Projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography with a vibration damper and method for designing a vibration damper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12298675-B2
Application number	US-202217989813-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2022
Priority date	May 27, 2020
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

A projection exposure apparatus has a vibration damper with a holder and a mass that is connected to the holder via a damping element. The vibration damper comprises a temperature control device for the temperature control of the damping element. The disclosure also relates to a method for designing a vibration damper.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a vibration damper, comprising:
a holder;
a mass;
a damping element connecting the holder and the mass, the damping element having a natural frequency which depends on a temperature of the damping element; and
a temperature control device; and

a controller configured to:
i) received a signal from a sensor; and
ii) based on the signal received from the sensor and a desired natural frequency of the damping element, dynamically control the temperature control device so that the temperature control device either heats or cools the damping element to adjust a temperature of the damping element so that the damping element has the desired natural frequency,

wherein the apparatus is a semiconductor lithography projection exposure apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control device is part of the damping element.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control device is supported by the holder.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control device is supported by the mass.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control device is not in mechanical contact with the vibration damper.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control device is configured to heat the vibration damper.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control device is configured to heat the damping element.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control device is configured to cool the vibration damper.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control device is configured to cool the damping element.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vibration damper comprises the sensor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vibration damper comprises the controller.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the signal from the sensor is a feedback variable, and the controller is configured to provide closed-loop control of the temperature control device via the signal from the sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , the vibration damper comprises a controller configured to provide closed-loop control of the temperature control without a feedback variable.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control device comprises an infrared heater.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a structure held by the vibration damper.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the vibration damper is configured to dampen vibrations of the structure.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the structure comprises a pin.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the structure comprises a pin.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator which comprises a structure, wherein the structure is held by the vibration damper.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the vibration damper comprises the sensor;
the sensor comprises a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the vibration damper; and
the signal received by the controller is representative of the temperature of the damping element sensed by the temperature sensor.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the vibration damper comprises the sensor;
the sensor comprises a vibration sensor configured to sense a vibration of the holder; and
the signal received by the controller is representative of the vibration of the holder sensed by the temperature sensor.

22. A method of controlling vibrations of a damping element of a semiconductor lithography apparatus, the damping element being connected to a mass and a holder, the damping element having a natural frequency that depends on a temperature of the damping element, the method comprising:
determining the temperature of the damping element; and
based on a desired natural frequency of the damping element, heating or cooling the damping element to adjust the temperature of the damping element so that the damping element has the desired natural frequency.

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Smt Gmbh

Inventors

• Gaida Philipp
• Erath Michael
• Herold Florian

Classifications

• G03F7/70891

  Temperature · CPC title

• G03F7/70825

  Mounting of individual elements, e.g. mounts, holders or supports (workpiece or mask holders G03F7/707) · CPC title

• F16F2222/02

  temperature-related (F16F2228/002 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16F7/108

  on plastics springs · CPC title

• F16F15/04

  using elastic means (single elements or their attachment F16F1/00 - F16F13/00); {(F16F15/023, F16F15/03 take precedence)} · CPC title