LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD

摘要

An immersion lithographic apparatus is provided with a liquid confinement structure which defines at least in part a space configured to contain liquid between the projection system and the substrate. In order to reduce the crossing of the edge of the substrate which is being imaged (which can lead to inclusion of bubbles in the immersion liquid), the cross-sectional area of the space in a plane parallel to the substrate is made as small as possible. The smallest theoretical size is the size of the target portion which is imaged by the projection system. In an embodiment, the shape of a final element of the projection system is also changed to have a similar size and/or shape in a cross-section parallel to the substrate to that of the target portion.

主权项

1. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate; and a projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate and having an element immediately adjacent the substrate, the element having a cross-sectional shape in a plane substantially parallel to the substrate which is rectilinear.