The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 22, 2019
Filed:
Sep. 30, 2015
Asml Netherlands B.v., Veldhoven, NL;
Bob Streefkerk, Tilburg, NL;
Sjoerd Nicolaas Lambertus Donders, 's-Hertogenbosch, NL;
Roelof Frederik De Graaf, Veldhoven, NL;
Christiaan Alexander Hoogendam, Veldhoven, NL;
Hans Jansen, Eindhoven, NL;
Martinus Hendrikus Antonius Leenders, Rotterdam, NL;
Paulus Martinus Maria Liebregts, Veldhoven, NL;
Jeroen Johannes Sophia Maria Mertens, Duizel, NL;
Jan-Gerard Cornelis Van Der Toorn, Eindhoven, NL;
Michel Riepen, Bergschenhoek, NL;
ASML Netherlands B.V., Veldhoven, NL;
Abstract
An immersion lithographic apparatus is provided with a liquid confinement structure which defines at least in part a space configured to contain liquid between the projection system and the substrate. In order to reduce the crossing of the edge of the substrate which is being imaged (which can lead to inclusion of bubbles in the immersion liquid), the cross-sectional area of the space in a plane parallel to the substrate is made as small as possible. The smallest theoretical size is the size of the target portion which is imaged by the projection system. In an embodiment, the shape of a final element of the projection system is also changed to have a similar size and/or shape in a cross-section parallel to the substrate to that of the target portion.