Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method
AssigneeASML Netherlands B.V.
InventorsSjoerd Nicolaas Lambertus Donders, Patrick Johannes Cornelus Hendrik Smulders, Peter Smits
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an immersion lithographic apparatus, a closing plate is used to contain liquid in a liquid confinement structure while, for example, substrates are swapped on a substrate table. A closing plate displacement mechanism using, for example, a combination of one or more leaf springs and one or more electromagnets or a combination of one or more linear actuators and one more pins, is used to moving the closing plate toward or from the liquid confinement structure. In an embodiment, an adjustment plate is used to compensate for closing plates of varying thickness in closing plate receptacles of varying depth on different substrate tables.
Claims32
A lithographic apparatus, comprising:
- a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate;
- a projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate;
- a receptacle in the substrate table configured to have a closing plate;
- and
- a displacement mechanism provided in the substrate table arranged to move the closing plate from the receptacle.
A device manufacturing method, comprising:
- projecting a patterned beam of radiation through a liquid, which is contained by a liquid confinement structure, onto a substrate held by a substrate table;
- and
- after projecting the patterned beam, moving the substrate table to a position such that a closing plate on the substrate table is positioned under the liquid confinement structure, and
- while the substrate table is held stationary relative to the liquid confinement structure, moving the closing plate, using a displacement mechanism provided in the substrate table, to close a portion of the liquid confinement structure.
A substrate table for a lithographic apparatus, the substrate table comprising:
- a support surface configured to hold a substrate;
- a receptacle configured to contain a closing plate;
- and
- a displacement mechanism provided in the substrate table arranged to move the closing plate from the receptacle.
A lithographic apparatus, comprising:
- a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate;
- a projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate;
- a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a space between the projection system and the substrate with a liquid, the liquid supply system comprising a liquid confinement structure configured to at least party confine the liquid within the space;
- a closing plate configured to close off the liquid confinement structure so as to retain a fluid in the liquid confinement structure when the substrate or the substrate table is no longer adjacent the liquid confinement structure;
- and
- a displacement mechanism provided in the substrate table arranged to move the closing plate toward the liquid confinement structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.