Abstract: A collector mirror assembly includes a collector mirror that includes a reflective surface and a hole having an edge. The hole extends through the reflective surface. The assembly also includes a tubular body having an inner surface and an outer surface. The tubular body is constructed and arranged to guide a gas flow in a direction substantially transverse to the reflective surface. The outer surface of the tubular body and the edge of the hole form an opening arranged to guide a further gas flow that diverges with respect the gas flow substantially transverse to the reflective surface.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a component and a local cooler to apply a local cooling load to the component. The local cooler has a gas passageway including a flow restriction upstream of the component and configured to direct a flow of gas exiting the flow restriction to cool a surface of the component.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a radiation source configured to produce a radiation beam, and a support configured to support a patterning device. The patterning device is configured to impart the radiation beam with a pattern to form a patterned radiation beam. A chamber is located between the radiation source and patterning device. The chamber contains at least one optical component configured to reflect the radiation beam, and is configured to permit radiation from the radiation source to pass therethrough. A membrane is configured to permit the passage of the radiation beam, and to prevent the passage of contamination particles through the membrane. A particle trapping structure is configured to permit gas to flow along an indirect path from inside the chamber to outside the chamber. The indirect path is configured to substantially prevent the passage of contamination particles from inside the chamber to outside the chamber.

Abstract: A substrate table is disclosed in which heaters are provided to account for a heat load which may be applied to the substrate. The heaters are grouped in segments to improve control. A temperature sensor per segment may be provided. The temperature sensor may be embedded in the substrate table.

Abstract: A radiation source is configured to generate radiation. The radiation source includes a first electrode and a second electrode configured to produce an electrical discharge during use to generate radiation-emitting plasma from a plasma fuel. The radiation source also includes a fuel supply configured to supply a plasma fuel to a fuel release area that is associated with the first electrode and the second electrode, and a fuel release configured to induce release of fuel, supplied by the fuel supply, from the fuel release area. The fuel release area is spaced-apart from the first electrode and from the second electrode.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method is provided in which exposure is carried out by projecting through a liquid having a pH of less than 7, the liquid being in contact with a substrate to be exposed. The liquid advantageously comprises an anti-reflective topcoat.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes a seal provided in a substrate table, the seal being actuatable from an open configuration to a closed configuration, the closed configuration being such that when a substrate is located on the substrate table, the seal closes a gap between the substrate and the substrate table.

Abstract: A method of efficient optical and resist parameters calibration based on simulating imaging performance of a lithographic process utilized to image a target design having a plurality of features. The method includes the steps of determining a function for generating a simulated image, where the function accounts for process variations associated with the lithographic process; and generating the simulated image utilizing the function, where the simulated image represents the imaging result of the target design for the lithographic process. Systems and methods for calibration of lithographic processes whereby a polynomial fit is calculated for a nominal configuration of the optical system and which can be used to estimate critical dimensions for other configurations.

Abstract: A fluid handling system for an immersion lithographic apparatus that has a fluid removal device to remove immersion liquid from an immersion space, and a droplet removal device to remove a droplet of immersion liquid, wherein: the droplet removal device is located further from an optical axis than the fluid removal device, and the droplet removal device comprises a porous member which faces, e.g., the substrate being exposed and/or the substrate table.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a phase adjuster to adjust a phase of an optical wave traversing an optical element of the phase adjuster during exposure of a pattern on a substrate. In an embodiment, the optical element is a heat controllable optical element in a projection system of the lithographic apparatus. In use, the pattern is illuminated with an illumination mode including an off-axis radiation beam. This beam is diffracted into a number of first-order diffracted beams, one associated with a first pitch in the pattern, along a first direction, another associated with a second pitch along a different, second direction in the pattern. An area is identified where the first-order diffracted beam associated with the first pitch traverses the optical element. An image characteristic of an image of the pattern is optimized by calculating a desired optical phase of this first-order diffracted beam in relation to the optical phase of the other first-order diffracted beam.

Abstract: A substrate handler is provided. The substrate handler includes a support surface configured to carry a substrate and a pre-conditioning unit configured to pre-condition the substrate. The substrate handler is configured to move the substrate relative to a substrate table.

