and a measurement table MTB mounted on the stage main body 92. The bottom of the stage main body 92 includes a magnet unit (not shown) composed of a plurality of magnets arranged two-dimensionally in the XY plane, and a Lorentz force (electromagnetic force) drive system together with the coil unit CUa in the stage base 13. A planar motor Md (see FIG. 15) is configured. By this planar motor Md, measurement stage MST can be driven in at least three degrees of freedom (X, Y, θz) with respect to stage base 13 independently of wafer stage WST. In FIG. 14, a stage drive system 124 is shown including a wafer stage drive system 36 that drives wafer stage WST and a drive system (planar motor Md) that drives measurement stage MST.

The measurement table MTB (and the stage main body 92) is provided with various measurement members. As this measuring member, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, an illuminance unevenness sensor 94, an aerial image measuring device 96, a wavefront aberration measuring device 98, and the like are provided. Further, an illuminance monitor (not shown) may be provided. Further, the stage main body 92 is provided with a pair of light receiving systems (not shown) in an arrangement facing the pair of light transmission systems 30a. In the present embodiment, each aerial image measurement slit pattern SL of measurement plate 30 on wafer stage WST is measured in a state where wafer stage WST and measurement stage MST are close to each other within a predetermined distance in the Y-axis direction (including a contact state). A pair of aerial

image measurement devices

45A and 45B (see FIG. 14) that guides the transmitted illumination light IL by each light transmission system (not shown) and receives light by a light receiving element of each light receiving system (not shown) in the measurement stage MST. ) Is configured. Each of the aerial

image measurement devices

45A and 45B is configured similarly to the device disclosed in, for example, US Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0041377. The measurement results (output signals of the light receiving elements) of the aerial

image measuring devices

45A and 45B are sent to the main controller 20 via a signal processing device (not shown) (see FIG. 14).

As shown in FIG. 11, a fiducial bar (hereinafter abbreviated as “FD bar”) 46 extends in the X-axis direction on the −Y side end surface of the measurement table MTB. The FD bar 46 is kinematically supported on the measurement stage MST. Since the FD bar 46 is a prototype (measurement standard), an optical glass ceramic having a low thermal expansion coefficient, for example, Zerodure (trade name) manufactured by Schott is used as the material. Reference gratings (for example, diffraction gratings) 52 having a periodic direction in the Y-axis direction are formed in the vicinity of one end and the other end in the longitudinal direction of the FD bar 46 in a symmetrical arrangement with respect to the center line. . A plurality of reference marks M are formed on the upper surface of the FD bar 46. As each reference mark M, a two-dimensional mark having a size detectable by a primary alignment system and a secondary alignment system described later is used. The surface of the FD bar 46 and the surface of the measurement table MTB are also covered with a liquid repellent film (water repellent film).

A reflection surface 19a and a reflection surface 19b similar to the wafer table WTB are formed on the + Y side end surface and the −X side end surface of the measurement table MTB (see FIG. 11).

In the exposure apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, on the parallel straight line (hereinafter referred to as a reference axis) LV passing through the optical axis AX of the projection optical system PL, from the optical axis AX. A primary alignment system AL1 having a detection center at a position separated by a predetermined distance on the −Y side is provided. Primary alignment system AL1 is fixed to the lower surface of the main frame (not shown). As shown in FIG. 12, secondary alignment systems AL2 ₁ and AL2 _{2 in} which detection centers are arranged almost symmetrically with respect to the reference axis LV on one side and the other side in the X-axis direction across the primary alignment system AL1. , AL2 ₃ and AL2 ₄ are provided. The secondary alignment systems AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄ are fixed to the lower surface of the main frame (not shown) via a movable support member (not shown), and are driven by the drive mechanisms 60 ₁ to 60 ₄ (see FIG. 14). The relative positions of these detection areas can be adjusted with respect to the axial direction. Incidentally, a straight line parallel to the X axis passing through the detection center of primary alignment system AL1 as shown in FIG. 11 or the like (hereinafter, referred to as a reference axis) LA, the optical axis of the measurement beam BX2 from X interferometer 16X ₂ described later It matches.

In this embodiment, as each of the alignment systems AL1, AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄ , for example, an image processing type FIA (Field Image Alignment) system is used. Imaging signals from the alignment systems AL1, AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄ are supplied to the main controller 20 through a signal processing system (not shown).

Next, the configuration and the like of interferometer system 118 (see FIG. 14) that measures position information of wafer stage WST and measurement stage MST will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 15, the interferometer system 118 includes a Y interferometer 16Y for measuring the position of wafer stage WST, an X interferometer 16X ₁ , 16X ₂ , 16X ₃ , a Z interferometer 16Z, and measurement. A Y interferometer 18Y and an X interferometer 18X for measuring the position of the stage MST are included.

As shown in FIG. 10, Y interferometer 16Y applies at least three measurement beams parallel to the Y axis including a pair of measurement beams BY ₁ and BY ₂ that are symmetrical with respect to reference axis LV to wafer table WTB. Irradiate the reflecting surface 17a. Then, Y interferometer 16Y receives the reflected light of each measurement beam and measures position information of wafer table WTB (wafer stage WST) in the Y-axis direction, θz direction, and θx direction.

X interferometer 16X _1, the optical axis AX parallel to the (aforementioned exposure region match the center of the IA in the present embodiment) as and X-axis linear projection optical system PL (hereinafter, referred to as a reference axis) LH (Figure At least three length measuring beams parallel to the X axis including a pair of length measuring beams BX1 ₁ and BX1 ₂ that are symmetrical with respect to 11) are irradiated on the reflecting surface 17b. Then, X interferometers 16X ₁ is, X-axis direction of wafer table WTB (wafer stage WST), to measure the θz direction, and θy directions of the position information.

The X interferometers 16X ₂ and 16X ₃ irradiate the reflecting surface 17b with at least one measuring beam parallel to the X axis including the measuring beams BX2 and BX3, respectively, and receive the respective reflected lights. Position information in the X-axis direction of wafer table WTB (wafer stage WST) is measured.

Z interferometer 16Z irradiates _two measuring beams BZ ₁ and BZ ₂ onto reflecting surface 17c, receives the respective reflected lights, and measures the Z position of wafer table WTB (wafer stage WST).

As shown in FIG. 10, the Y interferometer 18Y and the X interferometer 18X respectively irradiate the measuring surfaces MTa with the length measurement beams and receive the respective reflected lights. Position information regarding the direction of three degrees of freedom in at least the XY plane of the measurement stage MST is measured.

The measurement information of each interferometer of the interferometer system 118 is supplied to the main controller 20 (see FIG. 15). Details of the configuration of the interferometer system 118 are disclosed in, for example, US Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0088843.

In exposure apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, position information (including rotation information in the θz direction) of wafer table WTB in the XY plane used for position control of wafer stage WST is mainly measured using an encoder system described later. Is done. Position information in the XY plane of wafer table WTB measured by interferometer system 118 indicates that wafer stage WST is located outside the measurement area of the encoder system (for example, near unloading position UP or loading position LP shown in FIG. 11). This is used for position control of wafer stage WST. Further, the position information in the XY plane of wafer table WTB measured by interferometer system 118 corrects (calibrates) long-term fluctuations (for example, due to deformation of the scale over time) of measurement information (measurement results) of the encoder system. ) Or for backup when the encoder system output is abnormal. Of course, interferometer system 118 and an encoder system may be used together to control the position of wafer stage WST (wafer table WTB).

Next, the configuration of the encoder system 150 (see FIGS. 14 and 15) that measures position information (including rotation information in the θz direction) of the wafer stage WST in the XY plane will be described.

In the exposure apparatus 100, as shown in FIG. 11, a pair of

head portions

62A and 62C are disposed on the + X side and the −X side of the projection unit PU (nozzle unit 32), respectively. Further, the

head portions

62E and 62F are arranged at the Y position on the −Y side of each of the

head portions

62C and 62A and at substantially the same Y position as the alignment systems AL1, AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄ . As will be described later, each of the

head portions

62A, 62C, 62E, and 62F includes a plurality of heads, and these heads are fixed to a main frame (not shown) in a suspended state via support members. In FIG. 11, reference symbol UP indicates an unloading position at which a wafer on wafer stage WST is unloaded, and reference symbol LP indicates a loading position at which the wafer is loaded onto wafer stage WST.

