CN116661258A - Vacuum system for lithography machine and lithography machine - Google Patents
Vacuum system for lithography machine and lithography machine Download PDFInfo
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- CN116661258A CN116661258A CN202310652656.0A CN202310652656A CN116661258A CN 116661258 A CN116661258 A CN 116661258A CN 202310652656 A CN202310652656 A CN 202310652656A CN 116661258 A CN116661258 A CN 116661258A
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- 238000001459 lithography Methods 0.000 title claims description 50
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 397
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 68
- 238000001259 photo etching Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 53
- 238000005086 pumping Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 31
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 20
- 230000005514 two-phase flow Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 15
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 claims description 69
- 238000007654 immersion Methods 0.000 claims description 39
- 230000008859 change Effects 0.000 claims description 15
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 11
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 claims description 10
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 claims description 10
- IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N Atomic nitrogen Chemical compound N#N IJGRMHOSHXDMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 8
- 238000007599 discharging Methods 0.000 claims description 6
- 239000002699 waste material Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 229910052757 nitrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000001133 acceleration Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000013016 damping Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000009471 action Effects 0.000 description 13
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 description 9
- 238000000671 immersion lithography Methods 0.000 description 6
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 6
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 5
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 4
- 239000000243 solution Substances 0.000 description 4
- 230000001502 supplementing effect Effects 0.000 description 4
- 239000012498 ultrapure water Substances 0.000 description 4
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000003139 buffering effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000001419 dependent effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000012423 maintenance Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000012071 phase Substances 0.000 description 3
- 230000004044 response Effects 0.000 description 3
- 239000007864 aqueous solution Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000000605 extraction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000007791 liquid phase Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 229920002120 photoresistant polymer Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 229910021642 ultra pure water Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicon Chemical compound [Si] XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000005452 bending Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000009286 beneficial effect Effects 0.000 description 1
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Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
- G03F7/00—Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
- G03F7/70—Microphotolithographic exposure; Apparatus therefor
- G03F7/708—Construction of apparatus, e.g. environment aspects, hygiene aspects or materials
- G03F7/70808—Construction details, e.g. housing, load-lock, seals or windows for passing light in or out of apparatus
- G03F7/70841—Constructional issues related to vacuum environment, e.g. load-lock chamber
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
- G03F7/00—Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
- G03F7/20—Exposure; Apparatus therefor
- G03F7/2041—Exposure; Apparatus therefor in the presence of a fluid, e.g. immersion; using fluid cooling means
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- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
- G03F7/00—Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
- G03F7/70—Microphotolithographic exposure; Apparatus therefor
- G03F7/70216—Mask projection systems
- G03F7/70341—Details of immersion lithography aspects, e.g. exposure media or control of immersion liquid supply
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
- Y02P70/50—Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
Abstract
The vacuum system for the photoetching machine and the photoetching machine are provided, wherein at least one gas-liquid separation device comprises a vacuum tank which is of a sealing structure, wherein the vacuum tank contains liquid with a first liquid level and gas positioned above the liquid, a pumping pipeline is communicated with the vacuum tank to introduce gas-liquid two-phase flow from the photoetching machine, and a pump is communicated with the vacuum tank to pump the gas in the vacuum tank; at least one liquid sealing device which contains the liquid with the second liquid level of constant height, the liquid sealing device is in liquid communication with the vacuum tank via the liquid guiding pipeline to form a communicating vessel, the liquid sealing device is internally provided with constant air pressure, and the pump controls the air pressure in the vacuum tank and simultaneously controls the liquid level in the vacuum tank. The system is a single-row system, and the pump controls the air pressure in the vacuum tank and simultaneously controls the liquid level in the vacuum tank, and has high reliability and precision.
Description
Technical Field
The application relates to the technical field of lithography machines, in particular to a vacuum system for a lithography machine and the lithography machine.
Background
The photoetching technology is to copy the designed circuit pattern onto the silicon chip by utilizing the photochemical reaction characteristic of photoresist, and is an extremely important technology in the chip manufacturing process. Immersion lithography, also known as wet lithography, is modified based on conventional dry lithography by filling a layer of immersion liquid between the lower surface of the final projection objective and the photoresist on the wafer to increase the refractive index of the entire optical path. The immersion liquid is typically high purity water. The immersion fluid field formed by the high-purity water replaces the corresponding air in the traditional dry photoetching technology, and as the refractive index (1.44) of the ultrapure water is larger than that (1.00) of the air, the numerical aperture of the lens group is increased, and the smaller characteristic line width is further obtained.
In order to maintain the optical consistency and transparency of immersion liquid and ensure the exposure quality of an immersion lithography machine, a technical route adopted at present is to continuously update an immersion liquid flow field in real time. The immersion liquid supplied to the immersion liquid flow field carries chemicals, heat, very small bubbles and other pollutants away from the immersion liquid flow field, so that the immersion liquid in the immersion liquid flow field is ensured to be always in a pure state. And a vacuum system is adopted at the immersion liquid outflow end for pumping, and the recovered immersion liquid of the pumping flow is a gas-liquid two-phase flow. To avoid negative effects on lithography due to fluctuations in vacuum, the vacuum level of the pump needs to be kept highly stable. Meanwhile, the vibration of the vacuum system is required to be as small as possible, and the vibration of the vacuum system is prevented from being transmitted to the photoetching machine as much as possible. To achieve this goal, the vacuum system of an immersion lithography machine tends to be complex in process and requires high accuracy and immediate responsiveness of control. The vacuum system of the lithographic apparatus is therefore generally costly and complex to operate.
