System and method for detecting at least one contamination species in a lithographic apparatus
AssigneeASML Netherlands B.V.
InventorsVadim Yevgenyevich Banine, Levinus Pieter Bakker, Ralph Kurt, Johannes Hubertus Josephina Moors, Lucas Henricus Johannes Stevens, Peter Cornelis Zalm
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for detecting at least one contamination species in an interior space of a lithographic apparatus, including: at least one monitoring surface configured to be in contact with the interior space, a thermal controller configured to control the temperature of the monitoring surface to at least one detection temperature, and at least one detector configured to detect condensation of the at least one contamination species onto the monitoring surface.
Claims20
A system for detecting at least one contamination species in a vacuum, the system including:
- at least one cathode having a surface comprising a surface material, the at least one cathode configured to emit electrons into the vacuum;
- and
- at least one detector configured to detect the electrons emitted by the at least one cathode,
- wherein the cathode is configured to emit a first current of electrons when a cathode surface is substantially not contaminated by the at least one contamination species, and
- wherein the cathode is configured to emit a second current of electrons when the cathode surface is contaminated by the at least one contamination species based on an interaction between the at least one contamination species and the surface material.
A contamination detection system, comprising:
- a chamber;
- a cathode situated in the chamber, the cathode comprising a surface coated in a surface material being configured to emit electrons as a first current of electrons, the electrons comprising a first current of electrons when the cathode surface is substantially free of contamination from at least one contamination species, and the electrons comprising a second current of electrons when the cathode surface is contaminated by the at least one contamination species based on an interaction between the at least one contamination species and the surface material;
- a detector configured to detect the electrons emitted from the cathode;
- and
- a controller configured to generate an alarm signal when the detector detects the second current of electrons.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.