Abstract: A method and apparatus for cleaning the inside of an immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed. In particular, a liquid supply system of the lithographic apparatus may be used to introduce a cleaning fluid into a space between the projection system and the substrate table of the lithographic apparatus. Additionally or alternatively, a cleaning device may be provided on the substrate table and an ultrasonic emitter may be provided to create an ultrasonic cleaning liquid.

Abstract: A method and system for determining specific pixel modulation states of a spatial light modulator (SLM) to print a desired pattern on a substrate are disclosed. The method includes selecting at least one super-pixel in an object plane of the desired pattern, the super-pixel being formed of at least two pixels. At least one edge of the desired pattern crosses a boundary within the super-pixel, the at least one edge being defined by specific slope and position parameters relative to the super-pixel. The method also includes (i) forming an interpolation table to tabulate pre-calculated pixel modulation states and (ii) determining the specific pixel modulation states for each of the pixels in accordance with the interpolation table. Disclosed also are a method and system for providing a spatial light modulator (SLM). The SLM includes a plurality of mirrors structured to form groups of super-pixels.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus including an exposure unit that exposes parallel lines on a target area of a substrate by projecting two beams of radiation onto the substrate. The two beams of radiation are projected such that they interfere with each other to form the parallel lines. An actuator continuously moves the substrate relative to the exposure unit, while the exposure unit exposes the parallel lines on the target areas on the substrate.

Abstract: A system and method are used to form incoherent beams from at least a partially coherent beam, such that interference or speckle patterns are substantially eliminated. A rotating optical element directs the partially coherent beam to reflect from an angular distribution changing element to form an incoherent beam. The partially coherent beam can be directed at valying angles or positions onto the angular distribution changing element through rotation of the rotating optical element. The angles can vary as a function of time.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus includes a support structure configured to hold a patterning device. The patterning device is configured to pattern a beam of radiation according to a desired pattern. The lithographic apparatus further includes a substrate table configured to hold a substrate. The substrate has a surface coated at least partially with a layer of radiation sensitive material. The lithographic apparatus also includes a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate, and a liquid supply system. The liquid supply system is configured to supply a prewetting liquid on top of the layer of radiation sensitive material to prewet the substrate, and is configured to supply an immersion liquid in a space between the prewet substrate and at least a portion of the projection system.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus and method in which a relatively high resolution exposure, for example of a repeating pattern, is trimmed using a relatively low resolution exposure. According, a compromise between provision of a high resolution pattern and flexibility in the pattern to be formed is provided.

Abstract: To calibrate a lithographic apparatus having a programmable patterning means, a sensor, such as a CCD, CMOS sensor or photo-diode array, having detector elements larger than the size of a spot corresponding to a single pixel of the programmable patterning means is used. Pixels are selectively activated singly or in groups.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus comprising an array of individually controllable elements that modulates a beams of radiation and a projection system that projects the modulated beam onto the substrate. The individually controllable elements are provided with a compensation feature that is arranged to provide compensation radiation that substantially or at least partially cancels out unwanted radiation, such that the unwanted radiation is not projected by the projection system onto the substrate.

Abstract: Focal plane errors across the field of an array of focusing elements are reduced by using a non-planar correction surface, shaped such that focal points of the focusing elements lie closer to a single plane than they would if the correction surface were planar. For example, this can be used when an array of focusing elements is used in a projection system of a lithography system.

Abstract: To prevent a substrate from expanding significantly to generate overlay errors an exposure operation takes place in two parts. A first part exposes boundary areas and a second part exposes the larger, bulk areas. In one example, a portion of the substrate is fixed and the substrate is exposed progressively from parts furthest from the fixed portions towards the fixed portion. In another example, a plurality of high velocity scans take place instead of a single slow scan, and the substrate is allowed to cool between the high velocity scans. In another example, a lithographic apparatus is heated in order to maintain a temperature differential between the apparatus and the surrounding environment, and to minimize any fluctuation due to the exposing radiation.

