Abstract: There is provided an exposure apparatus capable of forming a desirable device pattern by removing unnecessary liquid when performing exposure by projecting a pattern onto the substrate via a projection optical system and the liquid. The exposure device projects an image of the pattern onto the substrate P via the projection optical system and the liquid so as to expose the substrate P. The exposure device includes a liquid removing mechanism 40 which removes the liquid remaining on a part 7 arranged in the vicinity of the image plane of the projection optical system.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by irradiating exposure light on the substrate through liquid. The exposure apparatus has a substrate holder for holding the substrate, a substrate stage capable of moving the substrate held by the substrate holder, and a temperature adjusting system for adjusting the temperature of the substrate holder. The temperature of the substrate is controlled so that there is no difference in temperature between the substrate and the liquid, thereby preventing a reduction in exposure accuracy resulting from variation in temperature of the liquid.

Abstract: In a pattern forming method, a first L & S pattern is formed on a wafer; a first protective layer, a second L & S pattern having a perpendicular periodic direction to that of the first L & S pattern, and a photoresist layer are formed to cover the first L & S pattern; a third pattern having first apertures is formed in the photoresist layer to be overlapped with a part of the second L & S pattern; second apertures are formed in the first protective layer via the first apertures; and a part of the first L & S pattern is removed via the second apertures. Accordingly, a pattern including a non-periodic portion finer than a resolution limit of an exposure apparatus is formed.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus including a projection optical system that projects an image of a mask onto a substrate held by a stage, and an atmosphere forming mechanism for forming a specific gas atmosphere between the projection optical system and the stage, wherein the atmosphere forming mechanism has a cushioning part that softens the force caused by the stage or the substrate making contact with the atmosphere forming mechanism, and that suppresses the transmission of that force to the projection optical system.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus is provided with a projection optical system, and the projection optical system includes a first optical element disposed most closely to an image plane of the projection optical system. The exposure apparatus includes a first liquid immersion mechanism which forms a first liquid immersion area of a first liquid between the first optical element and an upper surface of a transparent member provided on a side of the image plane of the projection optical system, and an observation unit which observes a state of the first liquid immersion area. It is possible to grasp the state of the liquid immersion area of the liquid, thereby executing optimum liquid immersion exposure.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system by which the pattern image is projected onto the substrate, and a movable member which is movable relative to the projection optical system. A liquid-repellent member, at least a part of a surface of which is liquid-repellent, is provided detachably on the movable member, the liquid-repellent member being different from the substrate.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus (EX) exposes a substrate (P) by irradiating exposure light (EL) on the substrate (P) through liquid (LQ). The exposure apparatus (EX) has a substrate holder (PH) for holding the substrate (P), a substrate stage (PST) capable of moving the substrate (P) held by the substrate holder (PH), and a temperature adjusting system (60) for adjusting the temperature of the substrate holder (PH). The temperature of the substrate (P) is controlled so that there is no difference in temperature between the substrate (P) and the liquid (LQ), thereby preventing a reduction in exposure accuracy resulting from variation in temperature of the liquid (LQ).

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a substrate table which holds a substrate, a projection system which projects a patterned beam of radiation onto the substrate, the projection system having a final optical element adjacent the substrate, a liquid supply system which provides a liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate table, and a cleaning system which cleans the substrate table.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an optical element via which a patterned beam is projected onto a substrate through exposure liquid filled in a space between the optical element and the substrate. The apparatus also includes a member having a surface and movable to a position at which the surface of the member faces the optical element. The apparatus also includes a cleaning system which cleans the surface of the member.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus is provided with a projection optical system, and the projection optical system includes a first optical element disposed most closely to an image plane of the projection optical system. The exposure apparatus includes a first liquid immersion mechanism which forms a first liquid immersion area of a first liquid between the first optical element and an upper surface of a transparent member provided on a side of the image plane of the projection optical system, and an observation unit which observes a state of the first liquid immersion area. It is possible to grasp the state of the liquid immersion area of the liquid, thereby executing optimum liquid immersion exposure.

