Lithographic projection apparatus, purge gas supply system and gas purging method

A purge gas mixture supply system, comprising:na purge gas mixture generator comprising a moisturizer configured to add moisture to a purge gas, wherein said moisturizer comprises a first region containing a purge gas flow and a second region containing water wherein the first and second regions are separated by a membrane contactor that forms a hollow fiber that is gas permeable and substantially resistant to liquid intrusion, one of the first and second regions being within the fiber and the other of the first and second regions being outside the fiber;the purge gas mixture generator being configured to add the moisture to the purge gas by further comprising a mass flow controller to control flow rate of the purge gas flow through the first region of the moisturizer and a pressure regulator to control flow of the water through the second region of the moisturizer such that the moisture is added to the purge gas to create a humidified purge gas mixture; anda purge gas mixture outlet being connected to the purge gas mixture generator to supply the humidified purge gas mixture to at least part of a lithographic projection apparatus.

A purge gas mixture supply system, comprising:na purge gas mixture generator comprising a moisturizer configured to add moisture to a purge gas, wherein said moisturizer comprises:a) a bundle of a plurality of perfluorinated gas-permeable thermoplastic hollow fiber membranes having a first end and a second end and being substantially resistant to liquid intrusion, said membranes having an outer surface and an inner surface, said inner surface comprising a lumen;b) each end of said bundle potted with a liquid tight perfluorinated thermoplastic seal forming a unitary end structure with a surrounding perfluorinated thermoplastic housing wherein the fiber ends are open to fluid flow;c) said housing having an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein the inner wall defines a fluid flow volume between the inner wall and the hollow fiber membranes;d) said housing comprising a purge gas inlet connected to a purge gas source, and comprising a purge gas mixture outlet; ande) said housing comprising a water inlet connected to a water source, and comprising a water outlet, wherein either the purge gas inlet is connected to the first end of the bundle and the purge gas mixture outlet is connected to the second end of the bundle or the water inlet is connected to the first end of the bundle and the water outlet is connected to the second end of the bundle,

A method of humidifying a purge gas, comprising:npassing the purge gas through a moisturizer for a period sufficient to humidify the purge gas, wherein the moisturizer comprises a first region containing a purge gas flow and a second region containing water wherein the first and second regions are separated by a gas-permeable membrane that forms a hollow fiber and is substantially resistant to liquid intrusion, one of the first and second regions being within the fiber and the other of the first and second regions being outside the fiber;controlling flow rate of the purge gas flow through the first region of the moisturizer with a mass flow controller and controlling flow of the water through the second region of the moisturizer with a pressure regulator such that moisture is added to the purge gas to create a humidified purge gas mixture; andsupplying the humidified purge gas mixture to at least part of a lithographic projection apparatus.

A method of humidifying a purge gas, comprising passing the purge gas through a moisturizer for a period sufficient to humidify the purge gas, wherein the moisturizer comprises:na) a bundle of a plurality of perfluorinated gas-permeable thermoplastic hollow fiber membranes having a first end and a second end and being substantially resistant to liquid intrusion, said membranes having an outer surface and an inner surface, said inner surface comprising a lumen;b) each end of said bundle potted with a liquid tight perfluorinated thermoplastic seal forming a unitary end structure with a surrounding perfluorinated thermoplastic housing wherein the fiber ends are open to fluid flow;c) said housing having an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein the inner wall defines a fluid flow volume between the inner wall and the hollow fiber membranes;d) said housing comprising a purge gas inlet connected to a purge gas source, and comprising a purge gas outlet; ande) said housing having a water inlet connected to a water source and a water outlet, wherein either the purge gas inlet is connected to the first end of the bundle and the purge gas outlet is connected to the second end of the bundle or the water inlet is connected to the first end of the bundle and the water outlet is connected to the second end of the bundle,thereby obtaining a humidified purge gas;nthe method further comprising controlling flow rate of the purge gas flow through the moisturizer with a mass flow controller and controlling flow of the water through the moisturizer with a pressure regulator such that moisture is added to the purge gas; andsupplying the humidified purge gas through the purge gas outlet to at least part of a lithographic projection apparatus.

A lithographic projection apparatus, comprising:nan illuminator configured to provide a projection beam of radiation;a support structure configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device configured to pattern the projection beam according to a desired pattern;a substrate table configured to hold a substrate;a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate; andat least one purge gas supply system configured to provide a purge gas to at least part of the lithographic projection apparatus, the at least one purge gas supply system comprising:na purge gas mixture generator comprising a moisturizer configured to add moisture to a purge gas, wherein the moisturizer comprises a first region containing a purge gas flow and a second region containing water wherein the first and second regions are separated by a gas-permeable membrane that forms a hollow fiber and is substantially resistant to liquid intrusion, one of the first and second regions being within the fiber and the other of the first and second regions being outside the fiber, the purge gas mixture generator configured to generate a purge gas mixture, which purge gas mixture comprises at least one purge gas and the moisture, the purge gas mixture generator being configured to add the moisture to the purge gas by further comprising a mass flow controller to control flow rate of the purge gas flow through the first region of the moisturizer and a pressure regulator to control flow of the water through the second region of the moisturizer such that the moisture is added to the purge gas; anda purge gas mixture outlet connected to the purge gas mixture generator configured to supply the purge gas mixture to the at least part of the lithographic projection apparatus.

