Asml Netherlands B.v.

Jan Frederik Hoogkamp

Jan Jaap Kuit

Raimond Visser

Albert Jan Hendrik Klomp

Johannes Hendrikus Gertrudis Franssen

Josephus Cornelius Johannes Antonius Vugts

Dirk Jan Bijvoet

Petrus Rutgerus Bartray

Robert Gordon Livesey

Sjoerd Nicolaas Lambertus Donders

Johannes Petrus Martinus Bernardus Vermeulen

Edwin Johan Buis

Hubert Marie Segers

Pieter Johannes Marius Van Groos

Johannes Maquine

Erik Roelof Loopstra

Patricius Aloysius Jacobus Tinnemans

Johannes Onvlee

Robert-Han Munnig Schmidt

Maurice Willem Jozef Etiënne Wijckmans

Marcel Koenraad Marie Baggen

Dirk-Jan Bijvoet

Aschwin Lodewijk Hendricus Johannes Van Meer

Yim Bun P Kwan

Pieter Renaat Maria Hennus

Henricus Gerardus Tegenbosch

Jan Van Elp

Patrick Johannes Cornelus Hendrik Smulders

Jan-Jaap Kuit

Bastiaan Stephanus Hendricus Jansen

Albert Johannes Maria Jansen

Franciscus Andreas Cornelis Johannes Spanjers

Leo Wilhelmus Maria Kuipers

Andreas B G Ariens

Peter Schaap

Johannes Charles Adrianus Van Den Berg

Arjan Martin Van Der Wel

Engelbertus A F Van De Pasch

Henricus Johannes Adrianus Van De Sande

Thijs Vervoort

Joep Janssen

Hubrecht Bastiaan Jasperse

Henricus Johannes Louis Marie Vullings

A radiation source (SO) suitable for providing a beam of radiation to an illuminator of a lithographic apparatus. The radiation source comprises a nozzle () configured to direct a stream of fuel droplets along a trajectory () towards a plasma formation location (). The radiation source is configured to receive a first amount of radiation () such that, in use, the first amount of radiation is incident on a fuel droplet at the plasma formation location. The first amount of radiation transfers energy to the fuel droplet to generate a radiation generating plasma that emits a second amount of radiation (). The radiation source further comprises an alignment detector having a first sensor arrangement () and a second sensor arrangement (). The first sensor arrangement is configured to measure a property of a third amount of radiation () that is indicative of a focus position of the first amount of radiation. The second sensor arrangement is configured to measure a property of a fourth amount of radiation (), the fourth amount of radiation being a portion of the first amount of radiation that is reflected by the fuel droplet upon which the first amount of radiation is incident.

Radiation source

A load lock is constructed and arranged to transfer a substrate between a first environment and a second environment and to maintain each of the first environment and the second environment therein. The load lock includes a load lock chamber provided with at least two mutually distinct substrate supports positioned one above the other. Each of the substrate supports includes a substrate displacement element. The load lock also includes an evacuation device constructed and arranged to evacuate the load lock chamber, and a door constructed and arranged to close the load lock chamber during evacuation and for opening the load lock chamber.

Load lock and method for transferring objects

A method of and apparatus for maintaining a machine part arranged in an interior space of a machine, where the interior space is kept at a first pressure and is separated from an environment having a second pressure via a load lock. The method includes transporting a machine part via the load lock out of the interior space and transporting via the load lock into the interior space one of the maintained machine part and a separate replacement machine part.

Method and apparatus for maintaining a machine part

The present invention relates to a lithographic projection apparatus with a supporting structure to support and move an object, like a substrate. The supporting structure may be a robot having a robotic arm with a support frame for supporting, e.g. the substrate. The support frame includes a clamping structure having one or more clamps for holding the substrate during movement. The robot arm comprises one or more compliant parts. The clamp may be a Johnson-Raybeck effect type clamp with an oxidized upper surface. For better de-clamping, a RF AC decaying de-clamping voltage may be provided to the clamp. The apparatus may be cleaned with one single substrate only.

Lithographic support structure

A stage apparatus for displacing an object having a substantially flat surface is described. The apparatus includes an object table for supporting the object and a positioning device for displacing the object table in a first direction. The apparatus further includes a clamping device for clamping the object to the object table by a first clamping force, the first clamping force being controlled by an electronic control unit based upon a state of the object.

Stage apparatus, lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

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

The present invention provides a lithographic apparatus including an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam; a patterning device support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device placed on the patterning device support being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam; a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate, and a patterning device handling apparatus, including a single robot for exchanging a patterning device with the patterning device support and a loading station, wherein the robot includes a first holding device configured to hold a patterning device in a first holding position and a second holding device configured to hold a patterning device in a second holding position. Such single robot makes a rapid and accurate exchange of patterning devices possible.

Exchangeable object handling apparatus, lithographic apparatus including such exchangeable object handling apparatus, and device manufacturing method

A load lock for a lithographic apparatus is arranged to transfer an object, like a substrate, into and from the lithographic apparatus. The load lock outer wall defining at least part of a load lock volume accommodating a support unit for supporting the object when in the load lock. The load lock also has a temperature conditioned structure to control the temperature of the object to a desired temperature at least before the object is transferred from the load lock towards the lithographic projection apparatus.

Temperature conditioned load lock, lithographic apparatus comprising such a load lock and method of manufacturing a substrate with such a load lock

Lithographic projection assembly, including at least one load lock for transferring objects, in particular substrates, between a first environment and a second environment, the second environment preferably having a lower pressure than the first environment; an object handler including a handler chamber in which the second environment prevails; and a lithographic projection apparatus including a projection chamber. The handler chamber and projection chamber can communicate for transferring the objects. The load lock includes a load lock chamber; evacuation device for evacuating the load lock chamber; and door device for closing the load lock chamber during evacuation and for opening the load lock chamber to enter an object in or remove an object from the load lock chamber. The load lock chamber may be provided with at least two mutually distinct object support positions.

Lithographic projection assembly, load lock and method for transferring objects

A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam; a support configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam; a substrate table configured to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate; and a robot configured to transfer an exchangeable object to and from a support region, the robot including an arm and an end effector, the end effector including a first and second carrier configured to carry respective exchangeable objects, and the end effector being rotatably connected to the arm of the robot around a rotation axis which extends substantially parallel to the support region.

The invention relates to a lithographic projection assembly, having at least two load locks for transferring substrates between a first environment and a lower pressure second environment, a substrate handler with a handler chamber within the second environment and a lithographic projection apparatus including a projection chamber. The handler chamber and the projection chamber communicate via a load position for entering a substrate from the handler chanter into the projection chamber and an unload position for removing the substrate from the projection chamber into the handler chamber. The handler chamber also includes pre-processing means for pre-processing of the substrates and transport means for transferring substrates between the load locks and pre-processing means.

Lithographic projection assembly, substrate handling apparatus and substrate handling method

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.

In a multi-table lithographic apparatus in which substrate tables may be exchanged between a first working zone where substrates are loaded onto and removed from the table and a second working zones where wafers are exposed, collision prevention means are provided to prevent collisions between tables in the exchange process. The collision prevention means may be formed of a labyrinth or a revolving door. The exchange process may be controlled by shuttles, optionally including drive means, that are interlinked so that the tables can only be exchanged between zones together.

Crash prevention in positioning apparatus for use in lithographic projection apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Breda, Netherlands

Jan Frederik Hoogkamp