| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080198344 | Lithographic apparatus and method of removing liquid - A method of removing liquid from a substrate supported on a substrate table and from a gap between the substrate and the substrate table includes: providing a liquid removal device with at least one outlet connected to an under pressure source, the outlet forming an elongated extractor of a predetermined geometry; relatively moving the substrate table and the liquid removal device such that the extractor is adapted to pass over all of the-substrate and gap and such that substantially at any given time any local part of the extractor at the edge of a non-dried portion of the gap has, in a plane, its local tangent orientated at an angle of between about 35° and 90° to the local tangent of the gap. | 08-21-2008 |
| 20080212046 | Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method - A liquid confinement system for use in immersion lithography is disclosed in which the meniscus of liquid between the liquid confinement system and the substrate is pinned substantially in place by a meniscus pinning feature. The meniscus pinning feature comprises a plurality of discrete outlets arranged in a polygonal shape. | 09-04-2008 |
| 20090161083 | Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method - The use of electro wetting to control the behavior of immersion liquid within an immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090168037 | Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method - An immersion lithographic projection apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a substrate table for holding a substrate and a liquid supply system for supply liquid to the substrate. The apparatus is constructed and arranged to allow the liquid to flow off the substrate and over at least two edges of a top surface of the substrate table. The geometry of the edge may be optimized to reduce a static thickness of a layer of liquid on the top surface. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090279063 | IMMERSION LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS, DRYING DEVICE, IMMERSION METROLOGY APPARATUS AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - An immersion lithographic apparatus is described in which a liquid removal device is arranged to remove liquid from the substrate, e.g. during exposures, through a plurality of elongate slots arranged along a line and angled to that line. The liquid removal device may act as a meniscus pinning device in an immersion hood or may be used in a drying device to remove a droplet from the substrate. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20090296056 | SUBSTRATE TABLE, LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A table is disclosed in which measures are taken to seal between the table and an edge of an object, in use, supported on the table. In particular, a capillary passage is formed between the object on the table and the table itself. A meniscus pinning feature and/or the presence of an overpressure at the radially inward side of the capillary passage holds the liquid in the passage and helps prevent it from advancing further radially inwardly. The features to perform this function may be associated with or formed in a member surrounding the object. The member may be thermally decoupled from a part of the table. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20090296065 | LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND A METHOD OF OPERATING THE APPARATUS - A lithographic projection apparatus is disclosed that includes a table, a shutter member, a fluid handling structure, and a fluid extraction system. The fluid handling structure may be configured to supply and confine liquid between a projection system and (i) a substrate, or (ii) the table, or (iii) a surface of the shutter member, or (iv) a combination selected from (i)-(iii). The surface of the shutter member may adjoin and be co-planar with a surface of the table. The surfaces of the shutter member and the table may be spaced apart by a gap. The fluid extraction system may be configured to remove liquid from the gap. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20100045950 | LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS, DRYING DEVICE, METROLOGY APPARATUS AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - An immersion lithographic apparatus is described in which a two-phase flow is separated into liquid-rich and gas-rich flows by causing the liquid-rich flow to preferentially flow along a surface. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100085545 | FLUID HANDLING STRUCTURE, LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A fluid handling structure for a lithographic apparatus is disclosed. The fluid handling structure has a plurality of openings arranged in plan, in a line. The fluid handling structure is configured such that the openings are directed, in use, towards a facing surface, the facing surface being a substrate and/or a substrate table. The substrate table is configured to support the substrate. Outward of the line of openings is a damper. The damper may have a width that varies along the line of openings. The damper width is defined between the line of openings and an opposing damper edge. | 04-08-2010 |
| 20100149501 | FLUID EXTRACTION SYSTEM, LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - An immersion lithographic apparatus typically includes a fluid handling system. The fluid handling system generally has a two-phase fluid extraction system configured to remove a mixture of gas and liquid from a given location. Because the extraction fluid comprises two phases, the pressure in the extraction system can vary. This pressure variation can be passed through the immersion liquid and cause inaccuracy in the exposure. To reduce the pressure fluctuation in the extraction system, a buffer chamber may be used. This buffer chamber may be connected to the fluid extraction system in order to provide a volume of gas which reduces pressure fluctuation. Alternatively or additionally, a flexible wall may be provided somewhere in the fluid extraction system. The flexible wall may change shape in response to a pressure change in the fluid extraction system. By changing shape, the flexible wall can help to reduce, or eliminate, the pressure fluctuation. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100208224 | LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND METHOD OF REMOVING LIQUID - A method of removing liquid from a substrate supported on a substrate table and from a gap between the substrate and the substrate table includes: providing a liquid removal device with at least one outlet connected to an under pressure source, the outlet forming an elongated extractor of a predetermined geometry; relatively moving the substrate table and the liquid removal device such that the extractor is adapted to pass over all of the substrate and gap and such that substantially at any given time any local part of the extractor at the edge of a non-dried portion of the gap has, in a plane, its local tangent orientated at an angle of between about 35° and 90° to the local tangent of the gap. | 08-19-2010 |
| 20100214543 | LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS, A METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE APPARATUS AND A DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A method of operating a lithographic apparatus is disclosed. The method includes moving a substrate table supporting a substrate relative to a projection system and adjusting the scanning speed between the substrate table and the projection system during imaging of a target within a predefined area at or near an edge of the substrate, or adjusting the stepping speed between adjacent target positions in a predefined area at or near the edge of the substrate, or both. The adjusting the scanning and/or stepping speed may comprise lowering the speed. The projection system is configured to project a patterned beam of radiation on to a target portion of the substrate. | 08-26-2010 |
| 20100313974 | FLUID HANDLING STRUCTURE, LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A fluid handling structure has a plurality of openings acting as a meniscus pinning system operating on the gas drag principle and a gas knife outwardly of the meniscus pinning system to break-up any film of liquid left behind. The separation between the gas knife and the meniscus pinning system is selected from the range of 1 mm to 5 mm. Desirably the underside of a barrier member in which the gas knife and the meniscus pinning system are provided is continuous, e.g. has no openings, between the gas knife and the meniscus pinning system. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20110007286 | LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS, A METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE APPARATUS AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A DEVICE USING A LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS - An immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes a substrate table configured to support a substrate, a projection system configured to direct a patterned beam of radiation onto a substrate, a liquid handling system configured to supply and confine immersion liquid to a space defined between a projection system and a substrate, or substrate table, or both, and a controller to control speed of motion of the substrate table relative to the liquid handling system during movement of the substrate table through a path under the liquid handling system based on a distance between turns in the path. | 01-13-2011 |
| 20110090472 | FLUID HANDLING STRUCTURE, LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A fluid handling structure is provided for a lithographic apparatus having at a boundary between a space containing immersion fluid and a region external to the fluid handling structure, a plurality of openings arranged in a first line, a first gas knife device having an aperture in a second line, one or more openings in a third line and a second gas knife device having an aperture in a fourth line. | 04-21-2011 |
| 20110134401 | LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND A DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - An immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes a fluid handling system configured to confine immersion liquid to a localized space between a final element of a projection system and a substrate and/or table and a gas supplying device configured to supply gas with a solubility in immersion liquid of greater than 5×10 | 06-09-2011 |
