JP2005191150A - Stage device and exposure apparatus, and method of manufacturing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stage device which can accurately measure the position of a movable body, an exposure apparatus which can accurately transfer fine patterns, and a method of manufacturing a device which can manufacture a highly integrated device with a high yield. <P>SOLUTION: A first reflection mirror 41a attached to a wafer stage is supported to the wafer stage by means of one first flexure section 46, three second flexure sections 47a and 47b, and two third flexure sections 48. Each first to third flexure sections 46, 47a, 47b, and 48 is equipped with one rods 51, 61, 68, or 75 both ends of each of which are rotatably connected to the first reflection mirror 41a or the wafer stage. The first reflection mirror is kinematically supported to the wafer stage by the total six rods 51, 61, 68, and 75. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  In the present invention, for example, a mounted object such as a wafer can be placed and moved in a predetermined direction, and the movable body provided with a reflecting member, and the movement using the reflection of measurement light by the reflecting member. The present invention relates to a stage device having a position measuring device for measuring the position of a body. The present invention also relates to an exposure apparatus that transfers an image of a pattern formed on a mask such as a reticle or photomask onto a substrate such as a wafer or glass plate placed on a stage apparatus. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a device such as a semiconductor element, a liquid crystal display element, a thin film magnetic head, a micromachine, etc., including a lithography process.

  For example, as shown in Patent Document 1, as this type of stage device, there is known a stage device that holds a placement object so that the placement object can be moved to an arbitrary position. In some of these stage devices, a moving body that holds the mounted object is equipped with a position measuring device for measuring the position of the moving body.

  As this position measuring device, an optical measuring device using an interferometer capable of accurately measuring the position of a moving body is often used. In this measuring apparatus, predetermined measurement light is projected onto the reflecting surface of the reflecting mirror attached to the moving body, and the measuring light reflected by the reflecting surface is received to measure the position of the moving body. It has become.

  Here, many reflecting mirrors are fastened and fixed to the moving body by screws or the like. In addition, in order not to transmit the influence of the surface accuracy of the moving body surface to the reflecting mirror, a spacer is interposed in the fastening portion between the reflecting mirror and the moving body, and a gap is formed between the back surface of the reflecting mirror and the surface of the moving body. There is also a thing which provided it.

  In a stage apparatus including a position measurement device using these interferometers, for example, when a temperature change occurs in an environment where the stage apparatus is used, the movable body and the reflecting mirror may expand and contract. For this reason, a temperature correction function may be added to the interferometer.

By the way, exposure apparatuses for manufacturing devices such as semiconductor elements, liquid crystal display elements, thin film magnetic heads, and micromachines also hold mask stages for holding masks such as reticles and photomasks, and substrates such as wafers and glass plates. A position measuring device using an interferometer as described above is mounted on the substrate stage. In particular, semiconductor elements have been remarkably miniaturized in recent years, and it has become necessary to measure the position of a reticle or wafer very strictly in an exposure apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor elements.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-47914

  However, in the stage apparatus provided with the position measuring device having the above-described configuration, a minute positional shift occurs in the fastening portion between the moving body and the reflecting mirror as the moving body and the reflecting mirror expand and contract with the temperature change. There is. When such a positional deviation occurs, for example, when the stage apparatus is heated from a certain temperature to a predetermined temperature and then cooled to the original temperature, the relative position between the moving body and the reflecting mirror before and after the temperature change. This causes a phenomenon that changes slightly, so-called “hysteresis”.

  Such hysteresis causes a reduction in the accuracy of the position measurement of the placed object in the interferometer. Such hysteresis may be caused by, for example, acceleration / deceleration accompanying movement of the moving body, impact when the stage apparatus is mounted on an exposure apparatus or the like, and the like. In addition, if distortion is accumulated between the moving body and the reflecting mirror for some reason, the distortion is gradually released over a long period of time, and the relative position between the moving body and the reflecting mirror changes, resulting in hysteresis. Sometimes.

  Such transmission of distortion from the moving body to the reflecting mirror is alleviated by reducing the tightening force of the screw for fixing the moving body and the reflecting mirror. However, if the tightening force is reduced, the above-described hysteresis tends to occur.

  Further, even if the moving body and the reflecting mirror are formed of the same material and the thermal expansion coefficients are made uniform, the moving body has a large capacity because the mounting surface is enlarged. On the other hand, it is desirable that the reflecting mirror has a small capacity in order to ensure quick movement of the moving body. For this reason, a difference in heat capacity occurs between the moving body and the reflecting mirror. For example, when the temperature around the stage apparatus rises, the small-capacity reflecting mirror is first warmed and expanded, and the reflecting mirror may be bent.

  On the other hand, if the reflecting surface is formed directly on the surface of the moving body, the above-described hysteresis does not occur. However, in this case, the deformation of the moving body due to a change in ambient temperature, acceleration / deceleration of the moving body, etc. is reflected as it is on the reflecting surface, and it is difficult to keep the interferometer position measurement accuracy high.

  Here, in an exposure apparatus with severe requirements for the accuracy of position measurement of the mounted object, the above-described hysteresis, transmission of deformation from the moving body to the reflecting mirror, positional deviation of the reflecting mirror such as bending of the reflecting mirror, and unexpected deformation, Even if the degree is very small, it can easily be ignored. In particular, in an exposure apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor element, a plurality of different patterns are superimposed and printed on a single wafer. Therefore, the misalignment and unexpected deformation cause a decrease in overlay accuracy, thereby reducing the yield of semiconductor elements. Will be reduced.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such problems existing in the prior art. The purpose is to provide a stage apparatus that can accurately measure the position of the moving body. Another object is to provide an exposure apparatus that can accurately expose even a fine pattern. A further object is to provide a device manufacturing method capable of manufacturing a highly integrated device with a high yield.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application places a placement object, and a movable body that is movable in at least one direction, and a reflection that is attached to the movable body and includes a reflective surface. In a stage apparatus comprising: a member; and a position measurement device that projects predetermined measurement light onto the reflection surface and receives the measurement light reflected on the reflection surface and measures the position of the moving body. The reflection member is attached to the moving body, and a flexure mechanism that reduces deformation caused by the movement of the moving body is provided.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, even if the moving body is deformed due to the movement of the moving body, the deformation is reduced by the flexure mechanism, so that the deformation of the reflecting member can be reduced. For this reason, the position of the moving body can be accurately measured by the position measuring device.

  The invention according to claim 2 of the present application is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the flexure mechanism is interposed between the reflecting member and the moving body, and both ends are formed to be rotatable. It has a rod of a book.

  In the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the action of the first aspect of the invention, the reflecting member is held in a so-called kinematic state in a state where the six movements with respect to the moving body do not contradict each other. can do. For this reason, even if a mobile body deform | transforms into arbitrary directions, it is suppressed that the deformation | transformation is transmitted to a reflecting member, and it can avoid that an unexpected deformation | transformation arises in a reflecting member.

  Further, in the invention according to claim 3 of the present application, in the invention according to claim 2, the rod is connected to the first pivot portion that is rotatably connected to the reflecting member, and the movable body. It has the 2nd pivot part connected so that rotation is possible, and the rigid body part arrange | positioned between both pivot parts, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  The invention according to claim 4 of the present application is the invention according to claim 3, wherein the flexure mechanism further includes a first attachment portion attached to the reflecting member, and a second attachment portion attached to the movable body. And the first pivot portion is connected to the reflecting member via the first attachment portion, and the second pivot portion is moved via the second attachment portion. It is characterized by being connected to the body.

