Abstract: A lithographic apparatus may be provided with an acoustic resonator to dampen an acoustic vibration in the lithographic apparatus. The acoustic resonator may include a Helmholtz resonator. The helmholz resonator may be provided with an active element to provide active damping and/or altering a spring characteristic of the mass spring assembly formed by the resonator. The resonator may be provided at a slit in a shield between the patterning device stage and the projection system to suppress transfer of acoustical vibrations, caused by e.g. a movement of the patterning device stage, to the projection system.

Abstract: A substrate stage for an immersion type lithographic apparatus is arranged to project a patterned radiation beam from a patterning device onto a substrate, the substrate stage being constructed to hold the substrate and including at least a sensor for sensing the patterned radiation beam, the sensor including an at least partially transmissive layer having a front side facing the incoming radiation beam and a back side opposite the front side, wherein the back side is provided with at least a sensor mark to be subjected to the radiation beam transmitted through the layer.

Abstract: In order to limit the negative effect of metal contamination on reflectivity within an EUV lithography device, a reflective optical element is proposed for the extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray wavelength range with a reflective surface with an uppermost layer, in which the uppermost layer comprises one or more organic silicon compounds with a carbon-silicon and/or silicon-oxygen bond.

Abstract: A method of increasing a depth of focus of a lithographic apparatus is disclosed. The method includes forming diffracted beams of radiation using a patterning device pattern; and transforming a phase-wavefront of a portion of the diffracted beams into a first phase-wavefront having a first focal plane for the lithographic apparatus, and a second phase-wavefront having a second, different focal plane, wherein the transforming comprises: subjecting a phase of a first portion of a first diffracted beam and a phase of a corresponding first portion of a second diffracted beam to a phase change which results in an at least partial formation of the first phase-wavefront, and subjecting a phase of a second portion of the first diffracted beam and a phase of a corresponding second portion of the second diffracted beam to a phase change which results in an at least partial formation of the second phase-wavefront.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam, a support for a patterning device, a substrate table for a substrate, a projection system, and a control system. The patterning device is capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam. The projection system is configured to project the patterned radiation beam as an image onto a target portion of the substrate along a scan path. The scan path is defined by a trajectory in a scanning direction of an exposure field of the lithographic apparatus. The control system is coupled to the support, the substrate table and the projection system for controlling an action of the support, the substrate table and the projection system, respectively. The control system is configured to correct a local distortion of the image in a region along the scan path by a temporal adjustment of the image in that region, hereby reducing the intra-field overlay errors.

Abstract: A multivariable solver for proximity correction uses a Jacobian matrix to approximate effects of perturbations of segment locations in successive iterations of a design loop. The problem is formulated as a constrained minimization problem with box, linear equality, and linear inequality constraints. To improve computational efficiency, non-local interactions are ignored, which results in a sparse Jacobian matrix.

Abstract: A mask transport system is configured to transport a mask into and out of a lithographic apparatus. The mask transport system includes a first container configured to shield a top side and a bottom side of the mask. At least a portion of the container is at least partially translucent for radiation having a predetermined wavelength used to detect contamination on the top side or the bottom side of the mask when the mask is shielded by the first container. The mask transport system also includes a second container configured to enclose the first container. The second container includes a first part defining a first opening and an openable cover that covers the first opening. The cover is configured to open and release the first container within the lithographic apparatus or at an interface with the lithographic apparatus.

Abstract: A lens element, for use in a projection system, includes a concave side. The lens element further includes a membrane and a nozzle, the membrane at least covering the concave side of the lens element. The nozzle is arranged for supplying and/or removing a liquid and/or a gas in between the concave side and the membrane.

Abstract: A lithographic method is provided that includes using an illumination system to provide a beam of radiation having an illumination mode, using a patterning device to impart the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section, and projecting the patterned radiation beam onto a substrate. The illumination mode is adjusted after the radiation beam has been projected onto the substrate. The adjustment is arranged to reduce the effect of optical aberrations due to lens heating on the projected pattern during projection of the pattern onto a subsequent substrate.

Abstract: An illumination system comprising an array of controllable mirrors configured to direct radiation towards a pupil plane and an array of lenses configured to direct radiation sub-beams towards the array of controllable mirrors, wherein a first lens of the array of lenses and a controllable mirror of the array of controllable mirrors forms a first optical channel having a first optical power and a second lens of the array of lenses and a controllable mirror of the array of controllable mirrors forms a second optical channel having a second optical power, such that a radiation sub-beam formed by the first optical channel has a first cross-sectional area and shape at the pupil plane and a radiation sub-beam formed by the second optical channel has a second different cross-sectional area and/or shape at the pupil plane.

