LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS HAVING A CHUCK WITH A VISCO-ELASTIC DAMPING LAYER

• US 20090231567A1
• Filed: 02/13/2009
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: De Vos, Youssef Karel Maria, Bijvoet, Dirk-Jan, Kamidi, Ramidin Izair, HEMPENIUS, Peter Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,928,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/67
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/707 Chucks, e.g. chucking or un-chucking operations or structural details
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70783 Handling stress or warp of chucks, masks or workpieces, e.g. to compensate for imaging errors or considerations related to warpage of masks or workpieces due to their own weight
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7095 Materials, e.g. materials for housing, stage or other support having particular properties, e.g. weight, strength, conductivity, thermal expansion coefficient

Abstract

A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam, a support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam, a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate, a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate, a chuck configured to hold and position an object, for example, the patterning device onto the support or the substrate onto the substrate table, the chuck including a base and a constraining layer. A damping layer including a viscoelastic material is provided between the base and the constraining layer.

Claims

1. A lithographic apparatus comprising:

an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam;

a patterning device support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam;

a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate;

a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate; and

a chuck configured to hold and position an object, the chuck comprising a base and a constraining layer,

wherein a damping layer comprising a viscoelastic material is provided between the base and the constraining layer.

2. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the viscoelastic material is a viscoelastic polymer layer at least partially extending between the base and the constraining layer and connected thereto with an adhesive.

3. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the viscoelastic material is a viscoelastic adhesive connecting the base with the constraining layer.

4. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base is covered by the damping layer, or the constraining layer, or both the damping layer and the constraining layer.

5. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base, or the constraining layer, or both the base and the constraining layer are made from glass or ceramic.

6. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elasticity modulus of the constraining layer is higher than the elasticity modulus of the damping layer.

7. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the constraining layer includes cuts.

8. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the damping layer, or constraining layer, or both the damping layer and the constraining layer are segmented.

9. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the damping layer, or the constraining layer, or both the damping layer and the constraining layer cover more than half of the area of the chuck that shows high strain at a mode shape to be damped.

10. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base is constructed as a box with internal ribs.

11. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object is the patterning device and the chuck is configured to hold and position the patterning device onto the patterning device support.

12. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object is the substrate and the chuck is configured to hold and position the substrate onto the substrate table.

13. A chuck configured to hold and position an object, the chuck comprising:

a base and a constraining layer,

wherein a damping layer comprising a viscoelastic material is provided between the base and the constraining layer.

14. A chuck according to claim 13, wherein the object is patterning device configured to pattern a radiation beam.

15. A chuck according to claim 13, wherein the object is a substrate configured to be exposed by a radiation beam.

16. A chuck according to claim 13, wherein the viscoelastic material is a viscoelastic polymer layer at least partially extending between the base and the constraining layer and connected thereto with an adhesive.

17. A chuck according to claim 13, wherein the viscoelastic material is a viscoelastic adhesive connecting the base with the constraining layer.

18. A chuck according to claim 13, wherein the base is covered by the damping layer, or the constraining layer, or both the damping layer and the constraining layer.

19. A chuck according to claim 13, wherein the base, or the constraining layer, or both the base and the constraining layer are made from glass or ceramic.

20. A chuck according to claim 13, wherein the elasticity modulus of the constraining layer is higher than the elasticity modulus of the damping layer.