Balanced positioning system for use in lithographic apparatus

• US 6,671,036 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2002
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Kwan, Yim Bun P.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG
• Application Number:
  US10/209,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20020191173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 355/53, 355/72-76, 378/34, 378/35, 310/10, 310/12, 318/640
• US Class Current: 355/72
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70716 Stages
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70766 Reaction force control means, e.g. countermass
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/709 Vibration, e.g. vibration detection, compensation, suppression or isolation

Abstract

A balanced positioning system for use in lithographic apparatus having a pair of balance masses which are supported so as to be moveable in at least one degree of freedom, such as Y translation. Oppositely directed drive forces in this degree of freedom act directly between the driven body and the balance masses to rotate the driven body about an axis perpendicular to the one direction. Reaction forces arising from positioning movements result in linear movements of the balance masses and all reaction forces are kept within the balanced positioning system.

Claims

1. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

a radiation system which supplies a projection beam of radiation;

a first object table to hold a mask;

a second object table to hold a substrate;

an imaging projection system which images irradiated portions of the mask onto target portions of the substrate;

a balanced object table positioning system which positions at least one of the object tables;

first and second balance masses disposed along opposite sides of the at least one of the object tables, the first and second balance masses being substantially free to translate in at least a first direction; and

a pair of motors for moving the at least one of the object tables,

each motor having two cooperating electromagnetic members, a first of the members being mounted to the at least one of the object tables and a second of the members being mounted to at least one of the balance masses.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second balance masses are disposed along opposite sides of the first object table.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second balance masses are disposed along opposite sides of the second object table.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second balance masses have substantially uniform cross sections orthogonal to the opposite sides.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one beam extends from the at least one of the object tables toward at least one of the balance masses, the at least one beam being oriented substantially orthogonal to the first direction.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a drift control which limits drift of the balance masses.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the drift control comprises a servo control system and an actuator which applies forces to the balance masses biasing the combined center of mass of the balance masses, the object table positioning system, and the at least one of the object tables to a desired position.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the drift control has a servo bandwidth at least a factor of five lower than a lowest resonance frequency of the balance masses and a base of the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the drift control comprises an active system.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the drift control comprises a negative-feedback servo system.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the drift control comprises a passive system.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the drift control comprises at least one spring.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motors are adapted to translate the at least one of the object tables in the first direction by exerting like-directed forces between the at least one of the object tables and the first and second balance masses.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the balance masses is also free to move in at least a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first direction is substantially parallel to the surface of a mask or substrate held on the second object table.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a force applied by the first of the members onto the at least one of the object tables results in equal and opposite reaction forces being applied by the second of the members onto the at least one of the balance masses.

17. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

a radiation system which supplies a projection beam of radiation;

a mask table to hold a mask;

a wafer table to hold a substrate;

an imaging projection system which images irradiated portions of the mask onto target portions of the substrate;

a balanced object table positioning system which positions at least the mask table;

first and second balance masses independently disposed along opposite sides of at least the mask table, the first and second balance masses being substantially free to translate in at least a first direction;

at least one bearing supporting the first and second balance masses; and

a pair of motors for moving at least the mask table,

each motor having two cooperating electromagnetic parts, a first of the parts being mounted to the mask table and a second of the parts being mounted to at least one of the balance masses.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first and second balance masses have substantially uniform cross sections orthogonal to the opposite sides.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein at least one beam extends from the mask table toward at least one of the balance masses, the at least one beam being oriented substantially orthogonal to the first direction.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a drift control which limits drift of the balance masses.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein at least one of the balance masses is also free to move in at least a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first direction is substantially parallel to the surface of a mask held on the mask table.

23. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

a radiation system which supplies a projection beam of radiation;

a first object table to hold a mask;

a second object table to hold a substrate;

an imaging projection system which images irradiated portions of the mask onto target portions of the substrate;

a balanced object table positioning system which positions at least one of the object tables;

first and second balance masses disposed along opposite sides of the at least one of the object tables and having substantially solid cross sections orthogonal to the opposite sides;

a bearing supporting the first and second balance masses so as to be substantially free to translate in at least a first direction;

respective actuators, each of the respective actuators exerting forces on the at least one of the object tables and at least one of the balance masses; and

a drift control which limits drift of the balance masses.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein

the drift control comprises a servo control system and an actuator which applies forces to the balance masses biasing the combined center of mass of the balance masses, the object table positioning system and the at least one of the object tables to a desired position.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the drift control has a servo bandwidth at least a factor of five lower than a lowest resonance frequency of the balance masses and a base of the apparatus.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein a linear actuator directly acts between the at least one of the object tables and the first and second balance masses to rotate the at least one of the object tables about an axis perpendicular to the first direction, the actuator being arranged to exert linear forces on the first and second balance masses in opposite directions to effect the rotation of the at least one of the object tables.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the linear actuator is adapted to translate the at least one of the object tables in the first direction by exerting like-directed forces between the at least one of the object tables and the first and second balance masses.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least one of the object tables is mounted on a frame and the linear actuator acts between the frame and the first and second balance masses;

the apparatus further comprising a short stroke actuator acting between the at least one of the object tables and the frame for positioning the at least one of the object tables in at least the second direction with a higher precision than a precision obtainable with the linear actuator, wherein the frame is substantially rigidly coupled to the one of the balance masses in the second direction.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein a second linear actuator between a frame and the at least one of the balance masses is adapted to drive the at least one of the object tables in the second direction.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein at least one of the balance masses is also free to move in at least a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

31. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first direction is substantially parallel to the surface of a mask or substrate held on the second object table.