Lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method, and device manufactured thereby
First Claim
1. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:
- a radiation system which provides a projection beam of radiation;
a patterning structure support to support a projection beam patterning structure which patterns the projection beam according to a desired pattern;
a substrate table to hold a substrate;
a projection system which projects the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate;
a support member constructed and arranged to support a portion of the lithographic projection apparatus; and
a vacuum chamber having a wall enclosing the support member, wherein the support member comprises;
a gas-filled pressure chamber, the gas in the pressure chamber acting on a movable member such as to at least partially counteract a force substantially parallel to the support direction, and a gas evacuating structure constructed and arranged to evacuate gas escaping towards the vacuum chamber through a gap between the movable member and a bearing surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A lithographic projection apparatus comprises a vacuum chamber having a wall enclosing at least one of first and second object tables, the or each object table within the vacuum chamber being connected to positioning means for positioning the object table with respect to a projection system of the apparatus. The positioning means is provided with a pneumatic gravity compensator comprising a piston associated with the object table; a gas-filled pressure chamber, the gas in the pressure chamber acting on the movable member to at least partially counteract the weight of the object table; a gas bearing; and evacuating means for evacuating gas escaping through a gap between the movable member and a bearing surface of a cylindrical housing towards the vacuum chamber. A partially flexible rod connects the piston to the object table.
18 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:
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a radiation system which provides a projection beam of radiation;
a patterning structure support to support a projection beam patterning structure which patterns the projection beam according to a desired pattern;
a substrate table to hold a substrate;
a projection system which projects the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate;
a support member constructed and arranged to support a portion of the lithographic projection apparatus; and
a vacuum chamber having a wall enclosing the support member, wherein the support member comprises;
a gas-filled pressure chamber, the gas in the pressure chamber acting on a movable member such as to at least partially counteract a force substantially parallel to the support direction, and a gas evacuating structure constructed and arranged to evacuate gas escaping towards the vacuum chamber through a gap between the movable member and a bearing surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
a gas-filled pressure chamber, the gas in the pressure chamber acting on a movable member such as to at least partially counteract a force substantially parallel to the support direction, and pressure relief structure allowing evacuation of gas escaping towards the vacuum chamber through a gap between the movable member and a bearing surface, the pressure relief structure including a fluid communication between the gap and at least one vacuum pump.
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14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the fluid communication between the gap and the at least one vacuum pump comprises at least one elongate vacuum groove in a surface defining the gap.
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15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the fluid communication comprises more than one elongated vacuum groove in the surface defining the gap, the vacuum grooves being generally parallel and each of the respective grooves being in communication with a progressively lower pressure vacuum in the direction of the vacuum chamber.
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16. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a stiffness of the support member is such that a deformation force in the perpendicular direction by the support member due to a deformation of the support member in the perpendicular direction substantially counteracts an opposite displacing force in the perpendicular direction due to a force substantially parallel to the support direction acting on the support member.
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17. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the patterning structure support comprises a mask table for holding a mask.
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18. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
an isolated reference frame; and
the support member is arranged to support the isolated reference frame.
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19. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radiation system comprises a radiation source.
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20. A device manufacturing method using a lithographic projection apparatus comprising:
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providing a substrate that is at least partially covered by a layer of radiation-sensitive material;
providing a projection beam of radiation;
patterning the projection beam of radiation with a pattern in its cross-section;
projecting the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of the layer of radiation-sensitive material, and supporting along a support direction one of a support structure of the lithographic projection apparatus, a substrate table of the lithographic projection apparatus and an isolated reference frame of the lithographic projection apparatus with a support member a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the support direction of the support member, wherein said support member comprises;
a gas-filled pressure chamber, the gas in the pressure chamber acting on a movable member such as to at least partially counteract a force substantially parallel to the support direction, and a gas evacuating structure constructed and arranged to evacuate gas escaping towards the vacuum chamber through a gap between the movable member and a bearing surface. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A method of supporting a structure in a lithographic apparatus with a support member in a vacuum chamber, the method comprising:
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filling with gas at a predetermined pressure a chamber in the support member, acting on a movable member in the support member with the gas such as to at least partially counteract a force with a counteracting force substantially parallel to a support direction, and evacuating gas escaping towards the vacuum chamber through a gap between the movable member and a bearing surface. - View Dependent Claims (23)
regulating the pressure of the gas in the chamber such that the counteracting force supports at least one of a substrate table and a mask table of said lithographic apparatus.
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Specification