Lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method and exchangeable optical element

1. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

a projection system arranged to project an image of a pattern onto a substrate, the projection system comprising a plurality of optical elements that form an optical system configured to project a beam of radiation along an optical path including a pupil plane, and

a transport mechanism arranged to move an exchangeable optical element that has peripheral dimensions that substantially match relevant parts of a standard for patterning devices into and out of the optical path in the pupil plane of the optical system,

wherein the transport mechanism includes a holder configured to hold the exchangeable optical element during projection of the beam of radiation and a bearing unit configured to support the holder, said bearing unit being configured to support the holder when the exchangeable optical element is held by the holder inside the projection system during projection of the beam of radiation and when the exchangeable optical element is held by the holder outside the projection system.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the exchangeable optical element comprises a filter.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the filter comprises an opaque region.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the opaque region is located so as to obscure the zeroth order of light diffracted by the pattern.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the filter is a binary filter.

6. An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the filter is a grayscale filter.

7. An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the filter is not rotationally symmetric.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transport mechanism is arranged to transport an exchangeable optical element that is substantially square in plan and has sides substantially equal to 5, 6 or 9 inches (127, 152.4 or 228.6 mm).

9. An apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a mask table adapted to hold a patterning device having predetermined dimensions and wherein the transport mechanism is arranged to transport an exchangeable optical element that has dimensions substantially equal to the predetermined dimensions.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transport mechanism is adapted to transport the exchangeable optical element between the pupil plane and a storage unit that is adapted to hold a plurality of exchangeable optical elements.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising a mounting device adapted to hold a container that conforms to a Standard Mechanical InterFace (SMIF) standard and that acts as the storage unit.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the projection system comprises a housing surrounding the optical elements and a gas supply system arranged to supply gas to the housing at a pressure greater than that of the atmosphere around the housing.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the housing has a slot therein and the holder comprises a slider arranged to hold the exchangeable optical element and the transport mechanism includes an actuator arranged to translate the slider between a first position in which the exchangeable optical element is located in the pupil plane and a second position in which the exchangeable optical element is outside the housing.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the slider has a cross-section that closely matches a shape of the slot in the housing such that gas leakage through the slot is minimized.

15. An apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising a gas bearing arranged to support the slider, the gas bearing being supplied with gas from the same gas supply system as the housing.

16. An apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the exchangeable optical element and the transport mechanism do not contact the housing or any of the optical elements of the projection system.

17. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transport mechanism includes a slider arranged to hold the exchangeable optical element, the slider being constructed and arranged to move into the projection system to position the exchangeable optical element in the optical path.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the slider is constructed and arranged to hold the exchangeable optical element during projection of the beam of radiation.

19. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the transport mechanism is located in the projection system during projection of the beam of radiation.

20. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing unit is formed in a housing of the projection system.

21. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing unit includes a gas bearing.

22. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the holder remains coupled to the bearing unit during exchange of the exchangeable optical element outside the projection system.

23. A device manufacturing method using a lithographic projection apparatus that includes a pattern support to support a patterning device and a projection system having a pupil plane and arranged to project an image of a pattern of the patterning device onto a substrate, the method comprising:

loading the patterning device onto the pattern support;

positioning an exchangeable optical element in the pupil plane using a transport mechanism, the transport mechanism including a holder configured to hold the exchangeable optical element during projection of the beam of radiation and a bearing unit configured to support the holder;

projecting an image of the pattern onto the substrate;

holding the exchangeable optical element using the holder during the projecting;

removing the patterning device from the pattern support; and

removing the exchangeable optical element from the pupil planes

wherein the exchangeable optical element has peripheral dimensions that substantially match relevant parts of a standard for patterning devices, and

wherein said bearing unit is configured to support the holder when the exchangeable optical element is held by the holder inside the projection system during projection of the beam of radiation and when the exchangeable optical element is held by the holder outside the projection system.

24. A method according to claim 23 , further comprising repeating the projecting to project the image a plurality of times onto one or more substrates.

25. A method according to claim 23 further comprising:

loading a second patterning device onto the pattern support, the second patterning device including a second pattern;

positioning a second exchangeable optical element in the pupil plane;

projecting an image of the second pattern onto a substrate;

removing the second patterning device from the patterning device; and

removing the second exchangeable optical element from the pupil plane.

26. A method according to claim 25 , wherein projecting an image of the second pattern is performed onto the same substrate as the projecting of the pattern.

27. A method according to claim 25 , wherein the transport mechanism includes a slider arranged to hold the exchangeable optical element, the slider being constructed and arranged to move into the projection system to position the exchangeable optical element in an optical path of the projection system.

28. A method according to claim 27 , wherein the slider is constructed and arranged to hold the exchangeable optical element during the projecting.

29. A method according to claim 25 , wherein at least part of the transport mechanism is located in the projection system during the projecting.

30. A method according to claim 23 , wherein the bearing unit is formed in a housing of the projection system.

31. A method according to claim 23 , wherein the bearing unit includes a gas bearing.

32. A method according to claim 23 , wherein the holder remains coupled to the bearing unit during exchange of the exchangeable optical element outside the projection system.

33. A device manufacturing method using a lithographic projection apparatus that includes a pattern support to support a patterning device and a projection system having a pupil plane and arranged to project an image of a pattern of the patterning device onto a substrate, the method comprising:

loading the patterning device onto the pattern support;

positioning an exchangeable optical element in the pupil plane;

projecting an image of the pattern onto the substrate;

removing the patterning device from the pattern support; and

removing the exchangeable optical element from the pupil plane

wherein the exchangeable optical element has peripheral dimensions that substantially match relevant parts of a standard for patterning devices, and

wherein the loading and positioning are carried out substantially at the same time.

34. A device manufacturing method using a lithographic projection apparatus that includes a pattern support to support a patterning device and a projection system having a pupil plane and arranged to project an image of a pattern of the patterning device onto a substrate, the method comprising:

loading the patterning device onto the pattern support;

positioning an exchangeable optical element in the pupil plane;

projecting an image of the pattern onto the substrate;

removing the patterning device from the pattern support; and

removing the exchangeable optical element from the pupil plane

wherein the exchangeable optical element has peripheral dimensions that substantially match relevant parts of a standard for patterning devices, and

wherein removing the patterning device and removing the exchangeable optical element are carried out substantially at the same time.