Pump system, a carbon dioxide supply system, an extraction system, a lithographic apparatus and a device manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9575406-B2
Application number	US-201213714205-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2012
Priority date	Dec 20, 2011
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

An extraction system, including a pump to pump gas along a conduit to a check valve configured to open at an upstream pressure over a certain magnitude, a pressure sensor to generate a signal indicative of a pressure of gas between the pump and the check valve, and a controller configured to generate a stop signal if a signal from the pressure sensor indicates that the pressure of gas between the pump and the check valve is below a certain magnitude.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
a carbon dioxide supply system to provide carbon dioxide from a source to a first gas outlet;
a fluid handling system to provide a liquid to a space between a final element of a projection system and a facing surface and having the first gas outlet to supply a gas flow radially outward of a meniscus of liquid in the space;
a second gas outlet radially outward of the first gas outlet to supply a flow of temperature conditioned gas, separate from the carbon dioxide supply, onto an object; and
a control system comprising a sensor to detect flow and/or pressure at or upstream of the second gas outlet, the control system configured to stop the supply of the gas flow radially outward of the meniscus of liquid if a signal from the sensor indicates that flow and/or pressure at or upstream of the second gas outlet is below a certain magnitude.

2. The lithographic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a pressure or flow rate switch which switches at a certain pressure or flow rate of gas at or upstream of the second gas outlet.

3. The lithographic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fluid handling system further comprises a collector opening radially outward of the first gas outlet.

4. The lithographic apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a sensor downstream of the collector opening, wherein the control system is configured to stop the flow of gas radially outward of the meniscus of liquid if a signal from the sensor indicates that flow and/or pressure downstream of the collector opening is outside a certain range.

5. The lithographic apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least two tables configured to move under the fluid handling structure.

6. The lithographic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second gas outlet is directed to provide the flow of temperature conditioned gas onto an area of an object on a table under the fluid handling structure uncovered by the fluid handling structure.

7. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
a carbon dioxide supply system to provide carbon dioxide from a source to a device;
a volume to which carbon dioxide is supplied from the carbon dioxide supply system;
a flow rate or pressure switch in a supply line of the carbon dioxide supply system, the switch located downstream from a pressure regulator in the supply line and the pressure regulator being upstream of a gas valve in the supply line;
a sensor to detect attempted opening and/or incorrect closure of a wall of the volume; and
a control system configured to stop supply of carbon dioxide to the volume if a signal from the sensor indicates attempted access to and/or incorrect closure of the volume and configured to stop supply of carbon dioxide to the volume if a signal from the flow rate or pressure switch that indicates that gas in the supply line is above respectively a first flow rate or pressure or is below respectively a second flow rate or pressure.

8. The lithographic apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the volume is bounded by walls and the sensor is positioned to detect movement of a part of the walls.

9. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
a carbon dioxide supply system to supply carbon dioxide from a source to a device, the supply system comprising:
a supply line for the flow of carbon dioxide from the source to the device;
a valve in the supply line, the valve having an open position and a closed position, where in the open position gas can flow along the supply line and in the closed position the flow of gas along the supply line is blocked;
a pressure regulator in the supply line, the pressure regulator being upstream of the valve; and
a control system comprising:
a first flow rate or pressure switch in the supply line to switch at respectively a first flow rate or pressure of gas in the supply line, and
a second flow rate or pressure switch in the supply line to switch at respectively a second flow rate or pressure of gas in the supply line,
wherein the control system is configured to move the valve to the closed position from the open position if (i) a signal from the first switch, located downstream from the pressure regulator, indicates that gas in the supply line is above a first flow rate or pressure or (ii) a signal from the second switch, located downstream from the pressure regulator, indicates that gas in the supply line is below the second flow rate or pressure.

10. The supply system of claim 9 , wherein the valve is a normally closed valve.

11. The supply system of claim 9 , wherein the first switch, the second switch, or both, switch at a certain pressure.

12. The supply system of claim 9 , further comprising a mass flow controller in the supply line.

13. The supply system of claim 12 , wherein the control system is configured to switch off the mass flow controller if (i) a signal from the first switch indicates that gas in the supply line is above a first flow rate or pressure or (ii) a signal from the second switch indicates that gas in the supply line is below the second flow rate or pressure.

14. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
a carbon dioxide supply system to provide carbon dioxide from a source to a device; and
an extraction system, comprising:
a pump to pump gas along a conduit to a check valve configured to open at an upstream pressure over a certain magnitude;
a pressure sensor to generate a signal indicative of a pressure of gas in a line connecting the pump to the check valve; and
a control system configured to generate a stop signal if a signal from the pressure sensor indicates that the pressure of gas in the line connecting the pump to the check valve is below a certain magnitude.

15. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
a carbon dioxide supply system to provide carbon dioxide from a source to a device; and
an extraction system, the extraction system comprising:
a conduit for a gas flow;
a check valve in the conduit configured to open at an upstream pressure over a certain magnitude;
a pump configured to pump the gas flow along the conduit to the check valve;
a pressure sensor configured to provide a signal indicative of a pressure of gas in a line connecting the pump to the check valve;
a connector downstream of the check valve, the connector configured to fluidly connect the conduit to an external underpressure source to receive the gas flow from the conduit, the connector configured to form a connection with the external underpressure source which is fluidly connected to an ambient atmosphere; and

a control system configured to turn off the carbon dioxide supply system if the pressure sensor provides a signal indicative of a pressure of gas in the line connecting the pump to the check valve that is below a certain magnitude.

16. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
a carbon dioxide supply system to provide carbon dioxide from a source to a device; and
an evacuation system, comprising:
a pump to pump gas along a conduit to a check valve configured to open at an upstream pressure over a certain magnitude;
a pressure sensor to generate a signal indicative of a pressure of gas in a line connecting the pump to the check valve; and
a control system configured to generate a stop signal if a signal from the pressure sensor indicates that the pressure of gas in the line connecting the pump to the check valve is below a certain magnitude; and

a gas supply, the stop signal from the control system stopping the gas supply and/or the pump.

17. A lithographic apparatus and a carbon dioxide supply system, wherein:
the carbon dioxide supply s

Assignees

• Van Der Gaag Marc Léon
• Van Den Heuvel Leonarda Hendrika
• Martens Arjan Hubrecht Josef Anna
• Van Boxtel Frank Johannes Jacobus
• Asml Netherlands Bv

Inventors

• Van Der Gaag Marc Léon
• Van Den Heuvel Leonarda Hendrika
• Martens Arjan Hubrecht Josef Anna
• Van Boxtel Frank Johannes Jacobus

Classifications

• Y10T137/0396

  Involving pressure control · CPC title

• G03F7/00 Primary

  Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor (using photoresist structures for special production processes, see the relevant places, e.g. B44C, H10P76/00, H05K) · CPC title

• Y10T137/8326

  Fluid pressure responsive indicator, recorder or alarm · CPC title

• G03F7/70341 Primary

  Details of immersion lithography aspects, e.g. exposure media or control of immersion liquid supply (chemical composition of immersion liquids G03F7/2041) · CPC title

• Y10T137/85986

  Pumped fluid control · CPC title