A lithographic projection apparatus, comprising:nan illuminator configured to provide a projection beam of radiation;a support structure configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device configured to pattern the projection beam according to a desired pattern;a substrate table configured to hold a substrate;a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate; andat least one purge gas supply system configured to provide a purge gas to at least part of the lithographic projection apparatus, the at least one purge gas supply system comprising:na purge gas mixture generator comprising a moisturizer configured to add moisture to a purge gas, wherein the moisturizer comprises:a) a bundle of a plurality of perfluorinated gas-permeable thermoplastic hollow fiber membranes having a first end and a second end and being substantially resistant to liquid intrusion, said membranes having an outer surface and an inner surface, said inner surface comprising a lumen;b) each end of said bundle potted with a liquid tight perfluorinated thermoplastic seal forming a unitary end structure with a surrounding perfluorinated thermoplastic housing wherein the fiber ends are open to fluid flow;c) said housing having an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein the inner wall defines a fluid flow volume between the inner wall and the hollow fiber membranes;d) said housing comprising a purge gas inlet connected to a purge gas source, and comprising a purge gas mixture outlet; ande) said housing comprising a water inlet connected to a water source, and comprising a water outlet, wherein either the purge gas inlet is connected to the first end of the bundle and the purge gas mixture outlet is connected to the second end of the bundle or the water inlet is connected to the first end of the bundle and the water outlet is connected to the second end of the bundle,the purge gas mixture generator configured to generate a purge gas mixture, which purge gas mixture comprises at least one purge gas and the moisture, the purge gas mixture generator being configured to add the moisture to the purge gas by further comprising a mass flow controller to control flow rate of the purge gas flow through the moisturizer and a pressure regulator to control flow of the water through the moisturizer such that the moisture is added to the purge gas; anda purge gas mixture outlet connected to the purge gas mixture generator configured to supply the purge gas mixture to the at least part of the lithographic projection apparatus.

A method for providing a purge gas to at least part of a lithographic projection apparatus comprising:nan illuminator configured to provide a projection beam of radiation;a support configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device configured to pattern the projection beam according to a desired pattern;a substrate table configured to hold a substrate; anda projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate;the method comprising:ngenerating a purge gas mixture which comprises at least one purge gas and moisture by adding moisture to a purge gas with a moisturizer, wherein the moisturizer comprises a first region containing a purge gas flow and a second region containing water wherein the first and second regions are separated by a gas-permeable membrane that forms a hollow fiber and is substantially resistant to liquid intrusion, one of the first and second regions being within the fiber and the other of the first and second regions being outside the fiber; andsupplying the purge gas mixture to at least a part of the lithographic projection apparatus;the method further comprising controlling flow rate of the purge gas flow through the first region of the moisturizer with a mass flow controller and controlling flow of the water through the second region of the moisturizer with a pressure regulator such that the moisture is added to the purge gas.

A method for providing a purge gas to at least part of a lithographic projection apparatus comprising:nan illuminator configured to provide a projection beam of radiation;a support configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device configured to pattern the projection beam according to a desired pattern;a substrate table configured to hold a substrate; anda projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate;the method comprising:generating a purge gas mixture which comprises at least one purge gas and moisture by adding moisture to a purge gas with a moisturizer, wherein the moisturizer comprises:a) a bundle of a plurality of perfluorinated gas-permeable thermoplastic hollow fiber membranes having a first end and a second end and being substantially resistant to liquid intrusion, said membranes having an outer surface and an inner surface, said inner surface comprising a lumen;b) each end of said bundle potted with a liquid tight perfluorinated thermoplastic seal forming a unitary end structure with a surrounding perfluorinated thermoplastic housing wherein the fiber ends are open to fluid flow;c) said housing having an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein the inner wall defines a fluid flow volume between the inner wall and the hollow fiber membranes;d) said housing having a purge gas inlet connected to a purge gas source and a purge gas mixture outlet; ande) said housing having a water inlet connected to a water source and a water outlet, wherein either the purge gas inlet is connected to the first end of the bundle and the purge gas mixture outlet is connected to the second end of the bundle or the water inlet is connected to the first end of the bundle and the water outlet is connected to the second end of the bundle, andsupplying the purge gas mixture to at least a part of the lithographic projection apparatus;the method further comprising controlling flow rate of the purge gas flow through the moisturizer with a mass flow controller and controlling flow of the water through the moisturizer with a pressure regulator such that the moisture is added to the purge gas.

A purge gas mixture supply system, comprising:na purge gas mixture generator comprising a moisturizer configured to add moisture to a purge gas, wherein said moisturizer comprises a first region containing a purge gas flow and a second region containing water wherein the first and second regions are separated by a membrane contactor;the purge gas mixture generator being configured to add the moisture to the purge gas by further comprising a mass flow controller to control flow rate of the purge gas flow through the first region of the moisturizer and a pressure regulator to control flow of the water through the second region of the moisturizer such that the moisture is added to the purge gas to create a humidified purge gas mixture; anda purge gas mixture outlet being connected to the purge gas mixture generator to supply the humidified purge gas mixture to at least part of a lithographic projection apparatus.