IP Library › Granted Patent US 12687790
Granted Patent B2
US 12687790 · App. 17/260,649 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Tool for modifying a support surface

Inventors: Bert Dirk Scholten (Best, NL); Peter Andreas Maria Billekens (Meterik, NL); Tiannan Guan (Best, NL); Tjarco Lindeijer (Eindhoven, NL); Harold Anton Mehagnoul (Eindhoven, NL); Jimmy Matheus Wilhelmus Van De Winkel (Kessel, NL); Cas Johannes Petrus Maria Van Nuenen (Eindhoven, NL); Hendrikus Theodorus Jacobus Franciscus Van Verseveld (Eindhoven, NL); Marcus Martinus Petrus Adrianus Vermeulen (Leende, NL)
Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
G03F7/707B24B37/14B24B37/16G03F7/7085G03F7/70925
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12687790
App. No.
17/260,649
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A tool for modifying substrate support elements of a substrate holder, the substrate support elements having support surfaces for supporting a substrate, the tool includes a main body having a main body surface, and multiple protrusions from the main body surface, the multiple protrusions having distal ends configured to contact the support surfaces to modify the substrate support elements. Furthermore, a lithographic apparatus and a method comprising such a tool are provided.

Claims (39)

1 . A tool for modifying support elements of a holder, the support elements having support surfaces for supporting an article, the tool comprising:

a circular main body having a main body surface, and

multiple protrusions extending directly from the main body surface and provided along radial lines, wherein a radial line of some of the protrusions extends from, and is located on an opposite side of, a central portion of the circular main body as another radial line of some of the protrusions that also extends from the central portion and the protrusions are arranged not to be moved, during use, relative to the main body surface, each protrusion having a distal end and each of the distal ends of the protrusions not provided with an annular, annulus sector or circular surface,

wherein the distal end of at least one of the protrusions comprises multiple projections, each of the projections being in the form of a line and distal ends of the projections configured to contact the support surfaces to modify the support elements.

2 . The tool of claim 1 , wherein a pitch between adjacent protrusions is greater than or equal to approximately 5 mm.

3 . The tool of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the protrusions has a cross-sectional area of greater than or equal to approximately 9 mm 2 .

4 . The tool of claim 1 , wherein a distance between adjacent ones of the multiple projections is between approximately 50 nm to 1 mm.

5 . The tool of claim 4 , wherein the multiple projections extend between approximately 50 nm to 1 mm from the distal ends.

6 . The tool of claim 1 , wherein a distance between adjacent ones of the multiple protrusions is between approximately 50 nm to 1 mm.

7 . The tool of claim 6 , wherein a distance between the distal ends of the protrusions and the main body surface is between approximately 50 nm to 1 mm.

8 . The tool of claim 1 , wherein the main body is plate shaped.

9 . The tool of claim 8 , wherein a diameter of the main body is less than or equal to approximately 50 mm.

10 . The tool of claim 1 , wherein the tool does not comprise a through-hole.

11 . The tool of claim 1 , wherein the main body surface is substantially flat.

12 . The tool of claim 1 , comprising silicon-infiltrated silicon carbide, silicon carbide, aluminium oxide, and/or diamond like carbon.

13 . A method for modifying support elements of a holder, the support elements having support surfaces for supporting an article, the method comprising:

providing the tool of claim 1 ; and

contacting at least some of the support surfaces with tool and using the tool to modify the support surfaces.

14 . The tool according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusions have a coating.

15 . A lithographic apparatus comprising:

a holder having a plurality of support elements that are configured to support a substrate or a patterning device; and

a material removing device configured to modify the support elements, the material removing device having a tool comprising:

a circular main body having a main body surface, and

multiple protrusions extending directly from the main body surface and provided along radial lines, wherein a radial line of some of the protrusions extends from, and is located on an opposite side of, a central portion of the circular main body as another radial line of some of the protrusions that also extends from the central portion and the protrusions are arranged not to be moved, during use, relative to the main body surface, each protrusion having a distal end and each of the distal ends of the protrusions not provided with an annular, annulus sector or circular surface,

wherein the distal end of at least one of the protrusions comprises multiple projections, each of the projections being in the form of a line and distal ends of the projections configured to contact the support surfaces to modify the support elements.

16 . The lithographic apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a detector configured to detect a height deviation of one or more of the support elements that affect a surface flatness of the substrate or patterning device supported on the holder, wherein the tool is configured to modify a height of the one or more support elements corresponding to the detected height deviation of the support elements.

17 . A method for modifying support elements of a holder, the support elements having support surfaces for supporting a substrate or a patterning device, the method comprising:

providing the lithographic apparatus of claim 15 ; and

contacting at least some of the support surfaces with the tool and using the tool to modify the support surfaces.

18 . An apparatus comprising:

an article holder having a plurality of support elements, the support elements having support surfaces configured to support an article; and

a material removing device configured to modify support elements of the article holder, the material removing device having a tool comprising:

a circular main body having a main body surface, and

multiple protrusions extending directly from the main body surface and provided along radial lines, wherein a radial line of some of the protrusions extends from, and is located on an opposite side of, a central portion of the circular main body as another radial line of some of the protrusions that also extends from the central portion and the protrusions are arranged not to be moved, during use, relative to the main body surface, each protrusion having a distal end and each of the distal ends of the protrusions not provided with an annular, annulus sector or circular surface,

wherein the distal end of at least one of the protrusions comprises multiple projections, each of the projections being in the form of a line and distal ends of the projections configured to contact the support surfaces to modify the support elements.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising a detector configured to detect a height deviation of one or more of the support elements that affect a surface flatness of the article supported on the article holder, wherein the tool is configured to modify a height of the one or more support elements corresponding to the detected height deviation of the support elements.

20 . A method for modifying support elements of an article holder, the support elements having support surfaces for supporting an article, the method comprising:

providing the apparatus of claim 18 , and

contacting at least some of the support surfaces with the tool and using the tool to modify the support surfaces.