Chucking system comprising an array of fluid chambers

A chucking system to hold a substrate, said system comprising:

• a chuck body having first and second opposed sides, said first side including a fluid chamber, said fluid chamber comprising first and second spaced-apart recesses, defining first and second spaced-apart support regions, with said first support region cincturing said second support region and said first and second recesses, and said second support region cincturing said second recess, with said substrate resting against said first and second support regions, with said first recess and a portion of said substrate in superimposition therewith defining a first chamber and said second recess and a portion of said substrate in superimposition therewith defining a second chamber;
• and
• a pressure control system in fluid communication with said first and second chambers to control a pressure within said first and second chambers such that one of said first and second chambers has a positive pressure therein and the remaining chamber of said first and second chambers has a negative pressure therein, wherein for a given positive pressure within one of said first and second chambers and a negative pressure within the remaining chamber of said first and second chambers, a ratio of an area between said first and second recesses is such that said fluid chamber exerts a negative force upon a portion of said substrate in superimposition with said fluid chamber.

A chucking system to hold a substrate, said system comprising:

• a chuck body having first and second opposed sides, said first side including an array of fluid chambers arranged in rows and columns, each of said fluid chamber comprising first and second spaced-apart recesses, defining first and second spaced-apart support regions, with said first support region cincturing said second support region and said first and second recesses, and said second support region cincturing said second recess, with said substrate resting against said first and second support regions, with said first recess and a portion of said substrate in superimposition therewith defining a first chamber and said second recess and a portion of said substrate in superimposition therewith defining a second chamber;
• and
• a pressure control system having a plurality of sources of fluid, with each column of said first chambers and each row of said second chambers being in fluid communication with a differing source of fluid of said plurality of sources of fluid, said pressure control system controlling a pressure within said first and second chambers such that one of said first and second chambers has a positive pressure therein and the remaining chamber of said first and second chambers has a negative pressure therein, wherein for a given positive pressure within one of said first and second chambers and a negative pressure within the remaining chamber of said first and second chambers, a ratio of an area between said first and second recesses is such that said fluid chamber exerts a negative force upon a portion of said substrate in superimposition with said fluid chamber.