Abstract: A radiation source includes a nozzle configured to direct a stream of fuel droplets along a trajectory towards a plasma formation location; a laser configured to output laser radiation, the laser radiation directed at the fuel droplets at the plasma formation location to generate, in use, a radiation generating plasma; and a catch configured to catch fuel droplets that pass the plasma formation location. The catch includes a container configured to contain a fluid; a driver configured to drive the fluid, to cause the fluid to move; the catch being configured such that the fuel droplets are incident on that moving fluid.

Abstract: A pellicle that includes graphene is constructed and arranged for an EUV reticle. A multilayer mirror includes graphene as an outermost layer.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes a modulator to modulate a plurality of beams according to a desired pattern and a donor structure on to which the modulated beams impinge. The donor structure is configured such that the impinging modulated beams cause a donor material to be transferred from the donor structure to the substrate.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for producing EUV from plasma are disclosed. The apparatus includes a plasma generating system comprising a source of target material droplets and a laser producing a beam irradiating the droplets at an irradiation region. The plasma produces EUV radiation, wherein the droplet source comprises a nozzle having an orifice configured for ejecting a fluid and a sub-system having an electro-actuable element producing a disturbance in the fluid to cause at least some of the droplets to coalesce prior to being irradiated. The electro-actuable element is coupled to nozzle using an adhesive that has a high modulus at the nozzle operating temperature. Improvements also include tuning the nozzle assembly to more closely match the modulation waveform frequency with one of the resonance frequencies of the nozzle assembly by optimizing one of a mass, a shape, or material composition of at least one component in the nozzle assembly.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is used for inspection of devices to detect processing faults on semiconductor wafers. The method includes illuminating a strip of a die along a scan path with a moving measurement spot. The method further includes detecting scattered radiation to obtain an angle-resolved spectrum, and comparing the scattering data with a library of reference spectra. Based on the comparison, the method includes determining the presence of a fault of the die at the strip. The illumination and detection are performed along the scan path across a region, such that the scattering data is spatially integrated over the region.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system to provide a beam of radiation, a support to support a patterning devices, the patterning devices configured to impart the beam with a pattern in its cross-section, a substrate table to hold a substrate, a projection system to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate, and a conditioning system to condition the substrate. The conditioning system conditions a non-target portion of the substrate with a conditioning fluid. A method of manufacturing a device includes conditioning a non-target portion of a substrate.

Abstract: A method and associated apparatus determine an overlay error on a substrate. A beam is projected onto three or more targets. Each target includes first and second overlapping patterns with predetermined overlay offsets on the substrate. The asymmetry of the radiation reflected from each target on the substrate is measured. The overlay error not resultant from the predetermined overlay offsets is determined. The function that enables calculation of overlay from asymmetry for other points on the wafer is determined by limiting the effect of linearity error when determining the overlay error from the function.

Abstract: An immersion lithographic apparatus includes a liquid supply system member configured to contain a liquid in a space between a projection system of the lithographic apparatus and the substrate and a liquid supply system member compensator arranged to compensate an interaction between the liquid supply system member and substrate table.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is arranged to project a pattern from a patterning device onto a substrate is disclosed. The lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system and an outlet connected to a pumping system to pump away gas from between an inner wall and outer wall of the illumination system or, if a radiation source is present, between the inner wall of the illumination system and an inner wall of the radiation source.

Abstract: The Hessian (second derivative) of the image log slope (ILS) can be quickly and accurately calculated without the need to use approximate methods from the gradient of the ILS with respect to mask transmission and source intensity. The Hessian has been traditionally calculated using a finite-difference approach. Calculating the Hessian through a finite-difference approach is slow and is an approximate method. The gradient of the ILS improves the speed of calculation of the Hessian, and thus accelerated SMO operation is realized. The results of ILS evaluation can be used in design for manufacturing (DFM) to suggest changes in the design rules to improve imaging. For a fixed illumination, this information can help remove forbidden pitches and help select design rules for 1-D and 2-D patterns on a mask design layout.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is provided and configured to project a patterned beam of radiation onto a substrate. The apparatus has a measurement system to provide measurement data related to a thickness of a resist layer on the substrate, and a controller to control the operation of the lithographic apparatus such that a radiation intensity level in the patterned beam to be projected onto the substrate is controlled based on the measurement data.

