# US 2018/0321602 A1 · Chucks and clamps for holding objects of a lithographic apparatus and methods for controlling a temperature of an object held by a clamp of a lithographic apparatus

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- Number: US 2018/0321602 A1
- Document ID: US20180321602A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/764,594
- Filed: 2016-10-05
- Published: 2018-11-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-10-06
- Assignees: ASML Holding N.V.; ASML Netherlands B.V.
- Applicants: Asml Holding N.V.; Asml Netherlands B.V.
- Inventors: Raymond Wilhelmus Louis LAFARRE; Adrianus Hendrik KOEVOETS; Michael Leo NELSON; Jacobus Cornelis Gerardus VAN DER SANDEN; Geoffrey O'CONNOR; Michael Andrew CHIEDA; Tammo UITTERDIJK
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180321602A1

## CPC

- G03F 7/70875: {Temperature, e.g. temperature control of masks or workpieces via control of stage temperature}
- G03F 7/707: {Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details}
- G03F 7/70783: {Handling stress or warp of chucks, masks or workpieces, e.g. to compensate for imaging errors or considerations related to warpage of masks or workpieces due to their own weight}
- H10P 72/72: using electrostatic chucks
- H10P 72/0434: {mainly by convection}
- H10P 72/0436: {mainly by radiation}
- H10P 72/0602: {Temperature monitoring}
- 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)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A lithographic apparatus includes a clamp (406) configured to receive an object (402). The clamp defines at least one channel (408) configured to pass a fluid at a first fluid temperature. The lithographic apparatus also includes a chuck (404) coupled to the clamp. The chuck (404) defines at least one void (464) configured to thermally insulate the chuck from the clamp.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-21. (canceled)

### Claim 22

A lithographic apparatus comprising:
a clamp configured to receive an object and defining at least one channel configured to pass a fluid at a first fluid temperature; and
a chuck coupled to the clamp and defining at least one void configured to thermally insulate the chuck from the clamp.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The lithographic apparatus of claim 22, wherein the at least one void is at a vacuum.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The lithographic apparatus of claim 22, wherein the at least one void is filled with a fluid.

### Claim 25 (depends on 22)

The lithographic apparatus of claim 22, wherein the at least one void comprises a plurality of voids.

### Claim 26 (depends on 22)

The lithographic apparatus of claim 22, wherein the chuck comprises a plurality of burls defining the at least one void.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The lithographic apparatus of claim 26, wherein the chuck comprises a first layer coupled to the clamp and a second layer defining the plurality of burls that define the at least one void.

### Claim 28 (depends on 22)

The lithographic apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a fluid conditioning device configured to change a temperature of the first fluid.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The lithographic apparatus of claim 28, wherein the fluid conditioning device is configured to change a temperature of the first fluid from a second fluid temperature to the first fluid temperature.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The lithographic apparatus of claim 29, wherein:
the fluid conditioning device is configured to change the temperature of the first fluid from the second fluid temperature to the first fluid temperature when the object is being exposed with radiation, and
the second fluid temperature is greater than the first fluid temperature.

### Claim 31 (depends on 29)

The lithographic apparatus of claim 29, wherein the first fluid temperature is in a range from about −15° C. to about 15° C., and wherein the second fluid temperature is in a range from about 17° C. to about 27° C.

### Claim 32 (depends on 22)

The lithographic apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first fluid temperature is less than a target average temperature of the object when the object is being exposed with radiation.

### Claim 33 (depends on 22)

The lithographic apparatus of claim 22, wherein:
the object comprises a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion that varies as a function of temperature;
the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material of the object is about zero at a zero-crossing temperature of the object; and
the first fluid temperature is such that an average temperature of the object when the object is being exposed with radiation is equal to about the zero-crossing temperature of the object.

### Claim 34 (depends on 22)

The lithographic apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first fluid temperature is such that internal forces of the object when the object is being exposed with radiation are substantially symmetric in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the clamp holding the object.

### Claim 35 (depends on 22)

The lithographic apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first fluid temperature is such that a sum of the internal forces of the object when the object is being exposed with radiation is about equal to zero.

### Claim 36 (depends on 22)

The lithographic apparatus of claim 22, wherein the at least one channel comprises a plurality of channels, and wherein the object is a patterning device.

### Claim 37

A method for controlling a temperature of an object held by a clamp of a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising:
exposing an object with radiation; and
passing a fluid at a first fluid temperature through at least one channel defined by the clamp to condition a temperature of the clamp,
wherein the clamp is coupled to a chuck defining at least one void configured to thermally insulate the chuck from the clamp.

### Claim 38 (depends on 37)

The method of claim 37, further comprising:
before passing the fluid at the first fluid temperature through the at least one channel defined by the clamp, passing the fluid at a second fluid temperature through the at least one channel defined by the clamp to condition the temperature of the clamp, and
after passing the fluid at the second fluid temperature through the at least one channel defined by the clamp, changing the second fluid temperature of the fluid to the first fluid temperature of the fluid, wherein the second fluid temperature is greater than the first fluid temperature.

### Claim 39 (depends on 37)

The method of claim 37, wherein:
the first fluid temperature is conditioned to be in a range from about −15° C. to about 15° C.; and
the second fluid temperature is conditioned to be in a range from about 17° C. to about 27° C.

### Claim 40 (depends on 39)

The method of claim 39, wherein:
the first fluid temperature is conditioned to be about −8° C.; and
the second fluid temperature is conditioned to be about 22° C.

### Claim 41 (depends on 37)

The method of claim 37, wherein the first fluid temperature is conditioned to be less than an average temperature of the object when exposing the object with radiation.

### Claim 42 (depends on 37)

The method of claim 37, wherein:
the object comprises a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion that varies as a function of temperature;
the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material of the object is about zero at a zero-crossing temperature; and
passing the fluid at the first fluid temperature through the at least one channel generates an average temperature of the object when exposing the object with radiation that is equal to about the zero-crossing temperature of the material of the object.