As shown in FIG. 12, the

head portions

62A and 62C include four biaxial heads 65 ₁ to 65 ₄ and 64 ₁ to 64 ₄ , respectively. In the housing of the biaxial heads 65 ₁ to 65 ₄ , there are X heads 65X ₁ to 65X ₄ whose measurement direction is the X axis direction and Y heads 65Y ₁ to 65Y ₄ whose measurement direction is the Y axis direction. Contained. Similarly, X heads 64X ₁ to 64X ₄ and Y heads 64Y ₁ to 64Y ₄ are accommodated in the housings of the biaxial heads 64 ₁ to 64 ₄ . X heads 65X ₁ to 65X ₄ , 64X ₁ to 64X ₄ (more precisely, irradiation points on the measurement beam scales 39 ₁ and 39 ₂ emitted by the X heads 65X ₁ to 65X ₄ and 64X ₁ to 64X ₄ ) Arranged on the reference axis LH at a predetermined interval WD (see FIG. 11). Y heads 65Y ₁ to 65Y ₄ , 64Y ₁ to 64Y ₄ (more precisely, irradiation points on the scales 39 ₁ and 39 _{2 of the} measurement beams emitted by the Y heads 65Y ₁ to 65Y ₄ and 64Y ₁ to 64Y ₄ ) Are arranged at the same X position as the corresponding X heads 65X ₁ to 65X ₄ , 64X ₁ to 64X ₄ on a straight line LH ₁ that is parallel to the reference axis LH and spaced a predetermined distance from the reference axis LH to the −Y side. Has been. In the following description, X heads 65X ₁ to 65X ₄ , 64X ₁ to 64X ₄ , and Y heads 65Y ₁ to 65Y ₄ , 64Y ₁ to 64Y ₄ are respectively connected to X heads 65X, 64X, and Y heads 65Y as necessary. , 64Y.

Here, as each of the X heads 65X and 64X and the Y heads 65Y and 64Y, for example, a diffraction interference type encoder head disclosed in US Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0088843 is used. . In this type of encoder head, two measurement beams are irradiated onto the corresponding scales 39 ₁ or 39 ₂ , and return light (diffracted light) from the scales (two-dimensional grating) of the two measurement beams is converted into one interference light. The combined light is received, the intensity of the interference light is detected by a photodetector, and the displacement in the measurement direction of the scale (period direction of the diffraction grating) is measured based on the intensity change of the interference light.

The

head units

62A and 62C are multi-lens (four eyes here) X linear encoders that measure the position (X position) in the X-axis direction of wafer stage WST (wafer table WTB) using scales 39 ₁ and 39 _2. 70Ax, 70Cx, and multi-lens (four eyes here) Y linear encoders 70Ay, 70Cy (see FIG. 15) for measuring the position in the Y-axis direction (Y position) are configured. A multi-lens (four eyes in this case) two-dimensional (2D) encoder that measures positional information in the X-axis and Y-axis directions of wafer stage WST (wafer table WTB) by X linear encoder 70Ax and Y linear encoder 70Ay. 70A is configured (see FIG. 15). Similarly, a multi-lens (four eyes in this case) two-dimensional (2D) measuring position information in the X-axis and Y-axis directions of wafer stage WST (wafer table WTB) by X linear encoder 70Cx and Y linear encoder 70Cy. An encoder 70C is configured (see FIG. 15).

In the following, the X linear encoder is abbreviated as “encoder” as appropriate. Similarly, the Y linear encoder is abbreviated as “Y encoder” or “encoder” as appropriate. Similarly, the 2D encoder is abbreviated as an encoder as appropriate.

Here, the four X heads 65X and 64X (more precisely, the irradiation points on the scale of the measurement beam emitted by the X heads 65X and 64X) and the four Y heads 65Y and 64Y (more from the

head units

62A and 62C). Precisely, the distance WD in the X-axis direction of the measurement beam emitted from the Y heads 65Y and 64Y is set to be narrower than the width of the scales 39 ₁ and 39 _{2 in} the X-axis direction. Accordingly, at the time of exposure, at least one of the four X heads 65X, 64X, and Y heads 65Y and 64Y always faces the corresponding scales 39 ₁ and 39 ₂ (the measurement beam is changed). Irradiation). Here, the width of the scale refers to the width of the diffraction grating (or this formation region), more precisely, the range in which the position can be measured by the head.

As shown in FIG. 12, the

head portions

62F and 62E include three biaxial heads 68 ₁ to 68 ₃ and 67 ₁ to 67 ₃ , respectively. The X heads 68X ₁ to 68X ₃ and the Y heads 68Y ₁ to 68Y ₃ are accommodated in the housing of the biaxial heads 68 ₁ to 68 _{3 in} the same manner as the biaxial heads 65 ₁ to 65 _4. Yes. Similarly, X heads 67X ₁ to 67X ₃ and Y heads 67Y ₁ to 67Y ₃ are accommodated in the housings of the biaxial heads 67 ₁ to 67 ₃ .

X heads 68X ₁ to 68X ₃ , 67X ₁ to 67X ₃ (more precisely, irradiation points on scales 39 ₁ and 39 _{2 of} measurement beams emitted by 68X ₁ to 68X ₃ and 67X ₁ to 67X ₃ ) are reference axes. Arranged at predetermined intervals WD along LA (see FIG. 11). Y heads 68Y ₁ to 68Y ₃ , 67Y ₁ to 67Y ₃ (more precisely, irradiation points on measurement beam scales 39 ₁ and 39 ₂ emitted by 68Y ₁ to 68Y ₃ and 67Y ₁ to 67Y ₃ ) are reference axes Corresponding X heads 68X ₁ to 68X ₃ , 67X ₁ to 67 on a straight line LA ₁ parallel to LA and spaced from the reference axis LA to the −Y side
It is arranged at the same X position as X ₃ . In the following, the biaxial heads 68 ₁ to 68 ₃ , 67 ₁ to 67 ₃ , the X heads 68X ₁ to 68X ₃ , 67X ₁ to 67X ₃ , and the Y heads 68Y ₁ to 68Y ₃ , 67Y ₁ to 67Y as necessary. ₃ is also expressed as biaxial heads 68 and 67, X heads 68X and 67X, and Y heads 68Y and 67Y, respectively. Here, as each of the X heads 68X and 67X and the Y heads 68Y and 67Y, for example, the diffraction interference type encoder head disclosed in the above-mentioned US Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0088843 is used. .

The

heads

62F and 62E are multi-lens (three eyes here) X linear encoders that measure the position (X position) in the X-axis direction of wafer stage WST (wafer table WTB) using scales 39 ₁ and 39 _2. The multi-lens (three eyes here) Y linear encoders 70Fy and 70Ey (refer to FIG. 15) that measure the positions (Y positions) in the Y-axis direction are configured. A multi-lens (four eyes in this case) two-dimensional (2D) encoder that measures positional information of the wafer stage WST (wafer table WTB) in the X-axis and Y-axis directions by the X linear encoder 70Fx and the Y linear encoder 70Fy. 70F is configured (see FIG. 15). Similarly, a multi-lens (four eyes in this case) two-dimensional (2D) measuring position information about the X-axis and Y-axis directions of wafer stage WST (wafer table WTB) by X linear encoder 70Ex and Y linear encoder 70Ey. An encoder 70E is configured (see FIG. 15).

Here, the three X heads 68X and 67X (more precisely, the irradiation points on the scale of the measurement beams emitted by the X heads 68X and 67X) and the three Y heads 68Y and 67Y (more Precisely, the distance WD in the X-axis direction between the irradiation points on the scale of measurement beams emitted from the Y heads 68Y and 67Y is set slightly smaller than the width of the scales 39 ₁ and 39 _{2 in} the X-axis direction. Accordingly, at the time of alignment measurement, at least one of the three X heads 68X, 67X, Y heads 68Y, 67Y faces the corresponding scale 39 ₁ , 39 ₂ (irradiates the measurement beam). .

For example, at the time of exposure, measurement information by the above-described encoders 70Ax, 70Ay, 70Cx, 70Cy (position information about the X-axis and Y-axis directions of wafer stage WST (wafer table WTB) measured by encoders 70A, 70C) is provided. To the main controller 20. Of these position information (measurement results), main controller 20 uses, for example, X position information measured by one of

encoders

70A and 70C and Y position information respectively measured by

encoders

70A and 70C. The position (X, Y, θz) in the XY plane of the wafer stage WST is calculated by performing an operation as disclosed in, for example, US Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0051108.