In the prior art, a pumping system is arranged in two paths of gas and liquid, and a complex and accurate control system is respectively configured, namely, the pumping systems are double pumping systems. Patent CN101794081B by ASML discloses a vacuum system for immersion lithography, wherein the pumping device comprises a first pump for pumping gas from the tank and a second pump for pumping liquid from the tank. To minimize any pressure fluctuations transmitted back from the vacuum system to the fluid within the implement, the pressure control system maintains a substantially constant pressure within the tank by adjusting the amount of liquid and gas within the tank. Patent CN112684675B of kel's machine electric discloses a vacuum system and an immersion lithography machine using the vacuum system, comprising a gas-liquid separation tank, a vacuum source; the upper part of the gas-liquid separation tank is led out of a first flow path, the lower part of the gas-liquid separation tank is led out of a second flow path, and the first flow path and the second flow path are communicated with a vacuum source after being converged and communicated; the first flow path is provided with a first control valve; the gas-liquid separation tank is also connected with the output end of the vacuum pressure; the vacuum source allows for evacuation of the liquid two-phase flow.
In the prior art, in order to maintain the height of the liquid level in the vacuum tank to be constant, a liquid pumping and discharging pump is required, and precise liquid level control is required. In order to maintain a high stability of the gas pressure in the vacuum tank, a gas pump is required and precise gas pressure control is required. And respectively sucking gas and liquid phases in the vacuum tank. The liquid level of the liquid and the pressure of the gas in the vacuum tank are two variables which are mutually influenced, and meanwhile, the two variables are also influenced by other factors, such as gas-liquid two-phase outflow from the photoetching machine end to the vacuum system end, and parameters of outflow liquid change at any time; such as liquid extraction volume and immersion liquid outflow volume, etc., which dynamically change over time. Therefore, under the condition that a plurality of variables change at any time, the constant liquid level and the stable gas pressure in the vacuum tank are realized at the same time, the technical difficulty is great, and the process is complex and difficult to control.
The above information disclosed in the background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the application and therefore may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.
Disclosure of Invention
The application aims to provide a vacuum system for a photoetching machine and the photoetching machine, wherein only a gas path pumping and exhausting system is arranged, liquid flows out through gravity after being guided, and the vacuum system for the photoetching machine is a single pumping and exhausting system, so that the defects of complex process flow, more high-precision equipment and automatic control devices are arranged and the cost is high in the prior art are overcome. The vacuum system for the photoetching machine has the advantages that the process flow is simpler, the number of high-precision equipment and automatic control devices to be equipped is greatly reduced, the control difficulty of the formed single-row system is reduced, the control reliability is enhanced, and the control precision is improved.
In order to achieve the above object, the present application provides the following technical solutions:
the vacuum system for the photoetching machine comprises:
at least one gas-liquid separation device comprising,
a vacuum tank having a sealed structure, the vacuum tank containing a liquid having a first liquid level and a gas located above the liquid,
a pumping pipeline which is communicated with the vacuum tank to lead in gas-liquid two-phase flow from the photoetching machine,
a pump communicating with the vacuum tank to suck the gas therein;
at least one liquid sealing device, liquid sealing device holds the liquid of the second liquid level that has invariable height, liquid sealing device is through liquid water conservancy diversion pipeline liquid intercommunication vacuum tank in order to constitute the intercommunication ware, have invariable atmospheric pressure in the liquid sealing device, the pump control vacuum tank internal atmospheric pressure and realize controlling the liquid level in the vacuum tank simultaneously.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, the air pressure change in the vacuum tank and the liquid level change from the first liquid level to the bottom of the vacuum tank are in a linear relation.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, the vacuum tank is provided with the air pressure P, and the liquid sealing device is provided with the constant air pressure P which is larger than the air pressure P 0 。
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, the first liquid level and the second liquid level are provided with a height difference H, and the second liquid level and the bottom of the vacuum tank are provided with a height difference H 0 The liquid level from the first liquid level to the bottom of the vacuum tank is H 0 The linear relation between the air pressure P and the liquid level from the first liquid level to the bottom of the vacuum tank is: p= (P) 0 +ρgH 0 )-ρg(H 0 +h), where ρ is the liquid density in the vacuum tank and g is the gravitational acceleration.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, the gas-liquid separation device also comprises,
a pressure sensor for measuring air pressure data in the vacuum tank,
and the controller is connected with the pressure sensor and the pump, responds to the air pressure data measured by the pressure sensor, and sends a control signal to the pump so as to control the air pressure in the vacuum tank and simultaneously realize the control of the liquid level in the vacuum tank.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, the gas-liquid separation device further comprises a control valve which is arranged between the pump and the vacuum tank and used for controlling the gas flow rate, and the control valve is connected with the controller.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, the control valve receives a flow rate instruction from the controller to complete at least one adjusting action in a period that the pump performs one gas pumping action.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, the liquid sealing device further comprises an overflow mechanism flush with the second liquid level, and when the liquid in the liquid sealing device is increased, the excessive liquid is led out through the overflow mechanism, so that the second liquid level is at a constant height.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, the vacuum tank is used for introducing gas-liquid two-phase flow from the photoetching machine through the pumping and draining pipeline, so that the first liquid level is increased, the air pressure in the vacuum tank is increased, liquid in the vacuum tank is driven to flow into the liquid sealing device through the liquid guiding pipeline, and then excessive liquid is led out through the overflow mechanism, so that the second liquid level is at a constant height, and automatic balance and compensation of the liquid level in the vacuum tank and the air pressure in the vacuum tank are realized.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, the overflow mechanism comprises an overflow pipe, the top end of the overflow pipe is flush with the second liquid level, and the bottom end of the overflow pipe is provided with a liquid discharge interface for discharging redundant liquid based on gravity.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, the liquid sealing device comprises,
a lower sealing cover is arranged on the lower sealing cover,
a liquid-sealed outer tub sealingly supported by the lower seal cover, the liquid-sealed outer tub containing a liquid having a second liquid level of a constant height,
an overflow inner barrel which is arranged in the liquid seal outer barrel, the top end of the overflow inner barrel is flush with the second liquid level, the bottom end of the overflow inner barrel penetrates through the lower sealing cover and is externally connected with a liquid discharge pipeline,
