Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method
First Claim
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1. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
- an illuminator;
a substrate table disposed in a path of a radiation beam from said illuminator;
a patterning device support disposed to hold a patterning device in the path of the radiation beam between said illuminator and said substrate table;
a projection system disposed in a path of the radiation beam between said patterning device support and said substrate table;
a base frame;
a balance mass supported by and moveable relative to said base frame and coupled to at least one of said substrate table and said patterning device support; and
at least one supporting member attached to said balance mass and to said base frame, wherein said at least one supporting member has a stiff portion and at least two pivot points, wherein said at least one supporting member includes an end portion at a first end of the stiff portion and another end portion at a second end of the stiff portion, and wherein the stiff portion is more stiff than at least one of the end portions.
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Abstract
A lithographic projection apparatus in which a balance mass is supported by a base frame using at least one supporting member which is coupled to both the base frame and balance mass. Free horizontal movement is provided by providing the supporting member with at least two pivot points.
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Citations
6 Claims
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1. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
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an illuminator;
a substrate table disposed in a path of a radiation beam from said illuminator;
a patterning device support disposed to hold a patterning device in the path of the radiation beam between said illuminator and said substrate table;
a projection system disposed in a path of the radiation beam between said patterning device support and said substrate table;
a base frame;
a balance mass supported by and moveable relative to said base frame and coupled to at least one of said substrate table and said patterning device support; and
at least one supporting member attached to said balance mass and to said base frame, wherein said at least one supporting member has a stiff portion and at least two pivot points, wherein said at least one supporting member includes an end portion at a first end of the stiff portion and another end portion at a second end of the stiff portion, and wherein the stiff portion is more stiff than at least one of the end portions. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
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an illuminator;
a substrate table disposed in a path of a radiation beam from said illuminator;
a patterning device support disposed to hold a patterning device in the path of the radiation beam between said illuminator and said substrate table;
a projection system disposed in a path of the radiation beam between said patterning device support and said substrate table;
a base frame;
a balance mass supported by and moveable relative to said base frame and coupled to at least one of said substrate table and said patterning device support; and
at least one supporting member attached to said balance mass and to said base frame, wherein said at least one supporting member has a stiff portion and at least two pivot points, and wherein a portion of said at least one supporting member that includes said stiff portion and said at least two pivot points is machined from one piece of material.
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4. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
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an illuminator;
a substrate table disposed in a path of a radiation beam from said illuminator;
a patterning device support disposed to hold a patterning device in the path of the radiation beam between said illuminator and said substrate table;
a projection system disposed in a path of the radiation beam between said patterning device support and said substrate table;
a base frame;
a balance mass supported by and moveable relative to said base frame and coupled to at least one of said substrate table and said patterning device support; and
at least one supporting member attached to said balance mass and to said base frame, wherein said at least one supporting member has a stiff portion and at least two pivot points, and wherein at least one of the pivot points includes a portion that is thinner than a portion of the at least one supporting member on either side of the pivot point.
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5. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
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an illuminator;
a substrate table disposed in a path of a radiation beam from said illuminator;
a patterning device support disposed to hold a patterning device in the path of the radiation beam between said illuminator and said substrate table;
a projection system disposed in a path of the radiation beam between said patterning device support and said substrate table;
a base frame;
a balance mass supported by and moveable relative to said base frame and coupled to at least one of said substrate table and said patterning device support; and
at least one supporting member attached to said balance mass and to said base frame, wherein said at least one supporting member has a stiff portion and at least two pivot points, and wherein said at least one supporting element is disposed such that on displacement of said balance mass from an equilibrium position in which said pivot points align vertically, a horizontal force in the direction of the displacement is generated by the action of gravity.
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6. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
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an illuminator;
a substrate table disposed in a path of a radiation beam from said illuminator;
a patterning device support disposed to hold a patterning device in the path of the radiation beam between said illuminator and said substrate table;
a projection system disposed in a path of the radiation beam between said patterning device support and said substrate table;
a base frame;
a balance mass supported by and moveable relative to said base frame and coupled to at least one of said substrate table and said patterning device support; and
at least one supporting member attached to said balance mass and to said base frame, wherein across an entire cross-section of said at least one supporting portion, said at least one supporting portion is disposed to be under tension in a direction parallel to a principal axis of the at least one supporting portion, the cross-section being in a plane perpendicular to the principal axis.
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Specification