Abstract: A stage system includes an object table constructed to hold an object, a short stroke actuator element constructed to displace the object table over a first range of movement, and a long stroke actuator element constructed to displace the short stroke actuator element over a second range of movement which is larger than the first range of movement. The stage system further includes a pneumatic compensation device including: a sensor arranged to measure a quantity representative of a pneumatic disturbance force on the short stroke actuator element, an actuator arranged to provide a compensating force to at least partly compensate the pneumatic disturbance, and a controller. The sensor is connected to a controller input of the controller, the actuator is connected to a controller output of the controller, the controller being arranged to drive the actuator in response to a signal received from the sensor.

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: Systems and methods are disclosed for controlling the heating of a reticle. In one embodiment, a plurality of radiation sources generates a plurality of radiation beams (206) and delivers them to a patterning device (210) that absorbs a portion of the radiation from the beams and develops a spatially dependent heating profile. In a further embodiment, a plurality of resistive heating sources (906) generates heat in response to an applied voltage or current. The generated heat is absorbed by the patterning device from the resistive heating sources and leads to the development of a spatially dependent heating profile. Thermal stresses, strains, and deformations can be controlled by controlling the spatially dependent heating profile.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus including a moveable object (WT) and a displacement measuring system arranged to determine a position quantity of the moveable object. The displacement measuring system includes an encoder (BC) and a grid structure. One of the encoder and the grid structure is connected to the moveable object. The grid structure includes a high precision grid portion (HG) and a low precision grid portion (LG). The encoder is arranged to cooperate with the high precision grid portion to determine the position quantity relative to the grid structure with a high precision. The encoder is arranged to cooperate with the low precision grid portion to determine the position quantity relative to the grid structure with a low precision.

Abstract: A magnetic device, comprising a first part, a second part, a first magnetic part coupled to the first part and having a first magnetic polarization, a second magnetic part coupled to the second part and having a second magnetic polarization and an additional magnetic part coupled to the first part and having an additional magnetic polarization, wherein the first magnetic part and the second magnetic part are configured to magnetically interact with each other, wherein the first magnetic part exerts a first force on the second magnetic part, the second magnetic part exerts a second force on the first magnetic part and the first force and the second force have opposite directions that are parallel to a reference direction, the first magnetic polarization is substantially parallel to the reference direction, the second magnetic polarization is substantially perpendicular to the reference direction, the additional magnetic polarization makes an angle with the first magnetic polarization and the angle has a magnit

Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator includes a coil assembly including a coil; a magnet assembly including a first and a second magnet unit, each magnet unit including a magnetic yoke and a plurality of permanent magnets mounted to the magnetic yoke, the first and second magnet unit forming a magnetic circuit for receiving the coil assembly and, upon energizing the coil, generating a force in a first direction; and a holder for holding the magnet units, wherein a weight ratio of the magnet assembly over the coil assembly is smaller than the weight ratio of the magnet assembly over the coil assembly when the ratio of force over electrical power is maximized.

Abstract: An EUV lithographic apparatus includes a source collector apparatus in which the extreme ultraviolet radiation is generated by exciting a fuel to provide a plasma emitting the radiation. The source collector apparatus includes a chamber in fluid communication with a guide way external to the chamber. A pump for circulating buffer gas is part of the guide way, and provides a closed loop buffer gas flow. The gas flowing through the guide way traverses a gas decomposer wherein a compound of fuel material and buffer gas material is decomposed, so that decomposed buffer gas material can be fed back into the closed loop flow path.

Abstract: In a lithographic projection apparatus, a structure surrounds a space between the projection system and a substrate table of the lithographic projection apparatus. A gas seal is formed between said structure and the surface of said substrate to contain liquid in the space.

Abstract: A support for a movable element includes a stator element, a gravity compensator field inducing element mounted on the stator element, the gravity compensator field inducing element configured to apply a translational force to the movable element by controlling a magnetic field in a gap between the stator element and the movable element, and a plurality of torque compensator field inducing elements mounted on the stator element, the torque compensator field inducing elements configured to apply a torque to the movable element by controlling a magnetic field in the gap between the stator element and the movable element, the torque being about a first axis substantially perpendicular to the direction of the translational force applied by the gravity compensator field inducing element.

Abstract: In a lithographic projection apparatus, a liquid supply system maintains liquid in a space between the projection system and the substrate. The liquid supply system may further include a de-mineralizing unit, a distillation unit, a de-hydrocarbonating unit, a UV radiation source, and/or a filter configured to purify the liquid. A gas content reduction device may be provided to reduce a gas content of the liquid. A chemical may be added to the liquid using an adding device to inhibit lifeform growth and components of the liquid supply system may be made of a material which is non-transparent to visible light such that growth of lifeforms may be reduced.

Abstract: A method of designing an epitaxy template to direct self-assembly of a block copolymer on a substrate into an ordered target pattern involves providing a primary epitaxy template design and then varying the design to optimize a pattern fidelity statistic, such as placement error, relative to the target pattern by modelling predicted self-assembled block copolymer patterns and optimizing pattern placement as a function of a varied design parameter. In addition to varying a design parameter to optimize the pattern fidelity statistic, a random error in the template design is included prior to modelling predicted patterns in order to compensate for expected template inaccuracy in practice. The inclusion of a realistic random error in the template design, in addition to systematic variation of a design parameter, may improve the template design optimization to render the result less sensitive to error which may be inevitable in practice.