  In the inventions according to the third and fourth aspects, in addition to the action of the invention according to the second aspect, kinematic holding of the reflecting member with respect to the moving body can be realized with a simple configuration.

  Further, in the invention according to claim 5 of the present application, in the invention according to claim 4, the first attachment portion, the second attachment portion, and the rod are integrally formed of the same material. It is characterized by that.

  According to the fifth aspect of the invention, in addition to the operation of the fourth aspect of the invention, the number of parts can be reduced and the flexure mechanism can be operated with high reproducibility.

  In the invention according to claim 6 of the present application, in the invention according to claim 4 or 5, the reflection surface is formed in a rectangular shape, and the flexure mechanism is configured such that the length direction of the rod reflects the reflection. A first flexure portion arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the surface, a second flexure portion arranged substantially parallel to a direction in which the length direction of the rod intersects the reflection surface, and the length direction of the rod Comprises a third flexure portion arranged substantially parallel to the short direction of the reflecting surface.

  The invention according to claim 7 of the present application is the invention according to claim 6, wherein the first flexure part has one rod, the second flexure part has three rods, The 3 flexure section has two rods.

  In the inventions according to the sixth and seventh aspects, in addition to the action of the invention according to the fourth or fifth aspect, the reflection member having a rectangular reflection surface is provided on the reflection surface with respect to the moving body. Can be held kinematically while ensuring a predetermined rigidity in each of the longitudinal direction, the direction intersecting the reflecting surface, and the short direction of the reflecting surface.

  The invention according to claim 8 of the present application is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the reflecting member is transmitted to the reflecting surface as the movable body moves. It has a vibration absorption mechanism that absorbs the generated vibration.

  In the invention according to claim 6, in addition to the operation of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 7, vibration transmitted to the reflecting surface is absorbed. The reflection of the measurement light does not become unstable, and the position of the moving body can be measured with higher accuracy.

The invention according to claim 9 of the present application is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 8, the vibration absorbing mechanism comprises a dynamic damper.
In the ninth aspect of the invention, in addition to the action of the eighth aspect of the invention, the dynamic frequency of the dynamic damper is set to cancel the natural vibration of the reflecting member, thereby facilitating stage control. Can be performed.

  Further, in the invention according to claim 10 of the present application, in the invention according to claim 9, the dynamic damper includes an attachment portion attached to the reflecting member, a mass portion having a predetermined mass, and the attachment portions. It comprises an elastically deformable elastic connecting part for connecting the mass part, wherein the mounting part, the mass part and the elastic connecting part are formed of an integral material.

In the invention according to the tenth aspect, in addition to the action of the invention according to the ninth aspect, the number of parts can be reduced.
The invention according to claim 11 is the invention according to claim 10, wherein the mass portion is disposed between the mass portion and at least one of the elastic connecting portion, the attachment portion, and the reflecting member. A damping material that attenuates vibration is interposed.

  In the invention according to the eleventh aspect, in addition to the action of the invention according to the tenth aspect, the range of the natural frequency of the mass part for canceling the vibration of the reflecting member can be widened. The degree of freedom of vibration absorption can be increased.

  The invention according to claim 12 of the present application is the invention according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the vibration absorbing mechanism vibrates at least one of the movable body and the reflecting member. And a friction material that generates a minute frictional force between the movable body and the reflecting member.

In the invention according to claim 12, the operation of the invention according to any one of claims 8 to 11 can be realized with a simple configuration.
The invention according to claim 13 of the present application is an exposure apparatus for transferring an image of a pattern formed on a mask onto a substrate placed on the stage apparatus, wherein the stage apparatus is described in claims 1 to. The stage device according to any one of 12 is provided.

  In the invention according to claim 13, in addition to the action of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the position of the substrate can be accurately measured, and the position of the substrate can be measured. Occurrence of aberration associated with measurement can be suppressed. Further, when a plurality of different patterns are superimposed and exposed on a single substrate, the patterns can be accurately superimposed. Therefore, even a highly integrated device having a fine pattern can be exposed with high accuracy, and a highly integrated device can be manufactured with a high yield.

  The invention described in claim 14 is characterized in that, in the device manufacturing method including a lithography process, exposure is performed using the exposure apparatus described in claim 13 in the lithography process.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, a highly integrated device can be manufactured with a high yield.
Next, the technical ideas further included in the invention described in the above claims will be described below together with their actions.

(1) The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flexure mechanism reduces an influence of acceleration / deceleration of the moving body on the reflecting member.
Therefore, according to the invention described in (1), it is possible to suppress the displacement and deformation of the reflecting member accompanying the acceleration / deceleration of the moving body, and to accurately measure the position of the moving body. can get.

  (2) The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flexure mechanism includes a deformation suppressing mechanism that suppresses transmission of minute deformation generated in the moving body to the reflecting member as the moving body moves. .

  Therefore, according to the invention described in (2), the deformation of the moving body accompanying the movement of the moving body is suppressed from being transmitted to the reflecting member, and the positional deviation and deformation of the reflecting member can be reduced. The effect is obtained.

  (3) The stage device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the second flexure portion is arranged in the vicinity of both ends in the short direction on the surface opposite to the reflecting surface of the reflecting member. .

Therefore, according to the invention described in (3), when the rectangular reflecting member is supported, an effect that the displacement of the reflecting member can be reduced can be obtained.
(4) The reflective member includes a convex portion protruding outward from a surface opposite to the reflective surface in order to attach at least one rod of the second flexure portion. The stage apparatus as described in (3).

  Therefore, according to the invention described in (4), the distance in the short direction of the reflecting member of each rod in the second flexure portion can be increased, and the displacement of the reflecting member can be further reduced. The effect is obtained.

(5) The stage apparatus according to claim (4), wherein the bulging portion is provided at substantially the center of the surface opposite to the reflecting surface.
(6) When a plurality of the second flexure portions are provided, when the second flexure portion is subjected to a predetermined acceleration along the short direction of the reflection surface of the reflection member, the reflection surface is substantially deformed. The stage device according to any one of claims 6 and 7, and (3) to (5), wherein the stage device is disposed at a minimum position.

  Therefore, according to the inventions described in these (5) and (6), each rod of the second flexure part is centered on one center of the reflecting member, for example, and the other rod is centered on the center of the reflecting member. It can be arranged at a position where the displacements on both sides of the rod are balanced between both ends in the direction. Thereby, the effect | action that a deformation | transformation of a reflection member can be made as small as possible is acquired.

  (7) When a plurality of the third flexure portions are provided, the deformation of the reflection surface is substantially reduced when a predetermined acceleration is applied to the reflection member along the short direction of the reflection surface. The stage device according to any one of claims 6 and 7, and (3) to (6), wherein the stage device is disposed at a minimum position.

  Therefore, according to the invention described in (7), the rods of the third flexure portion are arranged at positions where the displacements between the rods and the outside of the outermost rod are balanced in the short direction of the reflecting surface. be able to. Thereby, the effect that the deformation | transformation of a reflection member can be made as small as possible is acquired.

