Patent · US Active

Apparatus and method to control vacuum at porous material using multiple porous materials

US8477284B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
7References
42Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 5, 2009
Grant dateJul 2, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 3, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03B27/52
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An immersion liquid confinement apparatus confines an immersion liquid in an immersion area that includes a gap between a projection system and an object of exposure in an immersion lithography system. The apparatus also recovers the immersion liquid from the immersion area. The apparatus includes a confinement member and first and second liquid-permeable members. The confinement member includes an outlet and an aperture through which a patterned image is projected onto the object. The first liquid-permeable member covers the outlet and has a first surface that faces the object and a second surface opposite the first surface, the second surface contacting a first chamber. The second liquid-permeable member has first and second oppositely-facing surfaces, the first surface of the second liquid-permeable member contacts the first chamber, the second surface of the second liquid-permeable member contacts a second chamber that is different from the first chamber.

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