Further, at the time of wafer alignment or the like, measurement information by the encoders 70Ex, 70Ey, 70Fx, and 70Fy (position information regarding the X-axis and Y-axis directions of the wafer stage WST (wafer table WTB) measured by the encoders 70E and 70F) is obtained. Supplied to the main controller 20. Main controller 20 uses these position information (measurement results) to calculate position (X, Y, θz) of wafer stage WST in the XY plane in the same manner as described above.

In the present embodiment, the Y heads 67Y ₃ and 68Y ₁ of the biaxial heads 67 ₃ and 68 ₁ that are adjacent to the secondary alignment systems AL2 ₁ and AL2 ₄ in the X-axis direction are used when measuring the baseline of the secondary alignment system. The Y position of the FD bar 46 is measured at the position of each reference grating 52 by the Y heads 67Y ₃ and 68Y _{1 that} face the pair of reference gratings 52 of the FD bar 46, respectively. Is done. In the following, encoders composed of Y heads 67Y ₃ and 68Y _{1 that} face the pair of reference gratings 52 are respectively Y linear encoders (abbreviated as “Y encoder” or “encoder” as appropriate) 70G and 70H (FIG. 15). See). The Y encoders 70G and 70H are configured as Y linear encoders because a part of the Y heads 67Y ₃ and 68Y ₁ constituting the encoders 70F and 70E are opposed to the pair of reference gratings 52. It is what you call. In the following, for the sake of convenience, description will be made assuming that

Y encoders

70G and 70H exist in addition to XY encoders 70F and 70E.

Measurement information from each encoder described above is supplied to the main controller 20. Main controller 20 controls the position (including the rotation (yawing) in the θz direction) of wafer table WTB in the XY plane based on the measurement information from

encoders

70A and 70C or 70E and 70F, and Y encoder 70G. And the position (yawing) of the FD bar 46 (measurement stage MST) in the θz direction based on the measured values of 70H.

Although not shown, main controller 20 uses X heads 65X and 64X and Y heads 65Y and 64Y that measure positional information of wafer stage WST when driving wafer stage WST in the X-axis direction. The adjacent X heads 65X and 64X and Y heads 65Y and 65Y are sequentially switched. That is, in order to smoothly switch (connect) the X head and the Y head, as described above, the interval WD between the adjacent X head and Y head included in the

head portions

62A and 62C is set to the scales 39 ₁ and 39 _2. Is set narrower than the width in the X-axis direction.

Furthermore, in the exposure apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, a multipoint focal position detection system (hereinafter referred to as “multipoint AF system”) including an irradiation system 90a and a light receiving system 90b. ) Is provided. As the multipoint AF system, the same configuration (oblique incidence method) as that disclosed in, for example, US Pat. No. 5,448,332 is adopted. In the present embodiment, as an example, the irradiation system 90a is disposed on the + Y side of the −X end of the head unit 62E, and light is received on the + Y side of the + X end of the head unit 62F in a state facing this. A system 90b is arranged. The multipoint AF system (90a, 90b) is fixed to the lower surface of a main frame (not shown).

In FIG. 11 and FIG. 13, a plurality of detection points irradiated with the detection beam are not individually illustrated, and are elongated detection areas (beam areas) AF extending in the X-axis direction between the irradiation system 90 a and the light receiving system 90 b. It is shown. Since the detection area AF is set to have a length in the X-axis direction that is approximately the same as the diameter of the wafer W, the wafer W is scanned almost in the Y-axis direction once in the Z-axis direction. Position information (surface position information) can be measured.

As shown in FIG. 13, a part of the surface position measurement system 180 (see FIG. 14) is arranged in the vicinity of both ends of the detection area AF of the multipoint AF system (90a, 90b) in a symmetrical arrangement with respect to the reference axis LV. Heads (hereinafter abbreviated as “Z heads”) 72 a, 72 b, 72 c, 72 d of each pair of Z position measurement sensors constituting the same are provided. These Z heads 72a to 72d are fixed to the lower surface of a main frame (not shown).

Further, the above-described

head portions

62A and 62C are each provided with four Z heads 76 ₁ to 76 ₄ and 74 ₁ to 74 ₄ as shown in FIG. Here, the Z heads 76 ₁ to 76 ₄ , 74 ₁ to 74 ₄ are parallel to the reference axis LH and on the straight line LH ₂ spaced from the reference axis LH to the + Y side, corresponding X heads 65X ₁ to 65X _4. , 64X ₁ to 64X ₄ are arranged at the same X position. Hereinafter, the Z heads 76 ₁ to 76 ₄ and 74 ₁ to 74 ₄ are also referred to as Z heads 76 and 74 as necessary.

As each of the Z heads 72a to 72d and the Z heads 76 ₁ to 76 ₄ , 74 ₁ to 74 ₄ , for example, an optical displacement sensor head similar to an optical pickup used in a CD drive device or the like is used. Each of the Z heads 72a to 72d and the Z heads 76 ₁ to 76 ₄ , 74 ₁ to 74 ₄ irradiates the wafer table WTB with a measurement beam from above, receives the reflected light, and receives the wafer table at the irradiation point. The surface position of WTB is measured. In the present embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the measurement beam of the Z head is reflected by the reflection type diffraction grating constituting the scales 39 ₁ and 39 ₂ described above.

The Z heads 72a to 72d, 74 ₁ to 74 ₄ , and 76 ₁ to 76 ₄ are connected to the main controller 20 via the signal processing / selecting device 170 as shown in FIG. The Z head is selected from the Z heads 72a to 72d, 74 ₁ to 74 ₄ , and 76 ₁ to 76 ₄ via the signal processing / selecting device 170 to be in an activated state. The surface position information detected in (1) is received via the selection device 170. In the present embodiment, positional information in the Z axis direction of wafer stage WST and the tilt direction with respect to the XY plane includes Z heads 72a to 72d, 74 ₁ to 74 ₄ , 76 ₁ to 76 ₄ and signal processing / selection device 170. A surface position measurement system 180 is measured.

In the present embodiment, main controller 20 uses surface position measurement system 180 (see FIG. 14) in an effective stroke area of wafer stage WST, that is, in an area where wafer stage WST moves for exposure and alignment measurement. Position information regarding the two degrees of freedom direction (Z-axis direction and θy direction) is measured.

At the time of exposure, main controller 20 uses a measurement value of at least one of Z heads 76 _j and 74 _i (j and i are any one of 1 to 4) and uses a reference point (for example, on the surface of wafer table WTB). The height Z ₀ and rolling θy of wafer stage WST at the intersection of the upper surface of wafer table WTB and optical axis AX of projection optical system PL are calculated as disclosed in, for example, US Patent Application No. 2011/0051108. Calculated by However, the position information (pitching amount) θx in the θx direction uses the measurement result of another sensor system (interferometer system 118 in this embodiment).

The main controller 20 detects the position information (surface position information) on the surface of the wafer W in the Z-axis direction (hereinafter referred to as focus mapping), by using the four Z heads 72a to 72d facing the scales 39 ₁ and 39 ₂ . Using the measured values, the height Z ₀ and rolling θy of the wafer table WTB at the center of a plurality of detection points of the multipoint AF system (90a, 90b) are disclosed in, for example, US Patent Application No. 2011/0051108. It is calculated by the calculated operation. Similarly to the above, the position information (pitching amount) θx in the θx direction uses the measurement result of another sensor system (interferometer system 118 in the present embodiment).

By the way, in the EI core, the generated attractive force varies depending on the gap between the core and the magnetic member. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the suction force generated by each of the two pairs of EI cores Mc ₁ and Mc ₂ varies depending on the variation in the relative position (including the relative posture) between the fine movement stage 83 and the coarse movement stage 82. become. Therefore, in order to control the attractive force (driving force) generated by the EI core with high accuracy, it is necessary to directly or indirectly measure the gap between the core and the magnetic member. Therefore, the exposure apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is provided with a relative position measurement system 210 (see FIGS. 14 and 15) that measures the relative position between the coarse movement stage 82 and the fine movement stage 83. The relative position measurement system 210 and the stage position measurement system 200 constitute a measurement system 300 (see FIGS. 14 and 15).

The relative position measurement system 210 includes a gap sensor 212 ₁ provided in at least one of the EI cores Mc ₁ and MC ₃ among the _four EI cores Mc ₁ , Mc ₂ , Mc ₃ , and Mc ₄ described above, and an EI core Mc. _2, includes a gap sensor 212 ₂ provided on at least one of MC _4, a sensor 214 provided in each of the three actuators 28a ~ 28c of Z · tilt drive mechanism 28 (see FIG. 15). In the present embodiment, the relative position measurement system 210 further includes a pair of sensors 216 that measure the relative positions of the coarse movement stage 82 and the fine movement stage 83 provided in each of the pair of voice coil motors Mb.