Abstract: An optical apparatus includes an interchange mechanism and an optical assembly of an illumination system or a projection objective. At least one of the plurality of optical elements of the optical assembly is selected from among a plurality of ones selectable from the interchange mechanism which facilitates exchange of one for another in the beam path. To reduce transmission of vibration from the interchange mechanism to the optical assembly, the interchange mechanism is mounted on a structure which is substantially dynamically decoupled from the housing, and a selected selectable optical element is located at an operating position at which it is separate from the interchange mechanism.

Abstract: An immersion lithography apparatus includes a liquid supply system configured to supply a liquid to a space through which a beam of radiation passes, the liquid having an optical property that can be tuned by a tuner. The space may be located between the projection system and the substrate. The tuner is arranged to adjust one or more properties of the liquid such as the shape, composition, refractive index and/or absorptivity as a function of space and/or time in order to change the imaging performance of the lithography apparatus.

Abstract: A method to determine an improved configuration for a lithography apparatus, a computer-readable medium for use in carrying out the method, and a lithography apparatus are disclosed. In an example, the method involves intelligent selection of one or more device features to measure and use in a routine to optimize the configuration of the lithography apparatus. According to an example, the method comprises imposing a target error profile to one or more device features for which measurement data is not sufficient, for example in a regions where a selected device feature is sparsely distributed.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a substrate supported by a substrate table; a liquid supply system configured to supply a space between the projection system and the substrate with a liquid; a closing surface configured to provide a confining surface for liquid supplied by the liquid supply system in place of the substrate; and a closing surface positioning device configured to create and maintain a gap between the liquid supply system and the closing surface so that the liquid flows in the gap when the closing surface is used to confine the liquid supplied by the liquid supply system.

Abstract: A method of helping to prevent liquid reaching under a substrate is disclosed that includes introducing a gas at a bottom edge of the substrate so that a buffer is created at the edge of the substrate, helping to keep immersion liquid that is present at the top and edge of the substrate away from the bottom surface of the substrate.

Abstract: In a scatterometric method, a roughness value can be obtained by using a model including a surface layer having a variable parameter relating to its refractive index.

Abstract: A radiation source for generation of extreme ultraviolet radiation or use in high resolution lithography includes a plasma formation site where fuel is contacted by a radiation beam to form a plasma generating EUV radiation. A mirrored collector collects and reflects the EUV radiation generated at a first focus towards a second focus. A contamination barrier is positioned such the periphery of the contamination barrier does not occlude more than 50% of the solid angle subtended by the mirror at the second focus, such that EUV radiation reflected by the collector mirror is not excessively attenuated by passing through the contamination barrier. The contamination barrier serves to trap fuel material such as ions, atoms, molecules or nanodroplets from the plasma to prevent their deposition onto the collector mirror where they reduce the mirror's effective lifetime.

Abstract: In a single or multiple stage lithography apparatus, a table provides a confining surface to a liquid supply system during, for example, substrate table exchange and/or substrate loading and unloading. In an embodiment, the table has a sensor to make a measurement of the projection beam during, for example, substrate table exchange and/or substrate loading and unloading.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate. The projection system has a final element. The apparatus also includes a barrier member surrounding a space between the projection system and, in use, the substrate, to define in part with the final element a reservoir for liquid. The barrier member is spaced from the final element to define a gap therebetween. The apparatus further includes a deformable seal between a radially outer surface of the final element and a radially outer surface of the barrier member. The deformable seal is configured to substantially prevent a gas from flowing past the seal towards or away from the reservoir of liquid.

Abstract: The invention relates to a dual stage lithographic apparatus, wherein two substrate stages are constructed and arranged for mutual cooperation in order to perform a joint scan movement. The joint scan movement brings the lithographic apparatus from a first configuration, wherein immersion liquid is confined between a first substrate held by the first stage of the stages and a projection system of the apparatus, to a second configuration, wherein the immersion liquid is confined between a second substrate held by the second stage of the two stages and the projection system, such that during the joint scan movement the liquid is essentially confined within the space with respect to the projection system.