IMMERSION LIQUID SUPPLY AND RECOVERY DEVICE WITH NEW-TYPE PUMPING AND DRAINAGE CAVITIES

Abstract

The present invention is an immersion liquid supply and recovery device (2) with new-type pumping and drainage cavities. The device includes pumping and drainage openings (24), pumping and drainage cavities (25A, 25B), and sealed pumping and drainage channels (26A, 26B), wherein the pumping and drainage cavities (25A, 25B) are in communication with an immersion flow field by means of the multiple pumping and drainage openings (24), and the pumping and drainage openings (24) in communication with the different pumping and drainage cavities (25A, 25B) are circumferentially distributed in a crossed manner; at least two pumping and drainage cavities (25A, 25B) are provided, and each of the pumping and drainage cavities (25A, 25B) is in communication with an immersion liquid recovery system by means of one sealed pumping and drainage channel (26A, 26B) respectively; and the communication points of the pumping and drainage cavities (25A, 25B) and the sealed pumping and drainage channels (26A, 26B) are evenly arranged in the circumferential direction of the pumping and drainage cavities (25A, 25B). By means of a method in which an immersion liquid is introduced into the multiple pumping and drainage cavities (25A, 25B) in a crossed manner from the pumping and drainage openings (24) and is then pumped and drained by the sealed pumping and drainage channels (26A, 26B), the different pumping and drainage cavities (25A, 25B) and the sealed pumping and drainage channels (26A, 26B) always simultaneously process high-flow loads and low-flow loads, thus improves the load balancing capacity of immersion liquid recovery channels, improves the stability of maintaining the sealing of the immersion flow field, and suppresses the problem of the fluctuation of vibration characteristics and heat conduction characteristics caused by the change in a gas-liquid two-phase flow pattern, thereby improving the exposure quality.

Claims

1. An immersion liquid supply and recovery device with novel extraction chambers, comprising extraction openings, extraction chambers and sealing extraction channels, wherein the extraction chambers are communicated with an immersion flow field through the plurality of extraction openings, and the extraction openings communicated with the different extraction chambers are distributed alternately along the circumferential direction; and there are at least two extraction chambers each communicated with an immersion liquid extraction system through one sealing extraction channel.

2. The immersion liquid supply and recovery device with novel extraction chambers according to claim 1, wherein connection points between the extraction chambers and the sealing extraction channels are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction of the extraction chambers.

3. The immersion liquid supply and recovery device with novel extraction chambers according to claim 1, wherein the extraction openings are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction of the extraction chambers.

4. The immersion liquid supply and recovery device with novel extraction chambers according to claim 1, wherein a section line of each extraction chamber perpendicular to the fluid flow direction in the extraction chamber has a length at least 5 times of a diameter of the extraction opening.

5. The immersion liquid supply and recovery device with novel extraction chambers according to claim 1, wherein each extraction opening has a diameter ranging from 0.2 mm to 2 mm.

6. The immersion liquid supply and recovery device with novel extraction chambers according to claim 1, wherein the section line of each extraction chamber perpendicular to the fluid flow direction in the extraction chamber is longer than 2 mm.

7. The immersion liquid supply and recovery device with novel extraction chambers according to claim 1, wherein each extraction chamber is an annular channel.

8. The immersion liquid supply and recovery device with novel extraction chambers according to claim 1, wherein the connection points between the sealing extraction channels and the extraction chambers are located on a longest chord of the immersion flow field in the moving direction of a substrate.

9. The immersion liquid supply and recovery device with novel extraction chambers according to claim 2, wherein each extraction opening has a diameter ranging from 0.2 mm to 2 mm.

10. The immersion liquid supply and recovery device with novel extraction chambers according to claim 3, wherein each extraction opening has a diameter ranging from 0.2 mm to 2 mm.

11. The immersion liquid supply and recovery device with novel extraction chambers according to claim 2, wherein the section line of each extraction chamber perpendicular to the fluid flow direction in the extraction chamber is longer than 2 mm.

