Patent ID: 8690135

Claim:
A chuck comprising a supporting element that is connected to a closing element; wherein an upper surface of the supporting element comprises a chemically etched zone and an un-etched zone; wherein the chemically etched zone comprises multiple upper areas that are surrounded by trenches; wherein the un-etched zone is shaped in response to a shape of an object to be placed on the supporting element; wherein the un-etched zone reduces pressurized gas leakage from the un-etched zone and the closing element reduces pressurized gas leakage from a lower surface of the supporting element when the object is placed on the chuck in alignment with the un-etched zone and pressurized gas is provided to the chuck; wherein the chuck comprises multiple un-etched zones; wherein each un-etched zone surrounds at least one chemically etched zone; wherein multiple pressurized gas conduits are formed in the supporting element so as to enable pressurized gas provided to a lower surface of the supporting element to propagate through the trenches of each chemically etched zone; and wherein the chuck is adapted to be coupled to a pressurized gas delivery unit adapted to independently supply pressurized gas to each chemically etched zone.