Immersion type projection exposure apparatus

Claim 2

A projection exposure apparatus, comprising: illumination means for illuminating a pattern of an original; holding means for holding a substrate; a projection system for projecting an image of the pattern of the original onto the substrate held by said holding means, said projection system including a projection optical system and a plane optical element spaced from said projection optical system and disposed opposite to the surface of the substrate; and a casing having a filled interspace formed between said optical element and the substrate, wherein said optical element provides an upper cover of said casing, and a portion of an outer wall of said casing is covered by a heat insulating material.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an alignment measuring system for detecting the positional relationship between the substrate and the image projected by said projection optical system with respect to a horizontal direction, a focus position detecting system for detecting the positional relationship between the substrate and the focus position of said projection optical system with respect to a vertical direction, and tilt means for moving and/or tilting said holding means in X, Y and/or θ direction on the basis of the detection through said alignment measuring system and said focus position detecting system so as to bring a pattern on the substrate into coincidence with the projected image.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said alignment measuring system includes a measurement reference mirror, wherein at least two adjoining faces on an outer wall of said casing extend perpendicularly to each other, and wherein said at least two faces extend substantially perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate, with said reference mirror being provided by said at least two faces.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said optical element is detachable from said casing.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said casing is openable and closable so as to allow loading and unloading of the substrate into and out of an interior of said casing.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising conveying means for loading and unloading said casing onto and from said holding means.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising means for filling the interspace in said casing with liquid when said casing is held on said holding means.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising means for filling the interspace in said casing with liquid when said spacing is at a position spaced from said holding means.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the injection of the liquid into the interspace and the exposure operation are done at independent timings.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the substrate forms a bottom of said casing.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the substrate is detachable from said casing.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said holding means includes a portion for directly supporting the substrate, with said portion being separated from said holding means, and wherein said portion provides a bottom for said casing while a remaining portion of said holding means holds said casing.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said casing has a member operable as a reference in respect to the positioning on another portion of said holding means.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said holding means includes a passageway for holding the substrate through vacuum attraction and an openable/closable shutter for preventing flow of liquid into the passageway.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said casing is arranged to provide one of a positive pressure and a negative pressure in the interspace.

Claim 17

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a portion of said casing is made of a low thermal expansion material.

Claim 18

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said casing includes pipe means with a valve for injecting and discharging a liquid into and out of the interspace.

Claim 19

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said casing has a reference mark used for placing said casing on said holding means.

Claim 20

A projection exposure apparatus, comprising: illumination means for illuminating a pattern of an original; holding means for holding a substrate; a projection system for projecting an image of the pattern of the original onto the substrate held by said holding means, said projection system including a projection optical system and a plane optical element spaced from said projection optical system and disposed opposite to the surface of the substrate; a casing having a filled interspace formed between said optical element and the substrate opposed to each other, wherein said optical element provides an upper cover of said casing; and a pressure gauge for detecting the pressure of a filling liquid disposed in the interspace.

Claim 21

A projection exposure apparatus, comprising: illumination means for illuminating a pattern of an original; holding means for holding a substrate; a projection system for projecting an image of the pattern of the original onto the substrate held by said holding means, said projection system including a projection optical system and a plane optical element spaced from said projection optical system and disposed opposite to the surface of the substrate; a casing having a filled interspace formed between said optical element and the substrate opposed to each other, wherein said optical element provides an upper cover of said casing; and a pressure gauge for detecting the pressure of a filling liquid disposed in the interspace.

Claim 22

An apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising pressure control means for controlling the pressure of a filling liquid disposed in the interspace.

Claim 23

An apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a vacuum pump for providing a negative pressure of a filling liquid filling the interspace.

Claim 24

An apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a thermometer for measuring the temperature of a filling liquid filling the interspace.

Claim 25

An apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising temperature controlling means for controlling the temperature of a filling liquid filling the interspace.

Claim 26

A projection exposure apparatus, comprising: illumination means for illuminating a pattern of an original; holding means for holding a substrate; a projection system for projecting an image of the pattern of the original onto the substrate held by said holding means, said projection system including a projection optical system and a plane optical element spaced from said projection optical system and disposed opposite to the surface of the substrate; a casing having a filled interspace between said optical element and the substrate, wherein said optical element provides an upper cover of said casing; and ultrasonic vibration means for vibrating a filling liquid filling the interspace with ultrasonic vibrations.

Claim 27

A projection exposure apparatus, comprising: illumination means for illuminating a pattern of an original; holding means for holding a substrate; a projection system for projecting an image of the pattern of the original onto the substrate held by said holding means, said projection system including a projection optical system and a plane optical element spaced from said projection optical system and disposed opposite to the surface of the substrate; a casing having a filled interspace between said optical element and the substrate, wherein said optical element provides an upper cover of said casing; and ultrasonic vibration means for vibrating a filling liquid filling the interspace with ultrasonic vibrations.

Claim 28

An apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising a pump for injecting and discharging a filling liquid into and out of the interspace.

Claim 29

An apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising filtering means coupled to said pump for filtering the liquid.

Claim 30

A projection exposure apparatus, comprising: illumination means for illuminating a pattern of an original; holding means for holding a substrate; a projection system for projecting an image of the pattern of the original onto the substrate held by said holding means, said projection system including a projection optical system and a plane optical element spaced from said projection optical system and disposed opposite to the surface of the substrate; a casing having a filled interspace formed between said optical element and the substrate, wherein said optical element provides an upper cover of said casing; and attitude control means for tilting or holding said casing upright, wherein during injection of a filling liquid into the interspace said casing is tiled or held upright so that the liquid is injected thereinto from below.

Claim 31

A projection exposure apparatus, comprising: illumination means for illuminating a pattern of an original; holding means for holding a substrate; a projection system for projecting an image of the pattern of the original onto the substrate held by said holding means, said projection system including a projection optical system and a plane optical element spaced from said projection optical system and disposed opposite to the surface of the substrate; a casing having a filled interspace formed between said optical element and the substrate, wherein said optical element provides an upper cover of said casing; and attitude control means for tilting or holding said casing upright, wherein during injection of a filling liquid into the interspace said casing is tiled or held upright so that the liquid is injected thereinto from below.

Claim 32

A projection exposure apparatus, comprising: illumination means for illuminating a pattern of an original; holding means for holding a substrate; a projection system for projecting an image of the pattern of the original onto the substrate held by said holding means, said projection system including a projection optical system and a plane optical element spaced from said projection optical system and disposed opposite to the surface of the substrate; a casing having a filled interspace formed between said optical element and the substrate, wherein said optical element provides an upper cover of said casing; and means for measuring the refractive index of a filling material filling the interspace.

Claim 33

A projection exposure apparatus, comprising: illumination means for illuminating a pattern of an original; holding means for holding a substrate; a projection system for projecting an image of the pattern of the original onto the substrate held by said holding means, said projection system including a projection optical system and a plane optical element spaced from said projection optical system and disposed opposite to the surface of the substrate; a casing having a filled interspace formed between said optical element and the substrate, wherein said optical element provides an upper cover of said casing; and means for measuring the refractive index of a filling material filling the interspace.

Claim 34

An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for providing at least one of an electric connection, a pneumatic communication and a vacuum communication to said casing.