As the gap sensors 212 ₁ and 212 ₂ , for example, electrostatic capacitance sensors are used. The EI core _Mc 1, gap sensors 212 ₁ provided in at least one of MC _3, parallel to the EI core _Mc 1, MC ₃ core TUC ₀ and axis _{L C1} between the magnetic member MUc making up at least one Gaps for various directions are measured. Meanwhile cores, EI cores _Mc 2, MC by the gap sensor 212 ₂ provided on at least one of the ₄ cores, EI cores _Mc 2, MC ₄ axis _{L C2} between the core TUC ₀ and the magnetic material member MUc making up at least one The gap in the direction parallel to is measured. These measurement results are supplied to the main controller 20 (see FIG. 15), and the main controller 20 determines the relative positions of the fine movement stage 83 (wafer table WTB) with respect to the coarse movement stage 82 in the X axis direction and the Y axis direction. It is done.

Here, instead of at least _one of the gap sensors 212 ₁ and 212 ₂ , by measuring a physical quantity related to the gap (separation distance) between the core TUc ₀ and the magnetic member MUc, the gap is indirectly measured. Various sensors for measurement may be used. For example, a magnetic sensor or the like that measures the magnetic attractive force generated in the EI core Mc _n (n = 1, 2, 3, 4) can be used.

As the three sensors 214, for example, encoders are used. The three sensors 214 measure the relative positions of the stator and the mover of the three actuators 28a to 28c of the Z / tilt drive mechanism 28 provided with each of the sensors 214. As described above, since the stators of the actuators 28a to 28c are fixed to the coarse movement stage 82 and the mover is fixed to the fine movement stage 83, the positional relationship between the coarse movement stage 82 and the fine movement stage 83 is determined based on the measurement result of the sensor 214. I can know. These measurement results are supplied to the main controller 20 (see FIG. 14), and the main controller 20 causes the fine movement stage 83 (wafer table WTB) to move relative to the coarse movement stage 82 in the Z-axis direction, the θx direction, and the θy direction. A position is required. Also in this case, instead of the sensor 214, a gap sensor that directly measures the gap (separation distance) between the coarse movement stage 82 and the fine movement stage 83 may be used.

As the sensor 216, an encoder can be used. The encoder measures the relative position in the Y-axis direction between the stator portion 85a and the movable portion 83b constituting each of the pair of voice coil motors Mb. The measurement results of the pair of encoders are supplied to the main controller 20 (see FIG. 15), and the main controller 20 determines the relative position of the fine movement stage 83 (wafer table WTB) with respect to the coarse movement stage 82 in the θz direction. A gap sensor may be provided as the sensor 216 in addition to the encoder. In this case, the gap sensor measures the gap in the X-axis direction between the stator portion 85a and the movable portion 83b that constitute each of the pair of voice coil motors Mb. In this case, a sensor that measures a physical quantity related to the gap (separation distance) may be used instead of the gap sensor.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing the input / output relationship of the main controller 20 that centrally configures the control system of the exposure apparatus 100 and performs overall control of each component. The main controller 20 includes a workstation (or a microcomputer) and the like, and comprehensively controls each part of the exposure apparatus 100. In FIG. 14, various sensors provided on the measurement stage MST such as the illuminance unevenness sensor 94, the aerial image measuring device 96, and the wavefront aberration measuring device 98 described above are collectively shown as a sensor group 99. FIG. 15 shows a detailed configuration example of each component of the stage apparatus 50 among the components shown in FIG.

In the exposure apparatus according to this embodiment configured as described above, for example, in the same manner as the exposure apparatus disclosed in the second embodiment of US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0268178, the following procedure is generally followed. A normal sequence process using wafer stage WST is executed by main controller 20.

Specifically, after the exposure of the step-and-scan wafer W, the movement of the wafer stage WST toward the unloading position UP is started. In the middle of this movement, wafer stage WST and measurement stage MST, which are separated from each other during exposure, shift to a state where they are in contact with each other with a separation distance of about 300 μm, for example. Here, the −Y side end surface of the FD bar 46 on the measurement table MTB and the + Y side end surface of the wafer table WTB are in contact with or close to each other. When wafer stage WST and measurement stage MST are in contact or in close proximity, both move in the −Y direction, so that liquid immersion region 14 formed under projection unit PU moves onto measurement stage MST. . Thereafter, wafer stage WST releases the state of contact with or close to measurement stage MST, and moves toward unloading position UP.

In the middle of movement of wafer stage WST toward unloading position UP, main controller 20 operates interferometer immediately before wafer stage WST can be driven (position control) based on the measurement result of encoder system 150. Switching to driving (position control) of wafer stage WST based on the measurement result of system 118 is performed. Here, the position measurement in the X-axis direction of wafer stage WST, the X interferometer 16X ₃ is used.

After moving to the unloading position UP of wafer stage WST, unloading of wafer W on wafer table WTB is performed. Then, movement of wafer stage WST to loading position LP and loading of the next wafer W onto wafer table WTB are performed.

In parallel with the wafer exchange operation on the wafer table WTB, the position adjustment of the FD bar 46 supported by the measurement stage MST in the XY plane and the baseline measurement of the _four secondary alignment systems AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄ Is done. Here, in order to measure the position (rotation) information of the FD bar 46 in the θz direction, the

Y encoders

70G and 70H described above are used.

Next, wafer stage WST is driven, reference mark FM on measurement plate 30 is positioned within the detection field of primary alignment system AL1, and the first half of the baseline measurement of primary alignment system AL1 is performed. At this time, the two X heads and the two Y heads respectively face the scales 39 ₁ and 39 ₂ , and the measurement system used for driving (position control) of the wafer stage WST is changed from the interferometer system 118 to the encoder system 150 ( The encoders 70E and 70F) are switched.

Thereafter, wafer alignment (EGA) is performed using primary alignment system AL1 and secondary alignment systems AL2 ₁ to AL2 ₄ .

In this embodiment, the wafer stage WST and the measurement stage MST are in contact or close to each other before the wafer alignment is started. Wafer stage WST and measurement stage MST are in contact with or in close proximity to each other, and movement in the + Y direction is started. During the movement, liquid Lq in liquid immersion region 14 moves from measurement table MTB to wafer table WTB. Moving.

フォーカス Focus mapping is performed in parallel with the wafer alignment (EGA) described above. Further, when the wafer stage WST comes to a predetermined position as the wafer alignment and focus mapping progress, the intensity distribution of the projected image of the mark on the reticle with respect to the XY position of the wafer table WTB using the aerial

image measuring devices

45A and 45B. (That is, the latter half of the baseline measurement of the primary alignment system AL1) is performed. Based on this result and the result of the first half of the baseline measurement of the primary alignment system AL1, the baseline of the primary alignment system AL1 is obtained.

After the above operations are completed, the contact or proximity state between wafer stage WST and measurement stage MST is released, step-and-scan exposure is performed, and a reticle pattern is transferred onto wafer W. Thereafter, the same operation is repeatedly executed.

In the step-and-scan exposure described above, the wafer stage is moved to the scan start position (acceleration start position) for exposure of each shot area on the wafer W based on the result of the above-described wafer alignment (for example, EGA). It is performed by repeating the stepping between shots moving in the WST and the above-described scanning exposure in which the pattern formed on the reticle R is transferred to each shot region by the scanning exposure method.

In the present embodiment, the main controller 20 exposes the wafer stage among the plurality of X heads 65X, 64X and Y heads 65Y, 64Y constituting the encoder system 150 when exposing the wafer W by the step-and-scan method. Along with the movement of the wafer stage WST, among the plurality of Z heads 76 and 74 constituting the X head, the Y head, and the surface position measurement system 180 facing the scales 39 ₁ and 39 ₂ along with the movement of the WST, Using the Z head (and the Z interferometer 16Z) facing the scales 39 ₁ and 39 ₂ , as described above, the five degrees of freedom direction (X axis, Y axis, θz, Z axis, and θy directions) of the wafer table WTB. ) Is measured. Further, main controller 20 measures the position information (pitching amount) in the θx direction of the wafer table (wafer stage WST) using Y interferometer 16 described above. Main controller 20 drives wafer table WTB in the 6-degree-of-freedom direction based on the position information (measurement result) of wafer table WTB in the 6-degree-of-freedom direction. At that time, main controller 20 obtains information obtained in advance by focus mapping, that is, surface position information at each detection point of multi-point AF system (90a, 90b) of wafer W as a left measurement point (Z head 72a, Conversion data converted into plane position data based on a straight line connecting the plane position of the plane position of the measurement point 72b) and the plane position of the right measurement point (center point of the measurement points of the Z heads 72c, 72d), and the above Of the projection optical system PL during exposure based on the Z position of the wafer table WTB measured by the Z heads 76 and 74 facing the scales 39 ₁ and 39 ₂ and the inclination (mainly θy rotation) with respect to the XY plane. In the Z-axis direction, θy direction (and θx direction) of wafer table WTB for matching the portion irradiated with illumination light IL on the surface of wafer W (region portion corresponding to exposure region IA). Controlling the location (focus leveling control of wafer W).

