Vacuum system for immersion photolithography

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9857699-B2
Application number	US-201615362530-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2016
Priority date	Jun 16, 2004
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

A vacuum system for extracting a stream of a multi-phase fluid from a photo-lithography tool comprises a pumping arrangement for drawing the fluid from the tool, and an extraction tank located upstream from the pumping arrangement for separating the fluid drawn from the tool into gas and liquid phases. The pumping arrangement comprises a first pump for extracting gas from the tank, and a second pump for extracting liquid from the tank. In order to minimize any pressure fluctuations transmitted from the vacuum system back to the fluid within the tool, a pressure control system maintains a substantially constant pressure in the tank by regulating the amounts of liquid and gas within the tank.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:
a projection device configured to project a radiation beam onto a substrate; and
a system to extract multi-phase fluid from a part of the lithographic apparatus, the system comprising:
a separator configured to separate the multi-phase fluid drawn from the part into gas and liquid phases, and
a pump arrangement comprising a first pump system configured to extract gas from the separator and a second pump system configured to extract liquid from the separator, wherein the pump arrangement is configured to draw multi-phase fluid from the part into the separator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a control system configured to control a pressure within the separator by regulating the gas and/or liquid therein.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a control system configured to control flow of gas from the separator.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a control system configured to control an amount of liquid within the separator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an outlet configured to remove the multi-phase fluid from a space between the projection device and the substrate.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an inlet configured to supply liquid to a space between the projection device and a surface facing the projection device, wherein the pump arrangement is configured to remove the multi-phase fluid from the space between the projection device and the surface facing the projection device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises an extraction tank.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an outlet from the separator for separated gas is higher than an outlet from the separator for separated liquid.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a flow restriction in a fluid path from the separator to a pump fluidly connected to the separator.

10. A method of extracting a stream of multi-phase fluid from a part of a photolithography tool, the method comprising:
operating a pump arrangement to draw the multi-phase fluid from the part of the tool into a separator;
separating the multi-phase fluid drawn from the part of the tool into gas and liquid phases within the separator;
extracting gas from the separator using a first pump system of the pump arrangement; and
extracting liquid from the separator using a second pump system of the pump arrangement,
wherein the pump arrangement is configured to draw multi-phase fluid from the part into the separator.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising controlling a pressure within the separator by regulating the gas and/or liquid therein.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising controlling flow of gas from the separator.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising controlling an amount of liquid within the separator.

14. The method of claim 10 , comprising removing the multi-phase fluid from a space between a projection device of the tool and a substrate via an outlet.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising supplying liquid to a space between a projection device of the tool and a surface facing the projection device via an inlet, wherein the pump arrangement is configured to remove the multi-phase fluid from the space between the projection device and the surface facing the projection device.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein an outlet from the separator for separated gas is higher than an outlet from the separator for separated liquid.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising a flow restriction in a fluid path from the separator to a pump fluidly connected to the separator.

18. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:
a projection device configured to project a radiation beam onto a substrate; and
a system to extract multi-phase fluid from a part of the lithographic apparatus, the system comprising:
a separator configured to separate the fluid drawn from the part into gas and liquid phases,
a first outlet configured to exhaust separated gas from the separator,
a second outlet configured to exhaust separated liquid from the separator, the first outlet being located higher than the second outlet, and
a pump arrangement configured to draw multi-phase fluid from the part into the separator and configured to extract separated gas via the first outlet and/or extract separated liquid via the second outlet, from the separator.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the pump arrangement comprises a pump system configured to extract separated liquid, via the second outlet, from the separator.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising a control system configured to control a pressure within the separator by regulating the gas and/or liquid therein.

Assignees

• Asml Netherlands Bv

Inventors

• Harpham Andrew John
• Shechter Paul John
• Stockman Paul Alan

Classifications

• G03F7/70841

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

• G03F7/70858 Primary

  Environment aspects, e.g. pressure of beam-path gas, temperature (pollution aspects G03F7/70916) · 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

• B01D57/00

  Separation, other than separation of solids, not fully covered by a single other group or subclass, e.g. B03C · CPC title

• G03F7/20 Primary

  Exposure; Apparatus therefor (photographic printing apparatus for making copies G03B27/00) · CPC title