Radiation exposure apparatus comprising a gas flushing system

• US 7,570,342 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Keijsers, Gerardus Johannes Joseph, Baijens, Hubertus Antonius Marinus, Van Dijk, Adrianus Hubertus Henricus, Simon, Klaus, Van Den Brink, Enno
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/294,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20060146300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 355/30, 355/53, 355/55, 250/548
• US Class Current: 355/30
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70933 Purge, e.g. exchanging fluid or gas to remove pollutants

Abstract

An exposure apparatus is provided with a radiation source, a patterning structure, a projection system, a substrate, and a gas flushing system for removing gas from an area between the projection system and the substrate.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

patterning a beam of radiation;

projecting the patterned beam of radiation via a projection system onto a target portion of a substrate comprising one or more resist layers for manufacturing one or more color filter layers; and

creating an air flow in the space between said target portion and said projection system to extract gases emanating from said target portion during said projecting, wherein said air flow is created by only extracting air from said space and also not supplying air to said space.

2. 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 structure, the patterning structure being constructed and arranged to pattern the projection beam according to a desired pattern;

a substrate support constructed and arranged to support a substrate;

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

a gas flushing system constructed and arranged to extract gases emanating from said target portion in the space between the substrate support and the projection system during operation of the projection system, wherein said gas flushing system is constructed to only extract gas rather than also supply gas.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein one or more openings are provided in said gas flushing system to allow access of sensor beams to the substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said projection beam of radiation has a wavelength in the range of 220-435 nm.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said apparatus is designed to operate in step mode.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said apparatus is designed to operate in scan mode.

7. A process comprising exposing a substrate to radiation with the apparatus of claim 2.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein said substrate comprises one or more resist layers.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein said one or more resist layers are for the manufacturing of one or more color filter layers.