  (8) The dynamic damper is configured by a part of the flexure mechanism, a rod interposed between the reflecting member and the moving body, and a direction in which the length direction of the rod intersects the reflecting surface Any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the second flexure portions arranged substantially in parallel are accommodated in a convex portion protruding substantially at the center in the longitudinal direction of the reflecting surface. A stage apparatus according to claim 1.

  Therefore, according to the invention described in (8), the same effect as in (4) can be obtained, and the dynamic damper is accommodated in the convex portion, so that an increase in the size of the stage device can be suppressed. An effect is obtained.

  (9) The friction material constitutes a part of the flexure mechanism, a rod interposed between the reflecting member and the movable body, and a length direction of the rod is a short direction of the reflecting surface. One of the moving body attaching portion attached to the moving body in the third flexure portions arranged substantially in parallel, the reflecting member attaching portion attached to the reflecting member, and at least one of the moving bodies. The stage apparatus according to claim 12, comprising a plate-like body fixed and slidably contacted with the other.

  Therefore, according to the invention described in (9), it is possible to obtain an effect that the vibration generated in the movable body and / or the reflection member can be attenuated while avoiding the enlargement of the stage apparatus.

  As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a stage device that can accurately measure the position of the moving body. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an exposure apparatus that can accurately expose even a fine pattern. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a device manufacturing method capable of manufacturing a highly integrated device with a high yield.

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment in which an exposure apparatus and a stage apparatus according to the present invention are embodied in an exposure apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor elements and a wafer stage equipped in the exposure apparatus will be described below with reference to FIGS.

First, a schematic configuration of the exposure apparatus will be described.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an exposure apparatus. As shown in FIG. 1, an exposure light source 21 uses pulsed light such as KrF excimer laser light, ArF excimer laser light, and F ₂ laser light as exposure light EL. Exit. The exposure light EL is incident as an optical integrator on, for example, a fly-eye lens 22 composed of a large number of lens elements. A large number of secondary light source images corresponding to the respective lens elements are formed on the exit surface of the fly-eye lens 22. Note that the optical integrator may be a rod lens. The exposure light EL emitted from the fly-eye lens 22 has a circuit pattern or the like of a semiconductor element drawn on the reticle stage RST via relay lenses 23a and 23b, a reticle blind 24, a mirror 25, and a condenser lens 26. It enters the reticle R as a mask.

  Here, the synthesis system of the fly-eye lens 22, the relay lenses 23a and 23b, the mirror 25, and the condenser lens 26 superimposes the secondary light source image on the reticle R, and illuminates the reticle R with uniform illuminance 27. Is configured. The reticle blind 24 is arranged such that its light shielding surface has a conjugate relationship with the pattern area of the reticle R. The reticle blind 24 is composed of a plurality of movable light shielding plates (for example, two L-shaped movable light shielding plates) that can be opened and closed by a reticle blind drive unit 28. And the illumination area which illuminates the reticle R is arbitrarily set by adjusting the size (slit width, etc.) of the opening formed by these movable light shielding plates.

  The reticle stage RST can be moved in a predetermined direction (scanning direction (Y direction)) by a reticle stage driving unit 29 configured by a linear motor or the like. In FIG. 1, the direction along the optical axis AX of the projection optical system PL is the Z direction, the direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the projection optical system PL and the paper surface is the X direction, and the paper surface is orthogonal to the optical axis of the projection optical system PL. A direction along the line Y is defined as a Y direction. The reticle stage RST holds the reticle R so as to be finely movable in the X direction perpendicular to the scanning direction and finely rotatable around the optical axis AX in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis AX of the exposure light EL. .

  An interferometer 30 is disposed in the vicinity of the reticle stage RST. The interferometer 30 projects a laser beam as measurement light toward the reflecting surface 32 of the reflecting mirror 31 fixed to the end of the reticle stage RST. The interferometer 30 receives the measurement light reflected by the reflecting surface 32 of the reflecting mirror 31, and always detects the position of the reticle stage RST in the scanning direction.

  Position information of reticle stage RST detected by interferometer 30 is sent to reticle stage control unit 33. The reticle stage control unit 33 controls the reticle stage driving unit 29 based on the position information of the reticle stage RST under the control of the main control system 34 that controls the operation of the entire exposure apparatus, and moves the reticle stage RST. .

  The exposure light EL that has passed through the reticle R is incident on, for example, a bilateral telecentric projection optical system PL. The projection optical system PL is composed of a plurality of lens elements LE, and a projection image obtained by reducing the circuit pattern on the reticle R to, for example, 1/5 or 1/4 is a photo that has photosensitivity to the exposure light EL on the surface. It is formed on a mounted object on which a resist is applied and a wafer W as a substrate.

  This wafer W is held via a Z stage 36 and a wafer holder 37 on a wafer stage WST as a moving body constituting a part of the stage apparatus. The Z stage 36 can be tilted in an arbitrary direction with respect to the optimal imaging plane of the projection optical system PL by a Z stage drive unit 38 including a motor or the like, and finely moves in the optical axis AX direction (Z direction) of the projection optical system PL. It is possible. Wafer stage WST is moved not only in the scanning direction (Y direction) but also in a plurality of shot areas partitioned on wafer W by a wafer stage drive unit 39 such as a motor. It is also configured to be movable in a direction perpendicular to (X direction). As a result, a step-and-scan operation in which scanning exposure is repeated for each shot area on the wafer W is possible.

  In the vicinity of wafer stage WST, interferometer 40 is disposed as a position measuring device that constitutes a part of the stage device. Interferometer 40 projects a laser beam as measurement light toward reflecting surface 42 of reflecting mirror 41 as a reflecting member fixed to the end of wafer stage WST. Interferometer 40 receives the measurement light reflected by reflecting surface 42 of reflecting mirror 41, and always detects the position of wafer stage WST in the X direction and the Y direction.

  The position information (or velocity information) of wafer stage WST detected by interferometer 40 is sent to wafer stage control unit 43. Wafer stage controller 43 then controls wafer stage driver 39 based on the position information (or speed information) of wafer stage WST under the control of main control system 34.

  Here, when the circuit pattern on the reticle R is scanned and exposed to the shot area on the wafer W by the step-and-scan method, the illumination area on the reticle R is shaped into a rectangle (slit) by the reticle blind 24. . This illumination area has a longitudinal direction in a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction (+ Y direction) on the reticle R side. Then, by scanning the reticle R at a predetermined speed Vr during exposure, the circuit pattern on the reticle R is sequentially illuminated from one end side to the other end side in a slit-like illumination region. Thereby, the image of the circuit pattern on the reticle R in the illumination area is projected onto the wafer W via the projection optical system PL, thereby forming a projection area.

  Here, since the wafer W is in an inverted imaging relationship with the reticle R, the wafer W is scanned in a direction opposite to the scanning direction of the reticle R (−Y direction) at a predetermined speed Vw in synchronization with the scanning of the reticle R. . As a result, the entire shot area of the wafer W can be exposed. The scanning speed ratio Vw / Vr accurately corresponds to the reduction magnification of the projection optical system PL, and the image of the circuit pattern on the reticle R is accurately reduced and transferred onto each shot area on the wafer W. .

