APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING FLUID FOR IMMERSION LITHOGRAPHY

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide systems and methods for controlling the flow and pressure of a fluid to provide stable conditions for immersion lithography.SOLUTION: A fluid is provided in a space between a lens and a substrate during an immersion lithography process. The fluid is supplied to the space and is recovered from the space through a porous member in fluidic communication with the space. Maintaining a pressure in the porous member under a bubble point of the porous member can eliminate noise created by mixing air with the fluid during fluid recovery. The methods can include drawing the fluid from the space via a recovery flow line through the porous member, and maintaining the pressure of the fluid in the porous member below the bubble point of the porous member during drawing of the fluid from the space.