In the present embodiment, the movement path of wafer stage WST in step-and-scan exposure is uniquely determined according to the shot map (size and arrangement of shot areas) of wafer W. FIG. 16 shows, as an example, a moving path of wafer stage WST in the above-described exposure for wafer W having 26 shot regions S _m (m = 1 to 26). This movement path is a movement path (hereinafter referred to as movement path BE) from the start position B to the end position E of the exposure center (center of the exposure area IA). In step-and-scan exposure, the exposure center moves relative to the wafer W from the start position B to the end position E along the movement path BE without stopping. Actually, the exposure center is fixed, and the wafer W moves along a path opposite to the movement path BE. Here, for the sake of easy understanding, the exposure center is moved to the movement path BE. Along the wafer W.

In the linear section parallel to the Y axis shown by the solid line in FIG. 16, wafer stage WST is driven (scanned) at a constant speed in order to scan and expose each shot area. In a curved section indicated by a broken line connecting the straight sections, the scanning exposure for a certain shot area S _m is completed, and the scanning exposure for the next shot area S _{m + 1} is started. Stepping (step driving) is performed in the axial direction. In parallel with this stepping, wafer stage WST is decelerated to zero speed in the scanning direction and further accelerated in the opposite direction.

In the step-and-scan exposure operation, main controller 20 drives coarse movement stage 82 using planar motor Ma, and scanning exposure that requires high control performance to drive synchronously with reticle stage RST. At times, the fine movement stage 83 is finely driven using a pair of voice coil motors Mb. On the other hand, high control performance of the fine movement stage 83 is not required, but at the time of stepping that requires high (large) driving force, fine movement is performed using at least one of the EI cores Mc ₁ , Mc ₂ , Mc ₃ , and Mc _4. The stage 83 is finely driven. In this embodiment, the directions of the axes L _c1 and L _c2 are set according to the maximum acceleration direction of the wafer stage WST at the time of stepping. Therefore, an EI core that can generate a large driving force is used. The fine movement stage 83 can be driven efficiently. This enables high-speed stepping of wafer stage WST while maintaining high synchronization accuracy with reticle stage RST.

When performing the above-described focus / leveling control of the wafer W, prior to the start of the scanning exposure of each shot area, in order to avoid a control delay in the start of the focus / leveling control, the wafer table WTB is moved in the Z-axis direction and during the stepping. It may be driven in the tilt direction. In this case, the core of the EI core (at least one of the EI cores Mc ₁ , Mc ₂ , Mc ₃ , Mc ₄ ) used for driving (position control) of the fine movement stage 83, particularly when driven in the θy direction or the θx direction. The gap between TUc ₀ and the magnetic member MUc is non-uniform (for example, different between the upper end and the lower end of the core TUc ₀ ). In such a case, it becomes difficult to accurately predict the suction force generated by the EI core and drive the wafer table WTB with the required accuracy. A similar situation is also caused by the relative rotation of the fine movement stage 83 and the coarse movement stage 82 in the θz direction. Therefore, main controller 20, for example, position information regarding the θx direction, θy direction, and θz direction of wafer table WTB measured by interferometer system 118, fine movement stage 83 and coarse movement stage 83 measured by relative position measurement system 210 described above. based on the relative position information of a moving stage 82, (at least one of EI cores _Mc _1, Mc _2, Mc 3, Mc ₄₎ EI core Mc used to drive the fine movement stage 83, and a planar motor Ma, respectively Then, the fine movement stage 83 and the coarse movement stage 82 are driven together in at least one direction of the tilt direction, that is, the θy direction, the θx direction, and the θz direction. Thus, without the fine movement stage 83 and the coarse movement stage 82 is inclined relative, the gap of the core TUC ₀ and the magnetic member of the EI core Mc used to control a predetermined positional relationship (for example, the entire surface of the core Can be maintained substantially uniform). Here, the predetermined positional relationship means a range in which the control of the EI core Mc can be secured. That is, it is only necessary to maintain a gap within a range in which the suction force generated by the EI core can be accurately predicted, and it is not always necessary to maintain perfect uniformity.

When the driving amount in the θy direction, the θx direction, and the driving amount in the θz direction in the focus / leveling control of the wafer W are within the range in which the control of the EI core Mc can be secured, the fine movement stage 83 and the coarse movement stage are not necessarily required. It is not necessary to incline and synchronize with 82.

Main controller 20 may drive fine movement stage 83 using a pair of voice coil motors Mb together with EI core Mc when stepping wafer stage WST. In this case, main controller 20 may stop generating the driving force (suction force) by EI core Mc prior to the end of step driving of wafer stage WST. In this way, it is possible to avoid the remaining driving force by the EI core Mc from adversely affecting the scanning exposure. When the EI core Mc and the pair of voice coil motors Mb are used in combination during the step drive, the EI core Mc is largely paired with the pair of voice coil motors until the generation of the driving force by the EI core Mc is stopped. It is preferable to generate a driving force larger than Mb.

As described above, in order to control the attractive force generated by the EI core with high accuracy, the gap between the core and the magnetic member is measured, and the amount of current flowing through the coil of each electromagnet TUc is determined according to the measured gap. Need to control. In the present embodiment, the main controller 20 controls the amount of current flowing through the coils of the electromagnets TUc based on the measurement results of the gap sensors 212 ₁ and 212 ₂ and the sensor 214 of the relative position measurement system 210 described above. Thereby, it becomes possible to precisely drive fine movement stage 83 (wafer table WTB) by controlling the driving force (attraction force) according to the gap between electromagnet TUc and magnetic body member MUc. The cap control of the EI core Mc is disclosed in, for example, US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0162802. This U.S. Patent Application Publication discloses gap control by taking, as an example, an EIE core assembly having a pair of E cores disposed on both sides of a single I core. This specification also states that "offset gap control works by manipulating the relative position between the E core and the I core" and "the actuator or actuators attached to the taxi stage are , May be used to perform a position operation ”. This specification also states that “sensors for measuring the positions of the first E core, the second E core, the I core, etc. (which may be interferometers, cap sensors, or optical sensors) control these elements. In order to do so, position information may be sent to the controller, and thus these sensors may be used to manipulate the relative gap distance. " The gap control method for the EI core assembly disclosed in the above-mentioned US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0162802 can also be applied to the EI core gap control according to the present embodiment. .

The main controller 20 may use the EI core Mc together with the pair of voice coil motors Mb at least partly during the scanning drive even when the fine movement stage 83 (wafer table WTB) is driven to scan. In this case, main controller 20 controls both of the driving forces so that the pair of voice coil motors Mb generates a driving force larger than that of EI core Mc in most of the combined period of both. As a result, it is possible to almost certainly prevent the low control performance of the EI core from affecting the controllability of the fine movement stage 83 (wafer table WTB), and at the same time, by applying an auxiliary driving force. Scanning driving becomes possible.

As described above, according to the exposure apparatus 100 and the stage apparatus 50 provided in the exposure apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the coarse movement stage 82 constituting the wafer stage WST is driven with respect to the stage base 13 by the planar motor Ma. A pair of voice coil motors Mb provided on one side and the other side of the coarse movement stage 82 in the X-axis direction, and one side of each of the axes L _c1 and L _c2 intersecting the X-axis and the Y-axis, respectively. Fine movement stage 83 (wafer table WTB) is driven with respect to coarse movement stage 82 by two pairs of EI cores Mc ₁ , Mc ₂ , Mc ₃ , and Mc ₄ provided on the other side. As a result, the wafer table WTB holding the wafer W can be precisely driven with respect to the stage base 13, and the voice coil motor Mb and the EI cores Mc ₁ , Mc ₂ , Mc ₃ , Mc ₄ are coarsely moved. It can be compactly arranged on the upper surface of the slider portion 82a of the stage 82 without protruding to the outside, and the weight and size of the wafer stage can be reduced.

