Compensation techniques for fluid and magnetic bearings

• US 7,894,140 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ASML Holding NV
• Original Assignee: ASML Holding NV
• Inventors: Del Puerto, Santiago E., Wiener, Roberto B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz; Jordan M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, JAMES
• Application Number:
  US11/940,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20080151386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 359/694
• US Class Current: 359/694
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70141 Illumination system adjustment, e.g. adjustments during exposure or alignment during assembly of illumination system
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70825 Mounting of individual elements, e.g. mounts, holders or supports workpiece or mask holders G03F7/707

Abstract

A system is configured to compensate for guide flatness errors and/or shifting of a support. The system can include one or more support devices, fluid or magnetic bearings to guide the one or more support devices along a guide, and a compensation system. The compensation system is coupled to respective ones of the one or more support devices adjacent to each of the fluid or magnetic bearings. The compensation system is configured to generate a rotational motion that compensates for tilting in the support devices compensate for any non-straight areas of the guide or shifting (e.g., thermal shifting) of the support devices, which is done through moving of the support devices with respect to the guides during movement of the support devices along the guide.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

one or more support devices having one or more openings,

a guide passing through respective ones of the one or more openings;

fluid or magnetic bearings configured to guide the one or more support devices along the guide; and

a compensation system coupled to respective ones of the one or more support devices adjacent to each of the fluid or magnetic bearings, the compensation system configured to generate a rotational motion that compensates for tilt in the one or more support devices or to compensate for non-straight areas of the guide or shifting of the one or more support devices, wherein the compensation system comprises a sensor configured to determine at least one of position or tilting of the respective support device based on a measurement using a datum surface of the guide.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more support devices support optical elements, and

the compensation system is configured to move the one or more support devices such that center axes of the optical elements are aligned.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the compensation system comprises:

a compensation device that is configured to output a fluid flow toward the surface of the guide to adjust a position of or apply a rotational motion to the support device with respect to the guide based on a signal from the sensor.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the compensation device is positioned on one side of the guide.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the compensation device includes first and second compensation devices positioned on opposite sides of the guide.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a proximity sensor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a cap gauge sensor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an encoder.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is positioned in a same plane as the fluid or magnetic bearings.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is positioned in a perpendicular plane with respect to a plane of the fluid or magnetic bearings.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the one or more support devices is configured to support an optical element; and

the sensor is configured to detect optical characteristics of the optical element.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein:

a gap between the guide and the compensation system is about five to ten microns; and

the compensation device is configured to maintain a constant size of the gap during movement of the respective support device along the guide.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluid bearing is a linear fluid or air bearing.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluid bearing is a rotary fluid or air bearing.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the guide has a circular, rectangular, square, or triangular cross sectional shape.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the fluid bearing is a compressed air bearing, an air bearing, or a hydraulic bearing.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising an actuating system configured to move the one or more support devices and wherein:

first through third ones of the support devices support respective first through third lenses of a zoom system;

the actuating system is coupled to respective ones of the first through third ones of the support devices; and

the compensation system is configured to individually move each of the support devices such that center axes of the lenses remain aligned during a zoom operation.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the actuating system comprises:

a motor; and

a screw coupled to the motor and to respective ones of the support devices, such that as the screw rotates, the respect ones of the support devices move in one of two directions along the guide.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the support devices includes or is coupled to a counter weight device.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the compensation system is configured to detect and compensate for thermal shifting of the one or more support devices.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more support devices, guide, fluid or magnetic bearings, and compensation system form part of an illumination system configured to condition a beam of radiation.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the compensation device comprises a first compensation device positioned on one side of the guide, and a second compensation device and a third compensation device positioned on an opposite side of the guide.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein:

a gap between the guide and each of the first, second, and third compensation devices is about five to ten microns; and

the first, second, and third compensation devices are configured to maintain a constant gap during movement of the respective support device along the guide.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein:

a gap between the guide and each of the first, second, and third compensation devices is about five to ten microns; and

the gap between the guide and the first compensation device is different from at least one of the gap between the guide and the second compensation device or the gap between the guide and the third compensation device.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein:

a fluid flow output by the second compensation device is equivalent to a fluid flow output by the third compensation device.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein:

a fluid flow output by the second compensation device is different from a fluid flow output by the third compensation device.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the one or more support devices supports an optical element;

the sensor is configured to detect optical characteristics of the optical element; and

the compensation device is configured to rotate the one or more support devices, such that center axes of the optical elements are aligned.

23. An illumination system of a lithography apparatus, comprising:

one or more support devices having one or more openings;

a guide passing through respective ones of the one or more openings;

fluid or magnetic bearings configured to guide the one or more support devices along the guide; and

a compensation system coupled to respective ones of the one or more support devices adjacent to each of the fluid or magnetic bearings, the compensation system configured to generate a rotational motion that compensates for tilt in the one or more support devices or to compensate for non-straight areas of the guide or shifting of the one or more support devices, wherein the compensation system comprises a sensor configured to determine at least one of position or tilting of the respective support device based on a measurement using a datum surface of the guide.

24. A lithography apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system configured to produce a beam of radiation;

a patterning device configured to pattern the beam of radiation; and

a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate, wherein the illumination system comprises;

one or more support devices having one or more openings;

a guide passing through respective ones of the one or more openings;

fluid or magnetic bearings configured to guide the one or more support devices along the guide; and

a compensation system coupled to respective ones of the one or more support devices adjacent to each of the fluid or magnetic bearings, the compensation system configured to generate a rotational motion that compensates for a tilt in the one or more support devices or to compensate for non-straight areas of the guide or shifting of the one or more support devices, which is done through moving of the one or more support devices traverse to the guide, during movement of the one or more support devices along the guide.