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:
Nov. 22, 2016
Filed:
Jul. 29, 2015
Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Nikon Engineering Co., Ltd., Yokohama-shi, JP;
Hiroyuki Nagasaka, Kumagaya, JP;
Takeshi Okuyama, Yokohama, JP;
NIKON CORPORATION, Tokyo, JP;
NIKON ENGINEERING CO., LTD., Yokohama-shi, JP;
Abstract
A liquid confinement member supplies liquid to and collects the liquid from a liquid immersion area formed adjacent to a final optical element of an immersion exposure apparatus, and includes a channel formation member that surrounds a portion of the final optical element of the immersion exposure apparatus. The channel formation member includes a hole through which exposure light projected by the final optical element passes, a liquid supply opening through which the liquid is supplied to the liquid immersion area, a liquid recovery opening through which the liquid is recovered from the liquid immersion area, a liquid supply channel by which the liquid is supplied to the liquid supply opening, and a liquid recovery channel by which the liquid is recovered from the liquid recovery opening. At least one of the liquid supply and liquid recovery channels includes a protrusion into a portion of the channel.