Abstract: A lithography apparatus including a projection system configured to project a beam of radiation onto a substrate as an array of sub-beams of radiation and an array of individually controllable elements configured to modulate the sub-beams of radiation. The apparatus also includes a data-path including at least one data manipulation device arranged to at least partly convert data defining a requested pattern to a control signal suitable for controlling the array of individually controllable elements to form substantially the requested pattern on the substrate. The data manipulation device is arranged to carry out the conversion by applying a pseudo-inverted form of a point-spread function matrix to a column vector representing the requested pattern. The point-spread function matrix includes information about the shape and relative position of the point-spread function of each spot to be exposed on the substrate by one of the sub-beams of radiation at a given time.

Abstract: An immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed which includes a liquid supply system having an inlet configured to supply a liquid to a space between a projection system of the lithographic apparatus and a substrate and an outlet configured to remove at least part of the liquid, the liquid supply system configured to rotate the inlet, the outlet, or both, about an axis substantially perpendicular. to an exposure plane of the substrate.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus comprises an illumination system for supplying a beam of radiation, an array of individually controllable elements serving to impart the beam with a pattern in its cross-section, a substrate table for supporting a substrate, and a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The beam of radiation comprises a plurality of beam components. The plurality of beam components includes a first beam component having a first frequency spectrum about a first frequency and at least a second beam component having a second frequency spectrum about a second frequency. The second frequency is different from the first frequency. The projection system focuses the first and second beam components at different heights with respect to the substrate table.

Abstract: A system and method utilize a lithographic apparatus comprising an illumination system, an array of individually controllable elements, and a projection system. The illumination system conditions a radiation beam. The array of individually controllable elements modulates the beam. At least one group of elements in the array of individually controllable elements being tilted to at least a same tilt direction with a same tilt sign. For example, the tilting can form one or more blazing portions (e.g., blazing super-pixel portions) in the array of individually controllable elements. The projection system projects the modulated beam onto a target portion of a substrate. The projection system includes an aperture that filters out undesired diffraction orders of the modulated beam.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are used to form patterns on a substrate. The comprise a projection system, a patterning device, a low-pass filter, and a data manipulation device. The projection system projects a beam of radiation onto the substrate as an array of sub-beams of radiation. The patterning device modulates the sub-beams of radiation to substantially produce a requested dose pattern on the substrate. The low-pass filter operates on pattern data derived from the requested dose pattern in order to form a frequency-clipped target dose pattern that comprises only spatial frequency components below a selected threshold frequency. The data manipulation device produces a control signal comprising spot exposure intensities to be produced by the patterning device, based on a direct algebraic least-squares fit of the spot exposure intensities to the frequency-clipped target dose pattern. In various examples, filters for pattern sharpening, image log slope control, and/or CD biasing can also be used.

Abstract: The tilt and position of individually controllable element are simultaneously adjusted to allow a greater range of contrasts to be achieved. This can also be used to compensate for cupping of individually controllable elements. Simultaneous adjustment of both the position and tilt of the individually controllable elements can be achieved by two electrodes operable over a range of values.

Abstract: A method for correcting an exposure parameter of an immersion lithographic apparatus is provided. In the method, an exposure parameter is measured using a measuring beam projected through a liquid between the projection system and a substrate table of the immersion lithographic apparatus and offset is determined based on a change of a physical property impacting a measurement made using the measuring beam to at least partly correct the measured exposure parameter. Also, there is provided an apparatus and method to measure a height of an optical element connected to liquid between the projection system and the substrate table in the immersion lithographic apparatus.

Abstract: A method for correcting an exposure parameter of an immersion lithographic apparatus is provided. In the method, an exposure parameter is measured using a measuring beam projected through a liquid between the projection system and a substrate table of the immersion lithographic apparatus and offset is determined based on a change of a physical property impacting a measurement made using the measuring beam to at least partly correct the measured exposure parameter.

Abstract: A lithographic illumination apparatus and method includes receiving a plurality of source radiation beams from a plurality of corresponding radiation sources, deflecting the plurality of source radiation beams along a common beam path, thereby generating a projection beam of radiation, imparting the projection beam of radiation with a cross-section pattern, and projecting the patterned projection beam of radiation onto a target portion of a substrate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cleaning the inside of an immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed. In particular, a liquid supply system of the lithographic apparatus may be used to introduce a cleaning fluid into a space between the projection system and the substrate table of the lithographic apparatus. Additionally or alternatively, a cleaning device may be provided on the substrate table and an ultrasonic emitter may be provided to create an ultrasonic cleaning liquid.