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:
May. 03, 2011
Filed:
Dec. 22, 2006
Johannes Hubertus Josephina Moors, Helmond, NL;
Vadim Yevgenyevich Banine, Helmond, NL;
Bastiaan Theodoor Wolschrijn, Abcoude, NL;
Carolus Ida Maria Antonius Spee, Helmond, NL;
Rik Jansen, Haarlen, NL;
Johannes Hubertus Josephina Moors, Helmond, NL;
Vadim Yevgenyevich Banine, Helmond, NL;
Bastiaan Theodoor Wolschrijn, Abcoude, NL;
Carolus Ida Maria Antonius Spee, Helmond, NL;
Rik Jansen, Haarlen, NL;
ASML Netherlands B.V., Veldhoven, NL;
Abstract
An optical apparatus includes an illumination system configured to form a pulsed radiation beam, an optical element with a surface on which the radiation beam is incident in operation, and a gas source arranged to supply a mixture of a first type of gas and a second type of gas to a space adjacent the surface. Particles of the first and second types of gas are capable of reacting with the surface, when activated by the radiation beam. The gas source is configured to generate a combination of surface occupation numbers of molecules of the first and second types of gas on the surface under operating conditions, at least prior to pulses of the radiation beam, the combination of surface occupation numbers lying in a range in which reactions of particles with the surface during pulses of the radiation beam are in majority reversed.