the upper sealing cover is covered on the top end of the liquid seal outer barrel and is provided with an atmospheric pressure balance interface connected with atmosphere, and the atmospheric pressure balance interface is in gas communication with the liquid seal outer barrel.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, the air pressure balance interface is externally connected with an air pressure balance pipeline, and the air pressure balance pipeline is a U-shaped bend with a downward opening.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, the air pressure balance interface is communicated with the atmosphere, so that the constant air pressure of the liquid seal device is the atmospheric pressure.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, a pneumatic balance interface is connected with compressed air or clean nitrogen, and a gas pressure sensor and a gas supplementing control valve are arranged on a liquid sealing device to assist in balancing the liquid level and the gas pressure in a vacuum tank and controlling the liquid discharge.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, the liquid sealing device is provided with a pure water supplementing device for supplementing pure water to the liquid sealing outer barrel so as to assist in balancing the liquid level and the gas pressure in the vacuum tank.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, the liquid discharge pipeline comprises an air trap.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, a liquid discharge pipeline is connected into a waste liquid PDS pipeline of the photoetching machine through an externally-guided flexible pipeline.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, the calibers of the air pressure balance interface, the liquid discharge pipeline and the liquid diversion pipeline are related to the maximum liquid inflow instantaneous second flow value of the pumping pipeline.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, the liquid volume in the vacuum tank is at least two orders of magnitude larger than the maximum liquid inflow instantaneous second flow value of the pumping pipeline, so that the liquid level fluctuation amplitude caused by the newly-entered liquid volume meets the requirement of the vacuum overall stability.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, the relative height of the liquid sealing device and the vacuum tank is unchanged.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, a plurality of gas-liquid separation devices are connected in series, in parallel or in series-parallel, and a plurality of liquid sealing devices are connected in series, in parallel or in series-parallel.
In the vacuum system for the photoetching machine, a vibration reduction layer is arranged on the outer wall of the vacuum tank.
A lithographic apparatus includes the vacuum system for a lithographic apparatus.
The photoetching machine is an immersion photoetching machine.
In the technical scheme, the application provides a photoetching machineThe vacuum system and the photoetching machine have the following beneficial effects: a vacuum system for a lithography machine uses a liquid seal device to enable the pressure P in a vacuum tank and the liquid level (H) in the vacuum tank 0 +H) forms a fixed association relation, and changes two parameters which need to be accurately controlled into one, so that the control difficulty is reduced, and the reliability of vacuum degree control is enhanced. The liquid of the liquid sealing device and the liquid in the vacuum tank are connected into a whole by utilizing the liquid guide pipeline to form a communicating vessel, for example, the gas pressure at the upper part of the liquid sealing device is balanced to be atmospheric pressure, so that the gravity outflow of the liquid is realized. Under the action of hydraulic power, the air pressure P in the vacuum tank and the liquid level (H) 0 +H) has better instant automatic balancing and compensation function, and the reliability of the stable operation of the vacuum system is stronger.
The system utilizes enough immersion liquid volume in the vacuum tank to buffer the impact of the immersion liquid to the liquid level, and has high liquid space buffering capacity and effectively weakens the fluctuation of the liquid level. The system does not need to be provided with a complex liquid pumping and draining system, namely, a liquid pumping and draining pump, a liquid control valve and a liquid level control system. Therefore, the cost and control difficulty and complexity of the system are greatly reduced compared with the vacuum system of the existing immersion lithography machine. The system does not need to be provided with a liquid pump, and compared with the traditional technical route, the system reduces a vibration source. Therefore, compared with the traditional technical route, the system has less influence on the vibration of the photoetching machine. The system has the advantages of reduced process complexity, reduced maintenance difficulty, and less maintenance workload.
Drawings
In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for the embodiments will be briefly described below, and it is apparent that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments described in the present application, and other drawings may be obtained according to these drawings for a person having ordinary skill in the art.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vacuum system for a lithography machine according to an embodiment of the present application.
Detailed Description
For the purpose of making the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application more apparent, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application, and it is apparent that the described embodiments are some embodiments of the present application, but not all embodiments. All other embodiments, based on the embodiments of the application, which are apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without inventive faculty, are intended to be within the scope of the application.
Thus, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the application, as presented in the figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the application, as claimed, but is merely representative of selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments, based on the embodiments of the application, which are apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without inventive faculty, are intended to be within the scope of the application.
It should be noted that: like reference numerals and letters denote like items in the following figures, and thus once an item is defined in one figure, no further definition or explanation thereof is necessary in the following figures.
In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings are merely for convenience in describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the apparatus or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be configured and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the present application.
Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and the like, are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying a relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defining "a first" or "a second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more such feature. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more, unless explicitly defined otherwise.
In the present application, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," "secured," and the like are to be construed broadly, and may be, for example, fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally formed; can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and can be communicated with the inside of two elements or the interaction relationship of the two elements. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art according to the specific circumstances.
In the present application, unless expressly stated or limited otherwise, a first feature "above" or "below" a second feature may include both the first and second features being in direct contact, as well as the first and second features not being in direct contact but being in contact with each other through additional features therebetween. Moreover, a first feature being "above," "over" and "on" a second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicating that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature being "under", "below" and "beneath" the second feature includes the first feature being directly under and obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is less level than the second feature.
In order to make the technical scheme of the present application better understood by those skilled in the art, the present application will be further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to fig. 1, in one embodiment, a vacuum system for a lithography machine of the present application includes,
at least one gas-liquid separation device 2, which comprises,
a vacuum tank 21 having a sealed structure, the vacuum tank 21 containing a liquid having a first liquid level and a gas located above the liquid,
a pump-out line 1 which communicates with the vacuum tank 21 to introduce a gas-liquid two-phase flow from the lithography machine,
a pump 24 that communicates with the vacuum tank 21 to suck the gas therein;
at least one liquid sealing device 3, the liquid sealing device 3 contains liquid with a second liquid level with constant height, the liquid sealing device 3 is in liquid communication with the vacuum tank 21 via a liquid guide pipeline 27 to form a communicating vessel, the liquid sealing device 3 has constant air pressure, and the pump 24 controls the air pressure in the vacuum tank 21 and simultaneously controls the liquid level in the vacuum tank 21.
A vacuum system for a lithography machine uses a liquid seal device 3 to make the air pressure P in a vacuum tank 21 and the liquid level (H) in the vacuum tank 21 0 +H) forms a fixed association relation, and changes two parameters which need to be accurately controlled into one, so that the control difficulty is reduced, and the reliability of vacuum degree control is enhanced. The liquid in the liquid seal outer barrel 31 and the liquid in the vacuum tank 21 are connected into a whole by utilizing a diversion pipeline to form a communicating vessel, and the gas pressure at the upper part of the balance liquid seal device 3 is atmospheric pressure, so that the gravity outflow of the liquid is realized. Under the action of hydraulic power, the air pressure P in the vacuum tank 21 and the liquid level (H) in the vacuum tank 21 0 +H) has better instant automatic balancing and compensating effects, the reliability of the stable operation of the vacuum system is stronger, only the air path pumping and discharging system is arranged, liquid flows out by gravity after being guided, and the system does not need to be provided with a complex liquid pumping and discharging system, namely, a liquid pumping and discharging pump, a liquid control valve and a liquid level control system. The system is provided with the liquid sealing device 3, and gravity outflow after the liquid overflows smoothly is realized by means of atmospheric pressure balance, so that the liquid outflow is more stable.
In one embodiment, vacuum tank 21 is configured to separate a liquid phase from a gas phase within a fluid received from a lithography machine. In this example, the fluid received from the tool comprises a gas-liquid two-phase flow of Clean Dry Air (CDA) and ultrapure water, whereby vacuum tank 21 contains any suitable material and/or structure for separating CDA from water. However, vacuum tank 21 may be configured to separate different gas-liquid two-phase streams received from the implement. For example, the liquid may comprise an aqueous solution or a non-aqueous solution, while the gas may not be CDA.
In one embodiment, the pump 24 is a suction pump, and further, the pump 24 is a pneumatic jet pump 24.
In one embodiment, the change in air pressure P within vacuum tank 21 caused by pumping by pump 24 is a dependent variable of the change in liquid level from the first liquid level to the bottom of vacuum tank 21. In the functional relation, the number changes with the change of another number, which is called a dependent variable. Such as: y=f (X). This formula is expressed as: y varies with X. Y is a dependent variable, i.e. the level change of the first liquid level to the bottom of the vacuum tank 21; x is an independent variable, i.e., the air pressure P in the vacuum tank 21 varies.
In one embodiment, the pressure change within vacuum tank 21 is linear with the level change from the first level to the bottom of vacuum tank 21. The air pressure balance interface 35 is externally connected with an air pressure balance pipeline and is connected to the atmosphere. Whereby the pressure of the gas space at the upper part of the liquid seal barrel is atmospheric pressure P 0 . Above the vacuum tank 21 is a gas separated from a gas and a liquid. The air pressure P in the vacuum tank 21 is lower than the atmospheric pressure P due to the suction action of the pump 24 such as a suction pump 0 . The liquid guide pipeline 27, preferably a flexible pipeline, is connected with the liquid in the liquid seal outer barrel 31 and is connected with the liquid in the vacuum tank 21 into a whole body to form a communicating vessel. In the equilibrium steady state, the air pressure P in the vacuum tank 21 is lower than the atmospheric pressure P 0 A height difference H is formed between the first liquid surface in the vacuum tank 21 and the second liquid surface at which the liquid seal device 3 overflows. The relevant parameters then conform to the following equation:
p=p0- ρgh (formula 1)
After the vacuum tank 21 and the liquid sealing device 3 are installed and fixed, the liquid sealing device 3 overflows the height difference H between the liquid level of the liquid level and the tank bottom of the vacuum tank 21 0 Is also fixed, i.e. H as defined above 0 The value of (2) is fixed.
Derived according to formula 1, p=p 0 -ρgH＝P 0 -ρg(H 0 +H-H 0 )＝(P 0 +ρgH 0 )-ρg(H 0 +h). Namely, p= (P 0 +ρgH 0 )-ρg(H 0 +h). (2)
In formula 2, the atmospheric pressure P 0 For a fixed value, the height difference H 0 Is a fixed value. The density ρ of the liquid in the vacuum tank 21 is relatively stable, and the impact of the instantaneous impact on the overall ρ value is extremely small, and the variation of ρ is extremely small. In the case of an instantaneous state of impact,the p value may be regarded as a constant value. According to the method 2, the air pressure P in the vacuum tank 21 and the liquid level (H) in the vacuum tank 21 0 A correlation is established between +H, and the liquid level (H) in the vacuum tank 21 0 +H) will vary with the variation of the air pressure P within the vacuum tank 21. When the air pressure P in the vacuum tank 21 is controlled to be constant, the liquid level (H) in the vacuum tank 21 0 +h) also remains in a continuously steady state. Thus, the air pressure P in the vacuum tank 21 is stably controlled, and the liquid level (H) in the vacuum tank 21 can be synchronously controlled 0 +h).
