Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for controlling a processing system are disclosed. Alarms and information regarding operating components within the processing system are collected by a knowledge base and are related to one another therein. Data in the knowledge base is then analyzed to determine a root cause for the alarms.

Abstract: An apparatus for reducing contamination in immersion lithography includes a wafer chuck assembly including a wafer chuck configured to hold a semiconductor wafer on a support surface thereof. An O-ring assembly has a deformable O-ring attached to movable support sections arranged in a generally circular configuration so as to surround the wafer.

Abstract: An apparatus for reducing contamination in immersion lithography includes a wafer chuck assembly having a wafer chuck configured to hold a semiconductor wafer on a support surface thereof. The wafer chuck has a gap therein, the gap located adjacent an outer edge of the wafer, and the gap containing a volume of immersion lithography fluid therein. A fluid circulation path is configured within the wafer chuck so as to facilitate the radial outward movement of the immersion lithography fluid in the gap, thereby maintaining a meniscus of the immersion lithography fluid at a selected height with respect to a top surface of the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: A method of forming an image in a photoresist layer. The method includes, providing a substrate; forming the photoresist layer over the substrate; forming a contamination gettering topcoat layer over the photoresist layer, the contamination gettering topcoat layer including one or more polymers and one or more cation complexing agents; exposing the photoresist layer to actinic radiation through a photomask having opaque and clear regions, the opaque regions blocking the actinic radiation and the clear regions being transparent to the actinic radiation, the actinic radiation changing the chemical composition of regions of the photoresist layer exposed to the radiation forming exposed and unexposed regions in the photoresist layer; and removing either the exposed regions of the photoresist layer or the unexposed regions of the photoresist layer. The contamination gettering topcoat layer includes one or more polymers, one or more cation complexing agents and a casting solvent.

Abstract: Methods of developing or removing a select region of block copolymer films using a polar supercritical solvent to dissolve a select portion are disclosed. In one embodiment, the polar supercritical solvent includes chlorodifluoromethane, which may be exposed to the block copolymer film using supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) as a carrier or chlorodiflouromethane itself in supercritical form. The invention also includes a method of forming a nano-structure including exposing a polymeric film to a polar supercritical solvent to develop at least a portion of the polymeric film. The invention also includes a method of removing a poly(methyl methacrylate-b-styrene) (PMMA-b-S) based resist using a polar supercritical solvent.