Abstract: A cable connection between a first object and a second object includes a cable bundle of one or more cables having a certain length. One end of the cable bundle is fixed to the first object and another end of the bundle is fixed to the second object. A cable bundle holder configured to hold the cable bundle at a certain location along the length of the cable bundle, and a control system configured to control the position of the cable bundle holder with respect to the second object are presented. A control system for cable connection, and a method of reducing the transfer of vibrations from a first object to a second object via a cable connection are presented.

Abstract: A method of aligning a substrate and an imprint template is disclosed. The method includes directing an alignment radiation beam towards an imprint template alignment mark and an adjacent substrate alignment mark, the imprint template alignment mark and the substrate alignment mark each including a grating which extends in a first direction and a grating which extends in a second direction, providing relative movement between the imprint template and the substrate in the first direction and in the second direction, using an intensity detector to detect the intensity of alignment radiation redirected in the zero-order direction by the imprint template alignment mark and the substrate alignment mark during the relative movement in the first direction and in the second direction, and determining an aligned position of the imprint template alignment mark and the substrate alignment mark based upon the detected intensity.

Abstract: A radiation source includes an uncapped Mo/Si multilayer mirror, and a cleaning apparatus configured to remove a deposition comprising Sn on the uncapped Mo/Si multilayer mirror. The cleaning apparatus is configured to provide a gas comprising one or more of H2, D2 and HD and one or more additional compounds selected from hydrocarbon compounds and/or silane compounds in at least part of the radiation source, to produce hydrogen and/or deuterium radicals and radicals of the one or more additional compounds, from the gas, and to supply the hydrogen and/or deuterium radicals and radicals of the one or more additional compounds to the uncapped Mo/Si multilayer mirror to remove at least part of the deposition.

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: Described herein are methods for matching the characteristics of a lithographic projection apparatus to a reference lithographic projection apparatus, where the matching includes optimizing illumination source and projection optics characteristics. The projection optics can be used to shape wavefront in the lithographic projection apparatus. According to the embodiments herein, the methods can be accelerated by using linear fitting algorithm or using Taylor series expansion using partial derivatives of transmission cross coefficients (TCCs).

Abstract: An apparatus and a method to hold a patterning device configured to impart a beam of radiation with a pattern in its cross-section. The apparatus includes a base configured to support the patterning device and an inner cover couplable to the base. The inner cover includes a restraining mechanism that, upon an application of a force external to the inner cover, is configured to provide an in-plane force to the patterning device to restrain movement of the patterning device, the in-plane force being substantially parallel to a patterning surface of the patterning device.

Abstract: An EUV lithography reticle is inspected to detect contaminant particles. The inspection apparatus comprises illumination optics with primary radiation. An imaging optical system with plural branches is arranged to form and detect a plurality of images, each branch having an image sensor and forming its image with a different portion of radiation received from the illuminated article. A processor combines information from the detected images to report on the presence and location of contaminant particles. In one or more branches the primary radiation is filtered out, so that the detected image is formed using only secondary radiation emitted by contaminant material in response to the primary radiation. In a dark field imaging branch using the scattered primary radiation, a spatial filter blocks spatial frequency components associated with periodic features of the article under inspection, to allow detection of particles which cannot be detected by secondary radiation.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a radiation system for providing a beam of radiation from radiation emitted by a radiation source. The radiation system includes a contaminant trap for trapping material emanating from the radiation source. The rotation contaminant trap includes a multiple number of elements extending in a radial direction from a common rotation trap axis and being arranged for allowing contaminant material emanating from the radiation source to deposit during propagation of the radiation beam in the radiation system. The radiation system further includes a contaminant catch for receiving contaminant material particles from the rotation trap elements, the contaminant catch having a constitution, during operation of the radiation, for retaining said contaminant material particles.

Abstract: A position sensor is configured to measure a position data of a target. The position sensor includes a radiation source configured to irradiate a radiation beam, a first grating configured to diffract the radiation beam in a first diffraction direction into at least a first order diffraction beam, and a second grating, arranged in an optical path of the first order diffraction beam, the second grating being configured to diffract the first order diffraction beam diffracted at the first grating in a second diffraction direction substantially perpendicular to the first diffraction direction. The second grating is connected to the target. A first detector is configured to detect at least a part of the beam diffracted by the first grating, and at least one second detector is configured to detect at least part of the beam diffracted by the first grating and the second grating.