Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system to condition a radiation beam; a patterning device support to support a patterning device, the patterning device capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam; a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate, and a projection system to project the patterned radiation beam in a scanning exposure along a scanning direction onto a target portion of the substrate. The illumination system is configured to form in a plane of the patterning device a slit shaped image. The slit shaped image has a curved shape with a slit curvature in the scanning direction, with a length in the scanning direction and a width perpendicular to the scanning direction. The slit shaped image is configured to create a curved pattern image portion of the patterned radiation beam in an image plane of the projection system.

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: An apparatus, method, and system is provided to condition a substrate. The apparatus can include a substrate handler, an array of diodes, and a projection system. The substrate handler can include a conditioning device, a float device, and a displacing device. The array of diodes can be configured to provide a patterned radiation beam, where the projection system projects the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a conditioned substrate.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a support frame which is supported by a base via a vibration isolation system; a projection system arranged to transfer a pattern from a patterning device onto a substrate, wherein the projection system includes a first frame which is spring-supported by the support frame; and an active damping system configured to damp movement of the first frame, including: a first sensor system configured to provide a first sensor output representative of absolute movement of the first frame, a first actuator system arranged to apply a force between the first frame and the support frame, and a control system configured to provide a drive signal to the first actuator system based on the first sensor output.

Abstract: A zone plate includes a plurality of consecutively arranged, adjacent, and alternating first and second regions. The first regions are arranged to be substantially transparent to a first predetermined wavelength of radiation and a second predetermined wavelength of radiation that is different from the first predetermined wavelength of radiation. The second regions are arranged to be substantially opaque, diffractive, or reflective to the first predetermined wavelength of radiation and substantially transparent to the second predetermined wavelength of radiation.

Abstract: A leaf spring to be mounted between two objects, the leaf spring configured to have a high stiffness in two orthogonal directions, and a relative low stiffness in other degrees of freedom, wherein the leaf spring has a substantially panel-shaped body, the leaf spring including a first mounting location at or near the center of the panel-shaped body to mount the leaf spring to a first of the two objects, wherein the leaf spring includes one or more second mounting locations at or near the circumference of the panel-shaped body to mount the leaf spring to the second of the two objects, and elongate grooves and/or slits in the panel shaped body between the first mounting location and the second mounting location, the grooves and/or slits running in at least two non-orthogonal directions in the plane of the two orthogonal directions.

Abstract: An illumination system having a plurality of reflective elements, the reflective elements being movable between different orientations which direct radiation towards different locations in a pupil plane, thereby forming different illumination modes. Each reflective element is moveable to a first orientation in which it directs radiation to a location in an inner illumination location group, to a second orientation in which it directs radiation to a location in an intermediate illumination location group, and to a third orientation in which it directs radiation to a location in an outer illumination location group.

Abstract: An array of reflective elements in which at least one of the reflective elements is mounted on a mounting which comprises a rod at least partially located within a sleeve. A first end of the rod is fixed to a first end of the sleeve and a second end of the rod is moveable, the sleeve including a first resiliently flexible portion which is configured to bend in order to allow the movement of the second end of the rod to take place, wherein the reflective element is mounted at the first end of the sleeve such that bending of the sleeve causes rotation of the reflective element.

Abstract: A system and method use a substrate with a pattern of individual, indiscrete alignment marks, i.e., the marks are separate and distinct from each other, and each mark is not divided into component parts. The pattern of marks is distributed over an area of the substrate, and the method also comprises the steps of providing a beam of radiation using an illumination system and an array of individually controllable elements to impart the beam with a pattern in its cross-section, providing a projection system to project the patterned beam onto the substrate, and providing a movement system to effect relative movement between the substrate and the projection system.

Abstract: A method of optimizing a lithographic process for imaging a pattern, including a plurality of features, onto a substrate using a lithographic apparatus, the lithographic apparatus having a controllable illumination system to illuminate a patterning device and a controllable projection system to project an image of the patterning device onto the substrate, the method including selecting a feature from the plurality of features, determining an illumination setting for the illumination system to optimize imaging of the selected feature, and determining a projection setting for the projection system to optimize imaging of the selected feature taking account of the illumination setting.