12. The immersion liquid supply and recovery device with novel extraction chambers according to claim 3, wherein the section line of each extraction chamber perpendicular to the fluid flow direction in the extraction chamber is longer than 2 mm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 is a simplified assembly diagram of a device according to the present invention with a projection objective lens system and a substrate;

[0026] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an immersion liquid supply and recovery device according to the present invention;

[0027] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of FIG. 2;

[0028] FIG. 4 shows typical flow patterns of gas-liquid two-phase flow in a circular flow channel;

[0029] FIG. 5 is a structural diagram of a conventional extraction chamber;

[0030] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a traction movement of a substrate;

[0031] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of unbalanced flow loads caused by the traction movement of the substrate;

[0032] FIG. 8 is a structural diagram according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0033] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of flow loads under the traction movement of the substrate according to Embodiment 1;

[0034] FIG. 10 is a structural diagram according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] Embodiment one: As shown in FIG. 8, an immersion liquid supply and recovery device with novel extraction chambers is provided. Two extraction chambers, namely an inner extraction chamber 25A and an outer extraction chamber 25B, are provided in the immersion liquid supply and recovery device 2. A connection point between the inner extraction chamber 25A and an inner sealing extraction chamber 26A is located on the right side of FIG. 8, so extraction openings 24 communicated with the inner extraction chamber 25A have stronger extraction ability when located near the right side and weaker extraction ability when located near the left side. A connection point between the outer extraction chamber 25B and an outer sealing extraction chamber 26B is located on the left side of FIG. 8, so the extraction openings 24 communicated with the outer extraction chamber 25B have stronger extraction ability when located near the left side and weaker extraction ability when located near the right side. Two adjacent extraction openings 24 are communicated with the inner extraction chamber 25A and the outer extraction chamber 25B respectively. Due to the mutual compensation between the inner extraction chamber 25A and the outer extraction chamber 25B, the extraction openings 24 can be considered to have evenly distributed extraction capacity.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 9, when a substrate 3 moves from left to right, the extraction openings 24 on the right side bear higher immersion liquid flow loads, while those on the left side bear lower immersion liquid flow loads. As the extraction openings 24 communicated with the inner extraction chamber 25A and the outer extraction chamber 25B are alternately and evenly distributed, the immersion liquid in the extraction openings 24 with different flow loads is evenly distributed to the inner sealing extraction chamber 26A and the outer sealing extraction chamber 26B. Compared with FIG. 7, a flow load distribution principle shown in FIG. 9 allows better load balancing characteristics when the substrate 3 moves.

[0037] In order to reduce the uneven distribution of the extraction capacity of the extraction openings 24, the extraction chamber 25 should have a lower flow resistance than the extraction opening 24. According to the principle that the larger the sectional area of the flow channel, the smaller the flow resistance, in the immersion liquid supply and recovery device 2 according to the present invention, a section line of each extraction chamber perpendicular to the fluid flow direction in the channel has a length at least 5 times of a diameter of the extraction chamber and is longer than 2 mm, so this design can allow a more even distribution of extraction capacity.

[0038] Embodiment two: As shown in FIG. 10, a method for further improving the even distribution of extraction capacity is to increase the number of sealing extraction channels 26. Four extraction chambers 25A to 25D are provided. Each of the extraction openings 24 communicates with each of the four extraction chambers 25A to 25D in sequence. Connection points between the four extraction chambers 25A to 25D and four sealing extraction channels 26A to 26D are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the extraction openings 24. There are fewer extraction openings 24 communicated with each extraction chamber compared with the design of two extraction chambers, so the extraction capacity of the extraction openings 24 is also distributed more evenly.

[0039] The connection points between the extraction chambers 25 and the sealing extraction channels 26 should also be distributed in such a way as to adapt to the moving direction of the substrate 3. Because the extraction openings 24 near the connection points have stronger load bearing capacity, it is preferable to distribute the connection points at positions where the flow load of the extracted immersion liquid is high. These positions are generally located on a longest chord of the immersion flow field in the moving direction of the substrate 3. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the substrate 3 moves in the horizontal direction, the horizontal diameter of the circular immersion flow field is the longest chord in the moving direction of the substrate 3. The connecting points between the inner sealing extraction channel 26A and the outer sealing extraction channel 26B and the corresponding extraction chambers are distributed at both ends of the diameter, which can better adapt to the horizontal movement of the substrate. In Embodiment 2, the connection points of the four sealing extraction channels 26A to 26D are symmetrically distributed in two diameter directions 45 degrees from the horizontal direction, which can better adapt to the movement of the substrate in two 45 degrees directions.

[0040] The above embodiments are not intended to limit but to explain the present invention. Any modifications and variations made to the present invention within the scope of protection defined by the claims of the present invention shall fall into the scope of protection of the present invention.