Dual stage lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

Abstract

The invention relates to a dual stage lithographic apparatus, wherein two substrate stages are constructed and arranged for mutual cooperation in order to perform a joint scan movement. The joint scan movement brings the lithographic apparatus from a first configuration, wherein immersion liquid is confined between a first substrate held by the first stage of the stages and a projection system of the apparatus, to a second configuration, wherein the immersion liquid is confined between a second substrate held by the second stage of the two stages and the projection system, such that during the joint scan movement the liquid is essentially confined within the space with respect to the projection system.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
 a support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting a radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam;   a measuring system configured to measure characteristics of substrates in a metrology station of the apparatus;   a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a substrate in an exposure station of the apparatus;   a liquid confinement system configured to at least partly confine liquid in a space between the projection system and the substrate;   a positioning system and at least two substrate stages, each stage constructed to hold a substrates, wherein the positioning system is constructed to move the stages between the metrology station and the exposure station, and wherein the positioning system is constructed to position one of the stages holding a substrate during exposure in the exposure station on the basis of at least one measured characteristic of that substrate;   wherein the stages are constructed and arranged for mutual cooperation in order to perform a joint scan movement to bring the lithographic apparatus from a first situation, wherein the liquid is confined between a first substrate held by a first stage of the two stages and the projection system, towards a second situation, wherein the liquid is confined between a second substrate held by a second stage of the two stages and the projection system, such that during the joint scan movement the liquid is essentially confined within the space with respect to the projection system.   
     
     
       2. The lithographic apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the first stage and second stage has an immersion cross edge at or near a side of the stage which is constructed and arranged to cooperate with an immersion cross edge of another stage during the joint scan movement. 
     
     
       3. The lithographic apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein each immersion cross edge comprises an essentially plane surface. 
     
     
       4. The lithographic apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the positioning system is constructed and arranged to position the respective stages during their joint scan movement such that surfaces of their respective immersion cross edges remain at an essentially mutual constant distance, wherein the distance is in the range of zero to about 1 millimeter, wherein a preferred distance is about 0.1 millimeter. 
     
     
       5. The lithographic apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the respective stages is provided with a channel system having an opening in a surface of the immersion cross edge of the stage, wherein the channel system is constructed and arranged to generate a flow of gas and/or liquid along the immersion cross edge during the joint scan movement. 
     
     
       6. The lithographic apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the respective stages is provided with a liquid gutter under its immersion cross edge, wherein the liquid gutter is capable of catching liquid possibly dripped along the immersion cross edge. 
     
     
       7. The lithographic apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the respective stages is provided with an interferometer-mirror near the immersion cross edge, wherein the interferometer-mirror is staggered with respect to the immersion cross edge and preferably placed in a niche of the stage in order to protect the interferometer-mirror. 
     
     
       8. The lithographic apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the respective stages is provided with an interferometer-mirror near the immersion cross edge, wherein the interferometer-mirror is placed at a level below that of the liquid gutter in order to protect the interferometer-mirror. 
     
     
       9. The lithographic apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising an exposure station situated between a first metrology station and a second metrology station such that alternately substrates measured by the first metrology station and substrates measured by the second metrology station may be fed towards the exposure station. 
     
     
       10. The lithographic apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a base frame configured to carry a metro frame which supports the measuring system and the projection system, wherein the metro frame is dynamically isolated from the base frame, and wherein the measuring system comprises at least one encoder plate configured to cooperate with an encoder head placed at one of the stages to measure the position of that stage. 
     
     
       11. The lithographic apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the at least one encoder plate extends in the exposure station and the metrology station. 
     
     
       12. The lithographic apparatus according to  claim 10 , further comprising a machine frame which is preferably separated from the base frame, wherein the machine frame is provided with a first part of a planar motor to cooperate with respective second parts of the planar motor in the respective stages, wherein the positioning system is constructed and arranged to control the planar motor in order to position the respective stages between the metrology station and the exposure station. 
     
     
       13. The lithographic apparatus according to  claim 10 , further comprising a machine frame which is preferably separated from the base frame, wherein the machine frame has two essentially parallel guides extending in a first direction in a horizontal plane, wherein each guide is coupled to an element which can be moved along the guide by means of a motor, and wherein each element is coupled to a stage of the respective stages by means of a motor to move that stage in a second direction directed in the horizontal plane and perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the positioning system is constructed and arranged to control the motors in order to move the stage in the plane. 
     
