Contamination barrier with expandable lamellas

• US 7,737,425 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Freriks, Johannes Maria, Vijfvinkel, Jakob, Bakker, Levinus Pieter, Dierichs, Marcel Mathijs Theodore Marie, Schuurmans, Frank Jeroen Pieter, Box, Wilhelmus Josephus
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanore; David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnston; Phillip A.
• Application Number:
  US11/798,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20070222956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 250/492.1, 250/515.1
• US Class Current: 250/515.1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70166 Capillary or channel elements, e.g. nested extreme ultraviolet [EUV] mirrors or shells, optical fibers or light guides
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70916 Pollution mitigation, i.e. mitigating effect of contamination or debris, e.g. foil traps

Abstract

A contamination barrier configured to permit radiation from a radiation source to pass through and to capture debris from the radiation source. The contamination barrier includes a support structure, a plurality of plate members arranged on the support structure and extending in a radial direction from an axis of the support structure, and a shield configured to block at least part of the support structure from being hit by radiation or debris from the radiation source.

Claims

1. A contamination barrier configured to permit radiation from a radiation source to pass through and to capture debris from the radiation source, the contamination barrier comprising:

a support structure comprising an inner ring;

a plurality of plate members arranged on the support structure and extending in a radial direction from an axis of the support structure; and

a shield configured to shield the inner ring of the support structure from being hit by radiation or debris from the radiation source.

2. A contamination baffler according to claim 1, wherein the shield is a first shield and further comprising a second shield configured to block thermal radiation from the first shield.

3. A contamination baffler according to claim 1, wherein the shield is a first shield and further comprising a second shield configured to reduce heating of the first shield caused by direct radiation from the radiation source, wherein the second shield is disposed upstream of the first shield with respect to the direction of propagation of the radiation emitted by the radiation source.

4. A contamination baffler according to claim 3, wherein the second shield is substantially thermally isolated with respect to the first shield.

5. A contamination baffler according to claim 4, wherein the second shield is connected to the first shield.

6. A contamination baffler according to claim 1, further comprising a cooling spoke to support the shield, the cooling spoke being thermally connected to a structure displaced from the support structure.

7. A contamination barrier according to claim 6, wherein the shield comprises a plurality of shield members, each shield member being connected to the structure displaced from the support structure via a separate cooling spoke.

8. A contamination barrier according to claim 1, further comprising a first cooling device arranged to cool the shield.

9. A contamination barrier according to claim 8, further comprising a second cooling device arranged to cool the support structure.

10. A contamination barrier according to claim 1, wherein each of the plate members is disposed along a respective plane that includes an axis along which the radiation propagates in use.

11. A contamination barrier according to claim 1, wherein at least one end of each of the plurality of plate members is movable relative to the support structure.

12. A contamination barrier according to claim 1, wherein the support structure further comprises an outer ring, and at least one outer end of each of the plurality of plate members is connected to the outer ring.

13. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

a radiation system configured to form a beam of radiation, the radiation system comprising;

a contamination barrier configured to permit radiation from a radiation source to pass through and to capture debris from the radiation source, the contamination barrier comprising a support structure comprising an inner ring, a plurality of plate members arranged on the support structure and extending in a radial direction from an axis of the support structure, and a shield configured to shield the inner ring of the support structure from being hit by radiation or debris from the radiation source;

a support structure to support a patterning structure to be irradiated by a beam of radiation to pattern the beam of radiation;

a substrate support to support a substrate; and

a projection system to image an irradiated portion of the patterning structure onto a target portion of the substrate.

14. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the radiation system further comprises a collector configured to collect radiation passing the contamination barrier.

15. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a cooling spoke to support the shield, the cooling spoke being thermally connected to a structure displaced from the support structure.

16. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a first cooling device arranged to cool the shield.

17. A method of manufacturing an integrated structure by a lithographic process, the method comprising:

generating radiation with a radiation source;

capturing debris from the radiation source using a contamination barrier comprising a support structure comprising an inner ring, a plurality of plate members arranged on the support structure and extending in a radial direction from an axis of the support structure, and a shield configured to shield the inner ring of the support structure from being hit by radiation or debris from the radiation source;

patterning the radiation with a patterning structure; and

imaging the patterned radiation onto a target portion of a substrate.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the contamination barrier comprises a further shield configured to reduce heating of the shield caused by direct radiation from the radiation source, wherein the further shield is disposed upstream of the shield with respect to the direction of propagation of the radiation emitted by the radiation source.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the further shield is substantially thermally isolated with respect to the shield.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein the contamination barrier comprising a cooling spoke to support the shield, the cooling spoke being thermally connected to a structure displaced from the support structure.

21. A method according to claim 17, further comprising cooling the shield.