Lithographic apparatus and device and device manufacturing method
AssigneeASML Netherlands B.V.
InventorsPaulus Martinus Maria Liebregts, Johannes Henricus Wilhelmus Jacobs, Tammo Uitterdijk
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed in which one or more liquid diverters are positioned in a space surrounded by a liquid confinement structure. A function of the liquid diverter(s) is to hinder the formation of one or more recirculation zones of immersion liquid which may lead to variations in refractive index of the immersion liquid in the space and thereby imaging errors.
Claims25
A lithographic projection apparatus arranged to project a pattern from a patterning device onto a substrate through a liquid confined to a space adjacent the substrate using an optical element of a projection system, the apparatus comprising a liquid diverter configured to promote liquid flow in a flow direction substantially parallel to a plane of the substrate across the space, at least part of the liquid diverter, in use, located between the substrate and a surface, nearest the substrate and in contact with the liquid, of the optical element, located within an outer lateral boundary of the optical element, and extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane of the substrate arranged to receive the pattern, the liquid flow being from at least one side of an exposure area of the substrate to another side of the exposure area and further away from the substrate than a surface of the liquid diverter adjacent the substrate.
A device manufacturing method, comprising projecting, using an optical element of a projection system, a patterned beam of radiation onto a substrate through a liquid provided in a space adjacent the substrate, wherein flow of the liquid across the space in a flow direction substantially parallel to a plane of the substrate is promoted by a liquid diverter, at least part of the liquid diverter located between the substrate and a surface, nearest the substrate and in contact with the liquid, of the optical element, located within an outer lateral boundary of the optical element, and extending in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the substrate arranged to receive the patterned beam, the liquid flow being from at least one side of an exposure area of the substrate to another side of the exposure area and further away from the substrate than a surface of the liquid diverter adjacent the substrate.
A lithographic projection apparatus arranged to project a pattern from a patterning device onto a substrate through a liquid confined to a space adjacent the substrate using an optical element of a projection system, the apparatus comprising a liquid diverter to promote liquid flow across the space, wherein the liquid diverter divides the space in a horizontal plane into separate vertical channels to promote the liquid flow across the space and at least part of the liquid diverter is, in use, located between the substrate and a surface, nearest the substrate and in contact with the liquid, of the optical element and located within an outer lateral boundary of the optical element.
A device manufacturing method, comprising projecting a patterned beam of radiation using an optical element of a projection system onto a substrate through a liquid provided in a space adjacent the substrate, wherein flow of the liquid across the space is promoted by a liquid diverter, wherein the liquid diverter divides the space in a horizontal plane into separate vertical channels to promote the liquid flow across the space and at least part of the liquid diverter is, in use, located between the substrate and a surface, nearest the substrate and in contact with the liquid, of the optical element and located within an outer lateral boundary of the optical element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.