In one embodiment, the vacuum tank 21 has an air pressure P and the liquid seal 3 has a constant air pressure P greater than the air pressure P 0 . A height difference H is formed between the first liquid level and the second liquid level, and a height difference H is formed between the second liquid level and the bottom of the vacuum tank 21 0 The liquid level from the first liquid level to the bottom of the vacuum tank 21 is H 0 +h, the linear relationship of the air pressure P and the liquid level from the first liquid level to the bottom of the vacuum tank 21 is: p= (P) 0 +ρgH 0 )-ρg(H 0 +H), where ρ is the liquid density in the vacuum tank 21 and g is the gravitational acceleration.
The system uses two parameters which are independent and mutually influenced, namely the air pressure P in the vacuum tank 21 and the liquid level (H) in the vacuum tank 21 0 +H) form a fixed association, reducing the control variable. By controlling the air pressure P in the vacuum tank 21, control of the liquid level (H) in the vacuum tank 21 can be achieved at the same time 0 +h). The liquid pump and the matched complex liquid level control system are not required to be arranged. The liquid is discharged through gravity flow after being guided through the liquid sealing barrel, and the liquid is not pumped by a liquid pump.
In one embodiment, the gas-liquid separation device 2 further comprises,
a pressure sensor 25 for measuring air pressure data in the vacuum tank 21,
and a controller connected to the pressure sensor 25 and the pump 24, and responsive to the air pressure data measured by the pressure sensor 25, the controller sends a control signal to the pump 24 to control the air pressure in the vacuum tank 21 and simultaneously control the liquid level in the vacuum tank 21.
In one embodiment, the pressure sensor 25 is a capacitance manometer or other form of sensor having sufficient sensitivity to achieve the desired level of pressure control. The pressure sensor 25 outputs data indicating the pressure of the gas in the vacuum tank 21 to the controller. In response to the pressure data, the controller outputs a signal to the pump 24 that causes the gas flow rate to change. Further, by controlling the flow rates of the liquid flowing into the vacuum tank 21 and the gas flowing out of the vacuum tank 21, the controller can maintain a constant gas pressure inside the vacuum tank 21.
Further, if the pump 24 of the suction pump sucks the gas, the vacuum degree in the vacuum tank 21 is stably formed, the suction pump provides power conditions, and the control valve 23 and the pressure sensor 25 are coordinated with the suction pump under the control of the controller, so that the air pressure P in the vacuum tank 21 is continuously kept stable.
Further, the gas-liquid separation device 2 further includes a control valve 23 for controlling the flow rate of the gas provided between the pump 24 and the vacuum tank 21, and the control valve 23 is connected to the controller. During a period of one gas pumping action of the pump 24, the control valve 23 receives a flow rate command from the controller to complete at least one adjustment action.
In one embodiment, the control valve 23 is a butterfly valve or other variable flow rate controlled control valve 23.
In one embodiment, to avoid and reduce the transmission of vibrations back to the lithography machine, the pump line 1 for immersion liquid of the lithography machine is a flexible line. Further, the vacuum tank 21 is connected to the lithography machine tool by the suction line 1 of the flexible line to minimize the degree of mechanical coupling between the vacuum system and the tool and thereby minimize the transmission of vibrations generated during use of the system back to the tool.
The immersion liquid pumped from the immersion liquid flow field of the lithography machine is a gas-liquid two-phase flow. The air pressure P in the vacuum tank 21 is lower than the atmospheric pressure P 0 I.e. the vacuum state, can realize the extraction of the immersion liquid from the immersion liquid flow field of the photoetching machine. The immersion fluid field of a photoetching machine has high requirement on pressure stability, and the fluctuation range is extremely small, for example, the pressure fluctuation range of the immersion fluid field of a certain photoetching machine is less than 2%, otherwise, the photoetching yield is seriously affected. Therefore, the air pressure P in the vacuum tank 21 is kept highThe degree is stable. In general, the pumping air cavity of the immersion fluid field of the lithography machine is in a weak vacuum state, for example, a certain lithography machine requires the pressure of the pumping air cavity to be within-1000 Pa to-1500 Pa. Therefore, in order to precisely control the vacuum state, the control valve 23, the pressure sensor 25, and the controller with high control accuracy are required. The vacuum system for lithography machine uses the liquid sealing device 3 to make the air pressure P in the vacuum tank 21 and the liquid level (H) in the vacuum tank 21 0 +H) form a fixed association relation, so that the pressure fluctuation range of the immersion fluid field of the photoetching machine is required to be less than 2 percent or the pressure of the air pumping cavity is within-1000 Pa to-1500 Pa.
The gas space above the vacuum tank 21 is in a vacuum state, and the height difference H is required to satisfy the vacuum degree requirement, that is, the requirement of formula 2. The gas-liquid two-phase flow extracted from the lithography machine enters the vacuum tank 21 through a flexible pipe. The liquid enters the lower part of the tank body, and the gas is distributed in the upper space. Thus, gas-liquid split is realized. In order to minimize the impact of newly entered immersion liquid on the original liquid level, it is conceivable to control the volume of immersion liquid stabilized in the vacuum tank 21 to be more than a sufficient multiple of the maximum immersion liquid inflow instantaneous second flow value to achieve a sufficient overall buffering capacity. The stable immersion liquid volume in the vacuum tank 21 is designed, and the following two requirements are comprehensively considered: first, the speed of the gas pumping action is sufficient to cope with the speed of the liquid level change. In one gas pumping and exhausting action period, the pressure sensor 25 completes one time of signal transmission, then the controller completes one time of action command transmission, then the control valve 23 receives the command to complete one time of adjustment action, the volume of the newly-fed immersion liquid and the fluctuation amplitude (percentage) of the liquid level are required to meet the requirement of the overall stability of vacuum. Secondly, on the premise that the liquid level in the vacuum tank 21 can be controlled quickly and stably, the vacuum tank 21 is prevented from being excessively designed to be oversized due to the excessively pursuing of higher buffering capacity, and unnecessary waste is avoided. The immersion liquid introduced into the lower part of the vacuum tank 21 stabilizes the liquid level (H) in the vacuum tank 21 0 +H) is slightly raised, the gas space in the tank is slightly compressed, and the gas pressure P in the vacuum tank 21 is thus raised. At the same time, the gas in the gas-liquid two-phase flow extracted from the photoetching machine also compresses the gas space in the tank.
