LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD

• US 20170139333A1
• Filed: 01/26/2017
• Published: 05/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: JANSEN, Hans, MERTENS, Jeroen Johannes Sophia Maria, STAVENGA, Marco Koert, VERHAGEN, Martinus Cornelis Maria, DIERICHS, Marcel Mathijs Theodore Marie, JACOBS, Johannes Henricus Wilhelmus, SEUNTIENS-GRUDA, Lejla, DONDERS, Sjoerd Nicolaas Lambertus, LOOPSTRA, Erik Roelof, STREEFKERK, Bob
• Application Number:
  US15/417,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20170139333A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 19/0031 by filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/025 Reverse osmosis; Hyperfiltration
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/04 by distillation or evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/20 by degassing, i.e. liberation of dissolved gases degasification of liquids in general B01D19/00; arrangement of degassing apparatus in boiler feed supply F22D
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/28 by sorption using ion-exchange C02F1/42; sorbent compositions B01J
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/283 using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/32 with ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/42 by ion-exchange ion-exchange in general B01J
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/441 by reverse osmosis
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/40 from the manufacture or use of photosensitive materials
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/2041 in the presence of a fluid, e.g. immersion; using fluid cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70341 Details of immersion lithography aspects, e.g. exposure media or control of immersion liquid supply chemical composition of immersion liquids G03F7/2041
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70866 of mask or workpiece

Abstract

In a lithographic projection apparatus, a liquid supply system maintains liquid in a space between the projection system and the substrate. The liquid supply system may further include a de-mineralizing unit, a distillation unit, a de-hydrocarbonating unit, a UV radiation source, and/or a filter configured to purify the liquid. A gas content reduction device may be provided to reduce a gas content of the liquid. A chemical may be added to the liquid using an adding device to inhibit lifeform growth and components of the liquid supply system may be made of a material which is non-transparent to visible light such that growth of lifeforms may be reduced.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A lithographic projection apparatus, comprising:

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

a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a space between the projection system and the substrate with a liquid; and

a measurement device configured to measure a property of the liquid indicative of contamination.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the property is one or more properties selected from the group consisting of:

electrical conductivity, pH, TOC, particles, oxygen, total silica, and bubbles.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the property is particles.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a liquid purifier configured to purify the liquid such that it has a particle content of no more than 2 particles having a dimension of 50 nm or greater per ml of liquid.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the measurement device is one or more measurement devices selected from the group consisting of:

an electrical conductivity measurement device, a pH sensor, a TOC analyzer, a particle counter, an oxygen sensor, a total silica measurement device, and a bubble measurement device.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the liquid supply system comprises a liquid confinement structure configured to at least partly confine the liquid within the space and the measurement device is configured to measure the property of the liquid in a flow path between the liquid confinement structure and a gas content reduction device configured to reduce the gas content of the liquid.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the measurement device is located downstream in a flow path of the liquid from (i) a demineralizer, or (ii) a distillation unit, or (iii) a de-hydrocarbonating unit, or (iv) a source configured to provide UV radiation to the liquid, or (v) any combination selected from (i)-(iv).

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the measurement device is configured to measure the property of the liquid off-line from the flow of the liquid to the space.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a liquid purifier configured to purify the liquid such that it has one or more selected from:

(a) a content of organic compounds of 5 ppb or less;

(b) a particle content of no more than 2 particles having a dimension of 50 nm or greater per ml of liquid;

(c) a dissolved oxygen concentration of 15 ppb or less; and

/or

(d) a silica content of 500 ppt or less.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a liquid purifier configured to purify the liquid such that it has an electrical conductivity of from 0.055 microSiemens/cm to 0.5 microsiemens/cm.

31. A lithographic projection apparatus, comprising:

a projection system configured to project a radiation beam onto a target portion of a radiation-sensitive substrate;

a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a space between the projection system and the substrate with a liquid;

a liquid purifier configured to purify the liquid;

a gas content reduction device configured to reduce the gas content of the liquid; and

a measurement device configured to measure the presence of particles in the liquid.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the liquid purifier is configured to purify the liquid such that it has a particle content of no more than 2 particles having a dimension of 50 nm or greater per ml of liquid.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the liquid purifier is configured to purify the liquid such that it has a particle content of no more than 0.5 particles having a dimension of 50 nm or greater per ml of liquid.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the measurement device is located downstream in a flow path of the liquid from the gas content reduction device.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the gas content reduction device comprises a membrane configured to be in contact with the liquid to separate gas from the liquid, the membrane not in contact with the space.

36. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the liquid purifier comprises a distillation unit, or a de-hydrocarbonating unit configured to reduce the hydrocarbon content of the liquid, or a demineralizer, or any combination selected from the foregoing.

37. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the liquid supply system includes a re-circulation mechanism configured to re-use liquid in the space without purifying the liquid for a re-use.

38. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the liquid supply system includes a re-circulation mechanism configured to re-use liquid in the space and the liquid is partly or fully purified for a re-use.

39. A lithographic projection apparatus, comprising;

a projection system configured to project a radiation beam onto a target portion of a radiation-sensitive substrate;

a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a space between the projection system and the substrate with a liquid; and

a particle counter configured to count particles in the liquid.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, further comprising a liquid purifier configured to purify the liquid such that it has a particle content of no more than 2 particles having a dimension of 50 nm or greater per ml of liquid.

41. The apparatus of claim 39, further comprising a liquid purifier configured to purify the liquid such that it has a particle content of no more than 0.5 particles having a dimension of 50 nm or greater per ml of liquid.

42. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

a projection system configured to project a radiation beam onto a target portion of a radiation-sensitive substrate;

a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a space between the projection system and the substrate with a liquid; and

an adding device configured to add ozone, a halogen containing compound, an alcohol, an aldehyde, or a heavy metal, to the liquid.

43. The lithographic apparatus of claim 42, wherein the adding device is configured to add ozone to the liquid.

44. Immersion liquid for use in a space between a projection system of an immersion lithographic projection apparatus and a substrate to be imaged, the immersion liquid including ozone.

45. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

a projection system configured to project a radiation beam onto a target portion of a radiation-sensitive substrate;

a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a space between the projection system and the substrate with an immersion liquid; and

a degasser configured to separate gas and liquid, the degasser being upstream from the liquid supply system in a flow path of the immersion liquid to degas the immersion liquid before introduction into the space and comprising a membrane configured to contact the immersion liquid to separate gas and liquid of the immersion liquid.