Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and method for producing device
First Claim
1. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
- a projection system which projects a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate;
a liquid supply system which at least partly fills a space between the projection system and the substrate with a liquid, the liquid supply system comprising a liquid confinement member with which the liquid is confined within the space, the liquid confinement member having a liquid supply inlet on a lower surface thereof, the substrate being moved below the liquid confinement member, and a surface of the substrate being opposite to an undersurface of the liquid confinement member during the projection;
an outlet which removes liquid, the outlet removing the liquid from on the surface of the substrate facing the outlet such that the liquid on the surface of the substrate covers only a portion of the surface of the substrate during the projection, and the liquid supply inlet being disposed closer to a path of the patterned radiation beam from the projection system than the outlet; and
an evacuation system which draws the liquid through the outlet, the evacuation system comprising a tank and a tank pressure controller which maintains a stable pressure within the tank, the liquid on the surface of the substrate being drawn through the outlet by the stable pressure within the tank during the projection.
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Abstract
A lithographic apparatus includes a substrate table to hold a substrate and a projection system to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate. A liquid supply system at least partly fills a space between the projection system and the substrate with a liquid, and has a liquid confinement structure to at least partly confine the liquid within the space. An outlet removes a mixture of liquid and gas passing through a gap between the liquid confinement structure and the substrate. An evacuation system draws the mixture through the outlet, and includes a separator tank to separate liquid from gas in the mixture and a separator tank pressure controller, connected to a non-liquid-filled region of the separator tank, to maintain a stable pressure within the non-liquid-filled region.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
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a projection system which projects a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate; a liquid supply system which at least partly fills a space between the projection system and the substrate with a liquid, the liquid supply system comprising a liquid confinement member with which the liquid is confined within the space, the liquid confinement member having a liquid supply inlet on a lower surface thereof, the substrate being moved below the liquid confinement member, and a surface of the substrate being opposite to an undersurface of the liquid confinement member during the projection; an outlet which removes liquid, the outlet removing the liquid from on the surface of the substrate facing the outlet such that the liquid on the surface of the substrate covers only a portion of the surface of the substrate during the projection, and the liquid supply inlet being disposed closer to a path of the patterned radiation beam from the projection system than the outlet; and an evacuation system which draws the liquid through the outlet, the evacuation system comprising a tank and a tank pressure controller which maintains a stable pressure within the tank, the liquid on the surface of the substrate being drawn through the outlet by the stable pressure within the tank during the projection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A device manufacturing method, comprising:
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projecting a patterned beam of radiation, using a projection system, through a liquid onto a substrate; providing the liquid to a space between the projection system of a lithographic apparatus and the substrate, the liquid being confined to the space by a liquid confinement member, the liquid confinement member having a liquid supply inlet on a lower surface thereof, the substrate being moved below the liquid confinement member, and a surface of the substrate being opposite to an undersurface of the liquid confinement member during the projection; removing liquid through an outlet from on the surface of the substrate facing the outlet to a tank such that the liquid covers only a portion of the surface of the substrate during the projection, the liquid supply inlet being disposed closer to a path of the patterned radiation beam from the projection system than the outlet; and maintaining a stable pressure within the tank, the liquid on the surface of the substrate being drawn through the outlet by the stable pressure within the tank.
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9. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
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a projection system including an optical member, which projects a patterned radiation beam onto a substrate; a liquid supply inlet via which a liquid is supplied, the substrate being moved below the liquid supply inlet and the liquid being supplied via the liquid supply inlet onto a surface of the substrate facing the liquid supply inlet during the projection; an outlet through which the liquid supplied via the inlet is removed, the outlet removing the liquid from on the surface of the substrate such that liquid on the surface of the substrate covers only a portion of the surface of the substrate during the projection, the liquid supply inlet being disposed closer to a path of the patterned radiation beam from the projection system than the outlet; and an evacuation system including a tank, that draws the liquid through the outlet to the tank in which a pressure is stabilized, the evacuation system including a pumping line that is connected to a lower, liquid filled portion in the tank, and a vacuum line that is connected to an upper, non-liquid filled portion in the tank, the liquid on the surface of the substrate being drawn through the outlet by the stabilized pressure in the tank. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A lithographic method comprising:
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providing a liquid to a space between a projection system of a lithographic apparatus and a substrate, the liquid being confined within the space using a liquid confinement member, the liquid confinement member having a liquid supply inlet on a lower surface thereof; projecting a patterned beam of radiation, using the projection system, through the liquid onto the substrate, the substrate being moved below the liquid confinement member and a surface of the substrate being opposite to the lower surface of the liquid confinement member during the projection; removing liquid through an outlet from on the surface of the substrate facing the outlet to a tank by providing vacuum to the tank via a vacuum line that is connected to an upper, non-liquid filled portion in the tank such that the liquid in the space covers only a portion of the surface of the substrate during the projection, the liquid supply inlet being disposed closer to a path of the patterned radiation beam from the projection system than the outlet; and extracting liquid from the tank via a pumping line that is connected to a lower, liquid filled portion in the tank; wherein a pressure within the tank is stabilized and the liquid on the surface of the substrate is drawn through the outlet by the stabilized pressure in the tank during the projection. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification