CN111373328A

CN111373328A - Porous graphite pellicle

Info

Publication number: CN111373328A
Application number: CN201880075083.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 马克西姆·A·纳萨勒维奇; E·库尔干诺娃; A·W·诺滕博姆; 玛丽亚·皮特; 彼得-詹·范兹沃勒; D·F·弗莱斯
Original assignee: ASML Netherlands BV
Current assignee: ASML Netherlands BV
Priority date: 2017-11-21
Filing date: 2018-11-07
Publication date: 2020-07-03
Anticipated expiration: 2038-11-07
Also published as: TWI840338B; EP3714330A1; NL2021947B1; CN111373328B; NL2021947A; JP2021504731A; TW201932988A; NL2021947B9; WO2019101517A1; NL2023649B1; NL2023649A; KR20200087774A; JP7252950B2

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a pellicle for a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising growing the pellicle in a three-dimensional template, and a pellicle manufactured according to the method. Also disclosed is the use of a pellicle produced according to the method in an EUV lithographic apparatus and the use of a three-dimensional template in the production of a pellicle.

Description

Porous graphite pellicle

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims priority to european application 17202767.4 filed on 21/11/2017, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a pellicle for a lithographic apparatus, the use of a pellicle manufactured according to said manufacturing method, the use of a three-dimensional template for manufacturing a pellicle for a lithographic apparatus, and a pellicle for a lithographic apparatus.

Background

A lithographic apparatus is a machine that is configured to apply a desired pattern onto a substrate. Lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of Integrated Circuits (ICs). The lithographic apparatus may, for example, project a pattern from a patterning device (e.g., a mask) onto a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist) provided on the substrate.

The wavelength of radiation used by a lithographic apparatus to project a pattern onto a substrate determines the minimum size of features that can be formed on the substrate. Lithographic apparatus using EUV radiation (electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in the range of 4-20 nm) may be used to form features on a substrate that are smaller than conventional lithographic apparatus (which may, for example, use electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of 193 nm).

The lithographic apparatus includes a patterning device (e.g., a mask or reticle). The radiation is provided through or reflected from the patterning device to form an image on the substrate. A pellicle may be provided to protect the patterning device from airborne particles and other forms of contamination. Contaminants on the surface of the patterning device may cause manufacturing defects on the substrate.

A pellicle may also be provided for protecting optical components other than the patterning device. A pellicle may also be used to provide a path for lithographic radiation between regions of the lithographic apparatus that are sealed from each other. The pellicle may also be used as a filter, such as a spectral purity filter. Due to the sometimes harsh environment inside a lithographic apparatus, in particular an EUV lithographic apparatus, it is desirable that the pellicle exhibits excellent chemical and thermal stability.

Known pellicles may, for example, include free standing membranes such as silicon membranes, silicon nitride, graphene or graphene derivatives, carbon nanotubes, or other membrane materials. The mask assembly may include the pellicle that protects the patterning device (e.g., mask) from particle contaminants. The pellicle may be supported by a pellicle frame, thereby forming a pellicle assembly. The pellicle may be attached to the frame, for example by gluing a pellicle border region to the frame. The frame may be permanently or releasably attached to the patterning device.

During use, the temperature of the pellicle in the lithographic apparatus is increased to any temperature from about 500 ℃ up to 1000 ℃ or higher. These high temperatures can damage the pellicle, and so it is desirable to improve the heat dissipation means to reduce the operating temperature of the pellicle and improve the pellicle life.

It has been found that the lifetime of carbon-containing pellicles (such as pellicles comprising free-standing graphene diaphragms or other carbon-based diaphragms) may be limited, and that carbon-containing pellicles may suffer from certain disadvantages when used in a lithographic apparatus.

The graphene pellicle comprises one or more parallel thin graphene layers. Such a pellicle, for example, having a thickness of about 6nm to about 10nm, may exhibit a relatively high density. Due to the structure of such a graphene pellicle, the uniformity of EUV radiation transmitted through the pellicle is not substantially altered. However, depending on the way the graphene pellicle is manufactured, some graphene pellicles may have relatively low mechanical strength. Although graphene is one of the strongest (if not the strongest) materials known, the roughness on the surface of the graphene layer caused by the substrate from which the graphene pellicle is produced can negatively impact the strength of the pellicle. During pellicle use, the lithographic apparatus in which the pellicle is used may be flushed with a gas. Moreover, during exposure, the pellicle will experience a considerable thermal load from the EUV radiation. Stress changes in the pellicle induced by such factors can lead to damage to the pellicle if it is not strong enough. Pellicle film can damage and contaminate various components of the lithographic apparatus, which is undesirable.

Another type of carbon-containing pellicle is based on carbon nanotubes. This pellicle does not have the same dense, parallel layer structure as a multilayer graphene pellicle, but is formed from a network of reticulated carbon nanotubes. The boundaries of carbon nanotube-based pellicles are less well defined than the boundaries of multi-layer graphene pellicles, and carbon nanotubes may alter the uniformity of the radiation beam passing through the pellicles, for example, due to scattering. This is undesirable because the uniformity variations of the radiation beam can be reflected in the final product. In case the lithography machine requires extremely high precision, even small differences in the uniformity of the radiation beam can lead to reduced exposure performance. However, the carbon nanotube-based pellicle has the benefits of: the pellicle is strong and therefore can meet the strength requirements for use in lithographic apparatus.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method for producing a carbon-containing pellicle that is strong enough to be used in a lithographic apparatus (such as an EUV lithographic apparatus), has a high EUV transmittance, for example, above 90%, and does not adversely affect the uniformity of the radiation beam passing through the pellicle.

Although the present application generally relates to a pellicle in the context of a lithographic apparatus (in particular an EUV lithographic apparatus), the present invention is not limited to a pellicle and a lithographic apparatus only, it being understood that the subject matter of the present invention may be used in any other suitable apparatus or situation.

For example, the method of the present invention is equally applicable to spectral purity filters. Indeed, EUV sources, such as those that generate EUV radiation using a plasma, emit not only the desired "in-band" EUV radiation, but also undesired (out-of-band) radiation. This out-of-band radiation is most notably in the deep uv (duv) radiation range (from 100 to 400 nanometers). Furthermore, in the case of some EUV sources (e.g., laser produced plasma EUV sources), the radiation from the laser (e.g., at 10.6 microns) may be a source of significant out-of-band radiation (e.g., IR radiation).

In a lithographic apparatus, spectral purity may be desirable for several reasons. One reason is that resist is sensitive to out-of-band wavelengths of radiation, and thus, if the resist is exposed to such out-of-band radiation, the image quality of the exposure pattern applied to the resist may deteriorate. Furthermore, out-of-band radiation (e.g., infrared radiation in some laser-produced plasma sources) causes unwanted and unnecessary heating of the patterning device, substrate and optics within the lithographic apparatus. Such heating may result in damage to these elements, degradation of their useful life, and/or defects or distortions in the pattern projected onto and applied to the resist-coated substrate.

The spectral purity filter may be used as a pellicle, which may also be used as a spectral purity filter. Thus, references to "pellicle" in this application are also references to "spectral purity filter". Although reference is made in this application primarily to a pellicle, all features are equally applicable to spectral purity filters.

In a lithographic apparatus (and/or method), it is desirable to minimize the loss of intensity of the radiation used to apply the pattern to the resist-coated substrate. One reason for this is that: ideally, as much radiation as possible should be available to apply the pattern to the substrate, for example to reduce exposure time and increase throughput. At the same time, it is desirable to minimize the amount of undesired radiation (e.g., out-of-band radiation) that passes through the lithographic apparatus and is incident on the substrate. Furthermore, it is desirable to ensure that a pellicle for use in a lithographic method or apparatus has a sufficient lifetime that it does not rapidly degrade over time due to the high thermal load to which it may be exposed and/or the hydrogen to which it may be exposed (and the like, such as free radical species, including H and HO). It is therefore desirable to provide an improved (or alternative) pellicle, and for example to provide a pellicle suitable for use in a lithographic apparatus and/or method.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made in view of the known method of manufacturing a pellicle and the aforementioned problems of the known pellicle.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a pellicle for a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising: growing the pellicle in a three-dimensional template material.

Known carbon-based films are currently actually based on solid layered two-dimensional materials. For example, a graphene pellicle includes a plurality of graphene layers. Similarly, silicon pellicles are fabricated on solid silicon wafers, which may or may not be coated with other protective cap layer materials, such as metals. Thus, these pellicle materials grow as a layer on the surface, which is two-dimensional and solid; or have very small voids therein (i.e., low porosity). Carbon nanotube-based pellicles, on the other hand, comprise a disordered network of carbon nanotubes having a substantial void space within them, but are disordered, which negatively affects the uniformity of the radiation beam passing through due to scattering. It is desirable to provide a pellicle having a regular and well-defined three-dimensional structure.

It has been found that producing a pellicle within a three-dimensional template provides a pellicle with a regular and well-defined three-dimensional structure. The structure of the pellicle produced according to the method of the invention is also porous, as is the case with carbon nanotube pellicles, but has a more regular and well defined three-dimensional structure that provides sufficient strength for use in a lithographic apparatus and flexibility to accommodate changes in temperature and stress on the pellicle. It has been surprisingly found that the resulting pellicle has an acceptable EUV transmittance of greater than 90% and does not adversely affect the uniformity of the radiation beam passing therethrough.

The three-dimensional template may be a zeolite. Zeolites are microporous aluminosilicate materials that are commonly used as adsorbents and catalysts. These zeolites have a regular internal pore structure that small molecules can enter.

The zeolite may be any suitable zeolite, for example, zeolite A, zeolite β, mordenite, zeolite Y, or chabazite, which are the most commonly used and readily available zeolites, but it will be appreciated that other zeolites are also considered suitable for the present invention.

The zeolite may be a modified zeolite. The modified zeolite may comprise a zeolite that has been doped with a suitable material. Suitable materials include one or more of lanthanum, zinc, molybdenum, yttrium, calcium, tungsten, vanadium, titanium, niobium, chromium, tantalum, and hafnium. It has been surprisingly found that by doping the zeolite with one or more of these elements, the temperature at which carbonization can occur within the pores of the zeolite is reduced. Doping can be by any suitable means, such as ion exchange. For example, sodium ions in the zeolite may be exchanged with lanthanum ions.

The method comprises providing a carbon source, preferably a gaseous carbon source. The carbon source may be delivered into the material of the three-dimensional template. Because the three-dimensional template includes an internal network of pores, the carbon source material is able to penetrate into the three-dimensional template.

The carbon source may be a saturated or unsaturated C1 to C4 hydrocarbon. It is possible to use hydrocarbons with more than 4 carbon atoms, but the adsorption process is slow because these hydrocarbons are liquid at ambient temperature. Of course, longer chain hydrocarbons may be used if absorption into the three-dimensional template occurs at a temperature above ambient. The hydrocarbons are preferably straight chain.

Examples of suitable carbon sources include methane, ethane, ethylene, acetylene, propane, propylene, propadiene, propyne, butane, butene, butadiene, butatriene, and butyne. Since the carbon source is intended primarily for supplying carbon, the use of unsaturated hydrocarbons is preferred, as these unsaturated hydrocarbons have a favorable carbon to hydrogen ratio and are more reactive than saturated hydrocarbons. For example, the preferred carbon source is acetylene, because acetylene is the most reactive and also small, and therefore can readily diffuse into the three-dimensional template.

The method may include heating the three-dimensional template material up to a first temperature to carbonize the carbon source. Once the carbon source has been delivered into the interior pores of the three-dimensional template, heating the material carbonizes the carbon source. The carbonization process is enhanced by the aforementioned doping of the three-dimensional material with metal ions. The metal ions are selected because they form strong carbide bonds. Without doping, the temperatures required to carbonize the carbon source are much greater, resulting in carbon formation only on the surface of the three-dimensional template and not formation of a carbon-containing network that substantially corresponds to the internal pore structure of the three-dimensional material containing the carbon source.

The first temperature may be from about 350 ℃ to about 800 ℃, preferably about 650 ℃. Without doping, temperatures in excess of 800 ℃ are required for carbonization.

The three-dimensional material may then be heated to a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature. The second temperature may be about 850 ℃ or higher. Heating to the higher second temperature causes the carbon to become more highly ordered and, therefore, stronger.

Once the heating has been completed, the carbonaceous pellicle is recovered or recovered (retrieve) by dissolving the three-dimensional template. Where the three-dimensional template is a zeolite, the zeolite may be dissolved by exposure to a strong acid, such as hydrochloric acid or hydrofluoric acid, and may be subsequently exposed to a hot basic solution, such as sodium hydroxide. The exact method for dissolving the zeolite is not limited to the examples given, and any suitable method of dissolving the zeolite while leaving a carbonaceous pellicle may be used.

The three-dimensional material can be prepared from a silicon wafer by known means. Preferably, the silicon wafer is monocrystalline silicon. Preparation from a silicon wafer allows control of the exact thickness and properties of the zeolite. Thus, different zeolites can be prepared, some of which have larger pores and others of which have smaller pores, depending on the exact nature of the desired pellicle.

A portion of the surface of the silicon wafer may be converted to a zeolite material, or a zeolite material may be prepared on the surface of the silicon wafer. Two techniques are known in the prior art. The thickness of the zeolite may be from about 50nm to about 150nm, from about 80nm to about 120nm, preferably about 100 nm. If the zeolite is too thin, the thickness of the resulting pellicle may not be sufficient to have the necessary strength for use in an EUV lithographic apparatus. On the other hand, if the zeolite is too thick, the resulting pellicle may be too thick and have an undesirably low EUV transmittance, such as (for example) less than 90%. The exact thickness of the pellicle can be achieved by removing material from the pellicle until the desired thickness is met.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided the use of a three-dimensional template in the manufacture of a pellicle.

As described above, currently known pellicle is manufactured by forming a two-dimensional layer on a surface. There is no known pellicle generated inside the three-dimensional template. The use of a three-dimensional template allows the formation of a pellicle with a very regular and predictable structure. The resulting pellicle is stronger than existing graphene pellicles and does not cause unwanted diffraction or scattering of the radiation beam as is the case with carbon nanotube based pellicles.

The three-dimensional template may be any of the zeolites described in relation to the first aspect of the invention.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a three-dimensional template for use in the manufacture of a pellicle.

Preferably, the pellicle is a carbon-containing pellicle.

Preferably, the three-dimensional template is a zeolite as described in relation to the first aspect of the invention.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a pellicle having a three-dimensional structure which substantially corresponds to the internal pore structure of the zeolite. The pellicle is preferably carbon-containing.

Since there is no known pellicle manufactured using a three-dimensional template, there is no known pellicle having a three-dimensional structure substantially corresponding to the internal pore structure of the zeolite. As described above, this provides a pellicle that is stronger and does not interfere with the uniformity of the radiation beam passing through the pellicle.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a pellicle for a lithographic apparatus, obtainable or obtainable by a method according to the first aspect of the invention.

Due to the limitations of known methods of making pellicles and the absence of any pellicles made using three-dimensional templates, there has heretofore been no way to make pellicles that are strong enough to be used in a lithographic apparatus with a regular three-dimensional ordering.

According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided a use of a pellicle in a lithographic apparatus, the pellicle being manufactured by a method according to the first aspect or the pellicle being according to the fourth or fifth aspect of the invention.

In summary, the method of the invention allows the manufacture of a pellicle, in particular a carbon-containing pellicle, suitable for use in an EUV lithographic apparatus. It has not previously been possible to make such a pellicle. The pellicle manufactured according to the method of the invention is able to withstand the high temperatures reached when the pellicle is in use, and is also able to withstand mechanical forces on the pellicle that may damage known pellicles during use of the lithographic apparatus. Furthermore, a pellicle having a regular three-dimensional structure means that the uniformity of the radiation beam is not adversely affected as it passes through the pellicle. It is believed that the three-dimensional structure substantially corresponding to the internal pore structure of the zeolite provides a pellicle as follows: which is strong enough to be used in a lithographic apparatus and which is flexible enough to withstand any temperature and/or pressure changes during use.

The invention will now be described with reference to a carbonaceous pellicle formed within the pore structure of the zeolite. It should be understood, however, that the present invention is not limited to pellicle films, and that the present invention is equally applicable to spectral purity filters. In addition, the present invention can also be used in charge storage devices, such as batteries or capacitors, due to the high surface area of the resulting material. Thus, although the methods, uses and products are described in the context of pellicle and lithography, it will be appreciated that such methods, uses and products may also be used in the manufacture of components for batteries and capacitors.

Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a lithographic system comprising a lithographic apparatus and a radiation source according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a lithography system according to an embodiment of the invention comprising a pellicle 15 according to the fourth and fifth aspects of the invention or a pellicle 15 manufactured according to the method of the first aspect of the invention. The lithographic system comprises a radiation source SO and a lithographic apparatus LA. The radiation source SO is configured to generate a beam B of Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) radiation. The lithographic apparatus LA comprises: an illumination system IL, a support structure MT configured to support a patterning device MA (e.g. a mask), a projection system PS and a substrate table WT configured to support a substrate W. The illumination system IL is configured to condition the radiation beam B before it is incident on the patterning device MA. The projection system is configured to project a radiation beam B (now patterned through mask MA) onto a substrate W. The substrate W may include a previously formed pattern. In this case, the lithographic apparatus aligns the patterned radiation beam B with a pattern previously formed on the substrate W. In such an embodiment, the pellicle 15 is depicted in the path of the radiation and protects the patterning device MA. It will be appreciated that the pellicle 15 may be positioned in any desired position and may be used to protect any of the mirrors in the lithographic apparatus.

The source SO, the illumination system IL, and the projection system PS can all be constructed and arranged SO that they can be isolated from the external environment. A gas (e.g. hydrogen) at a pressure below atmospheric pressure may be provided in the radiation source SO. A vacuum may be provided in the illumination system IL and/or the projection system PS. A small amount of gas, e.g. hydrogen, at a pressure substantially below atmospheric pressure may be provided in the illumination system IL and/or the projection system PS.

The radiation source SO shown in fig. 1 is of a type that may be referred to as a Laser Produced Plasma (LPP) source. Laser 1 (which may be, for example, CO)₂A laser) is arranged to deposit energy into the fuel, such as tin (Sn) provided from a fuel emitter 3, via a laser beam 2. Although tin is mentioned in the following description, any suitable fuel may be used. The fuel may for example be in liquid form and may for example be a metal or an alloy. The fuel emitter 3 may comprise a nozzle configured to direct tin, for example in the form of droplets, along a trajectory towards the plasma formation zone 4. The laser beam 2 is incident on the tin at the plasma formation zone 4. Laser energy is deposited into the tin, creating a plasma 7 at the plasma formation region 4. During deenergization and recombination of ions of the plasma, radiation comprising EUV radiation is emitted from the plasma 7.

EUV radiation is collected and focused by a near normal incidence radiation collector 5 (sometimes more generally referred to as a normal incidence radiation collector). The collector 5 may have a multilayer structure arranged to reflect EUV radiation (e.g. EUV radiation having a desired wavelength such as 13.5 nm). The collector 5 may have an elliptical configuration with two elliptical foci. The first focus may be at the plasma formation region 4 and the second focus may be at the intermediate focus 6, as described below.

The laser 1 may be separate from the radiation source SO. In this case, the laser beam 2 may be delivered from the laser 1 to the radiation source SO by means of a beam delivery system (not shown) comprising, for example, suitable directing mirrors and/or a beam expander, and/or other optics. The laser 1 and the radiation source SO may together be considered a radiation system.

The radiation reflected by the collector 5 forms a radiation beam B. The radiation beam B is focused at location 6 to form an image of the plasma formation region 4, which serves as a virtual radiation source for the illumination system IL. The spot 6 at which the radiation beam B is focused may be referred to as an intermediate focus. The radiation source SO is arranged such that the intermediate focus 6 is located at or near the opening 8 in the enclosing structure 9 of the radiation source.

The radiation beam B passes from the radiation source SO into the illumination system IL, which is configured to condition the radiation beam. The illumination system IL may comprise a facet field mirror device 10 and a facet pupil mirror device 11. The faceted field mirror device 10 and the faceted pupil mirror device 11 together provide the radiation beam B with a desired cross-sectional shape and a desired angular distribution. The radiation beam B passes from the illumination system IL and is incident on the patterning device MA, which is held by the support structure MT. The patterning device MA reflects and patterns the radiation beam B. The illumination system IL may comprise other mirrors or devices in addition to the facet field mirror device 10 and the facet pupil mirror device 11 or instead of the facet field mirror device 10 and the facet pupil mirror device 11.

After reflection from the patterning device MA, the patterned radiation beam B enters the projection system PS. The projection system comprises a plurality of

mirrors

13, 14 configured to project the radiation beam B onto a substrate W held by the substrate table WT. The projection system PS may apply a reduction factor to the radiation beam to form an image having features smaller than corresponding features on the patterning device MA. For example, a reduction factor of 4 may be applied. Although the projection system PS has two

mirrors

13, 14 in fig. 1, the projection system may comprise any number of mirrors (e.g. six mirrors).

The radiation source SO shown in fig. 1 may comprise components not shown. For example, a spectral filter may be provided in the radiation source. The spectral filter may be substantially transmissive for EUV radiation but substantially blocking radiation of other wavelengths, such as infrared radiation.

In an exemplary method according to the invention, a three-dimensional template in the form of a zeolite is provided. This may have been formed on the basis of a silicon wafer or by any other suitable means. An exemplary zeolite is zeolite-Y, wherein at least a portion of the sodium ions have been ion exchanged with lanthanum ions via ion exchange. A carbon source comprising acetylene gas is passed through the zeolite, allowing the acetylene gas to diffuse into the interior pores of the zeolite. The zeolite is heated to about 650 ℃ so as to carbonize the acetylene gas and form a carbon structure within the zeolite, which carbon structure substantially corresponds to the internal structure of the zeolite. After this, the zeolite was heated to about 850 ℃ to provide a more highly ordered carbonaceous pellicle. The zeolite is then dissolved by dissolving in hydrofluoric acid in order to recover the pellicle.

In this way, it is possible to control the structure of the resulting pellicle and to use different zeolites with different sizes to modify the exact structure of the pellicle. The resulting pellicle has an EUV transmittance of greater than 90%, which is strong enough to be used in a lithographic apparatus.

The term "EUV radiation" may be considered to include electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in the range 4-20nm, for example in the range 13-14 nm. The EUV radiation may have a wavelength of less than 10nm, for example a wavelength in the range 4-10nm, such as a wavelength of 6.7nm or 6.8 nm.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be appreciated that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as described. The above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Thus, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the invention as described without departing from the scope of the claims set out below.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a pellicle for a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising: growing the pellicle in a three-dimensional template.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the template is a zeolite.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the zeolite is selected from zeolite a, zeolite β, mordenite, zeolite Y, ZSM-5, and chabazite.

4. A process according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the zeolite is a modified zeolite.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the modified zeolite comprises a zeolite doped with one or more of lanthanum, zinc, molybdenum, yttrium, calcium, tungsten, vanadium, titanium, niobium, chromium, tantalum, and hafnium.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, the method comprising: providing a carbon source and allowing the carbon source to pass into the material of the three-dimensional template.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the gaseous carbon source comprises at least one saturated or unsaturated C1 to C4 hydrocarbon.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the gaseous carbon source comprises at least one of methane, ethane, ethylene, acetylene, propane, propylene, propadiene, propyne, butane, butene, butadiene, a butatriene and a butyne, preferably acetylene.

9. The method of any one of claims 6-8, wherein the method comprises heating the three-dimensional template to a first temperature to carbonize the carbon source.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first temperature is from about 350 ℃ to about 800 ℃.

11. The method of claim 9 or 10, wherein the three-dimensional template is heated to a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second temperature is about 850 ℃.

13. The method of any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the three-dimensional template is dissolved to release a carbon-containing pellicle.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the three-dimensional template is dissolved by exposing it to a strong acid, preferably hydrofluoric acid or hydrochloric acid, optionally followed by exposure to a hot basic solution, such as sodium hydroxide.

15. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the three-dimensional template is produced by using a silicon wafer, preferably monocrystalline silicon.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the silicon wafer is converted to zeolite, or wherein a zeolite film is deposited on the surface of the silicon wafer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the thickness of the zeolite is from about 50nm to about 150nm, preferably from about 80nm to about 120nm, most preferably about 100 nm.

18. The method of any one of claims 5 to 17, wherein the zeolite is doped via ion exchange.

19. Use of a three-dimensional template in the manufacture of a pellicle, preferably a carbon-containing pellicle.

20. The use of claim 19, wherein the three-dimensional template is a zeolite.

21. Use according to claim 20, wherein the zeolite is a modified zeolite which has been doped with one or more of lanthanum, zinc, molybdenum, yttrium, calcium, tungsten, vanadium, titanium, niobium, chromium, tantalum and hafnium.

22. A three-dimensional template for use in the manufacture of a pellicle, wherein the template comprises a zeolite, preferably wherein the pellicle is a carbon-containing pellicle.

23. The three-dimensional template of claim 22, wherein the zeolite is doped with one or more of lanthanum, zinc, molybdenum, yttrium, calcium, tungsten, vanadium, titanium, niobium, chromium, tantalum, and hafnium.

24. A pellicle having a three-dimensional structure which substantially corresponds to the internal pore structure of a zeolite.

25. The pellicle of claim 24, wherein the pellicle is carbon-containing.

26. A pellicle for a lithographic apparatus, the pellicle being obtainable by a method according to any one of claims 1 to 18 or obtained by a method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

27. Use of a pellicle manufactured by a method according to any of claims 1 to 18, or a pellicle according to any of claims 24 to 26 in a lithographic apparatus.