Abstract: A device manufacturing method includes conditioning a beam of radiation using an illumination system. The conditioning includes controlling an array of individually controllable elements and associated optical components of the illumination system to convert the radiation beam into a desired illumination mode, the controlling including allocating different individually controllable elements to different parts of the illumination mode in accordance with an allocation scheme, the allocation scheme selected to provide a desired modification of one or more properties of the illumination mode, the radiation beam or both. The method also includes patterning the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned beam of radiation, and projecting the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus comprising a source that generates a beam of radiation, a support structure supporting a patterning device, a substrate table for holding a substrate, and a projection system projecting the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The lithographic apparatus further comprises a vibration measurement apparatus configured to measure relative vibration between the patterning device and the substrate during exposure of the target portion. A control apparatus adjusts power of the radiation beam to compensate for the effect of the measured relative vibration on the pattern projected onto the substrate.

Abstract: A radiation source includes a fuel supply configured to deliver fuel to a plasma emission location for vaporization by a laser beam to form a plasma, and a collector configured to collect EUV radiation emitted by the plasma and direct the EUV radiation towards an intermediate focus. The collector includes a diffraction grating configured to diffract infrared radiation emitted by the plasma. The radiation source includes a radiation conduit located in between the collector and the intermediate focus. The radiation conduit includes an entrance aperture connected by an inwardly tapering body to an exit aperture. The radiation conduit includes an inner portion and an outer portion, the inner portion being closer to the intermediate focus than the outer portion. The inner portion is configured to reflect incident diffracted infrared radiation towards the outer portion.

Abstract: A lithographic projection system has an illumination system with a polarization member. A plurality of directing elements reflect different sub-beams of an incident beam into adjustable, individually controllable directions. By means of re-directing optics any desired polarized spatial intensity distribution of the beam can be produced in its cross-sectional plane.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus comprising a source of EUV radiation, an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam, and a projection system configured to project the radiation beam onto a substrate, wherein the apparatus further comprises a filter configured to prevent or reduce the transmission of unwanted radiation and an apparatus configured to detect damage of the filter, wherein the damage detection apparatus comprises an antenna configured to receive radio waves and an analysis apparatus configured to determine the presence of filter damage based upon the received radio waves.

Abstract: A radiation source includes a fuel supply configured to deliver fuel to a plasma emission location for vaporization by a laser beam to form a plasma, and a collector configured to collect EUV radiation emitted by the plasma and direct the EUV radiation towards an intermediate focus. The collector includes a diffraction grating configured to diffract infrared radiation emitted by the plasma. The radiation source includes a radiation conduit located in between the collector and the intermediate focus. The radiation conduit includes an entrance aperture connected by an inwardly tapering body to an exit aperture. The radiation conduit includes an inner portion and an outer portion, the inner portion being closer to the intermediate focus than the outer portion. The inner portion is configured to reflect incident diffracted infrared radiation towards the outer portion.

Abstract: A device manufacturing method, is presented herein. In one embodiment, the device manufacturing method includes a mask for use with DUV having a quartz substrate and chrome absorber. The chrome absorber has a thickness of about 700 nm which causes increased TE polarization in the transmitted light and improves contrast at the substrate level.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus comprising a source that generates a beam of radiation, a support structure supporting a patterning device, a substrate table for holding a substrate, and a projection system projecting the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The lithographic apparatus further comprises a vibration measurement apparatus configured to measure relative vibration between the patterning device and the substrate during exposure of the target portion. A control apparatus adjusts power of the radiation beam to compensate for the effect of the measured relative vibration on the pattern projected onto the substrate.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system for providing a beam of extreme ultra-violet radiation, a masking device for controlling the illumination of a patterning device by the beam of radiation, a support for supporting the patterning device, the patterning device configured to impart a pattern to the beam of radiation, a substrate table for holding a substrate, and a projection system for projecting the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of the substrate. The masking device includes a masking blade including a masking edge configured to delimit a boundary of an illumination region on the patterning device. The masking blade is configured to reflect extreme ultra-violet radiation incident on the masking blade such that at least a portion of the reflected radiation is not captured by the projection system.