Abstract: A metrology apparatus is arranged to illuminate a plurality of targets with an off-axis illumination mode. Images of the targets are obtained using only one first order diffracted beam. Where the target is a composite grating, overlay measurements can be obtained from the intensities of the images of the different gratings. Overlay measurements can be corrected for errors caused by variations in the position of the gratings in an image field.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a movable first object, and a heat exchanger including a heat exchanging body, the heat exchanging body including a material with electro-caloric or magneto-caloric properties and configured to affect the temperature of the first object by exchanging heat with the movable first object, and a generator configured to supply an electromagnetic field to the heat exchanging body to change the temperature of the heat exchanging body in order to cool or heat the first object.

Abstract: A device manufacturing method in a lithographic apparatus includes determining a plurality of positions on a substrate. The plurality of positions on a measurement substrate are scanned in a first direction to determine a first substrate map of the substrate levels of the measurement substrate. The plurality of positions on the measurement substrate are scanned in a second direction to determine a second substrate map of the substrate levels of the measurement substrate. A difference map is produced that includes information of the difference in measurement substrate surface level using the first substrate map and the second substrate map.

Abstract: One embodiment of a method for process window optimized optical proximity correction includes applying optical proximity corrections to a design layout, simulating a lithography process using the post-OPC layout and models of the lithography process at a plurality of process conditions to produce a plurality of simulated resist images. A weighted average error in the critical dimension or other contour metric for each edge segment of each feature in the design layout is determined, wherein the weighted average error is an offset between the contour metric at each process condition and the contour metric at nominal condition averaged over the plurality of process conditions. A retarget value for the contour metric for each edge segment is determined using the weighted average error and applied to the design layout prior to applying further optical proximity corrections.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus comprises a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate and a gripper arranged to position the substrate on the substrate table. The gripper includes an electrostatic clamp arranged to clamp the substrate at a top side thereof. The electrostatic clamp is arranged to clamp at least part of a circumferential outer zone of a top surface of the substrate. The invention provides a substrate handling method including positioning the substrate by means of a gripper on a substrate table of a lithographic apparatus. The substrate is clamped at a top side thereof by using an electrostatic clamp of the gripper.

Abstract: EUV exposure dose in a lithographic apparatus is controlled pulse to pulse by varying a conversion efficiency with which a pulse of EUV radiation is generated from an excitation of a fuel material by a corresponding pulse of excitation laser radiation. Conversion efficiency can be varied in several different ways, by varying the proportion of a fuel material that intersects a laser beam, and/or by varying a quality of the interaction. Mechanisms to vary the conversion efficiency can be based on variation of a laser pulse timing, variation of pre-pulse energy, and/or variable displacement of a main laser beam in one or more directions. Steps to maintain symmetry of the generated EUV radiation can be included.

Abstract: A radiation source is disclosed that comprises a reservoir that retains a volume of fuel, a nozzle configured to direct a stream of fuel towards a plasma formation location, a laser configured to generate a radiation generating plasma, and a fuel contamination control arrangement. The contamination control arrangement comprises a magnetic field generation element for generating a magnetic field; an electric field generation element for generating an electric field, the magnetic field generation element and the electric field generation element together configured to ensure that the magnetic field and the electric field overlap at a location of contamination within the fuel, and to ensure that lines of flux of the magnetic field and electric field are non-parallel at that location to control movement of the contamination.

Abstract: A level sensor for measuring a position of a surface of a substrate includes a projection unit including an emitter for emitting a radiation beam towards the substrate and a projection grating including a measurement grating and an aperture, such that the radiation beam incident on the projection grating is divided into a measurement radiation beam and a capture radiation beam. The level sensor further includes a detection unit including a first and second measurement detector, a first and second capture detector, a detection grating, and a first and second optical unit. The detection grating includes a ruled grating with multiple rules, which direct radiation towards the first and second measurement detector via the first and second optical unit, and a capture element directing radiation towards the first and second capture detector via the first and second optical unit.

Abstract: An apparatus, suited, for example, for extreme ultraviolet lithography, includes a radiation source and a processing organ for processing the radiation from the radiation source. Between the radiation source and the processing organ a filter is placed which, in the radial direction from the radiation source, comprises a plurality of foils or plates.