Exposure apparatus, exposure method and device manufacturing method

Abstract

A liquid immersion exposure apparatus has: a projection system with an optical element; a substrate stage having a holder by which a substrate is held; an immersion area forming member having an opening through which exposure light is projected, a plurality of liquid recovery ports arranged facing downwardly and surrounding the opening, and a plurality of liquid supply ports arranged facing downwardly and between the opening and the liquid recovery ports; and a sensor having a transparent member and a light receiver, with the transparent member being provided at the substrate stage and the light receiver receiving light from the projection system through the transparent member and liquid between the end surface of the optical element and the transparent member.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A liquid immersion exposure apparatus comprising:
 a projection system which is provided with an optical element having an end surface facing downwardly and via which exposure light is projected;   a substrate stage having a holder by which a substrate is held;   an immersion area forming member having an opening through which exposure light is projected, the immersion area forming member having a plurality of liquid recovery ports arranged facing downwardly and arranged surrounding the opening, the immersion area forming member having a plurality of liquid supply ports arranged facing downwardly and arranged between the opening and the liquid recovery ports; and   a sensor having a transparent member and a light receiver, the transparent member being provided at the substrate stage and the light receiver receiving light from the projection system through the transparent member and liquid between the end surface of the optical element and the transparent member;   wherein:   the substrate stage is movable below the projection system and the immersion area forming member, and   the substrate held by the holder of the substrate stage is exposed with the exposure light from the projection system through the liquid in a liquid immersion area formed on a portion of an upper surface of the substrate by supplying the liquid via the liquid supply ports and collecting the liquid via the liquid recovery ports, the liquid being supplied from the liquid supply ports to a gap between the immersion area forming member and the upper surface of the substrate not through the opening.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate stage is movable to a position at which the liquid immersion area is formed over the transparent member by supplying the liquid via the liquid supply ports and collecting the liquid via the liquid recovery ports, and the light receiver receives the light from the projection system through the liquid in the liquid immersion area formed over the transparent member of the sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the light received by the light receiver is the exposure light. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a gap is formed between the optical element and the immersion area forming member. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the optical element has a first surface which defines the gap between the optical element and the immersion area forming member, and   the first surface includes a liquid repellent surface.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 the immersion area forming member has a second surface which defines the gap between the optical element and the immersion area forming member, and   the second surface includes a liquid repellent surface.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the immersion area forming member has a second surface which defines the gap between the optical element and the immersion area forming member, and   the second surface includes a liquid repellent surface.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the first surface extends upwardly from the end surface of the optical element. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising a supporting member by which the optical element is supported, wherein the optical element has a first surface extending upwardly from the end surface, the immersion area forming member has a second surface, the gap is formed between the first and second surfaces, and the supporting member supports the optical element above the gap formed between the first and second surfaces. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the immersion area forming member has a lower surface in which the liquid supply ports and the liquid recovery ports are formed. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein a height of the liquid supply ports is substantially equal to that of the liquid recovery ports. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the immersion area forming member surrounds the optical element. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid in the gap between the immersion area forming member and the upper surface of the substrate is collected via the liquid recovery ports facing the upper surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid is collected from the liquid recovery ports along with gas. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate stage has a stage upper surface arranged substantially flush with the upper surface of the substrate held by the holder. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the substrate is held by the holder such that a gap is formed between the stage upper surface of the substrate stage and the upper surface of the substrate held by the holder. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the stage upper surface is arranged such that the stage upper surface surrounds the upper surface of the substrate held by the holder. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the transparent member has an upper surface arranged substantially flush with the upper surface of the substrate held by the holder. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the substrate stage has a stage upper surface arranged substantially flush with the upper surface of the substrate held by the holder. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a member provided at the substrate stage; and   an alignment system disposed above the substrate stage, which detects an alignment mark of the substrate held by the holder,   wherein the member has a reference mark to be detected by the alignment system, and an upper surface of the member is arranged substantially flush with the upper surface of the substrate held by the holder.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the liquid supply ports have first ports arranged on one side of the opening and second ports arranged on an opposite side of the opening. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein:
 each of a plurality of shot areas of the substrate is successively exposed while moving the substrate in a scanning direction, and   the first and second ports are disposed on both sides of the opening in the scanning direction.   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein the liquid supply via the first ports and the liquid supply via the second ports are performed in parallel during the exposure. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the immersion area forming member has a first member and a second member, and   a supply flow path in which the liquid to be supplied flows is formed between the first and second members.   
     
     
         25 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the immersion area forming member has a first member and a second member, and   a recovery flow path in which the collected liquid flows is formed between the first and second members.   
     
     
         26 . A device manufacturing method comprising:
 exposing a substrate using the apparatus according to  claim 1 , and   processing the exposed substrate.