Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, and a polarization member made of optical material with optical rotatory power, which is arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, and which changes a polarization state of the illumination light. The illumination light from the polarization member is irradiated onto the pattern through a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus.

Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, and a polarization member made of optical material with optical rotatory power, which is arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, and which changes a polarization state of the illumination light. The illumination light from the polarization member is irradiated onto the pattern through a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus.

Abstract: An optical module is configured to be used in a microlithography objective. The optical module includes a first holding device with a circumference extending in a first circumferential direction and a first supporting device configured to support a first optical element. The first supporting device is fixed at the circumference of the first holding device. The optical module also includes a plurality of second supporting devices configured to support a second optical element, the second supporting devices being fixed at the circumference of the first holding device. The first supporting device does not contact the second supporting devices. The first optical element is separate from the second optical element. Along the first circumferential direction, the first supporting device is located in a non-equidistant manner between two neighboring second supporting devices.

Abstract: An optical system has an aperture device having a multiplicity of aperture elements for the delimitation of the cross section of a ray bundle running through the optical system. The aperture device has a first aperture element, which is pivotable about a first rotation axis between an engagement position in the beam path of the optical system and a neutral position outside the beam path of the optical system and has a first aperture opening delimited by a first aperture edge. The aperture device also has at least one second aperture element, which is pivotable about a second rotation axis between an engagement position in the beam path of the optical system and a neutral position outside the beam path of the optical system and has a second aperture opening delimited by a second aperture edge. The second aperture opening is smaller than the first aperture opening. The aperture elements pivoted into the engagement position form an effective aperture opening.

Abstract: An immersion lithography apparatus and method places an object for a cleanup process on a holder of a movable stage of the immersion lithography apparatus, a wafer being held on the holder of the stage and exposed during a liquid immersion lithography process. During the liquid immersion lithography process, device pattern projection is performed and a device pattern image is projected onto the wafer held on the holder to fabricate semiconductor devices. During the cleanup process, a liquid is supplied via a supply port from above the stage holding the object on the holder. During the cleanup process, the object is held on the holder in place of the wafer and the object is used without performing device pattern projection.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus of performing an exposure for each shot region on a substrate includes: a stage configured to move while holding the substrate; a measurement device configured to measure a vibration of the stage; and a controller, when the vibration of the stage measured by the measurement device during an exposure period of a shot region of a first substrate falls outside an allowable range, configured to change a control parameter when exposing a shot region of a second substrate to be exposed after the first substrate at the same position as the shot region of the first substrate so as to improve an exposure accuracy.

Abstract: An optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and a microlithographic exposure method are disclosed. In an embodiment an optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes at least one mirror arrangement having a plurality of mirror elements which are displaceable independently of each other for altering an angular distribution of the light reflected by the mirror arrangement. The optical system also includes at least one manipulator downstream of the mirror arrangement in the light propagation direction. The manipulator has a raster arrangement of manipulator elements so that light incident on the manipulator during operation of the optical system is influenced differently in its polarization state and/or in its intensity in dependence on the incidence location.

Abstract: An immersion exposure apparatus and method involves (i) supporting a substrate with a stage, (ii) arranging the stage under an optical assembly to maintain immersion liquid in a gap between the optical assembly and the stage, (iii) projecting an image onto the substrate via the optical assembly and the immersion liquid, (iv) arranging a movable pad, which is movable separately from the stage, adjacent to the stage, and (v) moving the stage and the pad adjacent to each other relative to the optical assembly to arrange the pad under the optical assembly in place of the stage such that the immersion liquid is maintained below the optical assembly during the movement, thereby to arrange the movable pad under the optical assembly to maintain the immersion liquid in a gap between the optical assembly and the pad.

Abstract: A microlithography illumination optical system is used to guide illumination light from a primary light source to an object field. A mirror array of the illumination optical system has a plurality of individual mirrors, which can be tilted independently of one another by actuators and are connected to associated tilting actuators. A controller is used to activate the actuators. A raster module of the illumination optical system has a plurality of raster elements to produce a spatially distributed arrangement of secondary light sources.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an optical element that includes an oriented carbon nanotube sheet. The optical element has an element thickness in the range of about 20-500 nm and has a transmission for EUV radiation having a wavelength in the range of about 1-20 nm of at least about 20% under perpendicular irradiation with the EUV radiation.

Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, a deflecting member arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, which deflects the illumination light, a lens element arranged in the optical path between the deflecting member and the optical integrator, which distributes the illumination light in a region, on a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus, away from an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus, and a polarization member arranged in the optical path between the lens element and the optical integrator, which changes a polarization state of the illumination light so that a polarization direction of the illumination light in the region is substantially coincident with a circumferential direction about the optical axis.

Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, and a polarization member made of optical material with optical rotatory power, which is arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, and which changes a polarization state of the illumination light. The illumination light from the polarization member is irradiated onto the pattern through a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus.

Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, a deflecting member arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, which deflects the illumination light, a lens element arranged in the optical path between the deflecting member and the optical integrator, which distributes the illumination light in a region, on a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus, away from an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus, and a polarization member arranged in the optical path between the lens element and the optical integrator, which changes a polarization state of the illumination light so that a polarization direction of the illumination light in the region is substantially coincident with a circumferential direction about the optical axis.

Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, and a polarization member made of optical material with optical rotatory power, which is arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, and which changes a polarization state of the illumination light. The illumination light from the polarization member is irradiated onto the pattern through a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus.

Abstract: A stage apparatus PST is provided with a holder PH, which has a substrate holding surface 33A that holds a substrate P; a stage 52, which supports and moves the holder PH; and a recovery apparatus 60, which is disposed in the vicinity of the holder PH and has lyophilic parts 3, 5 of which at least a part of each is lyophilic, that uses the lyophilic parts 3, 5 to recover a liquid 1. As a result, the infiltration of liquid into the space between the substrate and the holder is prevented, even if performing an exposure treatment by filling the space between a projection optical system and the substrate with the liquid.

Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, a deflecting member arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, which deflects the illumination light, a lens element arranged in the optical path between the deflecting member and the optical integrator, which distributes the illumination light in a region, on a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus, away from an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus, and a polarization member arranged in the optical path between the lens element and the optical integrator, which changes a polarization state of the illumination light so that a polarization direction of the illumination light in the region is substantially coincident with a circumferential direction about the optical axis.

Abstract: A positioning apparatus includes a first object and a second object; a positioning system configured to position the first and the second objects with respect to each other; and a flexible transportation line that is connected to the first and the second objects, the flexible transportation line having a stiffness that varies along the flexible transportation line such that the flexible transportation line can be represented by a dynamic transfer function, the dynamic transfer function being adapted to a closed-loop transfer function of the positioning system.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a support configured to hold an object, the support being moveable relative to a reference structure in a direction; a first position measurement system configured to provide a first measurement signal in a first frequency range, the first measurement signal representative of a position of the support relative to the reference structure in the direction; a second position measurement system configured to provide a second measurement signal in a second frequency range, the second measurement signal representative of the position of the support relative to the reference structure in the direction; and a processor configured to (a) filter the first measurement signal so as to attenuate a signal component having a frequency in the second frequency range, (b) filter the second measurement signal so as to attenuate a signal component having a frequency in the first frequency range, and (c) combine the filtered first measurement signal and the filtered second measurement signal into

Abstract: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system via which exposure light is projected, a first stage that is movable below the projection optical system and having a holding portion that holds a substrate, a second stage that is movable below the projection optical system, and a nozzle member having an opening through which the exposure light is projected, a supply opening via which the liquid is supplied and a first recovery opening via which the liquid is collected. During exposure of the substrate, a portion of a surface of the substrate is covered by the liquid while performing liquid supply from the supply opening and liquid collection from the first recovery opening. One or both of the first and second stages has a second recovery opening via which the liquid that comes from a gap between the first stage and the second stage is recovered.

Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, a deflecting member arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, which deflects the illumination light, a lens element arranged in the optical path between the deflecting member and the optical integrator, which distributes the illumination light in a region, on a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus, away from an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus, and a polarization member arranged in the optical path between the lens element and the optical integrator, which changes a polarization state of the illumination light so that a polarization direction of the illumination light in the region is substantially coincident with a circumferential direction about the optical axis.