Patent · US Expired

Device for sealing a projection exposure apparatus

US7130017B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by

4References

26Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH · DE

Inventors

Albrecht Hof · Aalen, DE
Guenter Maul · Aalen, DE
Lothar Gail · Wiesbaden, DE
Wilfried Schierholz · Hochheim, DE
Eberhard Jost · Hattersheim, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Feb 25, 2005
Grant date	Oct 31, 2006
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Feb 25, 2025

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG03F7/70808
WIPO fieldOptics
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A projection exposure apparatus is equipped with an illumination system, a reticle, a projection objective and an image plane. Interstitial spaces between the individual elements of the apparatus are open to the ambient space. A gas purge device which carries a stream of noble gas or nitrogen is arranged in at least one of the interstitial spaces. The gas purge device is of a shape and size so that one or more interstitial spaces are at least to a large extent sealed off from the ambient space surrounding the projection apparatus.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.