Method for chemical reduction of an oxidized contamination material, or reducing oxidation of a contamination material and a conditioning system for doing the same

A device manufacturing method for manufacturing a device in a lithographic apparatus, the lithographic apparatus comprising a chamber containing an amount of contamination material and an amount of the oxides, the oxides being oxides of the contamination material, the method comprising:

• providing a hydrogen containing gas in at least part of the chamber;
• establishing a predetermined minimum partial hydrogen gas pressure in the at least part of the chamber;
• establishing a predetermined maximum partial oxidants gas pressure in the at least part of the chamber;
• maintaining a temperature in the at least part of the chamber such that the temperature as maintained is at least higher than a temperature at which, in thermodynamic equilibrium given the predetermined maximum partial oxidants and minimum partial hydrogen gas pressures as established, the amount of contamination material is at least 10 times higher than the amount of oxides;
• and
• projecting a patterned beam of radiation onto a substrate at least partially covered by a layer of radiation sensitive material.

A computer program product comprising data and instructions to be loaded by a processor of a lithographic apparatus, and configured to control the lithographic apparatus to perform a method, the method comprising:

• providing a hydrogen containing gas in at least part of the chamber;
• establishing a predetermined minimum partial hydrogen gas pressure in the at least part of the chamber;
• establishing a predetermined maximum partial oxidants gas pressure in the at least part of the chamber;
• and
• maintaining a temperature in the at least part of the chamber such that the temperature as maintained is at least higher than a temperature at which, in thermodynamic equilibrium given the predetermined maximum partial oxidants and minimum partial hydrogen gas pressures as established, the amount of contamination material is at least 10 times higher than the amount of oxides.

A lithographic apparatus, comprising:

• an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam;
• a support configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device being configured to impart the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam;
• a substrate table configured to hold a substrate;
• and
• a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate, wherein the illumination system comprises a conditioning system for reducing an amount of oxides, comprising a chamber and a control unit, the chamber containing an amount of contamination material and an amount of the oxides, the oxides being oxides of the contamination material, the chamber comprising an inlet configured to provide a hydrogen containing gas in at least part of the chamber;
• an element to be cleaned, located in the at least part of the chamber;
• a heating element for heating the element to be cleaned, wherein the control unit is configured to control activation of the heating element so as to maintain a temperature in the chamber, which is at least higher than a temperature at which, in thermodynamic equilibrium given a partial oxidants gas pressure and given the partial hydrogen gas pressure as let in, the amount of contamination material is at least 10 times higher than the amount of oxides.

A method of removing a deposition of a contamination material on an element provided in a chamber of an apparatus, the chamber containing an amount of the contamination material and an amount of the oxides, the oxides being oxides of the contamination material, the method comprising:

• providing a hydrogen containing gas in at least part of the chamber;
• establishing a predetermined minimum partial hydrogen gas pressure in the least part of the chamber;
• establishing a predetermined maximum partial oxidants gas pressure in the at least part of the chamber;
• maintaining a temperature in the at least part of the chamber such that the temperature as maintained is at least higher than a temperature at which, in thermodynamic equilibrium given the predetermined partial oxidants and partial hydrogen gas pressures as established, the amount of contamination material is at least 10 times higher than the amount of oxides;
• and
• providing a halogen containing gas for removing at least part of the deposition on the element.

A method of reducing an amount of tin oxides in a gas mixture in a lithographic apparatus, the lithographic apparatus comprising a chamber containing the gas mixture, the gas mixture containing an amount of tin material and an amount of the tin oxides, the method comprising:

• providing hydrogen gas in at least part of the chamber;
• establishing a predetermined minimum partial hydrogen gas pressure in the at least part of the chamber;
• establishing a predetermined maximum partial oxidants gas pressure in the at least part of the chamber;
• and
• maintaining a temperature in the at least part of the chamber such that the temperature as maintained is at least higher than a temperature at which, in thermodynamic equilibrium given the predetermined partial oxidants and partial hydrogen gas pressures as established, the amount of tin material is at least 10 times higher than the amount of tin oxides.