The liquid in the tank is also driven to automatically guide the flow to the liquid sealing device 3 under the pushing of the air pressure P in the vacuum tank 21 and the pushing of the potential energy of the slightly increased liquid level difference H. The micro-immersion liquid guided to the liquid seal outer barrel 31 overflows to the overflow inner barrel 32 through the overflow surface, then flows through the liquid discharge interface 36 and is discharged through the external discharge pipeline. Thus, by the hydraulic action, automatic balancing and compensation of the liquid level in the vacuum tank 21 and the air pressure in the vacuum tank 21 are achieved. At the same time, the gas pumping system is active. Namely, under the accurate control of the controller, the control valve 23, the pump 24 and the pressure sensor 25 cooperate to accurately suck the gas in the vacuum tank 21, thereby realizing the constant air pressure and liquid level in the vacuum tank 21.
Similarly, when the flow rate of the two-phase flow extracted from the lithography machine is reduced or stopped, the automatic balancing and compensation of the liquid level in the vacuum tank 21 and the air pressure in the tank can be achieved as well when the liquid level in the vacuum tank 21 is lowered, or the air pressure in the tank is lowered. However, compensation can be achieved by slightly lowering the liquid level of the liquid-tight outer vessel 31 instead of overflowing. The automatic balance and compensation effect caused by the hydraulic effect reduces the burden of the gas suction and suction control device. Meanwhile, due to the characteristic of instant response of the automatic balancing and compensating function, the control difficulty of the instant response of the gas suction and suction control device is reduced. Then, besides automatic balancing and compensation under the action of hydraulic force, the gas suction is accurately controlled, and under the guarantee of double measures, the stability and reliability of the vacuum state in the tank are further improved.
In order to reduce vibration and prevent vibration from being transmitted to the photoetching machine and immersion fluid flow field of the photoetching machine, the suction pipeline 22 and the liquid guide pipeline 27 are flexible pipelines.
In a preferred embodiment of the vacuum system for a lithographic apparatus, the liquid seal device 3 comprises,
the lower seal cap 34 is configured to seal against the lower seal cap,
a liquid-tight outer tub 31 sealingly supported by the lower seal cover 34, the liquid-tight outer tub 31 containing a liquid having a second liquid level of a constant height,
an overflow inner barrel 32 which is arranged in the liquid seal outer barrel 31, the top end of the overflow inner barrel 32 is flush with the second liquid level, the bottom end of the overflow inner barrel 32 penetrates through the lower sealing cover 34 and is externally connected with a liquid discharge pipeline,
the upper sealing cover 33 is covered on the top end of the liquid sealing outer barrel 31, the upper sealing cover 33 is provided with an air pressure balance interface 35 connected with the atmosphere, and the air pressure balance interface 35 is in air communication with the liquid sealing outer barrel 31.
In the preferred embodiment of the vacuum system for a lithography machine, the air pressure balance port 35 is externally connected with an air pressure balance pipeline, and the air pressure balance pipeline is a U-shaped bend with a downward opening.
In a preferred embodiment of the vacuum system for a lithographic apparatus, the air pressure balancing interface 35 is open to the atmosphere, such that the constant air pressure of the liquid seal device 3 is atmospheric pressure.
In the preferred embodiment of the vacuum system for a lithography machine, the air pressure balancing port 35 is connected with compressed air or clean nitrogen, and the air pressure sensor 25 and the air make-up control valve 23 are arranged on the liquid sealing device 3 to assist in balancing the liquid level and air pressure in the vacuum tank 21 and controlling the liquid discharge.
In a preferred embodiment of the vacuum system for a lithography machine, the liquid sealing apparatus 3 is provided with pure water replenishing means for replenishing pure water to the liquid sealing outer tub 31 to assist in balancing the liquid level and gas pressure in the vacuum tank 21.
In a preferred embodiment of the vacuum system for a lithographic apparatus, the liquid discharge line comprises an air trap.
In a preferred embodiment of the vacuum system for a lithography machine, the liquid discharge line is connected to the waste liquid PDS line of the lithography machine via an externally directed flexible line.
In a preferred embodiment of the vacuum system for a lithography machine, the apertures of the air pressure balancing port 35, the liquid discharge line and the liquid guiding line 27 are related to the maximum liquid inflow instantaneous second flow value of the pump line 1.
In a preferred embodiment of the vacuum system for a lithography machine, the volume of liquid in the vacuum tank 21 is at least two orders of magnitude greater than the maximum liquid inflow instantaneous second flow value of the pump line 1, so that the amplitude of the liquid level fluctuation caused by the new liquid volume meets the requirement of the overall stability of the vacuum.
In a preferred embodiment of the vacuum system for a lithographic apparatus, the liquid seal 3 is of constant relative height to the vacuum tank 21.
