Reply to Office Action of November 27, 2024
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`-2-
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`ASMLNetherlands B.V.
`Application No. 18/251,261
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`Amendments to the Claims
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`This listing of claims will replace all prior versions, andlistings, of claims in the application.
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`1 — 19. (Canceled)
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`20.
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`(Currently Amended) A conditioning system comprising:
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`a sub-atmospheric pressure conditioning fluid reservoir configured to operate at sub-
`atmospheric absolute pressure and to store fer-stering at least part of a liquid conditioning fluid,
`wherein the conditioning system is for a lithographic apparatus,
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`wherein the conditioning system is configured to condition one or more optical elements of
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`the lithographic apparatus,
`wherein the one or more optical elements are conditioned under vacuum or a low pressure of
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`gas,
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`wherein the conditioning system is configured to have a sub-atmospheric pressure at the one
`
`or more optical elements, and
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`wherein the liquid conditioning fluid is water.
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`21.
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`(Previously Presented) The conditioning system of claim 20, wherein the sub-
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`atmospheric pressure conditioning fluid reservoir is connected to a vacuum pump and/ora gasinlet.
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`22.
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`(Previously Presented) The conditioning system of claim 20, wherein the
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`conditioning system further comprises:
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`a pump upstream ofthe optical element, and
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`a flow restrictor between the pump and the optical element.
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`23.
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`(Previously Presented) The conditioning system of claim 20, wherein:
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`the sub-atmospheric pressure conditioning fluid reservoir comprises a deformable separator,
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`and
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`the deformable separator is disposed between the liquid conditioning fluid and a gas.
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`24.
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`(Currently Amended) A conditioning system comprising
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`Atty. Dkt. No. 3857.2970001
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`Reply to Office Action of November 27, 2024
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`-3-
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`ASMLNetherlands B.V.
`Application No. 18/251,261
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`a liquid conditioning fluid comprising water;
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`a flow restrictor, and
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`a pump,
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`wherein the conditioning system is for a lithographic apparatus,
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`wherein the conditioning system is configured to condition one or more optical elements of
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`the lithographic apparatus,
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`wherein the one or more optical elements are conditioned under vacuum or a low pressure of
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`gas,
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`wherein the conditioning system is configured to have a sub-atmospheric_absolute pressure
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`at the one or moreoptical elements,
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`wherein the pump is downstream ofthe optical element and
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`wherein the flow restrictor is upstream of the optical element.
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`25,
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`(Previously Presented) The conditioning system of claim 24, wherein the
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`conditioning system further comprises a conditioning fluid reservoir.
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`26.
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`(Previously Presented) The conditioning system of claim 24, wherein the
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`conditioning system comprises a sub-atmospheric pressure conditioning fluid reservoir.
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`27.
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`(Previously Presented) The conditioning system of claim 26, wherein the sub-
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`atmospheric pressure conditioning fluid reservoir is connected to a vacuum pump and/ora gasinlet.
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`28.
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`(Currently Amended) A conditioning system comprising:
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`a conditioning fluid reservoir,
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`wherein the conditioning system is for a lithographic apparatus,
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`wherein the conditioning system is configured to condition one or more optical elements of
`
`the lithographic apparatus,
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`wherein the one or more optical elements are conditioned under vacuum or a low pressure of
`
`Atty. Dkt. No. 3857.2970001
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`
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`Reply to Office Action of November 27, 2024
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`-4-
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`ASMLNetherlands B.V.
`Application No. 18/251,261
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`wherein the conditioning system is configured to have a sub-atmospheric pressure at the one
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`or more optical elements, and
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`wherein the conditioning fluid reservoir is disposed below the optical element such that the
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`hydrostatic pressure difference between the optical element and the conditioning fluid reservoir
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`reduces the pressure at the optical element to below atmospheric pressure.
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`29.
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`(Currently Amended) A conditioning system comprising:
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`first and second conditioning fluid reservoirs,
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`wherein the conditioning system is for a lithographic apparatus,
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`wherein the conditioning system is configured to condition one or more optical elements of
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`the lithographic apparatus,
` wherein the one or more optical elements are conditioned under vacuum or a low pressure of
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`gas,
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`wherein the conditioning system is configured to have a sub-atmospheric pressure at the one
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`or more optical elements, and
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`wherein the first and second conditioning fluid reservoirs are in fluid connection with one
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`anothervia a valve that is operable to control the level of conditioning fluid in the first conditioning
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`fluid reservoir that is in fluid communication with the optical element.
