# US 10,503,085 B2 · Lithography apparatus and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,503,085 B2 - Document ID: US10503085B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/007,182 - Filed: 2018-06-13 - Published: 2019-05-16 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-16 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Shih-Ming Chang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10503085B2 ## CPC - G03F 7/70875: {Temperature, e.g. temperature control of masks or workpieces via control of stage temperature} - G03F 7/70341: {Details of immersion lithography aspects, e.g. exposure media or control of immersion liquid supply (chemical composition of immersion liquids G03F7/2041)} - G03F 7/708: {Construction of apparatus, e.g. environment aspects, hygiene aspects or materials} - G03F 7/70891: {Temperature} - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) ## Abstract A lithography apparatus is provided. The lithography apparatus includes an exposure system and a fluid handling system. The exposure system is configured to expose an exposure area on a substrate with an energy flow. The fluid handling system is configured to provide a heat transfer fluid flowing through a non-exposure area other than the exposure area on the substrate, to take heat away from the substrate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A lithography apparatus, comprising: an exposure system configured to expose an exposure area on a substrate with an energy flow; and a fluid handling system configured to provide a heat transfer fluid flowing through a non-exposure area other than the exposure area on the substrate, wherein the fluid handling system includes a fluid confinement structure configured to confine the heat transfer fluid in the non-exposure area surrounding the exposure area, and the non-exposure area is greater than the exposure area, the fluid confinement structure comprising: an open portion through which the exposure area is exposed, and the energy flow passes through the open portion to expose the exposure area; and a solid portion surrounding the open portion and configured to confine the heat transfer fluid between a bottom surface of the solid portion and the non-exposure area, wherein the fluid confinement structure is configured to form two gas seals between the bottom surface and the substrate and adjacent to an inner periphery and an outer periphery of the bottom surface, respectively, to confine the heat transfer fluid in the non-exposure area and avoid leakage of the heat transfer fluid to outside of the fluid confinement structure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid confinement structure further includes a first internal channel connected to a fluid inlet formed on the bottom surface of the solid portion for delivering the heat transfer fluid into the non-exposure area. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the fluid confinement structure further includes a second internal channel connected to a fluid outlet formed on the bottom surface of the solid portion for removal of the heat transfer fluid from the non-exposure area. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fluid outlet is an annular continuous recess surrounding the open portion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an extension plate disposed around the substrate and configured to support the fluid handling system and the heat transfer fluid. ### Claim 6 A lithography apparatus, comprising: an exposure system configured to expose an exposure area on a substrate with an energy flow in an operation environment; and a fluid handling system configured such that the exposure area is exposed to the operation environment and a non-exposure area other than the exposure area on the substrate is immersed under a heat transfer fluid that is provided by the fluid handling system, wherein the fluid handling system includes a fluid confinement structure configured to confine the heat transfer fluid in the non-exposure area surrounding the exposure area, and the non-exposure area is greater than the exposure area, the fluid confinement structure comprising: an open portion through which the exposure area is exposed, and the energy flow passes through the open portion to expose the exposure area; and a solid portion surrounding the open portion and configured to confine the heat transfer fluid between a bottom surface of the solid portion and the non-exposure area, wherein the fluid confinement structure is configured to form two gas seals between the bottom surface and the substrate and adjacent to an inner periphery and an outer periphery of the bottom surface, respectively, to confine the heat transfer fluid in the non-exposure area and avoid leakage of the heat transfer fluid to the operation environment. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the operation environment is a vacuum environment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the operation environment is an atmospheric environment, and the thermal conductivity of atmospheric air is less than the thermal conductivity of the heat transfer fluid. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the heat transfer fluid comprises gas or liquid. ### Claim 10 A lithography method, comprising: exposing an exposure area on a substrate with an energy flow in an operation environment; dispensing a heat transfer fluid onto a non-exposure area other than the exposure area on the substrate, wherein the non-exposure area is greater than the exposure area; forming gas seals to confine the heat transfer fluid in the non-exposure area and avoid leakage of the heat transfer fluid to the operation environment; and removing the heat transfer fluid from the substrate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The lithography method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the steps of exposing the exposure area and dispensing the heat transfer fluid onto the non-exposure area are performed simultaneously. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The lithography method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising: driving the heat transfer fluid to flow through the non-exposure area during the exposure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The lithography method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising: exposing a plurality of exposure areas on the substrate successively; and driving the heat transfer fluid to continuously flow through a plurality of non-exposure areas with respect to the respective exposure area. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The lithography method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the non-exposure area is enclosed by the gas seals such that the heat transfer fluid does not flow from the non-exposure area to the exposure area. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the two gas seals are formed on opposite sides of the fluid inlet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 3) The lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein a height of the fluid outlet is less than that of the fluid inlet, and a width of the fluid outlet is less than that of the fluid inlet. ### Claim 17 (depends on 3) The lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fluid inlet is located between the two gas seals, and the fluid outlet is located between the fluid inlet and one of the two gas seals. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the fluid confinement structure further comprises a second fluid outlet formed on the bottom surface of the solid portion for removal of the heat transfer fluid from the non-exposure area, and the fluid outlet and the second fluid outlet are located on opposite sides of the fluid inlet. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the two gas seals is formed by supplying a gas via a gas inlet channel formed in the solid portion to a space between the bottom surface of the solid portion and the substrate and by extracting the gas via a gas outlet channel formed in the solid portion from the space. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The lithography apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein both the gas inlet channel and the gas outlet channel are annular continuous channels surrounding the open portion.