US 12,474,632 B2
Pellicle frame for EUV lithography
Kristof Custers, Hamont-Achel (BE); Ron Geeraard Catharina De Bruijn, Arendonk (BE); Matthias Kruizinga, Herten (NL); and Lodewijk Alexander Schijvenaars, Oosterhout (NL)
Assigned to ASML NETHERLANDS B.V., Veldhoven (NL)
Appl. No. 17/920,392
Filed by ASML NETHERLANDS B.V., Veldhoven (NL)
PCT Filed Mar. 25, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/057742
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 20, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/213777, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 28, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 20170977 (EP), filed on Apr. 23, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0259019 A1, Aug. 17, 2023
Int. Cl. G03F 1/64 (2012.01); G03F 1/22 (2012.01)
CPC G03F 1/64 (2013.01) [G03F 1/22 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A pellicle frame comprising:
a first portion for connection to a border of a pellicle, the first portion comprising a hollow and generally rectangular body; and
a plurality of second portions for connection to a patterning device,
wherein the first portion and the plurality of second portions are all formed from a first material,
wherein each of the second portions is connected to the first portion by a spring portion formed from the first material, and
wherein each of the spring portions is configured so as to allow for some respective relative movement between the first portion and the respective second portion when the respective second portion is affixed to the patterning device.