Next, wafer stage WST will be described focusing on the configuration of reflecting mirror 41.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of wafer stage WST. As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of side surfaces of wafer stage WST intersect with each other as a first for measuring the position in the Y direction (scanning direction). A reflecting mirror 41a and a second reflecting mirror 41b for measuring the position in the X direction (direction intersecting the scanning direction) are attached. These first and second reflecting mirrors 41a and 41b are formed so as to cover almost the entire side surface of wafer stage WST, and a rectangular reflecting surface 42 is formed on the surface thereof. The first and second reflecting mirrors 41a and 41b are fixed to the side end portion of wafer stage WST via first to third flexure portions 46 to 48 constituting a flexure mechanism.

Here, since the first reflecting mirror 41a and the second reflecting mirror 41b have the same configuration except for the arrangement direction, the first reflecting mirror 41a will be described below as an example.
FIG. 3 is a side view of wafer stage WST, and FIG. 4 is a bottom view of wafer stage WST centering on the attachment portion of first reflecting mirror 41a. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 3, FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 in FIG. FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 3.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a concave portion 49 is provided at each of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the first reflecting mirror 41a so as to open to the bottom surface of the first reflecting mirror 41a. The first flexure section 46 fixes the first reflecting mirror 41a to the side surface of the wafer stage WST in a state where a part of the first flexure section 46 is accommodated in one of the recesses 49. In addition, this recessed part 49 also plays the role which lightens the front-end | tip part of the 1st reflective mirror 41a, and improves the rigidity of the 1st reflective mirror 41a whole.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the first flexure portion 46 has a lateral L-shape, and is divided into three blocks from one material by a slit. The three blocks are a reflecting mirror mounting portion 50 as a first mounting portion mounted on the first reflecting mirror 41a, a rod 51 having a length direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the reflecting surface 42, and a wafer. It comprises a stage attachment portion 52 as a second attachment portion attached to the stage WST.

  The rod 51 includes a first pivot portion 53 that forms a neck portion, a second pivot portion 54 that also forms a neck portion, and a rigid body portion 51 a disposed between the pivot portions 53 and 54. The reflector mounting part 50 is connected to the first pivot part 53 of the rod 51. Thereby, the rod 51 is connected so as to be rotatable with respect to the first reflecting mirror 41a. In addition, the stage mounting portion 52 is connected to the second pivot portion 54 of the rod 51. Thereby, rod 51 is connected so as to be rotatable with respect to wafer stage WST.

  Here, the reflecting mirror mounting portion 50 is fitted into the mounting hole 56 of the wall portion 55 at the end of the first reflecting mirror 41 a, and the outer peripheral surface of the reflecting mirror mounting portion 50 is bonded and fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole 56. Has been. On the other hand, stage mounting portion 52 is fastened and fixed with screws in a state where it is joined to the side surface of wafer stage WST. The first flexure portion 46 is arranged such that a straight extension line connecting the first pivot portion 53 and the second pivot portion 54 passes through the center of gravity of the first reflecting mirror 41a.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a convex portion 59 is formed at the central portion of the first reflecting mirror 41 a so as to protrude outwardly from the reflecting surface 42. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the second flexure portion 47 includes one lower second flexure portion 47a attached to the back surface of the convex portion 59 of the first reflection mirror 41a and the center of the first reflection mirror 41a. And two upper second flexure portions 47b attached to the back surface opposite to the reflecting surface 42 between the end portions in the longitudinal direction.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the lower second flexure portion 47 a has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is divided into three blocks from one material by a slit. The three blocks include a reflecting mirror mounting portion 60 as a first mounting portion mounted on the first reflecting mirror 41a, a rod 61 having a length direction so as to intersect the longitudinal direction of the reflecting surface 42, and a wafer stage. It comprises a stage attachment portion 62 as a second attachment portion attached to the WST. As shown in FIG. 4, the reflector mounting portion 60 has a flat plate shape. The stage mounting portion 62 has a substantially U-shaped plane and is disposed so as to surround the rod 61.

  The rod 61 includes a first pivot portion 63 that forms a neck portion, a second pivot portion 64 that also forms a neck portion, and a rigid body portion 61 a that is disposed between the first and second pivot portions 63 and 64. ing. The reflector mounting portion 60 is connected to the first pivot portion 63 of the rod 61. Thereby, the rod 61 is connected so as to be rotatable with respect to the first reflecting mirror 41a. In addition, the stage mounting portion 62 is connected to the second pivot portion 64 of the rod 61. Thereby, rod 61 is connected so as to be rotatable with respect to wafer stage WST.

  The reflecting mirror mounting portion 60 is joined to the back surface of the convex portion 59 in the first reflecting mirror 41a, and is fastened and fixed by screws. On the other hand, stage mounting portion 62 is joined to the bottom surface of wafer stage WST and is fastened and fixed by screws.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the upper second flexure portion 47b has a substantially box shape having a partition wall at the center, and is divided into three blocks from one material by a slit. The three blocks include a reflecting mirror mounting portion 67 as a first mounting portion mounted on the first reflecting mirror 41a, a rod 68 having a length direction so as to intersect the longitudinal direction of the reflecting surface 42, and a wafer stage. It comprises a stage attachment portion 69 as a second attachment portion attached to the WST.

  The rod 68 includes a first pivot portion 70 that forms a neck portion, a second pivot portion 71 that also forms a neck portion, and a rigid body portion 68 a that is disposed between the first and second pivot portions 70 and 71. ing. The reflector mounting portion 67 is connected to the first pivot portion 70 of the rod 68. Thereby, the rod 68 is connected so as to be rotatable with respect to the first reflecting mirror 41a. Further, the stage mounting portion 69 is connected to the second pivot portion 71 of the rod 68. Thereby, rod 68 is connected to wafer stage WST so as to be rotatable.

  The reflecting mirror mounting portion 67 is joined to the back surface of the first reflecting mirror 41a opposite to the reflecting surface 42 and is fastened and fixed with screws. On the other hand, stage mounting portion 69 is joined to the plane of wafer stage WST and is fastened and fixed by screws.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the third flexure portion 48 is between the central convex portion 59 of the first reflecting mirror 41a and both ends in the longitudinal direction of the first reflecting mirror 41a. 1 is attached near the concave portion 49 on the bottom surface of the reflecting mirror 41a so as to form a pair with the convex portion 59 as a center.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the third flexure portion 48 is divided into three blocks from one material by a slit. The three blocks include a reflecting mirror mounting portion 74 as a first mounting portion mounted on the first reflecting mirror 41a, a rod 75 having a length direction so as to be parallel to the short direction of the reflecting surface 42, and It comprises a stage attachment portion 76 as a second attachment portion attached to wafer stage WST. As shown in FIG. 3, the reflecting mirror mounting portion 74 has a flat plate shape. The stage mounting portion 76 has a substantially U-shaped planar shape and is arranged so as to surround the rod 75.

  The rod 75 includes a first pivot portion 77 that forms a neck portion, a second pivot portion 78 that also forms a neck portion, and a rigid body portion 75 a that is disposed between the first and second pivot portions 77 and 78. ing. The reflector mounting portion 74 is connected to the first pivot portion 77 of the rod 75. Thereby, the rod 75 is connected so as to be rotatable with respect to the first reflecting mirror 41a. In addition, the stage mounting portion 76 is connected to the second pivot portion 78 of the rod 75. Thereby, rod 75 is connected so as to be rotatable with respect to wafer stage WST.

