Patent ID: 7361911
Filing Date: 2008-04-22
Classification: G03F

Abstract:
1. A device manufacturing method comprising: patterning a beam of radiation; positioning a substrate in a substrate compartment; projecting the patterned beam of radiation through an optics compartment and a channel that provides an open connection between the optics compartment and the substrate compartment onto the substrate; maintaining an ionized flush gas at a higher pressure in the channel than in the substrate compartment and in the optics compartment during said projecting; intercepting particles that emanate from the substrate with the ionized flush gas; pumping the flush gas carrying the intercepted particles from the substrate compartment using a pump coupled to a gas outlet of the substrate compartment coupled to at least one of said compartments; and establishing an electrical potential difference between a wall of the channel and the outlet and/or a rotor of the pump so that the outlet and/or the rotor of the pump attracts positively charged ions that stem from the ionized flush gas in the channel.