An exposure apparatus for emitting exposure light onto a substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid to expose the substrate includes a supply pipe which supplies the liquid; a recovery pipe which recovers the liquid; a connection pipe which connects the supply pipe and the recovery pipe; and a switching device which switches a flow path of the liquid so that when liquid supply is stopped, the liquid that has flowed into the supply pipe flows to the recovery pipe via the connection pipe. The apparatus may further include a temperature regulation apparatus connected to the supply pipe, which performs temperature regulation of the liquid supplied to the supply pipe, and has a rough temperature regulator which roughly regulates the temperature of the liquid, and a fine temperature regulator which is arranged between the rough temperature regulator and the supply pipe and performs fine regulation of this temperature.

Exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

Exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by irradiating the substrate with exposure light via a projection optical system and a liquid. The exposure apparatus is provided with a liquid immersion mechanism for supplying the liquid and recovering the liquid. The liquid immersion mechanism has an inclined surface, which is opposite to a surface of the substrate and is inclined with respect to the surface of the substrate, and a liquid recovering port of the liquid immersion mechanism is formed in the inclined surface. A flat portion is provided between the substrate and the projection optical system. A liquid immersion area can be maintained to be small.

Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and method for producing device

A lithographic projection apparatus includes a liquid confinement structure extending along at least a part of a boundary of a space between a projection system and a substrate table. The liquid confinement structure is positioned adjacent a final surface of the projection system and includes a first inlet configured to supply a liquid, through which a patterned beam is to be projected, to the space, and a second inlet configured to supply gas and formed in a face of the structure. The face is arranged to oppose a surface of the substrate and the second inlet is located radially outward, with respect to an optical axis of the projection system, of the space and has a porous member to evenly distribute gas flow over an area of the second inlet.

Lithographic Projection Apparatus

An exposure apparatus (EX) fills an optical path space of an exposure light (EL) with a liquid (LQ), and exposes a substrate (P) by irradiating the substrate (P) with the exposure light (EL) through a projection optical system (PL) and the liquid (LQ). A first optical element (LS1) of the projection optical system (PL) is provided with a recessed surface part (2) which is brought into contact with the liquid (LQ). The exposure apparatus (EX) is provided with a removing apparatus (40) for removing foreign materials on the inner side the recessed surface part (2). Immersion exposure is performed by permitting the exposure light to excellently reach an image plane through the projection optical system and the liquid.

Exposure apparatus, exposure method and device manufacturing method

A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a projection lens that is configured for immersion operation. For this purpose an immersion liquid is introduced into an immersion space that is located between a last lens of the projection lens on the image side and a photosensitive layer to be exposed. To reduce fluctuations of refractive index resulting from temperature gradients occurring within the immersion liquid, the projection exposure apparatus includes heat transfer elements that heat or cool partial volumes of the immersion liquid so as to achieve an at least substantially homogenous or at least substantially rotationally symmetric temperature distribution within the immersion liquid.

Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and measuring device for a projection lens

An aberration measuring apparatus has a converging lens L disposed on the light path of light beam to converge light beam traveling through a measurement target optical system PL on a predetermined surface IP, an aperture stop AP disposed on the light path of light beam to transmit a part of the light beams, a converging position detection unit DET disposed on the predetermined surface to detect a positional deviation of a converging position P of a part of the light beams traveling through the aperture stop on the predetermined surface IP, a moving unit M connected the aperture stop to move the aperture stop within the light beam, and an arithmetic processing unit connected the converging position detection unit to calculate an aberration of the measurement target optical system PL on the basis of an output signal from the converging position detection unit DET.

Aberration measuring apparatus, aberration measuring method, projection exposure apparatus having the same measuring apparatus, device manufacturing method using the same measuring method, and exposure method

A photomask including a substrate comprised of fluorite (calcium fluoride (CaF 2 )) and protective films comprised of chrome (Cr), chromium oxide (Cro), silicon oxide (SiO 2 or SiO), etc. and formed at regions, other than the pattern region where the pattern to be transferred is formed, which contact other members when transporting the photomask or using it for exposure.

Photomask, aberration correction plate, exposure apparatus, and process of production of microdevice

A vibration reduction device includes a vibration detection unit for detecting nonlinear vibrations of the optical axis in an image taking optical system of an image taking apparatus, a vibration reduction drive unit for moving some or all components of the image taking optical system relative to the image taking frame of the image taking apparatus, and a vibration reduction control unit for extracting regularity from the time series detection outputs from the vibration detection unit, predicting the time series output waveform of the vibration on the basis of the extracted regularity, and driving the vibration reduction drive unit on the basis of the prediction result.

Vibration reduction device

A photomask (R) having a substrate of fluorite (calcium fluoride (CaF2)). Protective films (42A to 42D) made of chromium (Cr), chromium oxide (CrO), or silicon oxide (SiO2 or SiO) are formed in the areas that come into contact with other members when the photomask is exposed, or exposing the other than the pattern area (40) where a pattern to be transferred is formed. The protective film prevents the breakage of the photomask made of a material having a low hardness such as fluorite.

Hitoshi Takeuchi

Papers

Aberration measuring apparatus, aberration measuring method, projection exposure apparatus having the same measuring apparatus, device manufacturing method using the same measuring method, and exposure method

Photomask, aberration correction plate, exposure apparatus, and process of production of microdevice

Vibration reduction device

Photomask, aberration correcting plate, exposure device and method of producing microdevice