  The reflecting mirror mounting portion 74 is joined to the bottom surface of the first reflecting mirror 41a and is fastened and fixed by screws. On the other hand, stage mounting portion 76 is joined to the bottom surface of wafer stage WST and is fastened and fixed by screws.

  As described above, the first reflecting mirror 41a includes one first flexure portion 46, three second flexure portions 47 including one lower second flexure portion 47a and two upper second flexure portions 47b. Two third flexure sections 48 are supported on wafer stage WST. Each of the first to third flexure portions 46 to 48 has one rod 51, 61, 68, 75 that has both ends rotatably connected to the first reflecting mirror 41a or the wafer stage WST. Yes. That is, as schematically shown in FIG. 9, the first reflecting mirror 41a is a so-called kinema that can be displaced in six directions without contradiction by six rods 51, 61, 68, 75 that can rotate at both ends. It is supported on wafer stage WST in a tick state.

  Here, for example, it is assumed that deformation occurs in wafer stage WST due to a change in temperature condition in the environment around wafer stage WST, acceleration / deceleration of wafer stage WST, or the like. In this wafer stage WST, when the deformation occurs, the six rods 51, 61, 68, 75 are appropriately displaced, so that the deformation of the wafer stage WST is caused by the first to third flexure portions 46-48. The absorption and the deformation are suppressed from being transmitted to the first reflecting mirror 41a.

  Here, the rods 61 and 68 of the second flexure portion 47 that support the first reflecting mirror 41a in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the reflecting surface 42 are arranged as follows. The rod 61 of the lower second flexure portion 47a corresponds to the position of the center of gravity of the first reflecting mirror 41a and is disposed on the convex portion 59 that protrudes outward from the reflecting surface. On the other hand, the rod 68 of each upper second flexure portion 47b is disposed between the convex portion 59 and both ends of the first reflecting mirror 41a so as to be balanced around the rod 68. Further, the rod 68 of each upper second flexure portion 47b is disposed in the vicinity of the upper end of the first reflecting mirror 41a, and is possible in the short direction of the reflecting surface 42 with the rod 61 of the lower second flexure portion 47a. They are located at as far as possible.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(A) The wafer stage WST includes first to third flexure portions 46 to 48 that are attached to the reflecting mirror 41 and reduce deformation caused by the movement of the wafer stage WST. For this reason, even if the wafer stage WST is deformed due to the movement of the wafer stage WST, the deformation is reduced by the first to third flexure units 46 to 48, so that the deformation of the reflecting mirror 41 is reduced. be able to. Therefore, the position of wafer stage WST can be accurately measured by interferometer 40.

  (A) In this wafer stage WST, the first to third flexure units 46 to 48 reduce the influence of acceleration / deceleration of the wafer stage WST on the reflecting mirror 41. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the positional shift and deformation of the reflecting mirror 41 accompanying the acceleration / deceleration of the wafer stage WST, and to accurately measure the position of the wafer stage WST.

  (C) In this wafer stage WST, the first to third flexure portions 46 to 48 are interposed between the reflecting mirror 41 and the wafer stage WST, and the six rods 51 and 61 are rotatably formed at both ends. , 68, 75. For this reason, the reflecting mirror 41 can be held in a so-called kinematic state in a state where the six movements with respect to the wafer stage WST do not contradict each other. For this reason, even if wafer stage WST is deformed in an arbitrary direction, the deformation is suppressed from being transmitted to reflecting mirror 41, and unexpected deformation of reflecting mirror 41 can be avoided.

  (D) In this wafer stage WST, the first to third flexure portions 46 to 48 cause minute deformation of the wafer stage WST accompanying the movement of the wafer stage WST, and the six rods 51, 61, 68, and 75 are appropriately displaced. By doing so, transmission to the reflecting mirror 41 is suppressed. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the deformation accompanying the movement of wafer stage WST from being transmitted to reflecting mirror 41, and to reduce the displacement and deformation of reflecting mirror 41.

  (E) In wafer stage WST, rods 51, 61, 68, and 75 are connected to first pivot portions 53, 63, 70, and 77 that are rotatably connected to reflecting mirror 41, and to wafer stage WST. It has the 2nd pivot part 54,64,71,78 connected so that rotation is possible. Rigid bodies 51a, 61a, 68a, 75a are arranged between the first and second pivot parts. Further, the first to third flexure portions 46 to 48 include reflecting mirror mounting portions 50, 60, 67, 74 attached to the reflecting mirror 41, and stage mounting portions 52, 62, 69, 76 attached to the wafer stage WST. have. The first pivot parts 53, 63, 70, 77 are connected to the reflector 41 via the reflector mounting parts 50, 60, 67, 74, and the second pivot parts 54, 64, 71, 78 are The wafer stage WST is connected to the wafer stage WST via stage mounting portions 52, 62, 69, and 76. Therefore, kinematic holding of the reflecting mirror 41 with respect to the wafer stage WST can be realized with a simple configuration.

  (F) In this wafer stage WST, the reflector mounting portions 50, 60, 67, 74, the stage mounting portions 52, 62, 69, 76 and the rods 51, 61, 68, 75 are integrally made of the same material. It is configured. Therefore, the first to third flexure units 46 to 48 can be operated with high reproducibility while reducing the number of parts.

  (G) This wafer stage WST has first to third flexure portions 46 to 48. In the first flexure section 46, the rods 51 are arranged substantially in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the reflecting surface 42 of the reflecting mirror 41. The second flexure portion 47 is arranged substantially parallel to the direction in which the rods 61 and 68 intersect the reflecting surface 42. In the third flexure portion 48, the rods 75 are arranged substantially in parallel with the short direction of the reflecting surface 42. The first flexure section 46 has one rod 51, the second flexure section 47 has three rods 61 and 68, and the third flexure section 48 has two rods 75.

  By configuring in this way, the reflecting mirror 41 having the rectangular reflecting surface 42 is arranged with respect to the wafer stage WST in the longitudinal direction of the reflecting surface 42, the direction intersecting the reflecting surface 42, and the short direction of the reflecting surface 42. In each direction, kinematic can be maintained while ensuring a predetermined rigidity.

  (H) In this wafer stage WST, the second flexure portion 47 is disposed in the vicinity of both ends in the lateral direction on the surface of the reflecting mirror 41 opposite to the reflecting surface 42. For this reason, when the rectangular reflecting mirror 41 is supported, the displacement of the reflecting mirror 41 can be reduced.

  (K) The reflecting mirror 41 includes a convex portion 59 that protrudes outward from the surface opposite to the reflecting surface 42 in order to attach the rod 61 of the lower second flexure portion 47a. For this reason, the space | interval in the transversal direction of the reflective mirror 41 of each rod 61 and 68 in the 2nd flexure part 47 can be expanded, and the displacement of the reflective mirror 41 can be made still smaller.

