Closing disk for immersion head

1. A closing disk for an immersion head of an immersion lithography system, the closing disk comprising:

a circular member comprising an edge region and a central region, said central region formed to curve away from the edge region when said closing disk is in an unused state, the edge region including an upwardly extending portion that is adapted to be coupled to and received by the immersion head, wherein the central region is curved downwardly away from the immersion head, preventing contact of the immersion head with the closing disk at the central region, wherein the closing disk is adapted to provide a fluid seal for the immersion head.

2. The closing disk according to claim 1 , wherein the upwardly extending portion includes a contact region adapted to make contact with the immersion head.

3. The closing disk according to claim 2 , wherein the contact region comprises an annular ridge that extends upwardly towards the immersion head from the upwardly extending portion, wherein the annular ridge is adapted to make contact with the immersion head in a first region and a second region in a cross-section of the annular ridge.

4. The closing disk according to claim 3 , wherein the first region of the contact region is proximate an exterior circumference of the circular member, and wherein the second region of the contact region is disposed annularly within the first region.

5. The closing disk according to claim 3 , wherein the cross-section of the annular ridge comprises a half-circle, triangle, or trapezoid shape.

6. The closing disk according to claim 3 , wherein, when installed on the immersion head, only the contact region makes contact with the immersion head, preventing damage to a bottom surface of the immersion head.

7. The closing disk according to claim 1 , wherein, when installed on the immersion head, the central region of the closing disk is spaced apart from the immersion head by about 3 mm or less.

8. The closing disk according to claim 1 , wherein the circular member has a diameter of about 120 to 150 mm.

9. The closing disk according to claim 1 , wherein the closing disk comprises a transparent, translucent, or opaque material.

10. The closing disk according to claim 1 , wherein the closing disk is adapted to be aligned to the immersion head using optical or mechanical alignment.

11. The closing disk according to claim 1 , wherein the immersion head includes a fluid delivering means for delivering fluid to an object placed below the immersion head, wherein the closing disk seals the fluid provided by the fluid delivering means.

12. The closing disk according to claim 1 , wherein the immersion head further includes a vacuum port, wherein the closing disk is adapted to be installed on the immersion head using the vacuum port.

13. An immersion head adapted to be scaled with the closing disk according to claim 1 .

14. The immersion head according to claim 13 , further comprising an annular groove adapted to receive the upwardly extending portion of the closing disk.

15. The immersion head according to claim 14 , further comprising a vacuum port opening into the annular groove, wherein a vacuum may be applied using the vacuum port to assist in adhering the closing disk to the immersion head.

16. The immersion head according to claim 14 , wherein the upwardly extending portion of the closing disk comprises a first ring, wherein the annular groove of the immersion head comprises a second ring and a third ring disposed within the second ring, and wherein the first ring of the closing disk is adapted to sealingly couple within the second ring and the third ring of the immersion head.

17. An immersion lithography system including the immersion head and the closing disk according to claim 14 .

18. A method of sealing an immersion head, comprising: providing a closing disk in accordance with claim 1 ; and sealing the linmersion head with the closing disk.

19. An immersion lithography system, comprising:

an immersion head having a bottom surface, the immersion head including a lens element disposed proximate the bottom surface and a fluid delivering means for delivering fluid to an object placed below the immersion head; and

a closing disk comprising a circular member having an edge region and a central region, the edge region including an upwardly extending portion that is adapted to be coupled to and received by the immersion head, the central region being curved downwardly away from the immersion head, preventing contact of the immersion head with the closing disk at the central region, wherein the immersion head includes an annular groove adapted to receive the upwardly extending portion of the closing disk, and wherein the closing disk seals the fluid provided by the fluid delivering means.

20. The immersion lithography system according to claim 19 , wherein the immersion head comprises a first diameter, wherein the closing disk comprises a second diameter, wherein the second diameter is substantially equal to the first diameter.

21. The immersion lithography system according to claim 19 , wherein only the upwardly extending portion of the edge region of the closing disk makes contact with the immersion head, preventing damage to the bottom surface of the immersion head.

22. The immersion lithography system according to claim 19 , wherein, when installed on the immersion head, the central region of the closing disk is adapted to be spaced apart from the immersion head by about 3 mm or less, and wherein the closing disk retains fluid below at least a portion of the bottom surface of the immersion head.

23. The immersion lithography system according to claim 19 , wherein the closing disk comprises a transparent, translucent, or opaque material, and wherein the closing disk is adapted to be aligned to the immersion head using optical or mechanical alignment.

24. The immersion lithography system according to claim 19 , wherein the immersion head further includes a vacuum port, wherein the closing disk is adapted to be installed on the immersion head using the vacuum port.

25. The immersion lithography system according to claim 24 , wherein the vacuum port of the immersion head opens into the annular groove, wherein a vacuum may be applied using the vacuum port to assist in adhering the closing disk to the immersion head.

26. The immersion lithography system according to claim 19 , wherein the upwardly extending portion of the closing disk comprises a first ring, wherein the annular groove of the immersion head comprises a second ring and a third ring disposed within the second ring, and wherein the first ring of the closing disk is adapted to sealingly couple within the second ring and the third ring of the immersion head.

27. An immersion lithography system, comprising:

an immersion head having a bottom surface, the immersion head including a lens element disposed proximate the bottom surface and a fluid delivering means for delivering fluid to an object placed below the immersion head; and

a closing disk having an edge region and a central region, said central region formed to curve away from the edge region when said closing disk is in an unused state and wherein the closing disk is adapted to contact the immersion head at the edge region but not the central region, and wherein the closing disk is adapted to seal the fluid provided by the fluid delivering means of the immersion head.

28. The immersion lithography system according to claim 27 , wherein the central region of the closing disk is curved downwardly away from the immersion head, preventing contact of the immersion head with the closing disk at the central region.

29. The immersion lithography system according to claim 27 , wherein the edge region includes an upwardly extending portion, wherein the upwardly extending portion of the edge region of the closing disk makes contact with the immersion head.

30. The immersion lithography system according to claim 29 , wherein the immersion head includes an annular groove adapted to receive the upwardly extending portion of the closing disk.

31. The immersion lithography system according to claim 30 , wherein the upwardly extending portion of the closing disk comprises a first ring, wherein the annular groove of the immersion head comprises a second ring and a third ring disposed within the second ring, and wherein the first ring of the closing disk is adapted to sealingly couple within the second ring and the third ring of the immersion head.