Patent · US Active

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

US9329492B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
8References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 27, 2013
Grant dateMay 3, 2016
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 24, 2034

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 an aperture through which a patterned image is projected, an outlet, a first chamber into which the immersion liquid is recovered through the outlet, and a second chamber into which the immersion liquid is recovered through a porous member from the first chamber. The porous member has a first surface contacting the first chamber and a second surface contacting the second chamber. A vertical position of a first portion of the first surface is different from a vertical position of a second portion of the first surface.

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