Further, according to the exposure apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the planar motor Ma is adopted as a driving source for the coarse movement stage 82, and a pair of the voice coil motor Mb and the EI core Mc ₁ are used as the driving source for the fine movement stage 83 at the same time. , Mc ₂ , Mc ₃ and Mc ₄ were used in combination. The direction of the driving force (suction force) generated by the EI cores Mc ₁ , Mc ₂ , Mc ₃ , Mc ₄ (direction parallel to the axes Lc ₁ , Lc ₂ ) is the maximum acceleration direction of the wafer stage WST during stepping. It is set according to. As a result, it is possible to efficiently generate the driving force in the direction intersecting with each of the X axis and the Y axis, which is mainly required at the time of stepping, and the EI core can be reduced in weight. Further, high-speed stepping of wafer stage WST is possible while maintaining high pattern overlay accuracy.

In the exposure apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, for example, when the wafer stage WST is step-driven, the main controller 20 projects the projection optical system PL of the wafer table WTB (fine movement stage 83) measured by the stage position measurement system 200 and this. In parallel with this, when the wafer table WTB is finely driven in at least one of the θx and θy directions, for example, via the fine movement stage drive system 34 based on position information with reference to the main frame holding the Wafer table WTB (fine movement stage 83) and coarse movement stage 82 measured by relative position measurement system 210 are maintained so that a predetermined positional relationship between wafer table WTB (fine movement stage 83) and coarse movement stage 82 is maintained. Based on the relative position information, the coarse movement stage 82 is reduced by the planar motor Ma. Both are finely driven in one direction. As a result, the wafer is held without deteriorating the drive performance (control performance) of the EI cores Mc ₁ , Mc ₂ , Mc ₃ , and Mc ₄ due to the change in the relative posture between the coarse motion stage 82 and the fine motion stage 83. The fine movement stage 83 (wafer table WTB) to be driven can be precisely driven with respect to the stage base 13.

In addition, according to the exposure apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the fine movement stage 83 (wafer table WTB) that holds the wafer W described above is driven, so that the reticle is placed on each shot area on the wafer W with high overlay accuracy and high throughput. An R pattern can be formed with high accuracy. Further, according to the exposure apparatus 100, high-resolution exposure is performed by liquid immersion exposure.

In the above embodiment, the wafer stage WST has a pair of EI cores Mc ₁ and MC ₃ disposed on one side and the other side in the direction parallel to the axis Lc ₁ with respect to the center of the main body 83a of the fine movement stage 83; The case where a pair of EI cores Mc ₂ and Mc ₄ arranged on one side and the other side in the direction parallel to the axis Lc ₂ with respect to the center of the fine movement stage 83 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and only one of the pair of EI cores Mc ₁ and MC ₃ and the pair of EI cores Mc ₂ and Mc ₄ may be provided. In the above embodiment, the voice coil motor Mb that applies the driving force in the two orthogonal directions in the X-axis and Y-axis directions between the coarse movement stage 82 and the fine movement stage 83 (more precisely, the main body 83a) is provided. In the above description, the fine movement stage 83 (more precisely, the main body portion 83a) is interposed between the one side and the other side in the X-axis direction. A plurality of parts may be arranged on one side and the other side of the X-axis direction with the part 83a interposed therebetween, or only one may be provided on the main body part 83a. In the latter case, a device for preventing the fine movement stage 83 from rotating unnecessarily in the θz direction relative to the coarse movement stage 82 is provided, and the fine movement stage 83 is rotated by the planar motor Ma. May be.

In the above-described embodiment, the Lorentz force (electromagnetic force) driving type voice coil motor is used as the first actuator that causes the driving force along the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction to act between the coarse movement stage 82 and the fine movement stage 83. Mb is used, and a driving force is applied between the coarse movement stage 82 and the fine movement stage 83 along the directions parallel to the axes Lc ₁ and Lc ₂ that intersect the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction and are parallel to the XY plane. The case where the EI core is used as the second actuator to be operated has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the first actuator may be a combination of other actuators as long as the first actuator is more accurate than the second actuator and the second actuator is more efficient than the first actuator. For example, the first actuator may be a two-dimensional linear actuator other than the Lorentz force driving method, and the second actuator may be a one-dimensional actuator that generates an attractive force or a repulsive force other than the magnetic force.

In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the first actuator and the second actuator are provided has been described. However, the first actuator may not be provided, and only the second actuator may be provided.

In the above embodiment, the EI core (the magnetic member MUc and the electromagnet TUc) is disposed outside the substantially circular wafer holder WH in the XY plane. However, the present invention is not limited to this. is not. For example, when the wafer holder is assumed to be circular with a predetermined radius, at least a part of the EI core may be arranged inside the outer peripheral edge (contour). As the inner side of the outer peripheral edge (contour), for example, 60% or 70% of the radius from the center to the distance (the radius of the wafer holder) from the center of the wafer holder WH (or the center of the main body 83a) to the outer peripheral edge of the wafer holder WH. , 80%, 90%, and the position excluding the center side.

Here, as described above, the self-weight canceller 29, the support member 88, the three pins 88a, the driving device 89, and the like are disposed in the center of the stage main body 81 (coarse movement stage 82). As shown in FIG. 17, the EI core MC _n (the magnetic member MUc and the electromagnet TUc) is arranged inside the outer peripheral edge (contour) of the wafer holder WH, for example, on the outer peripheral side from the three pins 88a. May be. The EI core MC _n, if not completely positioned outside the wafer holder WH in the XY plane, in order to avoid positional interference between them, as shown in FIG. 17, the Z-axis direction, EI core MC _n At least a portion of the wafer can be disposed under the wafer holder WH. In that case, since a difference in the height direction (Z direction) can be given to the arrangement position of the wafer holder WH and the EI core MC _n , the driving force by the EI core MC _{n is applied} to a portion other than the wafer holder WH of the fine movement stage 83 (fine movement stage 83 at least a part). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the wafer holder WH from being distorted due to the driving force.

In the above embodiment, in addition to the stage position measurement system 200 that measures the position of the wafer table WTB (and the measurement stage MST), the relative position measurement system 210 that measures the relative position between the coarse movement stage 82 and the fine movement stage 83 is provided. The case where it was provided was described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and instead of the relative position measurement system, a coarse movement stage position measurement system that measures the position of the coarse movement stage 82 in the direction of 6 degrees of freedom with reference to the projection optical system PL or the main frame that holds the projection optical system PL. It may be provided. In this manner, main controller 20 measures the result of measuring the position of wafer table WTB in the 6-degree-of-freedom direction measured by stage

position measurement system

200 and 6 of coarse movement stage 82 measured by coarse movement stage position measurement system. The gap between the core of the EI core and the magnetic member can be indirectly measured based on the measurement result of the position in the direction of freedom, and the coarse movement stage 82 can be jointly connected via the planar motor Ma. It can also be driven in the direction. In this case, the gap sensors 212 ₁ and 212 ₂ can be omitted.

In the above embodiment, the gaps between the cores of the EI cores Mc ₁ , Mc ₂ , Mc ₃ , Mc ₄ and the magnetic member are set consciously wider than the required gaps. Also good. In such a case, main controller 20 uses EI core Mc and voice coil motor Mb together during step driving of wafer stage WST, for example, and finely moves using a pair of voice coil motor Mb prior to the end of step driving. The stage 83 may be moved to the neutral position. In this case, generation of the driving force by the EI core may be stopped after the movement to the neutral position or after the end of step driving.

In the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which three types of one-dimensional heads whose measurement directions are the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction, that is, the X head, the Y head, and the Z head are used in combination. . However, instead of these three types of one-dimensional heads, for example, a three-dimensional head having all of the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction as measurement directions may be used. When this three-dimensional head is used, this three-dimensional head may be arranged on the reference axis LH instead of the X heads 65X and 64X described above.

Further, instead of the 2D head (biaxial head) in which the X head and Y head described in the above embodiment are housed in one housing, measurement beams for X direction measurement and Y direction measurement are applied to the same irradiation point. It is also possible to use a two-dimensional head having a measurement direction in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. As this type of two-dimensional head, for example, a three-grating diffraction interference type 2D head disclosed in US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0268178 can be used. This 2D head may be arranged on the reference axis LH instead of the X heads 65X and 64X described above. In this case, the Y head need not be provided.

