Immersion lithography apparatus and method having movable liquid diverter between immersion liquid confinement member and substrate

摘要

An immersion lithography apparatus that includes a substrate holder on which a substrate is held, a projection system having a final optical element and that projects an exposure beam onto the substrate through an immersion liquid, and a liquid confinement member having an aperture through which the exposure beam is projected, a lower surface including a non-fluid removal area surrounding the aperture, and a liquid recovery outlet from which the immersion liquid is recovered, also includes a movable member. The movable member is movable relative to the liquid confinement member in a substantially horizontal direction, and has an opening through which the exposure beam is projected. The movable member has upper and lower surfaces that surround the opening, and is movable while a portion of the upper surface faces the non-fluid removal area in the lower surface of the liquid confinement member.

主权项

1. An immersion lithography apparatus comprising:
a substrate holder on which a substrate is held; a projection system having a final optical element, the projection system projecting an exposure beam onto the substrate held on the substrate holder through an immersion liquid in a gap between a surface of the substrate and the final optical element during an exposure operation; a liquid confinement member having an aperture through which the exposure beam is projected, the liquid confinement member having a lower surface that surrounds the aperture, the lower surface of the liquid confinement member including a non-fluid removal area that surrounds the aperture, the liquid confinement member having a liquid recovery outlet from which the immersion liquid is recovered; and a movable member that is movable relative to the liquid confinement member in a substantially horizontal direction, the movable member having an opening through which the exposure beam is projected, the movable member having an upper surface and a lower surface that surround the opening, the movable member being movable while a portion of the upper surface faces the non-fluid removal area in the lower surface of the liquid confinement member, wherein the aperture of the liquid confinement member is defined by a radially innermost edge of the non-fluid removal area, and at least a part of the upper surface of the movable member is spaced from the substrate held on the substrate holder by a shortest distance that is less than a shortest distance between the substrate and the radially innermost edge of the non-fluid removal area.