Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

US9885965B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-9885965-B2
Application numberUS-201715448438-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateMar 2, 2017
Priority dateNov 12, 2002
Publication dateFeb 6, 2018
Grant dateFeb 6, 2018

How to read this patent

A practical reading order for non-experts. Skip the full description unless you need deep technical detail.

  1. Title

    What the patent document calls the invention.

  2. Abstract

    A short plain-language summary of the technical disclosure.

  3. Assignees and inventors

    Who owns or filed the patent and who is credited as inventor.

  4. Key dates

    Filing, priority, publication, and grant dates set the timeline.

  5. First independent claim

    The legal scope of protection — read this for what is actually claimed.

  6. CPC / IPC classifications

    Technology tags used to group this patent with similar filings.

  7. Citations and related patents

    Prior art links and similar publications in this corpus.

Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

A lithographic projection apparatus includes a support structure configured to hold a patterning device, the patterning device configured to pattern a beam of radiation according to a desired pattern; a substrate table configured to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate; a liquid supply system configured to provide liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate; and a shutter configured to isolate the space from the substrate or a space to be occupied by a substrate.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

The invention claimed is: 1. A device manufacturing method comprising: providing a liquid to a space between a projection system and a substrate with a liquid supply system, said liquid being confined in said space by a seal member; projecting a patterned beam of radiation, through said liquid, onto a target portion of the substrate held by a substrate table; removably positioning a member adjacent to the projection system between the projection system and the substrate table so that a first side of the member faces the projection system and the second side of the member, opposite from the first side, faces the substrate table to isolate the space provided with the liquid, which contacts the first side of the member, from a second space located on the second side of the member, wherein the member is separable from the substrate table and the projection system, and wherein the member is positionable on the substrate table so that the first side is substantially coplanar with a top surface of the substrate table that receives the substrate, and at least partly recovering the liquid from underneath the seal member through a surface of the seal member that faces the substrate, or the top surface of the substrate table or both. 2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising positioning the member opposite the projection system such that liquid can be confined between the projection system and the member. 3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising releasably connecting the member to an object. 4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising releasably connecting the member to the object with a vacuum-clamp. 5. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising positioning the member on the substrate table so that the first side of the member is substantially coplanar with a primary surface of the substrate. 6. A, device manufacturing comprising: providing a liquid to a space between a projection system and a substrate with a liquid supply system, said liquid being confined in said space by a seal member; projecting a patterned beam of radiation, through said liquid, onto a target portion of the substrate held by a substrate table; isolating the space from the substrate or a space to be occupied by a substrate with a shutter, wherein the shutter is positionable on the substrate table so that a primary surface of the shutter is substantially coplanar with a top surface of the substrate table that receives the substrate, and at least partly recovering the liquid from underneath the seal member through a surface of the seal member that faces the substrate, or a top surface of the substrate table or both. 7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising positioning the shutter on a side of the liquid supply system opposite the projection system such that liquid can be confined in the liquid supply system and between the projection system and the shutter. 8. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising releasably connecting the shutter to the seal member. 9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the shutter is separable from the remainder of a lithographic apparatus that includes the projection system, the liquid supply system and the substrate table. 10. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising displacing the shutterfrom the liquid supply system when connected to the liquid supply system. 11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising connecting the shutter to the liquid supply system with a magnet, a vacuum outlet, or both. 12. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising forming a seal between the liquid supply system and the shutter with a gas inlet and a vacuum outlet of the liquid supply system. 13. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the shutter comprises a channel in a surface of the shutter facing the projection system. 14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the channel is less than or equal to 10 micrometers deep. 15. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the shutter comprises a plurality of concentric channels. 16. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the shutter comprises a plurality of radial channels. 17. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the liquid supply system comprises at least one inlet to supply the liquid onto the substrate and at least one outlet to remove the liquid after the liquid has passed under the projection system. 18. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the liquid supply system is configured to provide the liquid to a space between a final lens of the projection system and the substrate. 19. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising positioning the shutter on the substrate table so that the primary surface is substantially coplanar with a primary surface of the substrate.

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

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

  • of mask or workpiece · CPC title

  • G03F7/707Primary

    Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details · CPC title

  • Alignment mark detection, e.g. TTR, TTL, off-axis detection, array detector, video detection · CPC title

  • Mounting of optical systems, e.g. mounting of illumination system, projection system or stage systems on base-plate or ground · CPC title

Patent family

Related publications grouped by family.

External sources

Frequently asked questions

Answers are generated from the same data shown on this page.

What does patent US9885965B2 cover?
A lithographic projection apparatus includes a support structure configured to hold a patterning device, the patterning device configured to pattern a beam of radiation according to a desired pattern; a substrate table configured to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate; a liquid supply system configured to provide …
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Asml Netherlands Bv
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification G03F7/70866. Mapped technology areas include Physics.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Feb 06 2018 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 4 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).