Abstract: A method of generating complementary masks for use in a multiple-exposure lithographic imaging process.

Abstract: A method for minimizing rippling of features when imaged on a surface of a substrate using a mask. The method includes the steps of determining a deviation between a first representation of the design and a second representation of an image of the design at each of a plurality of evaluation points for each section of a plurality of sections of the design; determining an amount of modification of the design at each section based on an evaluation of the plurality of evaluation points; and modifying the design at each section by the amount determined in the previous step.

Abstract: A method of generating complementary masks for use in a multiple-exposure lithographic imaging process.

Abstract: A method of generating complementary masks for use in a multiple-exposure lithographic imaging process.

Abstract: A lithographic projection system has an illumination system with a polarization member. A plurality of directing elements reflect different sub-beams of an incident beam into adjustable, individually controllable directions. By means of re-directing optics any desired polarized spatial intensity distribution of the beam can be produced in its cross-sectional plane.

Abstract: A lithographic projection system has an illumination system with a polarization member. A plurality of directing elements reflect different sub-beams of an incident beam into adjustable, individually controllable directions. By means of re-directing optics any desired polarized spatial intensity distribution of the beam can be produced in its cross-sectional plane.

Abstract: A device manufacturing method includes conditioning a beam of radiation using an illumination system. The conditioning includes controlling an array of individually controllable elements and associated optical components of the illumination system to convert the radiation beam into a desired illumination mode, the controlling including allocating different individually controllable elements to different parts of the illumination mode in accordance with an allocation scheme, the allocation scheme selected to provide a desired modification of one or more properties of the illumination mode, the radiation beam or both. The method also includes patterning the radiation beam having the desired illumination mode with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned beam of radiation, and projecting the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate.

Abstract: A device manufacturing method includes conditioning a beam of radiation using an illumination system. The conditioning includes controlling an array of individually controllable elements and associated optical components of the illumination system to convert the radiation beam into a desired illumination mode, the controlling including allocating different individually controllable elements to different parts of the illumination mode in accordance with an allocation scheme, the allocation scheme selected to provide a desired modification of one or more properties of the illumination mode, the radiation beam or both. The method also includes patterning the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned beam of radiation, and projecting the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of optimizing a design to be formed on a substrate. The method includes approximating rounding of at least one corner of an image of the design; generating a representation of the design further to the approximate rounding of the at least one corner; generating an initial representation of a mask utilized to image the design based on the representation; and performing Optical Proximity Correction (OPC) further to the initial representation of the mask.

Abstract: Model Based Optical Proximity Correction (MOPC) biasing techniques may be utilized for optimizing a mask pattern. However, conventional MOPC techniques do not account for influence from neighboring features on a mask. This influence may be factored in the following manner—first, generating a predicted pattern from a target pattern and selecting a plurality of evaluation points at which biasing may be determined. Next, a set of multivariable equations are generated for each evaluation point, each equation representing influence of neighboring features on a mask. The equations are solved to determine that amount of bias at each evaluation point, and the mask is optimized accordingly. This process may be repeated until the mask pattern is further optimized.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system including a field faceted mirror including a plurality of field facets and configured to receive radiation from a radiation source and form a plurality of images of the radiation source on corresponding pupil facets of a pupil faceted mirror. Each of the field facets is configured to provide an illumination slit at a level of a patterning device. The illumination slits are summed together at the level of the patterning device to illuminate the patterning device. First blades are configured to block radiation from a radiation source and each first blade is selectively actuable to cover a portion of a selectable number of field facets. The field faceted mirror further comprises partial field facets, the partial field facets being configured to produce a partial illumination slit at the level of the patterning device, and the pupil faceted mirror further includes pupil facets corresponding to the partial field facets.