Abstract: The present invention provides a method for containing unwanted electric charge that accumulates on the surface of the dielectric of an electrostatic clamp. One source of such charge is found to be from the triple points where conductive interconnect lines 28 and conductive burl coatings 26 contact the surface of the dielectric 20. These triple points are potted by means of an insulating material 29 such that any emitted electrons are contained. While the interconnect lines 28 are completely covered, in the case of the conductive burl coating 26 although the burl 25 cannot be completely covered by the insulating material, the triple point is moved to a region where there is no or at least only low electric field whereby there is no or only little emission of electrons.

Abstract: A multilayer mirror for use in device lithography is configured to reflect and/or pattern radiation having a wavelength in the range of about 6.4 nm to about 7.2 nm. The multilayer mirror has a plurality of alternating layers of materials. The plurality of alternating layers of materials include first layers of materials and second layers of materials. The second layers have a higher refractive index for the radiation than the first layers. The materials of the first layers and the materials of the second layers are mutually chemically unreactive at an interface therebetween at temperatures less than 300° C. This may allow the mirrors to have a narrow boundary region of intermingled materials from alternating layers between the layers, for example of 0.5 nm or less in width, which may improve sharpness of the boundary region and improve reflectivity.

Abstract: A gas knife configured to dry a surface in an immersion lithographic apparatus is optimized to remove liquid by ensuring that a pressure gradient is built up in the liquid film on the surface being dried.

Abstract: A method of characterizing a lithographic mask type uses a mask having thereon test pattern units of linear features at different orientations. The mask is exposed, rotated by angle, exposed again, rotated by a further angle, exposed, etc. The printed features are measured to determine one or more characteristics of the mask. The method can be used to model shadowing effects of a EUV mask with a thick absorber illuminated at an angle.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus including: a substrate holder constructed to hold a substrate; a modulator, including a plurality of VECSELs or VCSELs to emit electromagnetic radiation, configured to expose an exposure area of a target portion to a plurality of beams of the radiation modulated according to a desired pattern, and a projection system configured to project the modulated beams onto the target portion and having an array of optical elements to receive the plurality of beams, the projection system configured to move the array of optical elements with respect to the plurality of VECSELs or VCSELs during exposure of the exposure area, wherein the movement involves rotation and/or the movement causes the beams to displace.

Abstract: A method of designing a feature guiding template for guiding self-assembly of block copolymer to form at least two features in a design layout for lithography, the feature guiding template including at least two portions joined by a bottleneck, the method including determining a characteristic of the feature guiding template based on at least a function of geometry of the feature guiding template including a value of a first width of at least one of the portions, a value of a second width of the bottleneck, or a value based on both the first width and the second width.

Abstract: A method of position control of an optical component relative to a surface is disclosed. The method may include: obtaining a first signal by a first position measurement process; controlling relative movement between the optical component and the surface for a first range of motion using the first signal; obtaining a second signal by a second position measurement process different than the first position measurement process; and controlling relative movement between the optical component and the surface for a second range of motion using the second signal, the second range of motion being nearer the surface than the first range of motion.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus is disclosed for use with an immersion liquid positioned between the projection system and a substrate, Several methods and mechanism are disclosed to protect components of the projection system, substrate table and a liquid confinement system. These include providing a protective coating on a final element of the projection system as well as providing one or more sacrificial bodies upstream of the components. A two component final optical element of CaF2 is also disclosed.

Abstract: A radiation source (e.g., LPP—laser produced plasma source) for generation of extreme UV (EUV) radiation has at least two fuel particle streams having different trajectories. Each stream is directed to cross the path of an excitation (laser) beam focused at a plasma formation region, but the trajectories are spaced apart at the plasma formation region, and the streams phased, so that only one stream has a fuel particle in the plasma formation region at any time, and so that when a fuel particle from one stream is generating plasma and EUV radiation at the plasma generation region, other fuel particles are sufficiently spaced so as to be substantially unaffected by the plasma. The arrangement permits potential doubling of the radiation intensity achievable for a particular fuel particle size.

Abstract: A fluid handling structure for a lithographic apparatus, the fluid handling structure having, at a boundary from a space configured to contain immersion fluid to a region external to the fluid handling structure: a meniscus pinning feature to resist passage of immersion fluid in a radially outward direction from the space; a plurality of gas supply openings in a linear array at least partly surrounding and radially outward of the meniscus pinning feature; and a gas recovery opening radially outward of the plurality of gas supply openings in a linear array.

