US 12,072,636 B2
Fluid handling system and lithographic apparatus
Theodorus Wilhelmus Polet, Geldrop (NL); Koen Steffens, Veldhoven (NL); Ronald Van Der Ham, Maarheeze (NL); Gerben Pieterse, Maarheeze (NL); Erik Henricus Egidius Catharina Eummelen, Veldhoven (NL); and Francis Fahrni, Eindhoven (NL)
Assigned to ASML NETHERLANDS B.V., Veldhoven (NL)
Appl. No. 17/641,206
Filed by ASML NETHERLANDS B.V., Veldhoven (NL)
PCT Filed Aug. 26, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/073867
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 8, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/047911, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 18, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 19197225 (EP), filed on Sep. 13, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0192607 A1, Jun. 13, 2024
Int. Cl. G03F 7/00 (2006.01); G03F 7/20 (2006.01)
CPC G03F 7/70341 (2013.01) [G03F 7/2041 (2013.01); G03F 7/70733 (2013.01); G03F 7/70991 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fluid handling system for wetting a region of a surface of a substrate irradiated by a radiation beam, the fluid handling system comprising:
a first device configured to confine a first liquid to a first space between at least a part of the first device and the surface of the substrate, the first device having an aperture formed therein for the passage therethrough of the radiation beam to irradiate the region by the radiation beam passing through the first liquid, the first device comprising at least one first liquid supply member configured to provide the first liquid to the first space and at least one extraction member configured to remove liquid from the first space; and
a second device comprising at least one second liquid supply member configured to provide a second liquid to a second space between at least a part of the second device and the surface of the substrate, wherein, when the first and second licuids are provided, there is a gap on the surface of the substrate between the second liquid and the first liquid,
wherein the fluid handling system is configured to provide the second liquid to the second space without removing any liquid from the second space to form a liquid layer over at least the region, and is configured to provide the first liquid and the second liquid on the surface of the substrate simultaneously.