In one embodiment, the upper seal cap 33 and the lower seal cap 34 in the liquid seal device 3 facilitate equipment servicing and maintenance. The air pressure balance interface 35 is externally connected with an air pressure balance pipeline. The air pressure balance pipeline can adopt a U-shaped bending mode with a downward opening according to actual needs, and also can adopt an external flexible pipeline mode. The upper space of the liquid sealing device 3 is communicated with the atmosphere, so that the air pressure and the atmospheric pressure P of the upper space of the liquid sealing device 3 are realized 0 And consistent. Because the horizontal overflow amount of immersion liquid of the lithography machine between the inner barrel and the outer barrel of the liquid sealing device 3 is usually small, the overflow plane is usually gentle and stable, and the air pressure is balanced without too much air quantity, the aperture of the air pressure balance pipeline is not suitable to be too large due to the requirement of micro-vibration control. The aperture of the air pressure balance interface 35 is required to meet the requirement that the balance air flow capacity is greater than the maximum immersion liquid inflow instantaneous second flow value. The liquid discharge port 36 is externally connected to a liquid discharge line. The liquid discharge pipeline can be connected into the waste liquid PDS pipeline in an outward flexible pipeline mode according to the actual situation, so that the gravity discharge of liquid is realized. The immersion liquid discharge amount of the photoetching machine is usually small, so that the requirement of micro-vibration control is met, and the caliber of a liquid discharge pipeline is not required to be too large. The aperture of the liquid discharge pipeline is required to meet the requirement that the gravity flow discharge flow capacity is larger than the maximum immersion liquid inflow instantaneous second flow value.
In one embodiment, the number of the gas-liquid separation devices 2 is increased according to actual situation requirements, and a serial/parallel/serial-parallel connection mode is adopted between the gas-liquid separation devices 2. The number of the liquid sealing devices 3 is increased, and the liquid sealing devices 3 are connected in series/parallel/series-parallel. And according to actual situation, a damping device is added. For example, when the microseismic control requirements are increased, other microseismic control facilities can be added in addition to the existing flexible piping measures. The liquid sealing device 3 is provided with a pure water replenishing device for replenishing pure water to the liquid sealing outer barrel 31 to assist in balancing the liquid level and the gas pressure in the vacuum tank 21. The air pressure balance interface 35 of the liquid sealing device 3 is connected with clean compressed air or clean nitrogen, and the liquid sealing device 3 is provided with a gas pressure sensor 25, a gas supplementing control valve 23 and a controller, so as to assist in balancing the liquid level and the gas pressure in the vacuum tank 21 and assist in controlling the liquid discharge. According to actual situation, the overflow direction of the liquid in the liquid sealing device 3 is changed to overflow from the overflow inner barrel 32 to the liquid sealing outer barrel 31, the liquid discharge interface 36 is connected to the liquid sealing outer barrel 31, and the liquid diversion pipeline 27 is connected with the overflow inner barrel 32.
In one embodiment, a vacuum system for a lithography machine includes:
at least one gas-liquid separation device 2, which comprises,
a vacuum tank 21 having a sealed structure with a gas pressure P, the vacuum tank 21 containing a liquid having a first liquid level and a gas located above the liquid,
a pump-out line 1 which communicates with the vacuum tank 21 to introduce a gas-liquid two-phase flow from the lithography machine,
a pump 24 that communicates with the vacuum tank 21 to suck the gas therein;
at least one liquid sealing device 3, the liquid sealing device 3 is in liquid communication with the vacuum tank 21 via a liquid guiding pipeline 27 to form a communicating vessel, the liquid sealing device 3 comprises a liquid sealing device 3 containing liquid with a second liquid level and an overflow mechanism flush with the second liquid level, and the liquid sealing device 3 has a constant air pressure P which is larger than the air pressure P 0 The liquid seal device 3 achieves automatic balancing and compensation of the liquid level in the vacuum tank 21 and the air pressure in the vacuum tank 21 when the pump 24 pumps and/or introduces a gas-liquid two-phase flow.
The gas-liquid separation device 2 further comprises,
a control valve 23 provided between the pump 24 and the vacuum tank 21,
a pressure sensor 25 for measuring air pressure data in the vacuum tank 21,
and a controller connected to the pressure sensor 25, the control valve 23 and the pump 24, and responsive to the air pressure data measured by the pressure sensor 25, the controller sends control signals to the control valve 23 and the pump 24 to control the air pressure in the vacuum tank 21 and simultaneously control the liquid level in the vacuum tank 21.
In one embodiment, the overflow mechanism further comprises an overflow valve. The pump 24 controls the pressure P in the vacuum tank 21 to be constant, so that the liquid level (H) 0 +H) is also kept constant to maintain the air pressure in the vacuum tank 21 constant.
A lithographic apparatus includes the vacuum system for a lithographic apparatus. The photoetching machine is an immersion photoetching machine.
Finally, it should be noted that: the described embodiments are intended to be illustrative of only some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present application and, based on the embodiments herein, all other embodiments that may be made by those skilled in the art without the benefit of the present disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the present application.
While certain exemplary embodiments of the present application have been described above by way of illustration only, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that modifications may be made to the described embodiments in various different ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the application. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive of the scope of the application, which is defined by the appended claims.
Claims (24)
1. A vacuum system for a lithographic apparatus, comprising:
at least one gas-liquid separation device comprising,
a vacuum tank having a sealed structure, the vacuum tank containing a liquid having a first liquid level and a gas located above the liquid,
a pumping pipeline which is communicated with the vacuum tank to lead in gas-liquid two-phase flow from the photoetching machine,
a pump communicating with the vacuum tank to suck the gas therein;
at least one liquid sealing device, liquid sealing device holds the liquid of the second liquid level that has invariable height, liquid sealing device is through liquid water conservancy diversion pipeline liquid intercommunication vacuum tank in order to constitute the intercommunication ware, have invariable atmospheric pressure in the liquid sealing device, the pump control vacuum tank internal atmospheric pressure and realize controlling the liquid level in the vacuum tank simultaneously.