Abstract: An apparatus configured to de-gas a liquid includes a semi-permeable membrane having a first side on which the liquid is provided; and (i) a vaporizer configured to provide vapor of the liquid to a second side of the membrane; or (ii) a gas inlet configured to provide a gas to the second side of the membrane, the gas adapted to dissociate when dissolved in the liquid and an ion exchanger for the liquid downstream of the semi-permeable membrane.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a projection system to project a patterned radiation beam onto a substrate, and a damping system to dampen a vibration of at least part of the projection system, the damping system including an interface damping mass and an active damping subsystem to dampen a vibration of at least part of the interface damping mass, the interface damping mass connected to the projection system, and the active damping subsystem connected to the interface damping mass, the active damping subsystem including a sensor to measure a position quantity of the interface damping mass and an actuator to exert a force on the interface damping mass based on a signal provided by the sensor. The damping system further includes an interface damping device connected to the interface damping mass and configured to damp a movement of the interface damping mass at an eigenfrequency of the interface damping mass.

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 zeroth-order and first-order diffracted beams oppositely and asymmetrically inclined with respect to an optical axis. An area is identified where the first-order diffracted beam traverses the optical element. An image characteristic of an image of the pattern is optimized by calculating a desired optical phase of the first-order diffracted beam in relation to the optical phase of the zeroth-order diffracted beam. The phase adjuster is controlled to apply the desired optical phase to the first order diffracted beam.

Abstract: A vacuum system for extracting a stream of a multi-phase fluid from a photo-lithography tool comprises a pumping arrangement for drawing the fluid from the tool, and an extraction tank located upstream from the pumping arrangement for separating the fluid drawn from the tool into gas and liquid phases. The pumping arrangement comprises a first pump for extracting gas from the tank, and a second pump for extracting liquid from the tank. In order to minimize any pressure fluctuations transmitted from the vacuum system back to the fluid within the tool, a pressure control system maintains a substantially constant pressure in the tank by regulating the amounts of liquid and gas within the tank.

Abstract: A coherence remover is provided. In an embodiment the coherence remover includes a first mirror and a second mirror coupled to the first mirror. The coherence remover is configured to receive an input beam. Each of the first and second mirrors is configured to reflect a respective portion of the input beam to produce respective one or more intermediate beams. The intermediate beams collectively form an output beam that has a reduced coherence compared to the input beam.

Abstract: An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed that has a first array of template holders, a second array of template holders, and a substrate table arranged to support a substrate to be imprinted, wherein the first array of template holders is arranged to hold an array of imprint templates that can be used to imprint a first array of patterns onto the substrate, and the second array of template holders is arranged hold an array of imprint templates that can be used to imprint a second array of patterns onto the substrate, the patterns imprinted by the second array being interspersed between the patterns imprinted by the first array.

Abstract: A method to enable positioning of an object by a positioning device that includes an electromagnetic motor to control the position of the object in a lithographic apparatus, the method including receiving desired motor signals at the electromagnetic motor to produce a plurality of primary forces and a pitch torque associated with the primary forces within a motor control cycle, wherein for the motor control cycle, the pitch torque is based on either the primary forces to be generated by the electromagnetic motor or the desired forces and torques for positioning the object; and in response to the desired motor signals, causing the electromagnetic motor to generate the primary forces, wherein prior to the primary forces are determined for a next motor control cycle, the desired forces and torques for positioning the object are modified using the pitch torque associated with a previous motor control cycle.

Abstract: A metrology apparatus is configured to measure a property of a substrate. The metrology apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam, an objective lens configured to project radiation onto the substrate, a detector configured to detect radiation reflected from a surface of the substrate, and an image field selecting device in the path of the reflected radiation constructed and arranged to select an area of an image field associated with the substrate. The selected area corresponds with a predetermined portion of the substrate. This arrangement may enable selection of different shapes and sizes of targets on the substrate and may enable in-die measurement of selected parameters.

Abstract: A method for detecting radiation. The radiation detector includes a plurality of Faraday cups. Each Faraday cup being provided with a cover. Each cover comprising a window arrangement through which the radiation may pass into the Faraday cup. The window arrangement of each cover being different for each Faraday cup. Each Faraday cup housing a target configured to emit photoelectrons if the radiation is incident upon the target.

Abstract: A gas manifold to direct a gas flow between two plates of an optical component of a lithographic apparatus, the gas manifold having an inlet, a diffuser downstream of the inlet, a flow straightener downstream of the inlet, a contractor downstream of the flow straightener, and an outlet downstream of the contractor.