Abstract: An exposure apparatus forms an immersion area by supplying a liquid onto a part of a substrate, and forms a prescribed pattern on the substrate through the liquid. A spare immersion area, which is capable of holding part of the liquid on the substrate, is formed at the outer circumference of the immersion area. It is possible to prevent the separation of the liquid, which is disposed between a lower surface of a projection optical system and a substrate surface, from the lower surface of the projection optical system in accordance with the relative movement of the projection optical system and the substrate.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus that by irradiating an exposure light, via a projection optical system and a liquid, on a substrate placed on the image plane side of the projection optical system, exposes the substrate, the exposure apparatus includes: a liquid supply system that supplies the liquid onto the substrate and a liquid recovery system that recovers the liquid having been supplied on the substrate. When the exposure light is being irradiated on the image plane side of the projection optical system, the liquid recovery system does not perform recovery of the liquid.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus forms an immersion area by supplying a liquid onto a part of a substrate, and forms a prescribed pattern on the substrate through the liquid. A spare immersion area, which is capable of holding part of the liquid on the substrate, is formed at the outer circumference of the immersion area. It is possible to prevent the separation of the liquid, which is disposed between a lower surface of a projection optical system and a substrate surface, from the lower surface of the projection optical system in accordance with the relative movement of the projection optical system and the substrate.

Abstract: A reflection mirror that causes an illumination light to be incident on a movable scale is oscillated in an X-axis direction based on a modulation signal. Accordingly, the optical path of the illumination light, of the illumination light and another illumination light generated at an index scale, periodically changes, and as a consequence, the illumination light is periodically modulated. Accordingly, an extra scanner that scans the illumination light or another illumination light with respect to the movable scale does not have to be arranged, which allows an apparatus to be reduced in size and cost.

Abstract: An encoder apparatus comprises a first scale member with a scale region on which a scale is arranged; a detector that detects light from the scale region; and a retaining member with a retaining surface that is arranged so as to face a surface of the first scale member including the scale region via a predetermined gap, and that retains a liquid at least between the retaining surface and the first scale member.

Abstract: A light via first and second index scales is split by a beam splitter, and one of the split lights is received by a first light-receiving element via a movable scale and also the other of the split lights is received by a second light-receiving element via a reference scale, and therefore by computing positional information of the movable scale using an output of the first light-receiving element (a first output) and an output of the second light-receiving element (a second output), movement information of the movable scale can be measured with high precision without being affected by drift of the modulation center (the oscillation center) of the beam.

Abstract: A movable body apparatus is equipped with a Y measuring system equipped with an encoder and an interferometer that measure the position of a stage in one axis (Y-axis) direction. The interferometer irradiates a reflection surface arranged on the stage with a measurement light close to a measurement light of the encoder, and receives its reflected light. In this case, the encoder and the interferometer commonly use an optical member fixed to the stage. Accordingly, the Y interferometer and the Y encoder have substantially the equal measurement axis.

Abstract: The present invention performs calculations on photoelectric conversion signals (Ia, Ib, Ic, Id) supplied from a light receiving device and calculates two signals (IA, IB) as a result. Furthermore, the signal (IAB) is generated based on the signals (IA, IB), and the signal (IAB) is output from the encoder. As shown in equation, the term in the signal (IAB) that depends on the time t is 4d?sin(?t). Moreover, as shown in equations (5) and (6), the term that depends on the time t in the signals (IA, IB) is 2d?sin(?t); consequently, the signal (IAB) varies with respect to the signals (IA, IB) on a scale substantially tantamount to doubling the degree of modulation. Accordingly, if the position of the movable scale is detected based on the signal (IAB), then that position can be detected with good accuracy on a scale tantamount to doubling the degree of modulation.

Abstract: A mirror block on which moving gratings are arranged is fixed to the lower surface of a stage. Fixed gratings are placed on the upper surface of a stage platform that is opposed to the lower surface of the stage. A Y encoder that measures Y positional information of the stage is configured including the moving gratings and the fixed gratings. Similarly, an X encoder that measures X positional information of the stage is configured including the moving gratings and the fixed grating.

Abstract: When an incident light is obliquely incident on an index scale, the optical path length of light A becomes longer than the optical path length of light B and an optical path length difference occurs, which causes a phase difference in both of the diffracted lights incident on a photodetection element. According to the phase difference, intensity of a photoelectric detection signal output from the photodetection element changes. That is, due to a periodic change in the incident angle of the incident light, the phase difference between light A and light B is modulated, and the interference signal becomes greatly modulated.