Abstract: A deformation pattern recognition method including providing one or more deformation patterns, each deformation pattern being associated with a deformation of a substrate that may be caused by a processing device; transferring a first pattern to a substrate, the first pattern including at least N alignment marks, wherein each alignment mark is positioned at a respective predefined nominal position; processing the substrate; measuring a position of N alignment marks and determining an alignment mark displacement for the N alignment marks by comparing the respective nominal position with the respective measured position; fitting at least one deformation pattern to the measured alignment mark displacements; determining an accuracy value for each fitted deformation pattern, the accuracy value being representative of the accuracy of the corresponding fit; using the determined accuracy value, determining whether an associated deformation pattern is present.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for forming a row of mutually spaced lithography features on a substrate, such as contact electrodes for a NAND device. The method involves forming and/or using a narrow slot over the substrate defined between the edge of a hard mask layer and a side wall of a trench in a resist layer overlying the edge and the substrate. A self-assemblable block copolymer is deposited and ordered in the trench for use as a further resist for patterning the substrate along the slot. The method allows for a sub-resolution contact array to be formed using UV lithography by overlapping the trench with the hard mask edge to provide the narrow slot in which the contact electrodes may be formed.

Abstract: A target for measuring an overlay error or a critical dimension of a substrate comprises a grating. In one example, lines of the grating are arranged at an angle of about 45° with respect to edges of the target. As a consequence, the diffraction order of the grating reflection has its sub-maxima not aligned along the line on which the other diffraction orders are positioned, and overlap of intensity with other diffraction orders is reduced.

Abstract: In a method of determining the focus of a lithographic apparatus used in a lithographic process on a substrate, the lithographic process is used to form a structure on the substrate, the structure having at least one feature which has an asymmetry in the printed profile which varies as a function of the focus of the lithographic apparatus on the substrate. A first image of the periodic structure is formed and detected while illuminating the structure with a first beam of radiation. The first image is formed using a first part of non-zero order diffracted radiation. A second image of the periodic structure is formed and detected while illuminating the structure with a second beam of radiation. The second image is formed using a second part of the non-zero order diffracted radiation which is symmetrically opposite to the first part in a diffraction spectrum.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus including a liquid supply system configured to provide a liquid to a space between the projection system and an object, and a movable table having a recess, the recess including therein the object or a surface to hold and support the object, wherein a gap opening into which the liquid can enter is defined between a peripheral wall of the recess and the object, and the recess further including a fluid opening, below the gap opening, to remove the liquid entering the gap opening.

Abstract: An “angle-resolved” version of FD-OCT is used to measure reflectance properties. An inspection apparatus comprises an illumination source configured to provide an illumination beam, an interferometer configured to use the illumination beam to illuminate a target on a substrate at an incidence angle and to use radiation reflected from the substrate with a reference beam derived from the illumination beam to produce an output beam, a sampling device arranged to select a portion of the output beam, a spectrometer configured to receive the selected portion of the output beam and to measure a spectrum of the received selected portion of the output beam, and a processor configured to determine from the measured spectrum reflectance properties of the target such as raw spectrometer spectral data, the Fourier transformed data, the extracted intensity components or carrier phase or the calculated complex reflectance.

Abstract: A multilayer mirror to reflect radiation having a wavelength in the range of 2-8 nm has alternating layers. The alternating layers include a first layer and a second layer. The first and second layers are selected from the group consisting of: U and B4C layers, Th and B4C layers, La and B9C layers, La and B4C layers, U and B9C layers, Th and B9C layers, La and B layers, U and B layers, C and B layers, Th and B layers, U compound and B4C layers, Th compound and B4C layers, La compound and B9C layers, La compound and B4C layers, U compound and a B9C layers, Th compound and a B9C layers, La compound and a B layers, U compound and B layers, and Th compound and a B layers. An interlayer is disposed between at least one of the first layers and the second layer.

Abstract: A variable reluctance device includes first and second magnetic members, a coil, a measurement coil, and a control unit. The first and second magnetic members are displaceable relative to each other to provide a magnetic circuit having a variable reluctance. The coil for, in use, receiving a current for generating a magnetic flux through the magnetic circuit. The measurement coil for generating a measurement signal representative of the magnetic flux through the magnetic circuit, whereby the measurement coil is arranged to substantially enclose the magnetic flux through the magnetic circuit. The control unit arranged to receive the flux signal at an input terminal and, in response, provide a control signal based on the measurement signal at an output terminal for controlling an amplitude of the current or a force of a further device. The device can e.g., be applied in a stage apparatus or a lithographic apparatus.

Abstract: A detector module (20) is described that includes at least one detector (30) for sensing photon radiation, an electronic circuit (40) coupled to the at least one detector (30), and a housing (50) having a first and a second body (60, 70), each having a bottom part (62, 72) and an at least partially cylindrical part (64, 74) extending from the bottom part (62, 72), wherein the at least partially cylindrical part (64) of the first body (60) is thermally coupled with the at least partially cylindrical part (74) of the second body (70), wherein the at least partially cylindrical part (64) of the first body (60) extends towards the bottom part (72) of the second body (70), and wherein the electronic circuit (40) is arranged inside the housing (50). A lithographic apparatus including the detector module (20) is also described.