STAGE APPARATUS FOR USE IN A LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS

• Main Authors: KRAMER, Gijs, FRENCKEN, Mark Johannes Hermanus, SMEETS, Benjamin Cunnegonda Henricus, VAN DORST, Ringo Petrus Cornelis
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 26.12.2018
• Subjects: APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES,e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTORDEVICES; PHYSICS; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

The invention provides a stage apparatus (101) for use in a lithographic apparatus, the stage apparatus comprising an object support (102) comprising a surface for mounting an object (105a) on, the surface extending in a plane, and a plurality of support members (103) for supporting the object, arranged to receive the object from a gripper (104) and to arrange the object on the surface and/or vice versa. The support members are moveable in at least a first direction which is perpendicular to the plane. The stage apparatus comprises a control unit comprising an input terminal for receiving shape information regarding an out-of-plane-shape of the object, and a processing unit configured to determine, based on said shape information, a supporting arrangement relating to positions of the support members relative to each other in at least the first direction. The control unit is configured to control the positions of the support members based on the supporting arrangement.