Lithography apparatus and device manufacturing method

• Main Authors: Bombeeck, John Maria, Eummelen, Erik Henricus Egidius Catharina, Melman, Johannes Cornelis Paulus, Lempens, Han Henricus Aldegonda, Cuypers, Koen, Vieyra Salas, Jorge Alberto, Debougnoux, Frank, Polet, Theodorus Wilhelmus, Gattobigio, Giovanni Luca
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.10.2023
• Subjects: APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES,e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTORDEVICES; PHYSICS

An immersion lithography apparatus controller configured to control a positioner to move a support table to follow an exposure route and to control a liquid confinement structure, the controller configured to: predict whether liquid will be lost from an immersion space during at least one motion of the route in which an edge of the object passes under an edge of the immersion space, and if liquid loss from the immersion space is predicted, modify the fluid flow such that a first fluid flow rate into or out of an opening at a leading edge of the liquid confinement structure is different to a second fluid flow rate into or out of an opening at a trailing edge of the liquid confinement structure during the motion of predicted liquid loss or a motion of the route subsequent to the motion of predicted liquid loss.