Abstract:
A lithographic apparatus comprising a projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam to form an exposure area on a substrate held on a substrate table, the lithographic apparatus further comprising a cooling apparatus for cooling the substrate, wherein the cooling apparatus comprises a cooling element located above the substrate table and adjacent to the exposure area, the cooling element being configured to remove heat from the substrate.
Abstract:
A movable support configured to support an object, the support including: a support plane to support the object, an actuator assembly to move the movable support in a first direction and in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction extend in a plane parallel to the support plane, wherein the actuator assembly includes: a first actuator configured to exert a first actuation force in a first actuation direction, the first actuation direction being parallel to the support plane, a second actuator configured to exert a second actuation force in a second actuation direction, the second actuation direction being parallel to the support plane, wherein the first actuation direction and the second actuation direction are arranged non-parallel and non-perpendicular with respect to each other.
Abstract:
A system (300) for supporting an exchangeable object (302) can include a movable structure (304) and an object holder (306) configured to be movable relative to the movable structure. The object holder can be configured to hold the exchangeable object. The system can also include a first actuator assembly (308) and second actuator assembly (316). The first actuator assembly can be configured to apply a force to the object holder to translate the exchangeable object generally along a plane. The second actuator assembly can be configured to apply a bending moment to the object holder. The exchangeable object can be a patterning device of a lithographic apparatus.
Abstract:
An object stage bearing system can include an object stage, a hollow shaft coupled to the object stage, and an in-vacuum gas bearing assembly coupled to the hollow shaft and the object stage. The in-vacuum gas bearing assembly can include a gas bearing, a scavenging groove, and a vacuum groove. The gas bearing is disposed along an inner wall of the in-vacuum gas bearing assembly and along an external wall of the hollow shaft. The scavenging groove is disposed along the inner wall such that the scavenging groove is isolated from the gas bearing. The vacuum groove is disposed along the inner wall such that the vacuum groove is isolated from the scavenging groove and the gas bearing.
Abstract:
A system (300) for supporting an exchangeable object (302) can include a movable structure (304) and an object holder (306) configured to be movable relative to the movable structure. The object holder can be configured to hold the exchangeable object. The system can also include a first actuator assembly (308) and second actuator assembly (316). The first actuator assembly can be configured to apply a force to the object holder to translate the exchangeable object generally along a plane. The second actuator assembly can be configured to apply a bending moment to the object holder. The exchangeable object can be a patterning device of a lithographic apparatus.
Abstract:
A method of exposing a patterned area on a substrate using an EUV lithographic apparatus having a demagnification of about 5× and a numerical aperture of about 0.4 is disclosed. The method comprises exposing a first portion of the patterned area on the substrate using a first exposure, the first portion dimensions are significantly less than the dimensions of a conventional exposure, and exposing one or more additional portions of the patterned area on the substrate using one or more additional exposures, the additional portions having dimensions which are significantly less than the dimensions of a conventional exposure. The method further comprises repeating the above to expose a second patterned area on the substrate, the second patterned area being provided with the same pattern as the first patterned area, wherein a distance between centre points of the first and second patterned areas corresponds with a dimension of a conventional exposure.
Abstract:
A system having a sub-system that is configured to change a thermal condition of a physical component from a set-point to a new set-point, wherein the sub-system includes: a mixer operative to receive a first conditioning fluid having a first temperature and a second conditioning fluid having a second temperature different from the first temperature, and operative to supply to the physical component a mix of the first conditioning fluid and the second conditioning fluid; and a controller configured to control the mixer in dependence on the new set-point. Also a method of operating a lithographic apparatus as well as a device manufactured using the system described herein or according to methods described herein.
Abstract:
A projection system (PS1) for a lithographic apparatus comprises: an optical path (100); a plurality of sensors (S1-S4); one or more actuators (A1-A4); and a controller (CN). The optical path is operable to receive an input radiation beam (Bin) and to project an output radiation beam (Bout) onto a substrate to form an image. The optical path comprises: a plurality of optical elements (M1-M4), the plurality of optical elements comprising: a first set of at least two optical elements (M1, M4) and a second set of at least one optical element (M2, M3). Each sensor is associated with one of the plurality of optical elements and is operable to determine a position of that optical element. Each actuator is associated with one of the second set of optical elements and is operable to adjust that optical element. The controller is operable to use the one or more actuators to adjust the second set of optical elements in dependence on the determined position of the first set of optical elements so as to at least partially compensate for optical aberrations and/or line-of-sight errors caused by the positions of the first set of optical elements.
Abstract:
A method of exposing a patterned area on a substrate using an EUV lithographic apparatus having a demagnification of about 5× and a numerical aperture of about 0.4 is disclosed. The method comprises exposing a first portion of the patterned area on the substrate using a first exposure, the first portion dimensions are significantly less than the dimensions of a conventional exposure, and exposing one or more additional portions of the patterned area on the substrate using one or more additional exposures, the additional portions having dimensions which are significantly less than the dimensions of a conventional exposure. The method further comprises repeating the above to expose a second patterned area on the substrate, the second patterned area being provided with the same pattern as the first patterned area, wherein a distance between center points of the first and second patterned areas corresponds with a dimension of a conventional exposure.