Liquid Immersion Exposure Damper Vibration Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In exposure apparatuses, undesirable vibrations or mispositioning of components can lead to exposure failures, resulting in defective device manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
The exposure apparatus incorporates a vibration isolator and a liquid immersion member with a unique configuration to suppress vibrations and ensure precise positioning, using a gas spring and a detection system to maintain the liquid immersion space and control the movement of components, thereby preventing exposure failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a liquid immersion exposure apparatus is used to improve exposure precision, then manufacturing precision is improved, but vibration occurs causing exposure failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by introducing a damper device that actively counteracts vibrations before they can cause exposure failures. The damper is positioned to absorb and reduce vibrations in the liquid immersion exposure apparatus, preventing these vibrations from affecting the exposure process and causing defects.
Solution Approach 2:
The damper acts as an intermediary element between the vibration source and the exposure system. It mediates the harmful vibrations by absorbing and dissipating them, thereby protecting the precision exposure process from vibration-induced failures while maintaining the benefits of liquid immersion exposure.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If vibration suppression measures are added to reduce harmful factors, then device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs pneumatic or hydraulic damping mechanisms to suppress vibrations. By using fluid-based damping systems, the apparatus can effectively reduce vibrations without requiring complex mechanical structures, thereby suppressing harmful factors while keeping the added complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The damper device utilizes parameter changes in the liquid immersion medium or supporting structures to achieve vibration suppression. By adjusting physical parameters such as viscosity, density, or structural flexibility, the system can reduce vibrations without fundamentally redesigning the entire apparatus, thus limiting the increase in device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively suppresses exposure failures and defective device production by maintaining the stability of the liquid immersion space and precise control of component movements, ensuring accurate exposure processes.
Implementation Method 1
a first supporting member (51) and a second supporting member (52)... a gas spring
Implementation Method 2
a vibration isolator (10)... suppresses transmission of vibration from the apparatus frame (8B) to the reference frame (8A)
Data Source
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AI summary
An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate by exposure light via liquid between an optical member and the substrate, the exposure apparatus includes: an apparatus frame, an optical system including the optical member, a liquid immersion member that is configured to form an immersion liquid space and that includes a first member disposed at at least a portion of surrounding of the optical member and a second member disposed at at least a portion of surrounding of the optical member, a driving apparatus configured to relatively move the second member with respect to the first member, and a vibration isolator by which the first member is supported to the apparatus frame.