Lithographic apparatus and motor for use in the apparatus

• US 6,717,296 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2002
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: De Klerk, Angelo Oscar Peter, Hol, Sven Antoin Johan, Van Eijk, Jan, Van Der Schoot, Harmen Klaas
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLINS, BURTON S
• Application Number:
  US10/222,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20030052548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 310/12, 310/266, 310/13, 310/154.28, 310/156.43, 250/442.11, 414/935, 414/936
• US Class Current: 310/12.07
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70758 Drive means, e.g. actuators, motors for long- or short-stroke modules or fine or coarse driving
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 41/0356 moving along a straight path
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/135 Associated with semiconductor wafer handling

Abstract

A Lorentz actuator provides a force between a first part and a second part of the apparatus, comprising a main magnet system, attached to a first part of the apparatus and providing a first magnetic field; a subsidiary magnet system, attached to the first part and arranged in a Halbach configuration, providing a second magnetic field; and an electrically conductive element attached to a second part of the apparatus and arranged so as to produce a force between the first and second parts of the apparatus by interaction of an electric current carried by the electrically conductive element and the combination of the first and second magnetic fields.

Claims

1. A lithographic projection apparatus, comprising:

a radiation system constructed and arranged to supply a projection beam of radiation;

a support structure constructed and arranged to support a patterning device, the patterning device constructed and arranged to pattern the projection beam according to a desired pattern;

a substrate table that holds a substrate;

a projection system constructed and arranged to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate; and

a motor comprising a long stroke motor constructed and arranged to produce a force between a first part of the motor and a machine frame of the apparatus over a long range of movement in at least one direction and a Lorentz actuator constructed and arranged to produce a force between the first part and a second part of the motor over a short range of movement in at least one direction, the second part being connected to the support structure or the substrate table, wherein the Lorentz actuator comprises;

a main magnet system, attached to one part of the motor that is the first part or the second part of the motor, constructed and arranged to provide a first magnetic field substantially perpendicular to the direction of the force; and

an electrically conductive element, attached to another part of the motor that is the other of the first part or the second part of the motor, constructed and arranged to produce the force by interaction of an electric current carried by the electrically conductive element and the first magnetic field; and

a subsidiary magnet system, attached to the one part of the motor constructed and arranged to provide a second magnetic field substantially perpendicular to the first magnetic field, wherein the main magnet system and the subsidiary magnet system are arranged in a Halbach configuration.

2. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the subsidiary magnet system comprises two subsidiary magnets;

the main magnet system comprises a main magnet, at least a part of which is located between the two subsidiary magnets;

the magnetic polarizations of the subsidiary magnets being oriented substantially mutually anti-parallel and substantially perpendicular to the magnetic polarization of the main target.

3. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the subsidiary magnets are smaller than the main magnet.

4. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the subsidiary magnets has a higher coercitive field strength than the main magnet.

5. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a magnetic remanence of the two subsidiary magnets are equal to each other and smaller than a magnetic remanence of the main magnet.

6. A lithograph projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main magnet system is comprised of a first main magnet system sub-assembly and a second main magnet system sub-assembly;

the subsidiary magnet system is comprised of a first subsidiary magnet system sub-assembly and a second subsidiary magnet system sub-assembly; and

at least a part of the electrically conductive element is located between a first magnet assembly, comprised of the first main and subsidiary magnet system sub-assemblies, and a second magnet assembly, comprised of the second main and subsidiary magnet system sub-assemblies.

7. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the part of the electrically conductive element is oriented such that the direction of the electric current carried by it is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the force between the first and second parts of the motor.

8. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the main magnet system comprises at least one magnet that is oriented such that its magnetic polarization is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the force between the first and second parts of the motor and substantially perpendicular to the direction of the electric current carried by the part of the electrically conductive element.

9. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each main magnet system sub-assembly comprises a first and a second main magnet oriented such that their magnetic polarizations are substantially mutually anti-parallel.

10. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each of the subsidiary magnet system sub-assemblies comprises a first, a second and a third subsidiary magnet;

and each of the subsidiary magnet system sub-assemblies is arranged such that;

at least a part of the first main magnet is located between the first and second subsidiary magnets;

at least a part of the second main magnet is located between the second and the third subsidiary magnets;

the first and second subsidiary magnets are oriented such that their magnetic polarizations are substantially mutually anti-parallel and substantially perpendicular to that of the first main magnet; and

the second and third subsidiary magnets are oriented such that their magnetic polarizations are substantially mutually anti-parallel and substantially perpendicular to that of the second main magnet.

11. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the electrically conductive element comprises:

a first part, located between the first main magnets of the first and second main magnet system sub-assemblies; and

a second part, located between the second main magnets of the first and second main magnet system sub-assemblies, wherein the electrically conductive element is arranged such that, when it conducts electric current, the direction of the electric currents in the first and second parts are substantially mutually anti-parallel.

12. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each main magnet system sub-assembly comprises a first, second and a third main magnet, arranged such that at least a part of the second main magnet is located between the first and third main magnets;

and the main magnets are oriented such that the magnetic polarization of the second main magnet is substantially anti-parallel to that of the first and the third main magnets.

13. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 12, wherein each of the subsidiary magnet system sub-assemblies comprises a first and a second subsidiary magnet;

and each of the subsidiary magnet system sub-assemblies is arranged such that;

at least a part of the second main magnet is located between the first and second subsidiary magnets; and

the first and second subsidiary magnets are oriented such that their magnetic polarizations are substantially mutually anti-parallel and substantially perpendicular to that of the second main magnet.

14. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the electrically conductive element comprises:

a first part of a first coil, located between the first main magnets of the first and second main magnet system sub-assemblies;

a second part of the first coil and a third part of a second coil, located between the second main magnets of the first and second main magnet system sub-assemblies; and

a fourth of the second coil, located between the third main magnets of the first and second main magnet system sub-assemblies.

15. A lithographic projection apparatus according claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive element is connected to the first part of the motor and the main magnet system and the subsidiary magnet system are connected to the second part of the motor.

16. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the short range of movement is about 10 percent of the total size of the main magnet system and the subsidiary magnet system.

17. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the short range of movement is about 1 cm and the long range of movement is longer than 30 cm.

18. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a back iron adjoining each of the main magnet system and the subsidiary magnet system, wherein the back iron has a varying thickness.

19. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the back iron is formed of CoFe.

20. A motor for use in a lithographic projection apparatus comprising a long stroke motor for producing a force between a first part of the motor and a machine frame of the lithographic projection apparatus over a long range of movement in at least one direction and a Lorentz actuator for producing a force between the first part and a second part of the motor over a short range of movement in at least one direction, wherein the Lorentz actuator comprises:

a main magnet system, attached to one part of the motor that is the first part or the second part of the motor, constructed and arranged to provide a first magnetic field, substantially perpendicular to the direction of the force; and

an electrically conductive element attached to another part of the motor that is the other of the first part or the second part of the motor, constructed and arranged to produce the force by interaction of an electric current carried by the electrically conductive element and the first magnetic field; and

a subsidiary magnet system, attached to the one part of the motor constructed and arranged to provide a second magnetic field substantially perpendicular to the first magnetic field, wherein the main magnet system and the subsidiary magnet system are arranged in a Halbach configuration.

21. A motor according to claim 20, further comprising a back iron adjoining each of the main magnet system and the subsidiary magnet system, wherein the back iron has a varying thickness.