Further, instead of the X head and the Z head in the above embodiment, a two-dimensional head having the measurement direction in the X axis direction and the Z axis direction may be used. As this type of two-dimensional head, for example, a displacement measuring sensor head disclosed in US Pat. No. 7,561,280 can be used. This two-dimensional head may be disposed on the reference axis LH instead of the X heads 65X and 64X described above.

In the above embodiment, the measurement system using the interferometer system and the encoder system is described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the above-described interferometer system 118 is omitted, and the wafer table WTB is based on the main frame. The position information in the direction of 6 degrees of freedom may be measured only by the encoder system. Alternatively, the measurement system can be configured only by the interferometer system.

Of course, the configuration of each measuring apparatus such as the encoder system described in the above embodiment is merely an example. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where an encoder system having a configuration in which a grating portion is provided on a wafer table (wafer stage) and an X head and a Y head are arranged outside the wafer stage is illustrated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, as disclosed in US Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0227309, etc., an encoder head is provided on the wafer stage, and a grating portion (for example, 2 You may employ | adopt the encoder system of the structure which arrange | positions the one-dimensional grating | lattice part arrange | positioned by a two-dimensional lattice or a two-dimensional. In this case, the Z head of the surface position measurement system is also provided on the wafer stage, and the surface of the grating portion may be a reflection surface irradiated with the measurement beam of the Z head, or the above-described 2D head or 3D head may be used. It may be used. When using an encoder system that includes a head on a table and includes the above-described three-dimensional head or the above-described two-dimensional head that includes the Z-axis direction as a measurement direction, Position information in the direction of 6 degrees of freedom of the wafer table WTB as a reference may be measured by the encoder system.

Note that an immersion exposure apparatus disclosed in, for example, European Patent Application Publication No. 1,420,298, US Patent No. 6,952,253, or US Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0088843. In addition, the above embodiment can be applied. Further, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and the above embodiment may be applied to a dry type exposure apparatus that exposes the wafer W without using liquid (water).

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the exposure apparatus is a step-and-scan scanning exposure apparatus has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The above-described embodiment can also be applied to a reduction projection exposure apparatus, a proximity exposure apparatus, a mirror projection aligner, or the like. Further, as disclosed in, for example, US Pat. No. 6,590,634, US Pat. No. 5,969,441, US Pat. No. 6,208,407, etc. The above-described embodiment can also be applied to a multi-stage type exposure apparatus including a stage. Further, as disclosed in, for example, International Publication No. 2005/0774014, an exposure apparatus provided with a measurement stage including a measurement member (for example, a reference mark and / or a sensor) separately from the wafer stage is also described above. The embodiment can be applied.

Further, the projection optical system in the exposure apparatus of the above embodiment may be not only a reduction system but also any of the same magnification and enlargement systems, and the projection optical system PL may be any of a reflection system and a catadioptric system as well as a refractive system. The projected image may be an inverted image or an erect image. Further, the illumination area and the exposure area described above are rectangular in shape, but the shape is not limited to this, and may be, for example, an arc, a trapezoid, or a parallelogram.

The light source of the exposure apparatus of the above embodiment is not limited to the ArF excimer laser, but is a KrF excimer laser (output wavelength 248 nm), F ₂ laser (output wavelength 157 nm), Ar ₂ laser (output wavelength 126 nm), Kr ₂ laser ( It is also possible to use a pulse laser light source with an output wavelength of 146 nm, an ultrahigh pressure mercury lamp that emits a bright line such as g-line (wavelength 436 nm), i-line (wavelength 365 nm), and the like. A harmonic generator of a YAG laser or the like can also be used. In addition, as disclosed in, for example, US Pat. No. 7,023,610, a single wavelength laser beam in an infrared region or a visible region oscillated from a DFB semiconductor laser or a fiber laser is used as vacuum ultraviolet light. For example, a harmonic that is amplified by a fiber amplifier doped with erbium (or both erbium and ytterbium) and wavelength-converted into ultraviolet light using a nonlinear optical crystal may be used.

In the above embodiment, it is needless to say that the illumination light IL of the exposure apparatus is not limited to light having a wavelength of 100 nm or more, and light having a wavelength of less than 100 nm may be used. For example, the above embodiment is preferably applied to an EUV exposure apparatus using a light source that generates EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) light in a soft X-ray region (for example, a wavelength region of 5 to 15 nm) using an SOR or a plasma laser as a light source. be able to. In addition, the above embodiment can be applied to an exposure apparatus that uses charged particle beams such as an electron beam or an ion beam.

In the above-described embodiment, a light transmission mask (reticle) in which a predetermined light-shielding pattern (or phase pattern / dimming pattern) is formed on a light-transmitting substrate is used. Instead of this reticle, For example, as disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,778,257, an electronic mask (variable shaping mask, which forms a transmission pattern, a reflection pattern, or a light emission pattern based on electronic data of a pattern to be exposed, as disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,778,257. Also called an active mask or an image generator, for example, a DMD (Digital Micro-mirror Device) which is a kind of non-light emitting image display element (spatial light modulator) may be used.

Further, for example, the above-described embodiment can be applied to an exposure apparatus (lithography system) that forms line and space patterns on a wafer by forming interference fringes on the wafer.

Further, as disclosed in, for example, US Pat. No. 6,611,316, two reticle patterns are synthesized on a wafer via a projection optical system, and one scan exposure is performed on one wafer. The above embodiment can also be applied to an exposure apparatus that performs double exposure of shot areas almost simultaneously.

Note that the object on which the pattern is to be formed in the above embodiment (the object to be exposed to the energy beam) is not limited to the wafer, but other objects such as a glass plate, a ceramic substrate, a film member, or a mask blank. But it ’s okay.

The use of the exposure apparatus is not limited to the exposure apparatus for semiconductor manufacturing. For example, an exposure apparatus for liquid crystal that transfers a liquid crystal display element pattern onto a square glass plate, an organic EL, a thin film magnetic head, an image sensor ( CCDs, etc.), micromachines, DNA chips and the like can also be widely applied to exposure apparatuses. 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., glass substrates or silicon wafers, etc. The above embodiment can also be applied to an exposure apparatus that transfers a circuit pattern.

An electronic device such as a semiconductor element includes a step of designing a function / performance of a device, a step of manufacturing a reticle based on the design step, a step of manufacturing a wafer from a silicon material, and an exposure apparatus (pattern formation) according to the above-described embodiment. Lithography step to transfer the mask (reticle) pattern to the wafer using the apparatus, development step to develop the exposed wafer, etching step to remove the exposed member other than the portion where the resist remains by etching, etching is completed This is manufactured through a resist removal step that removes the resist that is no longer needed in step 1, a device assembly step (including a dicing process, a bonding process, and a package process), an inspection step, and the like. In this case, in the lithography step, the exposure method described above is executed using the exposure apparatus according to the above-described embodiment, and a device pattern is formed on the wafer. Therefore, a highly integrated device can be manufactured with high productivity. .