Abstract: An optical material which has a relative permeability different from 1 to light having a wavelength in, for example, the infrared region or shorter than the infrared region and which is stable in structure, and a liquid and a solid (optical element) using the optical material. The optical material is a powder used as a component of a liquid or solid to which an illuminating light is irradiated, and includes a large number of resonating elements which constitute the powder and each of which is formed of a conductor having a width approximately same as or smaller than a wavelength of the illumination light, and a protective film which is formed of a disc-shaped insulator, wherein an entire surface of each of the split-ring resonators is covered by the protective film.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an immersion space forming member (70) which fills an optical path space (K1) for exposure light (EL) with a first liquid (LQ) to form an immersion space, and a temperature regulating mechanism (60) which suppresses a change in the temperature of the immersion space forming member (70) accompanying deactivation of formation of the immersion space.

Abstract: During a period after starting exposure to a plurality of shot areas subject to exposure on a wafer until completing the exposure, a light via a slit pair arranged on a stage that holds the wafer, of illumination light via a pattern generating device, is received, and information on a positional relation between an illumination light and the stage (and hence a positional relation between the illumination light and the wafer) is detected. With this operation, even if the information on the positional relation between the illumination light and the wafer varies due to some reason, information on the variation can be detected while performing the exposure to the plurality of shot areas. Accordingly, high-precision exposure can be achieved in an exposure operation, by considering this detection results.

Abstract: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes an optical element via which a patterned beam is projected onto a substrate in an exposure operation, a liquid supply system having a supply port from which exposure liquid is supplied, and a member which has a surface and which is different from the substrate. In the exposure operation, the liquid supply system supplies the exposure liquid from the supply port to a space between the optical element and the substrate. In a cleaning operation, the member is moved to a position at which the surface of the member faces the optical element, and the liquid supply system supplies the exposure liquid from the supply port to a space between the optical element and the surface of the member.

Abstract: An imaging optical system that has liquid interposed in an optical path to the image plane to achieve a large effective image-side numerical aperture larger than, for example, 1.4, while a relatively large effective imaging region can be achieved. The imaging optical system that projects an image of a first surface onto a second surface. The optical path between the projection optical system and the second surface can be filled with liquid with a refractive index larger than 1.5, where a refractive index of gas in an optical path within the imaging optical system is 1. The imaging optical system comprises a boundary lens that can be contacted with the gas on the side of the first surface and that can be contacted with the liquid on the side of the second surface, and the boundary lens has a positive refracting power and is made of an optical material having a refractive index larger than 1.8.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illuminator configured to condition a radiation beam; a support constructed to hold a patterning device, the patterning device configured to impart the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam; a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate; and a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a space between the projection system and the substrate with a liquid, wherein the liquid has a contact angle of (a) less than 60° with the projection system, or the liquid supply system, or both, or (b) less than 80° with a surface of the substrate, or (c) both (a) and (b).

Abstract: An illumination optical system with a simple structure reduces the effects of illumination variations caused by a spatial coherency of illumination light, while maintaining a high usage efficiency of illumination light that is emitted in pulses. The illumination optical system illuminates an irradiated plane with pulse-emitted illumination light and includes a spatial light modulator including a plurality of mirror elements each of which spatially modulates the illumination light in accordance with an incident position of the illumination light. A modulation control unit controls the mirror elements, whenever at least one pulse of illumination light is emitted, in a manner such that the optical elements spatially modulate the pulses of illumination light differently from one another and form substantially the same intensity distribution for the pulses of illumination light on a predetermined plane.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an immersion space forming member (70) which fills an optical path space (K1) for exposure light (EL) with a first liquid (LQ) to form an immersion space, and a temperature regulating mechanism (60) which suppresses a change in the temperature of the immersion space forming member (70) accompanying deactivation of formation of the immersion space.

Abstract: During a period after starting exposure to a plurality of shot areas subject to exposure on a wafer until completing the exposure, a light via a slit pair arranged on a stage that holds the wafer, of illumination light via a pattern generating device, is received, and information on a positional relation between an illumination light and the stage (and hence a positional relation between the illumination light and the wafer) is detected. With this operation, even if the information on the positional relation between the illumination light and the wafer varies due to some reason, information on the variation can be detected while performing the exposure to the plurality of shot areas. Accordingly, high-precision exposure can be achieved in an exposure operation, by considering this detection results.

Abstract: There is provided an exposure apparatus capable of forming a desirable device pattern by removing unnecessary liquid when performing exposure by projecting a pattern onto the substrate via a projection optical system and the liquid. The exposure device projects an image of the pattern onto the substrate P via the projection optical system and the liquid so as to expose the substrate P. The exposure device includes a liquid removing mechanism 40 which removes the liquid remaining on a part 7 arranged in the vicinity of the image plane of the projection optical system.