Patent ID: 7675604

Claim:
A lithography apparatus, comprising: an imaging lens module; a substrate table positioned underlying the imaging lens module and configured to hold a substrate; a fluid retaining module configured to hold a fluid in a space between the imaging lens module and a substrate on the substrate stage; and a heating element integrated in the fluid retaining module and adjacent to the space, wherein the heating element includes at least two of: a sealant in contact with the fluid of the space and configured so that the heating element is sealed in the fluid retaining module with the sealant, which is insoluble to the fluid; a sealed opening in contact with the fluid of the space and configured so that the heating element is sealed in the fluid retaining module with the sealed opening, the sealed opening being configured in a bottom portion or a side portion of the fluid retaining module; and a plurality of portions of the heating element having designed to operably and locally control temperature by heating the fluid in a first region of the fluid retaining module different from heating the fluid in a second region of the fluid retaining module.