Pressure control valve, a fluid handling structure for lithographic apparatus and a lithographic apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12287570-B2
Application number	US-202117524816-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2021
Priority date	Oct 20, 2016
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

A pressure control valve has: a passageway having a flow opening; an member displaceable relative to the opening for obstructing the opening by differing amounts; a piezo actuator; and a linkage mechanism adapted to amplify a dimensional change in the piezo actuator and to use the amplified dimensional change to displace the member relative to the opening, wherein the linkage mechanism comprises a frame attached to a wall and fixed at a first end in relation to the passageway, a portion of the frame moveable in a first direction while being substantially restrained in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the piezo actuator extending between the wall and the movable portion such that an expansion of the piezo actuator results in movement of the movable portion in the first direction by an amount greater than the expansion of the piezo actuator, the moveable portion connected to the member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control valve comprising:
a passageway having a portion defining an opening for the flow of liquid and/or gas therethrough;
an obstructing structure displaceable relative to the opening for obstructing the opening by differing amounts to regulate a volumetric flow rate of liquid and/or gas through the opening;
a piezo actuator; and
a linkage mechanism configured to amplify a magnitude of a dimensional change in the piezo actuator and to use the amplified dimensional change to displace the obstructing structure relative to the opening,
wherein the linkage mechanism comprises a deformable member having a first end and a second end, the first end and the second end of the deformable member connected to opposite ends of the piezo actuator,
wherein, when the piezo actuator expands in a first direction due to a potential difference applied thereto and causes movement of a portion of the deformable member, a magnitude of movement of the portion of the deformable member in a second direction different from the first direction is greater than the amount of expansion of the piezo actuator itself, and
wherein an end of the piezo actuator is substantially restrained from being displaced.

2. The control valve of claim 1 , wherein the first end and the second end of the deformable member are connected to opposite ends of the piezo actuator via a wall and a moveable portion respectively.

3. The control valve of claim 1 , wherein the deformable member is a first deformable member and further comprising a second deformable member positioned on a side of the piezo actuator opposite to the first deformable member.

4. The control valve of claim 1 , further comprising a flexible portion defining a portion of a sidewall of the passageway, the flexible portion adapted to enable, by flexing, the linkage mechanism to transmit movement from outside the passageway to inside the passageway to displace the obstructing structure.

5. The control valve of claim 4 , wherein the flexible portion is a bellow.

6. The control valve of claim 4 , wherein the flexible portion comprises a metal.

7. The control valve of claim 1 , wherein, in use, the piezo actuator is provided at an angle of at least 2° to a third direction orthogonal to the second direction.

8. A fluid handling structure configured to confine immersion fluid to a region of a lithographic apparatus, the fluid handling structure comprising the control valve of claim 1 .

9. An immersion lithographic apparatus comprising the fluid handling structure of claim 8 .

10. A control valve comprising:
a passageway having a portion defining an opening for the flow of liquid and/or gas therethrough;
an obstructing structure displaceable relative to the opening for obstructing the opening by differing amounts thereby to regulate a volumetric flow rate of liquid and/or gas through the opening;
a piezo actuator; and
a linkage mechanism configured to amplify a magnitude of a dimensional change in the piezo actuator and to use the amplified dimensional change to displace the obstructing structure relative to the opening,
wherein the linkage mechanism comprises a member connected to the piezo actuator, wherein, when the piezo actuator expands in a first direction due to a potential difference applied thereto and causes movement of a portion of the member of the linkage mechanism, movement of the portion of the member of the linkage mechanism causes movement of the obstructing structure in a second direction different than the first direction, and
wherein the piezo actuator cantilevers from a support.

11. The control valve of claim 10 , wherein when the piezo actuator expands in the first direction due to the potential difference applied thereto, the portion of the member of the linkage mechanism moves with respect to another portion of the member of the linkage mechanism in the second direction.

12. A fluid handling structure configured to confine immersion fluid to a region of a lithographic apparatus, the fluid handling structure comprising the control valve of claim 10 .

13. The control valve of claim 10 , wherein the member is a first member and further comprising a second member positioned on a side of the piezo actuator opposite to the first member.

14. The control valve of claim 10 , wherein the first end and the second end of the member are connected to opposite ends of the piezo actuator via a wall and a moveable portion respectively.

15. The control valve of claim 10 , wherein, in use, the piezo actuator is provided at an angle of at least 2° to a third direction orthogonal to the second direction.

16. A control valve comprising:
a passageway having a portion defining an opening for the flow of fluid therethrough;
an obstructing structure, displaceable relative to the opening, to obstruct for the opening by differing amounts to regulate a flow of the fluid through the opening;
a piezo actuator; and
a linkage mechanism configured to amplify a magnitude of a dimensional change in the piezo actuator and to use the amplified dimensional change to displace the obstructing structure relative to the opening,
wherein the linkage mechanism comprises a portion moveable in a first direction while being substantially restrained in a second direction different to the first direction, the piezo actuator arranged such that an expansion of the piezo actuator results in movement of the moveable portion in the first direction by an amount greater than the expansion of the piezo actuator, the moveable portion connected to the obstructing structure.

17. The control valve of claim 16 , wherein, in use, the piezo actuator is provided at an angle of at least 2° to the second direction.

18. The control valve of claim 16 , wherein the linkage mechanism comprises members positioned on opposite sides of the piezo actuator to cause movement of the portion.

19. The control valve of claim 16 , wherein when the piezo actuator expands in the first direction due to the potential difference applied thereto, the portion of the linkage mechanism moves with respect to another portion of the linkage mechanism in the second direction.

20. A photolithographic apparatus comprising the control valve of claim 16 .

Assignees

• Asml Netherlands Bv

Inventors

• Janssens Stef Marten Johan
• Cuypers Koen
• Cortie Rogier Hendrikus Magdalena
• Srivastava Sudhir
• Renckens Theodorus Johannes Antonius
• Gosen Jeroen Gerard
• Eummelen Erik Henricus Egidius Catharina
• Schellens Hendrikus Johannes
• Heeren Adrianus Marinus Wouter
• Lenssen Bo

Classifications

• H10P72/0402 Primary

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16K37/005

  for measuring fluid parameters (F16K37/0033 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K37/0041

  for measuring valve parameters (F16K37/0033 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K31/004

  actuated by piezoelectric means · CPC title

• G05D16/2013

  using throttling means as controlling means · CPC title