U.S. Philips Corporation

Asml Netherlands B.v.

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Asm Lithography B.v.

Trumpf Lasersystems for Semiconductor Manufacturing Gmbh

Frank B Sperling

Erik Roelof Loopstra

Jan Van Eijk

Henricus W Janssen

Jeroen Johannes Sophia Maria Mertens

Derk Jan Wilfred Klunder

Ruud Antonius Catharina Maria Beerens

Martin Lambert

Teunis Cornelis Van Den Dool

Adrianus Gerardus Bouwer

Eva Mondt

Gerard Van Engelen

Suzan Leonie Auer-Jongepier

Tolga Ergin

Cornelis D Van Dijk

Andrey Sergeevich Tychkov

Johannes M Van Kimmenade

Stefan Michael Bruno Bäumer

Alexander Nikolov Zdravkov

Stefan Piehler

Paulus Martinus Hubertus Vissers

Antonius T Peijnenburg

Adrianus Van Der Pal

Hendricus Jm Meijer

Anne Johannes Wilhelmus Van Lievenoogen

Adianus G Bouwer

Andreas Kristian Hopf

Manisha Ranjan

Jasper Witte

Jiayue Yuan

Nico Johannes Antonius Hubertus Boonen

A laser focusing system () for use in an EUV radiation source is described, the laser focusing system comprising: •—a first curved mirror () configured to receive a laser beam from a beam delivery system () and generate a first reflected laser beam (); •—a second curved mirror () configured to receive the first reflected laser beam () and generate a second reflected laser beam (), wherein the laser focusing system () is configured to focus the second reflected laser beam () to a target location () in a vessel () of the EUV radiation source ().

Laser focussing module

The present invention relates to a positioning device, e.g. for use as a wafer stage, having a very stable temperature, a very low power consumption and a uniform temperature distribution. A long stroke stage () and a short stroke stage () are stacked upon each other. To initiate a movement of the long stroke stage () and the short stroke stage () in a desired movement direction (M) the long stroke stage () is first moved in an opposite direction (M) that is opposite to the desired movement direction (M) and/or the short stroke stage () is first moved in the desired movement direction (M) for a predetermined time interval and for a distance smaller than the distance (d) between a ferromagnetic center stroke element () and the closest one of two actuators () in a stationary state of the long stroke stage (). Subsequently, the long stroke stage () is moved in the desired movement direction (M).

Positioning device, control device and control method

A lithographic apparatus that includes a substrate table holding a substrate, a projection system configured to project a patterned beam of radiation onto the substrate, a liquid supply system configured to provide a liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate table, and a ring located such that it covers a gap between the substrate and the substrate table, the ring being in contact with the substrate and with the substrate table.

Lithographic apparatus and method involving a ring to cover a gap between a substrate and a substrate table

A positioning device is disclosed. The positioning device has a first part and a second part, the second part further has an object table. The second part may be displaced relative to the first part parallel to the XY-plane and may be rotated about the Z-axis by means of three motors. The motors are Lorentz type motors having a permanent magnet system and an electrical coil system cooperating therewith. The electrical coil systems each have windings which are substantially directed parallel to a main axis of the electrical coil system and perpendicular to the Z-axis. According to the invention, the main axis of each of the three motors encloses an angle of substantially 120.degree. with the main axis of each of the two other motors. In this manner, the points of application on the second part of the driving forces of the three motors are uniformly distributed relative to the second part, so that the driving forces can be uniformly transmitted to the object table by means of a relatively light and simple stiffening structure of the second part. In a particular embodiment of the positioning device, the main axes of the three motors are mutually arranged in a star-shaped configuration. In a second embodiment the main axes of the three motors are mutually arranged in a triangular configuration. The positioning device is used in a lithographic projection apparatus according to the invention for displacing a substrate table of the lithographic device relative to a focusing unit of the lithographic projection apparatus.

Positioning device having three coil systems mutually enclosing angles

Positioning device with a reference frame for a measuring system, and a

A positioning device with a base and a displaceable unit which is displaceable relative to the base parallel to an X-direction and parallel to a Y-direction by means of an X-actuator and a Y-actuator. The X-actuator and the Y-actuator each have a first part which is coupled to the displaceable unit, seen parallel to the X-direction and Y-direction, respectively, and a second part which is coupled to a common balancing unit, seen parallel to the X-direction and the Y-direction, respectively, which balancing unit is displaceably guided parallel to the X-direction and to the Y-direction along a guide which extends parallel to the X-direction and the Y-direction and which is fastened to the base. During operation the first parts of the X-actuator and the Y-actuator exert on the second parts reaction forces which are directed parallel to the X-direction and to the Y-direction, respectively, whereby the common balancing unit is displaced parallel to the X-direction and the Y-direction, respectively. It is prevented thereby that the reaction forces are transmitted into the base, so that mechanical vibrations of the base are reduced. In a special embodiment, the balancing unit comprises a support body which comprises a surface which extends parallel to the X-direction and the Y-direction and along which the displaceable unit is guided. The positioning device can be used for the displacement and positioning of a substrate holder in a lithographic device for the manufacture of semiconductor substrates.

Two-dimensionally balanced positioning device, and lithographic device

A lithographic device includes a machine frame which supports a substrate holder, a focusing system and a mask holder in a vertical direction. The substrate holder is displaceable parallel to a horizontal X-direction and a horizontal Y-direction perpendicular to the X-direction by a first positioning device, and the mask holder is displaceable parallel to the X-direction by a second positioning device. The substrate holder and the mask holder are displaced synchronously parallel to the X-direction during exposure of a semiconductor substrate. The second positioning device is capable of positioning the mask holder also parallel to the Y-direction and of rotating it about a vertical axis of rotation. Therefore, a displacement of the mask holder has a parallelism to the X-direction which is determined by a positioning accuracy of the second positioning device and which is not adversely affected by a deviation from parallelism and straightness of a guide of the second positioning device. An accuracy with which the semiconductor substrate is exposed is improved by a factor corresponding to an optical reduction factor of the focusing system.

Lithographic device with a three-dimensionally positionable mask holder

A transmission mechanism for converting a rotary movement into a translatory movement includes an internal and an external coupling member which have cooperating double thread systems made of a magnetizable material. The external coupling member includes a series of permanent magnets which are polarized in an axial direction and are provided at regular intervals between the individual threads of the thread system so that the individual threads each form a common pole shoe for the permanent magnets providing a maximum magnetic flux density along the portion of the thread system containing the permanent magnets. The presence of a non-magnetizable material between the threads provides that the mutually facing walls of the coupling members are smooth, and a static gas bearing can be applied between these walls. A suitable application of the transmission mechanism is in a positioning device which in turn is eminently suitable for use in an optical lithographic device for the manufacture of semiconductor substrates.

Magnetic transmission mechanism and applications thereof

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Frank B Sperling