Site News  |   Monitor Keywords  |   Monitor Archive  |   Organizer  |   Account Info  |

Cleaning liquid, cleaning method, liquid generating apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device fabricating method

Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-328214, filed Dec. 5, 2006, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cleaning liquid, a cleaning method, a liquid generating apparatus, an exposure apparatus, and a device fabricating method. The present invention particularly relates to a cleaning liquid, a cleaning method, and a liquid generating apparatus for cleaning members that contact a liquid inside a liquid immersion exposure apparatus.

2. Description of Related Art

As disclosed in PCT International Publication No. WO99/49504 and Japanese Patent Application, Publication NO. 2004-289127, a liquid immersion exposure apparatus is known among exposure apparatuses used in photolithographic processes that exposes a substrate Pith exposure light through an exposure liquid.

In a liquid immersion exposure apparatus, there is a possibility that, for example, members that contact the exposure liquid will become contaminated. If members of an exposure apparatus are left in a contaminated state, then there is a possibility that the degree of contamination will increase and that the performance of the exposure apparatus (e.g., the yield) will deteriorate. If the process of cleaning the members of the exposure apparatus requires a lot of time, then the exposure apparatus operating ratio and device productivity decline. In addition, depending on the cleaning technique that is used, there is a possibility that the exposure apparatus will be damaged inadvertently. Consequently, there is a demand to develop a technology that can clean the exposure apparatus efficiently and satisfactorily.

A purpose of some aspects of the invention is to provide a cleaning liquid and a cleaning method that can clean the exposure apparatus satisfactorily, as well as a liquid generating apparatus that can feed that cleaning liquid.

Another purpose is to provide an exposure apparatus that can prevent the deterioration of performance that is caused by the contamination of the members, and a device fabricating method that uses the exposure apparatus.

A first aspect of the invention provides a cleaning liquid that is supplied to an exposure apparatus in order to clean at least part of the exposure apparatus, which exposes a substrate with exposure light through an exposure liquid, wherein a prescribed gas of an amount that is greater than or equal to the saturation concentration is dissolved.

According to the first aspect of the invention, it is possible to clean the exposure apparatus satisfactorily.

A second aspect of the invention provides a cleaning method that cleans at least part of the exposure apparatus, when a cleaning liquid according to the abovementioned aspect is supplied to the exposure apparatus.

According to the second aspect of the invention, it is possible to clean the exposure apparatus satisfactorily and to prevent deterioration in the performance of the exposure apparatus.

A third aspect of the invention provides a liquid generating apparatus that feeds a cleaning liquid according to the abovementioned aspects.

According to the third aspect of the invention, it is possible to clean the exposure apparatus satisfactorily and to prevent deterioration in the performance of the exposure apparatus.

A fourth aspect of the invention provides an exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with exposure light through an exposure liquid and that comprises a passageway in which a cleaning liquid, in which a prescribed gas of an amount that is greater than or equal to the saturation concentration is dissolved, flows.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, it is possible to prevent deterioration in performance that is caused by contamination.

A fifth aspect of the invention provides a device fabricating method that comprises the steps of; exposing the substrate using the exposure apparatus according to the abovementioned aspects; and developing the exposed substrate.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, it is possible to use the exposure apparatus, which prevents deterioration in performance, to fabricate a device.