Claims

A base member;
A first moving member that moves on the base member along a two-dimensional plane including a first axis and a second axis that are orthogonal to each other; a second moving member that is supported by the first moving member so as to be relatively movable; A moving body having
A first actuator that causes a driving force along a first direction parallel to the first axis and a second direction parallel to the second axis to act between the first moving member and the second moving member;
At least a pair of second elements that cause a driving force along a third direction that intersects each of the first and second directions and is parallel to the two-dimensional plane to act between the first moving member and the second moving member. And an actuator.
The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the first actuator is more accurate than the second actuator, and the second actuator is more efficient than the first actuator.
The mobile device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first actuator is an actuator that generates a Lorentz force, and the second actuator is an actuator that generates a suction force.
The first actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first actuator includes a first portion that generates the driving force in the first direction and a second portion that generates the driving force in the second direction. Mobile device.
The mobile device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein each of the first actuators is disposed on one side and the other side of the first direction with the second moving member interposed therebetween.
The mobile device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each of the second actuators is arranged on a straight line along the third direction with the second moving member interposed therebetween.
The said 2nd actuator is arrange | positioned 1 each on both sides of the said 2nd moving member on the straight line along the 4th direction symmetrical with the said 3rd direction with respect to the said 2nd axis | shaft of the said 2nd moving member. The mobile device according to any one of 1 to 6.
The mobile device according to claim 7, wherein the third direction and the fourth direction intersect with the second axis at an angle other than 45 degrees.
The said 2nd actuator contains the magnetic body provided in one of the said 1st and 2nd moving member, and the electromagnet provided in the other of the said 1st and 2nd moving member corresponding to this. The mobile device according to any one of 1 to 8.
A plurality of sensors for measuring a physical quantity related to a separation distance between the first moving member and the second moving member;
The mobile device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein at least one of the first and second actuators is controlled based on measurement results of the plurality of sensors.
The mobile device according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of sensors include a plurality of sensors arranged in the vicinity of the second actuator.
The mobile device according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensors further include a sensor disposed in the vicinity of the first actuator.
The mobile device according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the sensor is a gap sensor that measures the separation distance.
The first actuator includes a stator and a mover,
One of the stator and the mover includes a magnet unit,
The movable body apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the other of the stator and the mover includes a coil unit facing the magnet unit.
15. The moving body apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third actuator that drives the second moving member in a direction orthogonal to the two-dimensional plane with respect to the first moving member.
The movable body apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15, further comprising a planar motor that drives the movable body along the two-dimensional plane with respect to the base member.
The mobile device according to claim 16, wherein the planar motor is a moving magnet type planar motor including a coil unit provided on the base member and a magnet unit provided on the first moving member.
The mobile device according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the planar motor generates a driving force in a direction intersecting the two-dimensional plane.
The mobile device according to any one of claims 1 to 18, further comprising a support device that movably supports the second moving member in a direction orthogonal to the two-dimensional plane.
An exposure apparatus that exposes an object by irradiating an energy beam,
The mobile device according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the object is held on the second moving member;
An exposure apparatus comprising: a pattern generation device that forms a pattern on the object by irradiating the object with the energy beam.
The pattern is formed in each of the plurality of partitioned regions on the object held on the second member by repeating the scanning drive in the second direction and the step drive in the first direction of the moving body. And
The first actuator generates a larger driving force than the second actuator in at least a part during the scanning drive, and the second actuator is larger than the first actuator in at least a part during the step driving. The exposure apparatus according to claim 20, wherein
The exposure apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the third direction coincides with a direction of maximum acceleration acting on the moving body during the step driving.
23. The exposure apparatus according to claim 21, wherein generation of the driving force of the second actuator is stopped during the step driving of the movable body prior to the transition from the step driving to the scanning driving.
A base member;
A first moving member that moves on the base member along a two-dimensional plane including a first axis and a second axis that are orthogonal to each other; a second moving member that is supported by the first moving member so as to be relatively movable; A moving body having
A first driving device that drives the movable body with six degrees of freedom relative to the base member;
A second driving device that drives the second moving member with respect to the first moving member with six degrees of freedom;
When the second moving member is rotationally driven about at least one of the first axis and the second axis, the first driving device causes the first moving member to move between the first axis and the second axis. The second driving device is driven to rotate about at least one of the first axis and the second axis with respect to the first member by the second driving device. Mobile device to do.
The first driving device and the second driving device move the second moving member to the first shaft and the first shaft so that a predetermined positional relationship between the first moving member and the second moving member is maintained. The mobile device according to claim 24, wherein the mobile device is rotationally driven with respect to at least one of the two axes.
The first driving device is a moving magnet type planar motor including a coil unit provided on the base member and a magnet unit provided on the first moving member, and the planar motor includes the base member and 26. The moving body apparatus according to claim 24 or 25, wherein a driving force in a direction orthogonal to the two-dimensional plane is generated between the moving body and the moving body.
The second driving device applies a driving force between the first moving member and the second moving member along a first direction parallel to the first axis and a second direction parallel to the second axis. A first actuator to be applied, and a driving force that intersects each of the first and second directions and that extends in a third direction parallel to the two-dimensional plane between the first moving member and the second moving member. 27. The second actuator according to claim 24, further comprising: a second actuator to be driven; and a third actuator that drives the second moving member in a direction perpendicular to the two-dimensional plane with respect to the first moving member. Mobile device.
28. The mobile device according to claim 27, wherein the first actuator is an actuator that generates a Lorentz force, and the second actuator is an actuator that generates a suction force.
A reference frame;
A first measuring device that measures position information of the second moving member with respect to the reference frame; and position information of the first moving member with respect to the reference frame or a relative relationship between the first moving member and the second moving member. A measurement system including a second measurement device that measures position information, and based on a measurement result of the measurement system, the first driving device and the second driving device are used to move the second moving member. The mobile device according to any one of claims 24 to 28, which is driven.
The moving body according to any one of claims 24 to 29, wherein the first measuring device includes an interferometer that receives light transmitted through the second moving member and measures position information of the second moving member. apparatus.
The first measuring device includes an encoder that receives reflected light from a grating provided on one of the second moving member and the reference frame and measures position information of the second moving member. The moving body device according to any one of the above.
The second measuring device includes a plurality of gap sensors for measuring a separation distance between the first moving member and the second moving member, and the first moving member based on a measurement result of the plurality of gap sensors. The mobile device according to any one of claims 24 to 31, wherein relative position information between the first moving member and the second moving member is measured.
The said 2nd actuator contains the magnetic body provided in one of the said 1st and 2nd moving member, and the electromagnet provided in the other of the said 1st and 2nd moving member corresponding to this. The mobile device according to any one of to 32.
An exposure apparatus that exposes an object by irradiating an energy beam,
The moving body device according to any one of claims 24 to 33, wherein the object is held on the second moving member, and a pattern that forms a pattern on the object by irradiating the object with the energy beam. And an exposure apparatus.
The first driving device and the second driving device rotate the second moving member around at least one of the first axis and the second axis to position the object at an exposure position. Item 34. The exposure apparatus according to Item 34.
Exposing an object using the exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 20 to 23, 34, and 35, forming a pattern on the object, and developing the object on which the pattern is formed; A device manufacturing method comprising:
A first moving member that moves along a two-dimensional plane including a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to each other;
Position information in the first direction along the first axis and the second axis, which has a substrate holding part for holding the substrate and is supported by the first moving member so as to be movable with respect to the first moving member A second moving member in which position information about the second direction along the line is measured;
Drive along the third direction, which is disposed on the lower side or the lateral side of the second moving member with respect to a third direction that intersects each of the first and second directions and is parallel to the two-dimensional plane. A first actuator that applies a force between the first moving member and the second moving member;
The driving force along the third direction is applied between the first moving member and the second moving member, and is disposed on the lower side or the side of the second moving member with respect to the third direction. A second actuator to be
A mobile device comprising:
The first moving member includes a moving mechanism that moves the substrate in a direction intersecting the two-dimensional plane with respect to the substrate holding unit,
38. The moving body apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the first and second actuators are disposed outside the moving mechanism with respect to the third direction.
The mobile device according to claim 37 or 38, wherein the first and second actuators are actuators that generate a suction force.
A driving force that is disposed on the lower side or the lateral side of the second moving member with respect to a fourth direction that is symmetrical to the third direction with respect to the second axis of the second moving member, and that is along the fourth direction. A third actuator that acts between the first moving member and the second moving member;
The driving force is arranged between the first moving member and the second moving member, and is disposed on the lower side or the side of the other of the second moving member with respect to the fourth direction. A fourth actuator;
The mobile device according to any one of claims 37 to 39, further comprising:
41. The mobile device according to claim 40, wherein the third direction and the fourth direction intersect with the second axis at an angle other than 45 degrees.
A sensor for measuring a physical quantity related to a separation distance between the first moving member and the second moving member;
The mobile device according to any one of claims 37 to 41, further comprising: a control device that controls the first and second actuators based on a measurement result of the sensor.
A base member supporting the first moving member;
38. A driving device for causing a driving force along a first direction parallel to the first axis and a second direction parallel to the second axis to act between the base member and the first moving member. 43. The mobile device according to any one of .about.42.
A position measuring device for obtaining position information about the first direction and the second direction of the second moving member;
44. The mobile device according to claim 43, wherein the driving device is controlled based on the position information.
An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate by irradiating an energy beam,
A moving body device according to any one of claims 37 to 44, and a pattern generation device that forms a pattern on the substrate by irradiating the energy beam onto the substrate held by the second moving body. An exposure apparatus provided.
The pattern is formed in each of the plurality of partitioned regions on the object held on the second member by repeating the scanning drive in the second direction and the step drive in the first direction of the moving body. And
The at least one of the first and second actuators generates a driving force in at least part of the step driving;
46. The exposure apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the third direction is set based on a direction of maximum acceleration acting on the moving body during the step drive.
A device manufacturing method comprising: exposing a substrate using the exposure apparatus according to claim 45 or 46; forming a pattern on the substrate; and developing the substrate on which the pattern is formed.