Vacuum chamber having instrument-mounting bulkhead exhibiting reduced deformation in response to pressure differential, and energy-beam systems comprising same

An apparatus for housing an object in a subatmospheric-pressure environment, comprising:

• a chamber collectively defined by vessel walls and at least one bulkhead, the chamber being sized to contain the object and to contain an atmosphere evacuated to the subatmospheric pressure;
• at least one instrument mounted to the bulkhead outside the chamber, the instrument being configured to measure a characteristic of the object in the chamber;
• and
• a deformation-reducing device for reducing deformation of the bulkhead in response to a pressure differential of the subatmospheric pressure inside the chamber relative to pressure outside the chamber.

A system for irradiating an object with an energy beam, comprising:

• a chamber collectively defined by vessel walls and at least one bulkhead, the chamber being sized to contain the object for irradiation with the energy beam and to contain an atmosphere evacuated, at least during the irradiation, to a subatmospheric pressure;
• an optical system situated so as to irradiate the object in the chamber with the energy beam;
• an instrument, mounted to the bulkhead outside the chamber, configured to measure a characteristic of the object in the chamber;
• and
• a deformation-reducing device for reducing deformation of the bulkhead in response to a differential of pressure inside the chamber relative to pressure outside the chamber.

A lithographic exposure system for exposing a substrate with a pattern, the system comprising:

• a first chamber collectively defined by respective chamber walls and at least one respective bulkhead, the first chamber being configured (a) to contain the substrate for exposure, (b) to allow irradiation of the substrate with an energy beam capable of imprinting the pattern on the substrate, and (c) to contain an atmosphere evacuated, at least during the exposure, to a respective subatmospheric pressure;
• a source of the energy beam situated relative to the first chamber to direct the energy beam into the first chamber to expose the substrate;
• a respective instrument mounted to the respective bulkhead, the instrument being configured to measure a characteristic of the substrate in the first chamber;
• and
• a respective deformation-reducing device for reducing deformation of the bulkhead of the first chamber in response to a differential of pressure inside the first chamber relative to pressure outside the first chamber.

A microlithography system that illuminates a selected region on a pattern-defining reticle with an energy beam, and projects and focuses the energy beam, propagating from the reticle, onto a selected region on a sensitive substrate so as to transfer the pattern from the reticle to the sensitive substrate, the microlithography system comprising:

• a reticle-vacuum chamber containing a reticle stage on which the reticle is mounted, the reticle-vacuum chamber being defined by respective walls and at least one respective bulkhead;
• a wafer-vacuum chamber containing a wafer stage on which the sensitive substrate is mounted, the wafer-vacuum chamber being defined by respective walls and at least one respective bulkhead;
• a respective instrument mounted on the bulkhead of the reticle-vacuum chamber and configured to measure a characteristic of the reticle;
• a respective instrument mounted on the bulkhead of the wafer-vacuum chamber and configured to measure a characteristic of the substrate;
• and
• a deformation-reducing device for reducing deformation of the respective bulkhead of at least one of the chambers in response to a differential of pressure inside the respective chamber relative to pressure outside the respective chamber.