Abstract: A substrate holder for a lithographic apparatus has a main body having a thin-film stack provided on a surface thereof. The thin-film stack forms an electronic or electric component such as an electrode, a sensor, a heater, a transistor or a logic device, and has a top isolation layer. A plurality of burls to support a substrate are formed on the thin-film stack or in apertures of the thin-film stack.

Abstract: A multi-stage system includes a stator including a plurality of electric coils; a first stage including a first magnet assembly, the first stage moveable relative to the stator; a second stage including a second magnet assembly, the second stage moveable relative to the stator; a controller configured to position the first and the second stage relative to the stator by activating, respectively, a first subset of the plurality of electric coils to interact with the first magnet assembly and a second subset of the plurality of electric coils to interact with the second magnet assembly, the controller adapted to prevent at least one electric coil, to be simultaneously shared by the first and the second subset to position the first and the second stage on the stator, from activating.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for optical metrology is disclosed. There is disclosed, for example, a method involving a radiation intensity distribution for a target measured using an optical component at a gap from the target, the method including calculating a correction factor for the variation of radiation intensity of the radiation intensity distribution as a function of variation of the distance of the gap.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed including a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a space between the projection system and the substrate with a liquid, an outlet configured to remove a mixture of liquid and gas passing through a gap between a liquid confinement structure of the liquid supply system and the substrate, and an evacuation system configured to draw the mixture through the outlet, the evacuation system having a separator tank arranged to separate liquid from gas in the mixture and a separator tank pressure controller, connected to a non-liquid-filled region of the separator tank, configured to maintain a stable pressure within the non-liquid-filled region.

Abstract: In order to determine whether an exposure apparatus is outputting the correct dose of radiation and its projection system is focusing the radiation correctly, a test pattern is used on a mask for printing a specific marker onto a substrate. This marker is then measured by an inspection apparatus, such as a scatterometer, to determine whether there are errors in focus and dose and other related properties. The test pattern is configured such that changes in focus and dose may be easily determined by measuring the properties of a pattern that is exposed using the mask. The test pattern may be a 2D pattern where physical or geometric properties, e.g., pitch, are different in each of the two dimensions. The test pattern may also be a one-dimensional pattern made up of an array of structures in one dimension, the structures being made up of at least one substructure, the substructures reacting differently to focus and dose and giving rise to an exposed pattern from which focus and dose may be determined.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus with a cover plate formed separately from a substrate table and means for stabilizing a temperature of the substrate table by controlling the temperature of the cover plate is disclosed. A lithographic apparatus with thermal insulation provided between a cover plate and a substrate table so that the cover plate acts as a thermal shield for the substrate table is disclosed. A lithographic apparatus comprising means to determine a substrate table distortion and improve position control of a substrate by reference to the substrate table distortion is disclosed.

Abstract: A system detects targets located within patterns. It operates in the pupil plane by filtering the received signal from the surrounding pattern. A method includes illuminating a target and a surrounding pattern with radiation, detecting the radiation reflected by the target and the surrounding pattern and forming a first set of data based on the detected radiation, removing portions of the first set of data which correspond to the target to form reduced data, interpolating the remaining portions of the reduced data over the removed portions to form product data, and subtracting the product data from the first set of data to form target data.

Abstract: An object positioning system includes an object; a measurement system to measure the position of the object, wherein each sensor of the measurement system has an associated measurement area on the object and wherein a location of at least one measurement area on the object is dependent on the position of the object; an actuator system to position the object; a control system configured to drive the actuator system, wherein the control system includes an observer with a dynamic model of the object to estimate an internal dynamic behavior of the object, wherein the dynamic model includes the dependency of the location of at least one measurement area on the position of the object, and wherein the control system is configured to drive the actuator system in dependency of an output of the observer.

Abstract: A method of metrology target design is described. The method includes determining a sensitivity of a parameter for a metrology target design to an optical aberration, determining the parameter for a product design exposed using an optical system of a lithographic apparatus, and determining an impact on the parameter of the metrology target design based on the parameter for the product design and the product of the sensitivity and one or more of the respective aberrations of the optical system.

Abstract: A radiation source, e.g. for EUV for use in a lithographic apparatus, generates radiation by illuminating droplets of fuel with first radiation to form a plasma and collects second radiation omitted by the plasma using a collector (CO). The collector has an aperture and the fuel passes along a vertical trajectory through that aperture before being irradiated by the first radiation. In an embodiment the first radiation is directed along a beam, the final part of which is coincident with the final part of the trajectory of the fuel droplets. In an embodiment a gas flow is arranged coincident with the fuel trajectory and/or the beam of first radiation.