  (K) In this wafer stage WST, the reflecting mirror 41 is supported via a lower second flexure portion 47 at a convex portion 59 provided substantially at the center on the surface opposite to the reflecting surface 42. Further, when the reflector 41, the two upper second flexure portions 47b, and a predetermined acceleration are applied to the reflector 41 along the short direction of the reflecting surface 42, the deformation of the reflecting surface 42 is almost minimized. Placed in position. Therefore, the rods 61 and 68 of the second flexure portion 47 are centered on one rod 61 at the center of the reflecting mirror 41, and the other two rods 68 are connected to the center and both ends of the reflecting mirror 41 in the longitudinal direction. It can arrange | position in the position where the displacement of the both sides of the rod 68 balances between. Thereby, the deformation | transformation of the reflective mirror 41 can be made small as much as possible.

  (S) In this wafer stage WST, when the third flexure portion 48 applies a predetermined acceleration to the reflecting mirror 41 along the short direction of the reflecting surface 42, the deformation of the reflecting surface 42 is substantially minimized. Placed in position. For this reason, the rods 75 of the third flexure portion 48 can be arranged at positions where the displacements between the rods 75 and outside the rods 75 are balanced in the short direction of the reflecting surface 42. Thereby, the deformation | transformation of the reflective mirror 41 can be made small as much as possible.

  (S) In this exposure apparatus, wafer stage WST is composed of a stage apparatus having the operations and effects described in (A) to (S). For this reason, the position of the wafer W can be measured with high accuracy, and the occurrence of aberration associated with the position measurement of the wafer W can be suppressed. Further, when a plurality of different patterns are superimposed and exposed on a single wafer W, the patterns can be accurately superimposed. For this reason, even a highly integrated semiconductor element having a fine pattern can be exposed with high accuracy, and a highly integrated semiconductor element can be manufactured with a high yield.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment in which a dynamic damper 101 as a vibration absorbing mechanism is mounted on the reflecting mirror 41 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of the center of the reflecting mirror 41 with the dynamic damper 101 as the center. As shown in FIG. 10, the dynamic damper 101 is housed in a housing recess 102 formed on the reflection surface 42 side of the projection 59 that protrudes in the center of the reflecting mirror 41.

  The dynamic damper 101 includes an attachment portion 103, a damper stage 104 constituting a part of the mass portion, and a parallel spring 105 as an elastic coupling portion. The mounting portion 103, the damper stage 104, and the parallel spring 105 are integrally formed of the same member.

  The mounting portion 103 has a substantially U-shaped side surface, and is fastened and fixed to the convex portion 59 of the reflecting mirror 41 by a screw 106. The damper stage 104 is formed in a substantially flat plate shape, and is connected to the bottom wall portion 103a of the mounting portion 103 by parallel springs 105 formed in a pair of thin plates by slit processing at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the reflecting mirror 41. Has been.

  A mass body 107 constituting a part of the mass portion is attached to the surface of the damper stage 104 on the mounting portion 103 side. Here, the damper stage 104 and the mass body 107 are configured not to contact the inner surface of the convex portion 59 and the mounting portion 103 of the reflecting mirror 41. The total weight of the damper stage 104 and the mass body 107 is set so as to suppress the natural vibration of the reflecting mirror 41, so that the reflecting mirror 41 does not vibrate when it vibrates itself. The damper stage 104 and the mass body 107 are guided by the parallel spring 105 so that the vibration direction thereof is only the longitudinal direction of the reflecting mirror 41.

  Further, in the gap between the mass body 107 and the bottom wall portion 103a of the attachment portion 103 and the gap between the damper stage 104 and the side wall portion 103b of the attachment portion 103, for example, sorbosein, α-gel, vibration-proof rubber A damping material 108 such as is interposed. The damping material 108 plays a role of attenuating vibration generated in the damper stage 104 and the mass body 107.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, in addition to the effects described in (a) to (b) in the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(S) The reflecting mirror 41 has a dynamic damper 101 that is transmitted to the reflecting surface 42 along with the movement of the wafer stage WST and absorbs the vibration of the reflecting mirror 41 caused by the vibration. For this reason, by setting the natural frequency of the dynamic damper 101 to cancel the natural vibration of the reflecting mirror 41, the vibration of the reflecting surface 42 is absorbed. Thereby, the reflection of the measurement light on the reflecting surface 42 does not become unstable, the position of the wafer stage WST can be measured with higher accuracy, and the wafer stage WST can be easily controlled. .

  (C) In this reflecting mirror 41, the dynamic damper 101 includes an attaching portion 103 attached to the reflecting mirror 41, a damper stage 104 having a predetermined mass, and an elastically deformable connecting the attaching portion 103 and the damper stage 104. It consists of a parallel spring 105. The mounting portion 103, the damper stage 104, and the parallel spring 105 are formed of an integral material. For this reason, when attaching the mechanism for absorbing vibration to the reflecting mirror 41, it is possible to efficiently absorb the vibration of the reflecting mirror 41 while reducing the number of components.

  (So) In this reflecting mirror 41, a damping material 108 is interposed between the damper stage 104 and the mounting portion 103 and between the mass body 107 and the mounting portion 103. Therefore, the vibration of the damper stage 104 and the mass body 107 can be attenuated, and the range of the natural frequency of the damper stage 104 and the mass body 107 for canceling the vibration of the reflecting mirror 41 can be widened. The degree of freedom of vibration absorption in the damper 101 can be increased.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment in which a vibration absorbing mechanism having a friction plate 121 as a friction material is mounted on the reflecting mirror 41 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the third flexure portion 122 as a vibration absorbing mechanism provided with the friction plate 121, and FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the third flexure portion 122.
As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, in the third flexure portion 122 of the third embodiment, one end of the friction plate 121 is fastened and fixed to the reflector mounting portion 74 by a pair of mounting screws 123. It is fixed via a friction plate retainer 124. On the other hand, a substantially L-shaped magnet cover 125 is fastened and fixed to the stage mounting portion 76 by mounting screws 126.

  The other end of the friction plate 121 opposite to the one end is inserted into the gap between the stage mounting portion 76 and the magnet cover 125. A magnet 127 (one in this embodiment) is interposed between the friction plate 121 and the magnet cover 125. The friction plate 121 and the magnet cover 125 are magnetized by the magnet 127. This magnetic attachment causes minute friction between the friction plate 121 and the magnet cover 125 when vibration occurs in at least one of the reflecting mirror 41 and the wafer stage WST in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the reflecting mirror 41. Force is generated. As a result, vibration generated in at least one of the reflecting mirror 41 and the wafer stage WST is absorbed.

Therefore, according to the third embodiment, in addition to the effects described in (a) to (b) in the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(T) In the third flexure unit 122, the friction plate 121 that generates a minute frictional force between the wafer stage WST and the reflecting mirror 41 when vibration occurs in at least one of the wafer stage WST and the reflecting mirror 41. Is provided. Therefore, vibration of at least one of wafer stage WST and reflecting mirror 41 can be absorbed with a simple configuration.

  (H) The friction plate 121 is fixed to the reflecting mirror mounting portion 74 of the third flexure portion 122 and is slidably contacted with the stage mounting portion 76 via the magnet 127 and the magnet cover 125. . In other words, the friction plate 121 constitutes a part of the third flexure portion 122. Therefore, vibration of at least one of wafer stage WST and reflecting mirror 41 can be absorbed while avoiding an increase in size of wafer stage WST. Further, by adjusting the magnetic force and the number of magnets 127, a minute frictional force generated between wafer stage WST and reflecting mirror 41 can be easily adjusted.