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`30.
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`(Previously Presented) The conditioning system of claim 29, wherein the
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`conditioning system further comprisesa liquid conditioning fluid comprising water.
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`31.
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`(Previously Presented) The conditioning system of claim 29, wherein at least one of
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`the one or more optical elements is a reflector or a mirror.
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`32.
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`(Currently Amended) The conditioning system of claim 29, wherein the conditioning
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`system is configured to operate at between around 0.02 and 0.9 bara er-areund-0-3-bara.
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`Atty. Dkt. No. 3857.2970001
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`Reply to Office Action of November 27, 2024
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`-5-
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`ASMLNetherlands B.V.
`Application No. 18/251,261
`
`33.
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`(Previously Presented) The conditioning system of claim 29, wherein:
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`the conditioning system further comprises one or more vibration dampers, and
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`the one or more vibration dampersare in the form of one or more hydraulic accumulators.
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`34,
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`(Currently Amended) A lithographic apparatus comprising:
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`a conditioning system configured to includea liquid conditioning fluid, wherein the liquid
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`conditioning fluid is water; and
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`a sub-atmospheric pressure conditioning fluid reservoir configured to store at least part of
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`the liquid conditioning fluid,
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`wherein the conditioning system being configured to condition one or more optical elements
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`of the lithographic apparatus,
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`wherein the one or more optical elements are conditioned under vacuum or a low pressure of
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`gas, and
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`wherein the conditioning system is configured to have a sub-atmospheric pressure at the one
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`or more optical elements.
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`35.
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`(Currently Amended) A [[use of a]] sub-atmospheric pressure conditioning method
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`system in a lithographic apparatus, comprising:
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`conditioning one or more optical elements of the lithographic apparatus under vacuum or a
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`low pressure of gas,
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`using a sub-atmospheric pressure at the one or more optical elements,
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`using water as a liquid conditioning fluid, and
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`storing at least part of the liquid conditioning fluid in a sub-atmospheric absolute pressure
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`conditioning fluid reservoir.
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`36.
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`(Currently Amended) A methodof conditioning a system or sub-system of a
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`lithographic apparatus, the method comprising:
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`conditioning one or more optical elements of the system or sub-system under vacuum or a
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`low pressure of gas;
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`using a sub-atmospheric pressure at the one or more optical elements;
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`Atty. Dkt. No. 3857.2970001
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`
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`Reply to Office Action of November 27, 2024
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`-6-
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`ASMLNetherlands B.V.
`Application No. 18/251,261
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`using water as a liquid conditioning fluid; and
`storing at least part of the liquid conditioning fluid in a sub-atmospheric absolute pressure
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`conditioning fluid reservoir
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`
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`37.
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`(Currently Amended) The method of claim 36, wherein the system or sub-system
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`comprises an optical element, a reflector, or a mirror.
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`38.
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`(Currently Amended) A lithographic method comprising:
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`projecting a patterned beam ofradiation onto a substrate, the patterned beam being directed
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`or patterned using at least one optical element conditioned using a conditioning system, the
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`conditioning system comprising:
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`a sub-atmospheric pressure conditioning fluid reservoir configured to operate at sub-
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`atmospheric absolute pressure andto store fer-sterime at least part of a liquid conditioning fluid,
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`wherein the conditioning system is for a lithographic apparatus,
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`wherein the conditioning system is configured to condition one or more optical
`
`elements ofthe lithographic apparatus,
`wherein the one or more optical elements are conditioned under vacuum or a low
`
`pressure ofgas,
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`wherein the conditioning system is configured to have a sub-atmospheric pressure at
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`the one or more optical elements, and
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`wherein the liquid conditioning fluid is water.
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`39.
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`(New) The conditioning system of claim 29, wherein the conditioning system is
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`configured to operate around 0.3 bara.
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`Atty. Dkt. No. 3857.2970001
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