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:
Jul. 02, 2002
Filed:
Apr. 19, 2000
Doede Kuiper, Vught, NL;
Jan J. Kuit, Boxtel, NL;
Asml Netherlands B.V., Veldhoven, NL;
Abstract
A lithographic projection apparatus comprises an illumination system for supplying a projection beam of radiation, a mask table provided with a mask holder for holding a mask, a substrate table provided with a substrate holder for holding a substrate, and a projection system for imaging an irradiated portion of the mask onto a target portion of the substrate. The lithographic projection apparatus further comprises a mask-handling apparatus to exchange a mask between a load-port module for receiving masks and the mask holder, the mask-handling apparatus having first and second robots for carrying out the exchange. The first robot exchanges a mask between the load-port module and the second robot, and the second robot exchanges a mask between the first robot and the mask holder. Further, the first robot may also transfer a mask to an internal mask library and a mask inspection module. Pre-alignment units may be present to detect the position of a mask in exchanging a mask between the first robot and the second robot, and between the second robot and the mask holder.