Improved Meniscus Pinning in a Liquid Handling Structure

摘要

In an immersion lithographic apparatus, a liquid is contained in a space between a substrate and a final lens element of a projection system by a liquid handling structure. An array of extraction holes is provided in the liquid handling structure, as shown in Figure la. These extraction holes extract a mixture of the liquid and a surrounding atmosphere, thereby pinning the liquid meniscus and confining the liquid to the space on the substrate.