Lithographic projection apparatus, device manufacturing method and device manufactured thereby

• US 6,714,279 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2001
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Jonkers, Jeroen, Banine, Vadim Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): FULLER, RODNEY EVAN
• Application Number:
  US09/942,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20020051123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 355/30, 355/53, 355/77
• US Class Current: 355/30
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70883 of optical system
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70916 Pollution mitigation, i.e. mitigating effect of contamination or debris, e.g. foil traps
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70933 Purge, e.g. exchanging fluid or gas to remove pollutants

Abstract

A lithographic projection apparatus comprising a radiation system for supplying a projection beam of radiation, a mask table for holding a mask, a substrate table for holding a substrate and a projection system for imaging an irradiated portion of the mask onto a target portion of the substrate. Either or both of the radiation system and the projection system is supplied with an inert gas at a pressure of from 0.1 to 10 Pa in order to suppress contamination, for example by hydrocarbon molecules, of any optical components in the system(s).

Claims

1. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

a radiation system to supply a projection beam of radiation;

a support structure to support patterning structure, the patterning structure serving to pattern the projection beam according to a desired pattern;

a substrate table to hold a substrate; and

a projection system disposed in an optical path between said patterning structure and said substrate table to project the patterned beam onto a target of the substrate,

wherein a space containing at least part of said projection system is at a pressure of about 0.1 to 10 Pa and contains argon, nitrogen, helium or a mixture thereof.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said radiation system is adapted to produce a projection beam of extreme ultraviolet radiation having a wavelength of less than 50 nm.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said beam of extreme ultraviolet radiation has a wavelength in the range of from 8 to 20 nm.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said beam of extreme ultraviolet radiation has a wavelength in the range of from 9 to 16 nm.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure in said space is from 1 to 5 Pa.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the pressure in said space is from 2 to 3 Pa.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an illumination system wherein a space containing at least part of said illumination system is at a pressure of about 0.1 to 10 Pa and contains argon, nitrogen, helium or a mixture thereof.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the space containing the part of the illumination space is supplied with a continuous flow of argon, nitrogen, helium or a mixture thereof.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the pressure in the space containing the part of the illumination system is from 1 to 5 Pa.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the pressure in the space containing the part of the illumination system is from 2 to 3 Pa.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the space containing the part of the projection system is supplied with a continuous flow of argon, nitrogen, helium or a mixture thereof.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the pressure m the space containing the part of the projection system is from 1 to 5 Pa.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the pressure in the space containing the part of the projection system is from 2 to 3 Pa.

14. A method of manufacturing a device using a lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

projecting a patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of a layer of radiation-sensitive material on a substrate with a projection system, said projection system being disposed in an optical path between a patterning structure and said substrate; and

supplying a continuous flow of argon, nitrogen, helium or a mixture thereof to a space containing at least a part of said projection system, wherein the pressure in said space is from 0.1 to 10 Pa.

15. A semiconductor device manufactured in accordance with a method comprising:

projecting a patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of a layer of radiation-sensitive material on a substrate with a projection system, said projection system being disposed in an optical path between a patterning structure and said substrate; and

supplying a continuous flow of argon, nitrogen, helium or a mixture thereof to a space containing at least a part of said projection system, wherein the pressure in said space is from 0.1 to 10 Pa.