(Modification)
The embodiment of the present invention may be modified as follows.
-At least one of the dynamic damper 101 of the second embodiment and the third flexure part 122 of the third embodiment may be mounted on the wafer stage WST of the first embodiment.

The same support structure of the reflecting mirror 31 as that of the wafer stage WST may be adopted for the reticle stage RST of the first embodiment.
In the second embodiment, the damping material 108 is interposed between the damper stage 104 and the mounting portion 103, and between the mass body 107 and the mounting portion 103. However, at least one of the damper stage 104 and the mass body 107 is used. Further, a damping material 108 may be interposed between the inner wall surface of the receiving recess 102 of the reflecting mirror 41.

  The dynamic damper 101 may be integrally fixed to the reflecting mirror mounting portion 60 of the lower second flexure portion 47a and accommodated in the convex portion 59 of the reflecting mirror 41, for example. If comprised in this way, the enlargement of wafer stage WST can be suppressed.

In the third embodiment, the number of magnets 127 is not limited to one, and two or more magnets 127 may be provided.
In the third embodiment, the magnet 127 is interposed between the friction plate 121 and the magnet cover 125, but the magnet cover 125 is omitted and the magnet 127 is directly between the friction plate 121 and the stage mounting portion 76. You may make it magnetically attach.

  In the third embodiment, the friction plate 121 is fixed to the reflecting mirror mounting portion 74 via the friction plate pressing member 124, but the friction plate 121 may be directly fixed to the reflecting mirror mounting portion 74 with mounting screws 123 or the like.

  In the third embodiment, the friction plate 121 is fixed to the reflecting mirror mounting portion 74 side and magnetically attached to the stage mounting portion 76 side. However, the friction plate 121 is fixed to the stage mounting portion 76 side, You may make it magnetically attach to the reflective-mirror attachment part 74 side.

  In the third embodiment, the friction plate 121 is fixed at one end to one of the reflector mounting portion 74 or the stage mounting portion 76 and the other end is magnetically attached to the other of the reflector mounting portion 74 or the stage mounting portion 76. I tried to do it. On the other hand, the friction plate 121 is fixed to one of the reflecting mirror mounting portion 74 or the stage mounting portion 76 at one end, and the other end of the friction plate 121 and the other of the reflecting mirror mounting portion 74 or the stage mounting portion 76 are connected. A minute frictional force may be generated with a spring interposed therebetween. Further, the friction plate 121 is fixed to one of the reflecting mirror mounting portion 74 or the stage mounting portion 76 at one end, and the other protruding portion of the reflecting mirror mounting portion 74 or the stage mounting portion 76 is provided. Then, the friction plate 121 may be brought into sliding contact with the other end to generate a minute frictional force.

In the third embodiment, the friction plate 121 is provided in the third flexure portion 48, but the friction plate 121 may be provided in at least one of the first flexure portion 46 and the second flexure portion 47.
The wafer stage WST of the present invention can be applied not only to the wafer stage of the exposure apparatus but also to other optical machines such as a microscope and an interferometer, and a sample stage such as a machine tool.

  In addition, as an exposure apparatus, a contact exposure apparatus that exposes the mask pattern by bringing the mask and the substrate into close contact without using a projection optical system, and a proximity exposure that exposes the mask pattern by bringing the mask and the substrate close to each other. It can also be applied to the optical system of the apparatus. Further, the projection optical system is not limited to the total refraction type, but may be a catadioptric type.

Furthermore, the exposure apparatus of the present invention is not limited to a reduction exposure type exposure apparatus, and may be, for example, an equal magnification exposure type or an enlargement exposure type exposure apparatus.
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. The present invention can also be applied to an exposure apparatus that transfers a circuit pattern to a silicon wafer or the like. Here, in an exposure apparatus using DUV (deep ultraviolet) or VUV (vacuum ultraviolet) light, a transmission type reticle is generally used. As a reticle substrate, quartz glass, quartz glass doped with fluorine, fluorite, fluoride, and the like are used. Magnesium or quartz is used. Further, in proximity type X-ray exposure apparatuses and electron beam exposure apparatuses, a transmission type mask (stencil mask, member mask) is used, and a silicon wafer or the like is used as a mask substrate.

  Of course, the present invention is applied not only to an exposure apparatus used for manufacturing a semiconductor element but also to an exposure apparatus used for manufacturing a display including a liquid crystal display element (LCD) to transfer a device pattern onto a glass plate. be able to. The present invention can also be applied to an exposure apparatus used for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head or the like and transferring a device pattern onto a ceramic wafer or the like, and an exposure apparatus used for manufacturing an image pickup device such as a CCD.

  Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to a step-and-repeat stepper in which the mask pattern is transferred to the substrate while the mask and the substrate are stationary, and the substrate is sequentially moved stepwise.

In addition to the ArF excimer laser (193 nm) and F ₂ laser (157 nm) described in the embodiment, the light source of the exposure apparatus is, for example, g-line (436 nm), i-line (365 nm), KrF excimer laser (248 nm) Kr2 laser (146 nm), Ar2 laser (126 nm), or the like may be used. In addition, a single wavelength laser beam in the infrared region or visible region oscillated from a DFB semiconductor laser or fiber laser is amplified by, for example, a fiber amplifier doped with erbium (or both erbium and ytterbium), and a nonlinear optical crystal is obtained. It is also possible to use harmonics that have been converted into ultraviolet light.

The exposure apparatus of the embodiment is manufactured as follows, for example.
That is, first, the illumination optical system 27 and the projection optical system PL are incorporated in the main body of the exposure apparatus, and optical adjustment is performed. Next, a wafer stage WST comprising a large number of mechanical parts (including a reticle stage RST in the case of a scan type exposure apparatus) is attached to the main body of the exposure apparatus, and wiring is connected. Then, a gas supply pipe for supplying gas is connected in the optical path of the exposure light, and further comprehensive adjustment (electric adjustment, operation check, etc.) is performed.

  Here, each component constituting the optical element holding device that holds the illumination optical system 27 and the projection optical system PL is assembled after removing impurities such as processing oil and metal substances by ultrasonic cleaning or the like. The exposure apparatus is preferably manufactured in a clean room in which the temperature, humidity, and pressure are controlled and the cleanness is adjusted.

  As the glass material in the embodiment, fluorite, quartz, and the like have been described as an example. , Fluoride glass composed of zirconium-barium-lanthanum-aluminum, quartz glass doped with fluorine, quartz glass doped with hydrogen in addition to fluorine, quartz glass containing OH groups, OH groups in addition to fluorine You may employ | adopt improved quartz, such as contained quartz glass.

Next, an embodiment of a device manufacturing method using the above-described exposure apparatus in a lithography process will be described.
FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a manufacturing example of a device (a semiconductor element such as an IC or LSI, a liquid crystal display element, an imaging element (CCD or the like), a thin film magnetic head, a micromachine, or the like). As shown in FIG. 13, first, in step S201 (design step), function / performance design (for example, circuit design of a semiconductor device) of a device (microdevice) is performed, and a pattern design for realizing the function is performed. Do. Subsequently, in step S202 (mask manufacturing step), a mask (such as a reticle Rt) on which the designed circuit pattern is formed is manufactured. On the other hand, in step S203 (substrate manufacturing step), a substrate (or a wafer W when a silicon material is used) is manufactured using a material such as silicon or a glass plate.

