Lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method and a substrate
AssigneeASML Netherlands B.V.
InventorsMarcel Mathijs Theodore Marie Dierichs, Johannes Catharinus Hubertus Mulkens, Bob Streefkerk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A substrate is provided with a coating of material which is substantially transparent to the wavelength of the projection beam. The coating may be thicker than the wavelength of the projection beam and have a refractive index of the coating such that the wavelength of the projection beam is shortened as it passes through it. This allows the imaging of smaller features on the substrate. Alternatively, the coating may be used with a liquid supply system and act to keep bubbles away from a radiation sensitive layer of the substrate.
Claims28
A lithographic apparatus, comprising:
- a lithographic projection apparatus arranged to transfer a pattern to a radiation-sensitive layer of a substrate using a beam of radiation having an exposure wavelength;
- a coater arranged to at least partially coat the substrate with a layer of non-radiation-sensitive coating material which is at least partially transparent to radiation of the exposure wavelength, wherein the layer of non-radiation-sensitive coating material is positioned before the layer of radiation-sensitive material in the path of the beam of radiation, and wherein, in use, the coater applies the layer of non-radiation-sensitive coating material to a thickness which is greater than the exposure wavelength;
- and
- a liquid supply system configured to provide a liquid to a space between a projection system of the lithographic projection apparatus and the non-radiation sensitive layer of the substrate to be in contact with the non-radiation sensitive layer.
A lithographic apparatus, comprising:
- a lithographic projection apparatus arranged to transfer a pattern to a radiation-sensitive layer of a substrate using a beam of radiation and configured to provide a liquid to a space between a projection system of the lithographic projection apparatus and a layer of non-radiation sensitive coating material of the substrate to be in contact with the layer of non-radiation sensitive coating material;
- and
- a coater arranged to at least partially coat the substrate with the layer of non-radiation-sensitive coating material which is at least partially transparent to radiation of the exposure wavelength, wherein the layer of non-radiation-sensitive coating material is positioned before the layer of radiation-sensitive material in the path of the beam of radiation, and wherein, in use, the coater applies the layer of non-radiation sensitive material to a thickness effective to substantially reduce the effect of bubbles in the liquid, of particles in the liquid, or both, on the quality of the beam impinging on the radiation sensitive layer.
A lithographic apparatus, comprising:
- a lithographic projection apparatus arranged to transfer a pattern to a radiation-sensitive layer of a substrate using a beam of radiation having an exposure wavelength;
- and
- a coater arranged to at least partially coat the substrate with a layer of non-radiation-sensitive coating material which is at least partially transparent to radiation of the exposure wavelength, wherein the layer of non-radiation-sensitive coating material is positioned before the layer of radiation-sensitive material in the path of the beam of radiation, and wherein, in use, the coater applies the layer of non-radiation-sensitive coating material to a thickness which is greater than the exposure wavelength before the substrate is moved to the pattern transfer location and the layer of non-radiation-sensitive coating material has a free top surface during such movement.
A substrate for use in a lithographic projection apparatus, the substrate being at least partly covered by a radiation sensitive layer, the radiation sensitive layer being at least partly covered with non-radiation sensitive material which is at least partly transparent to said radiation and being of a different material than an immersion liquid through which a patterned beam of said radiation of the lithographic projection apparatus is projected onto a target portion of said substrate, wherein the non-radiation sensitive material has a thickness and the radiation has a wavelength and the thickness is greater than said wavelength.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.