Substrate holding method, substrate holding apparatus, exposure apparatus and exposure method

Abstract

A wafer holding apparatus for holding a wafer including a wafer holder on which the wafer is placed; and a lift pin that is configured to be lifted up and down with respect to the wafer holder in a direction along a normal line of a placement surface of the wafer, the lift pin includes a tip part, the tip part includes: a bottom part that forms a suction region for sucking a rear surface of the wafer; and a convex part that supports the rear surface of the wafer in the suction region. When a substrate is placed on a target position, it is possible to prevent a local deterioration of flatness of the substrate even if the substrate is large.

1 . A substrate holding apparatus for holding a substrate, comprising:
 a substrate holding part on which the substrate is placed; and   a supporting member that is configured to be lifted up and down with respect to the substrate holding part,   an end part of the supporting member including:   a suction part that forms a suction region for sucking a rear surface of the substrate; and   a supporting part that supports the rear surface of the substrate in the suction region.   
     
     
         2 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the suction part includes a wall part that surrounds the supporting part.   
     
     
         3 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a plurality of supporting parts are placed in the suction region.   
     
     
         4 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the wall part is formed to have a rimmed shape.   
     
     
         5 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the suction part includes a bottom part that is formed below an upper end of the wall part in a lift direction of the supporting member,   the supporting part is placed at the bottom part.   
     
     
         6 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the upper end of the wall part is below an upper end of the supporting part by 50 nm to several micrometer.   
     
     
         7 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 an upper end of the supporting part is formed to have a circular shape.   
     
     
         8 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the suction part includes: a wall part that surrounds the supporting part; and a bottom part that is formed below an upper end of the wall part in a lift direction of the supporting member,   an outer shape of the wall part is a circular shape having a diameter of 5 mm to 15 mm and width of the wall part is 0.05 mm to 0.6 mm,   a shape of an upper end of the supporting part is a circular shape having a diameter of 0.05 mm to 0.6 mm,   the supporting member includes a bar-shaped part that is coupled to the bottom part,   a cross-sectional area of the bar-shaped part along a surface that intersects a direction along the lift direction is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the outer shape of the wall part along the intersecting surface.   
     
     
         9 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the supporting part is formed at the bottom part to have a truncated conical shape.   
     
     
         10 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein
 a plurality of supporting parts are placed at the bottom part concentrically.   
     
     
         11 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the supporting part includes a wall-shaped member, a shape of an end surface of the wall-shaped member includes a curved shape.   
     
     
         12 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the curved shape is a circular arc shape.   
     
     
         13 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the supporting part includes at least one ring-like wall-shaped member.   
     
     
         14 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a plurality of supporting members are placed,   the plurality of supporting members are placed along a circumference of a circle having predetermined diameter.   
     
     
         15 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the substrate has a circular shape having a diameter of approximately 450 mm,   a plurality of supporting members are placed,   the plurality of supporting members are placed at the substrate holding part along a circumference of a circle having a diameter of 180 mm to 350 mm.   
     
     
         16 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the suction part sucks the substrate by using suction force that is caused by negative pressure.   
     
     
         17 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the supporting member includes:   a bar-shaped part that is coupled to the end part; and   a hinge part that allows the end part to incline with respect to the bar-shaped part in a lift direction.   
     
     
         18 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 an opening is formed at at least one portion of the suction part and the suction part includes a bottom part that is formed below an upper end of the wall part in a lift direction of the supporting member,   a passage is formed in the supporting member, a pressure in the passage can be set to negative pressure and the passage communicates with the opening.   
     
     
         19 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein
 the supporting part is placed at the bottom part.   
     
     
         20 . The substrate holding apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein
 a plurality of supporting parts are placed in the suction region,   the plurality of supporting parts are placed around the opening concentrically.