Abstract: A moving grating is arranged on a side of a wafer stage, a light source irradiates a light to the moving grating, diffracted lights generated from the moving grating are interfered by fixed scales and an index scale of which positional relation with the light source is fixed, and a detection instrument detects the interfered light. In this case, since the moving grating is arranged on a side of the wafer stage, upsizing of the entire wafer stage can be suppressed. Further, since interference occurs between a plurality of diffracted lights (e.g., the ±1st-order diffracted light) passing extremely close optical paths, influence caused by a fluctuation of ambient atmosphere becomes less in comparison to conventional interferometers, and thus, a high-precision measurement of positional information of the movable body is possible.

Abstract: A light via first and second index scales is split by a beam splitter, and one of the split lights is received by a first light-receiving element via a movable scale and also the other of the split lights is received by a second light-receiving element via a reference scale, and therefore by computing positional information of the movable scale using an output of the first light-receiving element (a first output) and an output of the second light-receiving element (a second output), movement information of the movable scale can be measured with high precision without being affected by drift of the modulation center (the oscillation center) of the beam.

Abstract: An illumination light to be used for position measurement of a movable scale is spatially (or physically) split into a first illumination light and a second illumination light using a triangle prism, and the first and second illumination lights are made to be incident on the same position on the movable scale, so that positional information of the movable scale is detected by utilizing interference of the first and second illumination lights. The spatially split first and second illumination lights interfere with each other even when they are made to be incident on the same position of the movable scale and are completely overlapped with each other, which is different, for example, from the case of the ±1st order diffracted lights that are generated by an illumination light being ±1st order diffracted by a diffraction grating. Therefore, wasted illumination lights that do not contribute to the interference can be minimized and the use efficiency of illumination lights can be improved.

Abstract: When an incident light is obliquely incident on an index scale, the optical path length of light A becomes longer than the optical path length of light B and an optical path length difference occurs, which causes a phase difference in both of the diffracted lights incident on a photodetection element. According to the phase difference, intensity of a photoelectric detection signal output from the photodetection element changes. That is, due to a periodic change in the incident angle of the incident light, the phase difference between light A and light B is modulated, and the interference signal becomes greatly modulated.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for supporting the weight of a first stage of a stage apparatus using magnets are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, and apparatus includes a first structure, a second structure, and an anti-gravity device. The anti-gravity device has a first magnet and a piston arrangement that includes a second magnet. The first magnet is coupled to the first structure, and the piston arrangement is movably interfaced with the second structure through an air bearing. The first magnet and the piston arrangement cooperate to support the first structure over the second structure relative to a vertical axis.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for actively damping vibrations associated with a optical assembly of a photolithographic system are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, an assembly that provides damping to a structure of a photolithographic apparatus that is subject to structural oscillations includes a counter mass, an active mechanism, an a controller. The active mechanism is coupled to the structure, supports the counter mass, and applies a force to the structure to counteract structural oscillations in the structure. The controller controls the force applied by the active mechanism on the structure, and utilizes information associated with movement of the structure to control the force.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus forms an immersion area by supplying a liquid onto a part of a substrate, and forms a prescribed pattern on the substrate through the liquid. A spare immersion area, which is capable of holding part of the liquid on the substrate, is formed at the outer circumference of the immersion area. It is possible to prevent the separation of the liquid, which is disposed between a lower surface of a projection optical system and a substrate surface, from the lower surface of the projection optical system in accordance with the relative movement of the projection optical system and the substrate.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus that by irradiating an exposure light, via a projection optical system and a liquid, on a substrate placed on the image plane side of the projection optical system, exposes the substrate, the exposure apparatus includes; a liquid supply mechanism that supplies the liquid onto the substrate; a liquid recovery mechanism that recovers the liquid having been supplied on the substrate; and wherein when the exposure light is being irradiated on the image plane side of the projection optical system, the liquid recovery mechanism does not perform the recover of the liquid.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a control system and method for controlling the trajectory and alignment of one or more stages by incorporating a grouping method in the control methodology. In one embodiment, a method of controlling movement of one or more stages of a precision assembly to process a substrate having a plurality of process regions comprises dividing the substrate into blocks according to one or more preset criteria, each block of the substrate including one or more process regions; generating learning data for one or more representative process regions for each block of the substrate; and using the generated learning data of the one or more representative process regions of each block to control movement of the one or more stages to process the block of one or more process regions of the substrate.

Abstract: A precision assembly (10) includes a stage assembly (220) having a first stage (208), a first mover assembly (210) and a control system (24). The first mover assembly (210) moves the first stage (208) during a first iteration (300) and a subsequent second iteration (302) having a similar movement to the first iteration (300). The first iteration (300) generates positioning data that is sent to the control system (24) to control the first mover assembly (210) to adjust movement of the first stage (208) during the second iteration (302) based on at least a portion of the positioning data from the first iteration (300). The positioning data can include the position of the first stage (208) along a first axis, a second axis and/or a third axis. The stage assembly can also include a second stage (206) and a second mover assembly (204) that moves the second stage (206) synchronously with the first stage (208).