Positioning stage system and position measuring method

Claim 1

An apparatus comprising: a mask stage for holding a mask and being movable at least in one of a rotational direction along the mask surface and a tilt direction to the mask surface; a substrate stage for holding a substrate, to be exposed, and being movable in X and Y directions along an X-Y plane parallel to the substrate surface; a measurement mirror system fixed to said substrate stage; a reference mirror system disposed on said mask stage; and a measuring system for measuring displacement of said measurement mirror system in the X or Y direction, while using said reference mirror system as a positional reference, and on the basis of laser interference; wherein the substrate on said substrate stage can be aligned with respect to the mask on the basis of the measurement by said measuring system, and a pattern of the aligned mask can be transferred and printed onto the substrate; and wherein said reference mirror system is arranged so that laser light incident on said reference mirror system is reflected in the same direction as the incidence direction of the laser light, substantially constantly; and wherein information related to a positional error, in X and Y directions, of said reference mirror system due to rotation or a change in tilt of the mask stage is detected beforehand in relation to a drive amount of said mask stage, and wherein said measuring system has a function for correcting a measured value in accordance with the drive amount of said mask stage.

Claim 2

An apparatus comprising: a mask stage for holding a mask and being movable at least in one of a rotational direction along the mask surface and a tilt direction to the mask surface; a substrate stage for holding a substrate, to be exposed, and being movable in X and Y directions along an X-Y plane parallel to the substrate surface; a measurement mirror system fixed to said substrate stage; a reference mirror system disposed on said mask stage; and a measuring system for measuring displacement of said measurement mirror system in the X or Y direction, while using said reference mirror system as a positional reference, and on the basis of laser interference; wherein the substrate on said substrate stage can be aligned with respect to the mask on the basis of the measurement by said measuring system, and a pattern of the aligned mask can be transferred and printed onto the substrate; and wherein said reference mirror system is arranged so that laser light incident on said reference mirror system is reflected in the same direction as the incidence direction of the laser light, substantially constantly; and wherein information related to a positional error, in X and Y directions, of said reference mirror system due to rotation or a change in tilt of the mask stage is detected beforehand in relation to a drive amount of said mask stage, and wherein said measuring system has a function for correcting a measured value in accordance with the drive amount of said mask stage.

Claim 7

A device manufacturing method, comprising the steps of: transferring, by exposure, a pattern of a mask onto a substrate by use of an exposure apparatus including (i) a mask stage for holding the mask and being movable at least in one of a rotational direction along the mask surface and a tilt direction to the mask surface, (ii) a substrate stage for holding the substrate, to be exposed, and being movable in X and Y directions along an X-Y plane parallel to the substrate surface, (iii) a measurement mirror system fixed to the substrate stage, (iv) a reference mirror system disposed on the mask stage, and (v) a measuring system for measuring displacement of the measurement mirror system in the X or Y direction, while using the reference mirror system as a positional reference, and on the basis of laser interference, wherein the substrate on the substrate stage can be aligned with respect to the mask on the basis of the measurement by the measuring system, and a pattern of the aligned mask can be transferred and printed onto the substrate, and wherein the reference mirror system is arranged so that laser light incident on the reference mirror system is reflected in the same direction as the incidence direction of the laser light, substantially constantly; developing the exposed substrate, whereby a device can be produced from the substrate; and detecting beforehand information related to a positional error, in X and Y directions, of said reference mirror system due to rotation or a change in tilt of the mask stage in relation to a drive amount of said mask stage, and wherein said measuring system has a function for correcting a measured value in accordance with the drive amount of said mask stage.

Claim 8

A device manufacturing method, comprising the steps of: transferring, by exposure, a pattern of a mask onto a substrate by use of an exposure apparatus including (i) a mask stage for holding the mask and being movable at least in one of a rotational direction along the mask surface and a tilt direction to the mask surface, (ii) a substrate stage for holding the substrate, to be exposed, and being movable in X and Y directions along an X-Y plane parallel to the substrate surface, (iii) a measurement mirror system fixed to the substrate stage, (iv) a reference mirror system disposed on the mask stage, and (v) a measuring system for measuring displacement of the measurement mirror system in the X or Y direction, while using the reference mirror system as a positional reference, and on the basis of laser interference, wherein the substrate on the substrate stage can be aligned with respect to the mask on the basis of the measurement by the measuring system, and a pattern of the aligned mask can be transferred and printed onto the substrate, and wherein the reference mirror system is arranged so that laser light incident on the reference mirror system is reflected in the same direction as the incidence direction of the laser light, substantially constantly; developing the exposed substrate, whereby a device can be produced from the substrate; and detecting beforehand information related to a positional error, in X and Y directions, of said reference mirror system due to rotation or a change in tilt of the mask stage in relation to a drive amount of said mask stage, and wherein said measuring system has a function for correcting a measured value in accordance with the drive amount of said mask stage.