US 11,860,552 B2
Stage system, lithographic apparatus, method for positioning and device manufacturing method
Stef Marten Johan Janssens, Eindhoven (NL); Bert Dirk Scholten, Best (NL); Sjoerd Nicolaas Lambertus Donders, Vught (NL); Teunis Van Dam, Eindhoven (NL); Peter Mark Overschie, Eindhoven (NL); Theresa Mary Spaan-Burke, Eindhoven (NL); and Siegfried Alexander Tromp, Knegsel (NL)
Assigned to ASML NETHERLANDS B.V., Veldhoven (NL)
Appl. No. 16/309,501
Filed by ASML NETHERLANDS B.V., Veldhoven (NL)
PCT Filed Jun. 12, 2017, PCT No. PCT/EP2017/064265
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 13, 2018,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/001709, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 4, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 16177447 (EP), filed on Jul. 1, 2016; and application No. 17158730 (EP), filed on Mar. 1, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2019/0187571 A1, Jun. 20, 2019
Int. Cl. G03F 7/00 (2006.01); H01L 21/683 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01)
CPC G03F 7/70725 (2013.01) [G03F 7/707 (2013.01); G03F 7/70783 (2013.01); G03F 7/70816 (2013.01); H01L 21/6838 (2013.01); H01L 21/67288 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A stage system for positioning an object, the stage system comprising:
a member having a plurality of gas bearing devices arranged to support the object; and
a control device,
wherein each gas bearing device comprises a free surface having multiple discharge openings in the free surface and an inlet opening in the free surface, the multiple discharge openings are formed in a porous material and the inlet opening is surrounded with the multiple discharge openings,
wherein the free surface is arranged to support and contact the object at least during a materials processing of the object,
wherein the discharge openings are arranged to provide pressurized gas and the inlet opening is arranged to provide a sub-atmospheric pressure, and
wherein the control device is arranged to change a shape of the object by controlling a pressure and/or a gas flow rate at the discharge openings of at least one of the gas bearing devices and/or by controlling a pressure and/or a gas flow rate at the inlet opening of at least one of the gas bearing devices.