Asml Netherlands B.v.

Dirk Jan Bijvoet

Jan Jaap Kuit

Jan Frederik Hoogkamp

Petrus Rutgerus Bartray

Raimond Visser

Hubert Marie Segers

Johannes Maquine

A lithographic apparatus having an improved transfer unit, is presented. The lithographic apparatus includes a processing unit that performs a lithographic process involving exchangeable objects in which the processing unit includes an illumination system that provides a beam of radiation, a support structure configured to support a patterning device that imparts a desired pattern to the beam of radiation, a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate, and a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The lithographic apparatus also includes a transfer unit comprising a single robot. The single robot is configured to transfer a first exchangeable object from a loading station to the processing unit and to transfer a second exchangeable object from the processing unit to a discharge station.

Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

A lithographic apparatus is disclosed that has a support structure constructed to support a patterning object, the patterning object being capable of imparting a radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam, a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate, or both, wherein the support structure, the substrate table, or both, has a contact surface with which the patterning object, the substrate, or both, are configured to be in contact, respectively, the contact surface having a plurality of sub-contact surfaces to increase a mutual adhesion between the support structure and the patterning object, the substrate table and the substrate, or both.

The present invention relates to a lithographic apparatus including a projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate held on a substrate support, the patterned beam of radiation being patterned with a patterning device held by a patterning device support. The lithographic apparatus includes an exchangeable object handling apparatus for exchanging an exchangeable object with a exchangeable object station and a support, the exchangeable object being one of the substrate and the patterning device and the support being one of the substrate support and the patterning device support, the exchangeable object handling apparatus including an intermediate holding device for holding an exchangeable object, which intermediate holding device can interact with the support to place an exchangeable object on or take an exchangeable object from the support, and a robot which can exchange an exchangeable object with the support, the intermediate holding device and said exchangeable object station.

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Dirk Jan Bijvoet