Device for transmitting electrical signals, and lithography apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10459351-B2
Application number	US-201916291836-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2019
Priority date	Sep 12, 2016
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a device for transmitting electrical signals between a first interface element, arranged at a first structure of a lithography system, and a second interface element, arranged at a second structure of the lithography system. An electrical conductor connects the first interface element and the second interface element. The device has a hollow body which surrounds at least sections of the electrical conductor and which is designed to electromagnetically shield the electrical conductor. A gap is provided in the hollow body or between the hollow body and one of the structures and allows a relative movement of the first structure and the second structure to mechanically decouple the first structure from the second structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
an electrical conductor electrically connecting a first interface element to a second interface element, the first interface element arranged at a first structure, and the second interface element arranged at a second structure; and
a hollow body surrounding at least portions of the electrical conductor to electromagnetically shield the electrical conductor,
wherein:
the hollow body comprises first and second partial hollow bodies;
the first partial hollow body contacts the first section;
the first partial hollow body is electrically conductively connected to the first structure;
the second partial hollow body contacts the second structure;
the second partial hollow body is electrically conductively connected to the second structure;
the hollow body has a gap in an overlap section between the first and second partial hollow bodies; and
the gap is configured to permit relative movement between the first and second structures to mechanically decouple the first structure from the second structure.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least sections of the electrical conductor comprise a flexible printed circuit board.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein:
the flexible printed circuit board has a first edge section and a second edge section opposite the first edge section; and
in a section of the flexible printed circuit board, the first and second edge sections define a helix shape.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein a section of the flexible printed circuit board is bent.

5. The device of claim 2 , wherein a section of the flexible printed circuit board is rotated.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising first and second printed circuit boards, wherein:
the first printed circuit board is electrically connected to the first interface element;
the first printed circuit board is in the first partial hollow body;
the second printed circuit board is electrically connected to the second interface element;
the second printed circuit board is in the second partial hollow body; and
the electrical conductor electrically connects the first and second printed circuit boards.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the electrical conductor comprises a flexible printed circuit board.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the gap defined by a first edge structure of the first partial body in the overlap section and a second edge structure of the second partial body; and
the first and second edge structures comprise intermeshing structures.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the gap is configured to permit relative movement between the first and second structures of at most 200 μm.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical conductor has a mechanical coupling strength of at most 200 N/m.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the electrical conductor is a portion of a cable which connects the first and second interface elements; and
the cable comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of a number of singly shielded core pairs in a cable sheath and a number of voltage supply lines in a cable sheath.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the gap is configured so that, when the device is in a low pressure atmosphere with elevated hydrogen content, the gap suppresses penetration of hydrogen into the hollow body.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
a housing defines the first structure;
a first side of the first structure is exposed to a first pressure;
a second side of the first structure is exposed to a second pressure;
the second pressure is greater than the first pressure;
the first interface element is arranged on a printed circuit board on the first side of the first structure; and
the printed circuit board has a further interface element on the second side of the first structure.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein a vacuum housing defines the first structure.

15. An apparatus, comprising:
the device of claim 1 ,
wherein the apparatus is a lithography apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein:
the apparatus comprises a vacuum housing and a projection system;
the first interface element is arranged at the vacuum housing; and
the second interface element is arranged at the projection system.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein:
the gap defined by a first edge structure of the first partial body in the overlap section and a second edge structure of the second partial body; and
the first and second edge structures comprise intermeshing structures.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising first and second printed circuit boards, wherein:
the first printed circuit board is electrically connected to the first interface element;
the first printed circuit board is in the first partial hollow body;
the second printed circuit board is electrically connected to the second interface element;
the second printed circuit board is in the second partial hollow body; and
the electrical conductor electrically connects the first and second printed circuit boards.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the electrical conductor comprises a flexible printed circuit board.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein at least sections of the electrical conductor comprise a flexible printed circuit board.

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Smt Gmbh

Inventors

• Horn Jan
• Bleidistel Sascha
• Bart Florian
• Hauf Markus

Classifications

• G03F7/70991

  Connection with other apparatus, e.g. multiple exposure stations, particular arrangement of exposure apparatus and pre-exposure and/or post-exposure apparatus; Shared apparatus, e.g. having shared radiation source, shared mask or workpiece stage, shared base-plate; Utilities, e.g. cable, pipe or wireless arrangements for data, power, fluids or vacuum · CPC title

• G03F7/709

  Vibration, e.g. vibration detection, compensation, suppression or isolation · CPC title

• G03F7/70841

  Constructional issues related to vacuum environment, e.g. load-lock chamber · CPC title

• G03F7/70808 Primary

  Construction details, e.g. housing, load-lock, seals or windows for passing light in or out of apparatus · CPC title

• G03F7/70941

  Stray fields and charges, e.g. stray light, scattered light, flare, transmission loss · CPC title