     
       14. A lithographic product with a lithographic apparatus according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       15. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
 a substrate stage configured to support a substrate and a second stage movable with respect to the substrate stage;   a liquid confinement system configured to at least partly confine liquid in a space between a projection system and the substrate stage, a substrate supported by the substrate stage, or both;   a positioning system having a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising machine-readable instructions to cause movement of the substrate stage and the second stage together relative to the liquid confinement system such that liquid in the liquid confinement structure is transferred from being confined by the substrate, or the substrate stage, or both, to being confined by the second stage, the liquid crossing an edge of the substrate stage and an opposing edge of the second stage; and   a channel in the substrate stage, in the second stage, or in both, that is in fluid communication with an opening defined by a surface of the respective stage, the channel constructed and arranged to generate a fluid flow along the edge, the fluid flow including liquid from the liquid confinement structure.    
     
     
       16. The lithographic apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a substantially horizontal surface of the substrate stage, the second stage, or both, the surface located at the edge of the respective stage, the surface constructed and arranged to collect liquid from the liquid confinement structure flowing down from at least one of the edges.  
     
     
       17. The lithographic apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a gutter constructed and arranged to collect immersion liquid under the substrate stage, the further stage or both flowing from the gap before, during and/or after joint movement.  
     
     
       18. The lithographic apparatus of claim 15, wherein the channel is configured to remove fluid.  
     
     
       19. The lithographic apparatus of claim 15, wherein the opening is in a side surface of the substrate stage, of the second stage, or of both.  
     
     
       20. The lithographic apparatus of claim 15, wherein the channel is configured to supply a gas.  
     
     
       21. The lithographic apparatus of claim 15, wherein the machine-readable instructions cause the distance between the edge and the opposing edge to be controlled in the range of 0 to 1 mm.  
     
     
       22. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
 a substrate stage configured to support a substrate, the substrate stage having an edge;   a further stage movable with respect to the substrate stage, the further stage having a corresponding edge, the corresponding edge constructed and arranged to define a gap with the edge when the substrate stage and the further stage are arranged adjacently;   a liquid confinement structure configured to at least partly confine immersion liquid in a space between a projection system and a substrate, the substrate stage, or both;   a positioning system comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising machine-readable instructions to cause movement of the substrate stage and the second stage relative to the liquid confinement system such that confinement of liquid in the space by the substrate stage, the substrate or both is replaced by the further stage; and   a fluid extraction channel in or on the substrate stage, the further stage, or both, the fluid extraction channel constructed and arranged to collect immersion liquid flowing into the gap during the movement of the substrate stage and the second stage.    
     
     
       23. The lithographic apparatus of claim 22, wherein the fluid extraction system is constructed and arranged to collect liquid flowing between the edges during the movement of the substrate stage and the second stage.  
     
     
       24. The lithographic apparatus of claim 22, wherein the fluid extraction system comprises a channel in fluid communication with an opening defined in a surface of the respective stage, the channel system constructed and arranged to generate a fluid flow along the gap.  
     
     
       25. The lithographic apparatus of claim 22, further a substantially horizontal surface of the substrate stage, the second stage, or both, the surface located under the edge of the respective stage, the surface constructed and arranged to collect liquid from the liquid confinement structure flowing down from at least one the edges.  
     
     
       26. The lithographic apparatus of claim 25, wherein the fluid extraction system has a recovery opening defined in the surface.  
     
     
       27. The lithographic apparatus of claim 22, wherein fluid extraction system has a recovery opening in a substantially vertical surface.  
     
     
       28. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
 a substrate stage configured to support a substrate and a second stage movable with respect to the substrate stage;   a liquid confinement system configured to at least partly confine liquid in a space between a projection system and the substrate stage, a substrate supported by the substrate stage, or both;   a positioning system comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising machine-readable instructions to cause movement of the substrate stage and the second stage relative to the liquid confinement system such that liquid in the liquid confinement structure is transferred from being confined by the substrate, or the substrate stage, or both, to being confined by the second stage, the liquid crossing an edge of the substrate stage and an opposing edge of the second stage; and   a substantially horizontal surface of the substrate stage, the second stage, or both, the surface located at the edge of the respective stage, the surface constructed and arranged to collect liquid from the liquid confinement structure flowing down from at least one of the edges.    
     
     
       29. The lithographic apparatus of claim 28, further comprising a channel in the substrate stage, in the second stage, or in both, that is in fluid communication with an opening defined in the surface, the channel constructed and arranged to generate a fluid flow along the edge, the fluid flow including liquid from the liquid confinement structure.  
     
     
       30. The lithographic apparatus of claim 29, wherein the channel is configured to remove fluid.  
     
     
       31. The lithographic apparatus of claim 28, wherein at least part of the side of the substrate stage or the second stage is constructed and arranged to horizontally overlap at least part of the side of the other of the substrate stage or the second stage.  
     
     
       32. The lithographic apparatus of claim 28, wherein at least part of the side of the substrate stage and/or the second stage has the surface.  
     
     
       33. The lithographic apparatus of claim 28, wherein the surface comprises at least two fluid openings.  
     
     
       34. The lithographic apparatus of claim 28, wherein the machine-readable instructions cause the distance between the edge and the opposing edge to be controlled in the range of 0 to 1 mm.