  Next, in step S204 (substrate processing step), using the mask and substrate prepared in steps S201 to S203, an actual circuit or the like is formed on the substrate by lithography or the like, as will be described later. Next, in step S205 (device assembly step), device assembly is performed using the substrate processed in step S204. This step S205 includes processes such as a dicing process, a bonding process, and a packaging process (chip encapsulation or the like) as necessary.

  Finally, in step S206 (inspection step), inspections such as an operation confirmation test and a durability test of the device manufactured in step S205 are performed. After these steps, the device is completed and shipped.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a detailed flow of step S204 of FIG. 13 in the case of a semiconductor device. In FIG. 14, in step S211 (oxidation step), the surface of the wafer W is oxidized. In step S212 (CVD step), an insulating film is formed on the wafer W surface. In step S213 (electrode formation step), an electrode is formed on the wafer W by vapor deposition. In step S214 (ion implantation step), ions are implanted into the wafer W. Each of the above steps S211 to S214 constitutes a pretreatment process at each stage of the wafer processing, and is selected and executed according to a necessary process at each stage.

  At each stage of the wafer process, when the above pre-process is completed, the post-process is executed as follows. In this post-processing process, first, a photosensitive agent is applied to the wafer W in step S215 (resist formation step). Subsequently, in step S216 (exposure step), the circuit pattern of the mask (reticle Rt) is transferred onto the wafer W by the lithography system (exposure apparatus 31) described above. Next, in step S217 (development step), the exposed wafer W is developed, and in step S218 (etching step), the exposed member other than the portion where the resist remains is removed by etching. In step S219 (resist removal step), the resist that has become unnecessary after the etching is removed.

Multiple circuit patterns are formed on the wafer W by repeatedly performing these pre-processing and post-processing steps.
If the device manufacturing method of this embodiment described above is used, the exposure apparatus described above is used in the exposure step (step S216), the resolution can be improved by the exposure light EL in the vacuum ultraviolet region, and the exposure amount control can be enhanced. Can be done with precision. Therefore, as a result, a highly integrated device having a minimum line width of about 0.1 μm can be produced with a high yield.

1 is a schematic block diagram that shows an exposure apparatus of a first embodiment. The perspective view which shows the wafer stage of FIG. The side view of the wafer stage of FIG. The bottom view of the wafer stage of FIG. The fragmentary sectional view in the 5-5 line | wire of FIG. The fragmentary sectional view in the 6-6 line of FIG. FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 in FIG. FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 3. Explanatory drawing which shows typically the support structure of the 1st reflective mirror of FIG. The expansion partial perspective view which shows the dynamic damper of the reflective mirror of 2nd Embodiment. The expansion perspective view which shows the 3rd flexure part of the reflective mirror of 3rd Embodiment. The expansion exploded perspective view which shows the 3rd flexure part of FIG. The flowchart which shows the manufacture example of a device. 16 is a detailed flowchart regarding the substrate processing of FIG. 15 in the case of a semiconductor device.

Explanation of symbols

  32, 42 ... reflecting surface, 40 ... interferometer as position measuring device, 41 ... reflecting mirror as reflecting member, 42 ... reflecting surface, 46 ... first flexure part constituting flexure mechanism, 47 ... constituting flexure mechanism Second flexure part, 47a ... lower second flexure part constituting a part of the second flexure part, 47b ... upper second flexure part constituting a part of the second flexure part, 48 ... third constituting a flexure mechanism Flexure part, 50, 60, 67, 74 ... Reflector attachment part as first attachment part, 51, 61, 68, 75 ... Rod, 51a, 61a, 68a, 75a ... Rigid body part, 52, 62, 69, 76... Stage mounting portion as second mounting portion, 53, 63, 70, 77... First pivot portion, 54, 64, 71, 78... Second pivot portion, 101. Dynamic damper, 103 ... Mounting part, 104 ... Damper stage constituting part of mass part, 105 ... Parallel spring as elastic connecting part, 107 ... Mass body constituting part of mass part, 108 ... Damping material, 121 A friction plate as a friction material, 122 a third flexure portion as a vibration absorbing mechanism, R a reticle as a mask, W a wafer as a mounted object and a substrate, WST a wafer stage as a moving body.

Claims (14)

While placing the object to be mounted, a movable body that is movable in at least one direction, a reflective member that is attached to the movable body and includes a reflective surface, and projects predetermined measurement light onto the reflective surface, In a stage apparatus having a position measuring device that receives measurement light reflected by the reflecting surface and measures the position of the moving body,
A stage apparatus comprising: a flexure mechanism that attaches the reflecting member to the moving body and reduces deformation caused by the movement of the moving body. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flexure mechanism includes six rods interposed between the reflecting member and the movable body and having both ends rotatably formed. The rod includes a first pivot part rotatably connected to the reflecting member, a second pivot part rotatably connected to the movable body, and a rigid body disposed between both pivot parts. The stage apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: The flexure mechanism further includes a first attachment portion attached to the reflecting member and a second attachment portion attached to the movable body, and the first pivot portion includes the first attachment portion. The stage apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the stage device is connected to the reflecting member, and the second pivot portion is connected to the movable body via the second attachment portion. The stage apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first attachment portion, the second attachment portion, and the rod are integrally formed of the same material. The reflection surface is formed in a rectangular shape, and the flexure mechanism includes a first flexure portion in which the length direction of the rod is arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the reflection surface, and the length direction of the rod is the reflection direction. A second flexure portion arranged substantially parallel to a direction intersecting the surface, and a third flexure portion arranged such that the length direction of the rod is arranged substantially parallel to the short direction of the reflecting surface. The stage apparatus according to claim 4 or 5. The stage apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first flexure part has one rod, the second flexure part has three rods, and the third flexure part has two rods. . The said reflecting member has a vibration absorption mechanism which absorbs the vibration transmitted to the said reflective surface with the movement of the said mobile body, The Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. Stage device. The stage apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the vibration absorbing mechanism includes a dynamic damper. The dynamic damper includes an attachment portion attached to the reflecting member, a mass portion having a predetermined mass, and an elastically deformable elastic connecting portion that connects the attachment portion and the mass portion, and the attachment portion and the mass The stage device according to claim 9, wherein the portion and the elastic connecting portion are formed of an integral material. The damping material for damping vibration of the mass part is interposed between the mass part and at least one of the elastic connecting part, the attachment part, and the reflecting member. Stage device. The vibration absorbing mechanism includes a friction material that generates a minute frictional force between the moving body and the reflecting member when vibration is generated in at least one of the moving body and the reflecting member. The stage device according to any one of claims 8 to 11. In an exposure apparatus that transfers an image of a pattern formed on a mask onto a substrate placed on a stage apparatus,
An exposure apparatus, wherein the stage apparatus comprises the stage apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12. In a device manufacturing method including a lithography process,
14. A device manufacturing method, wherein exposure is performed using the exposure apparatus according to claim 13 in the lithography process.

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