2. A vacuum system for a lithography machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the change in air pressure in the vacuum tank is in a linear relationship with the change in liquid level from the first liquid level to the bottom of the vacuum tank.
3. A vacuum system for a lithography machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the vacuum tank has a gas pressure P and the liquid seal has a constant gas pressure P greater than the gas pressure P 0 。
4. A vacuum system for a lithography machine according to claim 3, wherein said first liquid level has a height difference H between said second liquid level and said bottom of said vacuum tank 0 The liquid level from the first liquid level to the bottom of the vacuum tank is H 0 The linear relation between the air pressure P and the liquid level from the first liquid level to the bottom of the vacuum tank is: p= (P) 0 +ρgH 0 )-ρg(H 0 +h), where ρ is the liquid density in the vacuum tank and g is the gravitational acceleration.
5. A vacuum system for a lithography machine as recited in claim 1, wherein said gas-liquid separation device further comprises,
a pressure sensor for measuring air pressure data in the vacuum tank,
and the controller is connected with the pressure sensor and the pump, responds to the air pressure data measured by the pressure sensor, and sends a control signal to the pump so as to control the air pressure in the vacuum tank and simultaneously realize the control of the liquid level in the vacuum tank.
6. A vacuum system for a lithography machine as recited in claim 5, wherein the gas-liquid separation device further comprises a control valve disposed between the pump and the vacuum tank for controlling a flow rate of the gas, the control valve being connected to the controller.
7. A vacuum system for a lithography machine as recited in claim 6, wherein the control valve receives a flow rate command from the controller to perform at least one adjustment during a pump-on-gas-evacuation cycle.
8. A vacuum system for a lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid seal further comprises an overflow mechanism flush with the second liquid level, whereby excess liquid is led out via the overflow mechanism as liquid in the liquid seal increases, such that the second liquid level is of constant height.
9. The vacuum system for a lithography machine according to claim 8, wherein the vacuum tank introduces a gas-liquid two-phase flow from the lithography machine via the pump-drain pipeline, so that the first liquid level is raised and the gas pressure in the vacuum tank is raised, and the liquid in the vacuum tank is driven to flow into the liquid sealing device via the liquid guiding pipeline, and then excess liquid is led out via the overflow mechanism, so that the second liquid level is at a constant height, thereby realizing automatic balance and compensation of the liquid level in the vacuum tank and the gas pressure in the vacuum tank.
10. A vacuum system for a lithographic machine according to claim 8, wherein said overflow mechanism comprises an overflow pipe having a top end flush with said second liquid level and a bottom end having a liquid discharge port for discharging excess liquid based on gravity.
11. A vacuum system for a lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said liquid seal means comprises,
a lower sealing cover is arranged on the lower sealing cover,
a liquid-sealed outer tub sealingly supported by the lower seal cover, the liquid-sealed outer tub containing a liquid having a second liquid level of a constant height,
an overflow inner barrel which is arranged in the liquid seal outer barrel, the top end of the overflow inner barrel is flush with the second liquid level, the bottom end of the overflow inner barrel penetrates through the lower sealing cover and is externally connected with a liquid discharge pipeline,
the upper sealing cover is covered on the top end of the liquid seal outer barrel and is provided with an atmospheric pressure balance interface connected with atmosphere, and the atmospheric pressure balance interface is in gas communication with the liquid seal outer barrel.
12. The vacuum system for a lithography machine of claim 11, wherein the air pressure balance port is externally connected to an air pressure balance pipe, and wherein the air pressure balance pipe is a U-shaped bend with a downward opening.
13. A vacuum system for a lithographic apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said air pressure balancing interface is connected to atmosphere such that the constant air pressure of said liquid seal device is atmospheric pressure.
14. The vacuum system for a lithography machine according to claim 11, wherein the air pressure balancing port is connected to compressed air or clean nitrogen, and a gas pressure sensor and a gas make-up control valve are provided on the liquid seal device to assist in balancing the liquid level and gas pressure in the vacuum tank and controlling the liquid discharge.
15. A vacuum system for a lithography machine as recited in claim 11, wherein the liquid seal device is provided with a pure water replenishment device for replenishing pure water to the liquid seal outer tub to assist in balancing the liquid level and the gas pressure in the vacuum tank.
16. A vacuum system for a lithographic machine according to claim 12, wherein the liquid discharge line comprises an air trap.
17. A vacuum system for a lithographic machine according to claim 12, wherein the liquid discharge line is connected to the waste PDS line of the lithographic machine via an externally directed flexible line.
18. A vacuum system for a lithography machine as recited in claim 12, wherein the apertures of the air pressure equalization port, the liquid discharge line, and the liquid diversion line are related to a maximum liquid inflow instantaneous second flow value of the pump discharge line.
19. The vacuum system for a lithography machine of claim 1, wherein the volume of liquid in the vacuum tank is at least two orders of magnitude greater than the maximum liquid inflow instantaneous second flow value of the pump line, such that the magnitude of the liquid level fluctuation caused by the new liquid volume meets the vacuum overall stability requirement.
20. A vacuum system for a lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the height of the liquid seal device relative to the vacuum tank is constant.
21. The vacuum system for a lithography machine according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of gas-liquid separation devices are connected in series, in parallel or in series-parallel, and the plurality of liquid seals are connected in series, in parallel or in series-parallel.
22. A vacuum system for a lithography machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer wall of the vacuum tank is provided with a damping layer.
23. A lithographic apparatus comprising a vacuum system for a lithographic apparatus according to any one of claims 1-22.
24. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said lithographic apparatus is an immersion lithographic apparatus.
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