Abstract: An assembly including a conditioning system and an object moveable into and/or out of an area to be conditioned is disclosed. The conditioning system has fluid outlet passages to supply conditioning fluid to the area to be conditioned and is configured to adjust outflow of the conditioning fluid from the fluid outlet passages depending on a position of the object.

Abstract: In a liquid confinement structure of an immersion lithographic apparatus an elongate continuous opening forms an outlet for supplying liquid to a space beneath the projection system. The elongate slit forms a region of high shear and pressure gradient that deflects bubbles away from the image field.

Abstract: An overlay measurement apparatus has a polarized light source for illuminating a sample with a polarized light beam and an optical system to capture light that is scattered by the sample. The optical system includes a polarizer for transmitting an orthogonal polarization component that is orthogonal to a polarization direction of the polarized light beam. A detector measures intensity of the orthogonal polarization component. A processing unitise connected to the detector, and is arranged to process the orthogonal polarization component for overlay metrology measurement using asymmetry data derived from the orthogonal polarization component.

Abstract: An optical assembly is mounted in a projection exposure apparatus (101) for EUV microlithography and includes at least one vacuum chamber (70, 71, 68a), at least one optical element (6, 7; 65, 66; 63) arranged in the vacuum chamber (70, 71, 68a), the optical element (6, 7; 65, 66; 63) having an optical surface (18) arranged to be impinged upon by a useful beam bundle (3) of the projection exposure apparatus (101), and a cleaning device (72) configured to clean the optical surface (18). The cleaning device (72) is configured to perform particle cleaning of the optical surface (18) at a gas pressure within the vacuum chamber (70,71, 68a) which is higher than a vacuum pressure (po) for performing an exposure operation with the projection exposure apparatus (101). As a result, optical elements having respective optical surfaces arranged to be impinged upon by a useful beam bundle can be cleaned reliably of foreign particles.

Abstract: An immersion lithographic apparatus is cleaned by use of a cleaning liquid consisting essentially of ultra-pure water and (a) a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ozone, or (b) hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of up to 5%, or (c) ozone at a concentration of up to 50 ppm, or (d) oxygen at concentration of up to 10 ppm, or (e) any combination selected from (a)-(d).

Abstract: In an embodiment, a lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes a modulator configured to expose an exposure area of the substrate to a plurality of beams modulated according to a desired pattern and a projection system configured to project the modulated beams onto the substrate. The modulator may be moveable with respect the exposure area and/or the projection system may have an array of lenses to receive the plurality of beams, the array of lenses moveable with respect to the exposure area.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a radiation source configured to produce extreme ultraviolet radiation, the radiation source including a chamber in which a plasma is generated; a collector mirror configured to reflect radiation emitted by the plasma; and a debris mitigation system including a gas supply system configured to supply a first gas flow toward the plasma, the first gas flow being selected to thermalize debris generated by the plasma, and a plurality of gas manifolds arranged at a location proximate the collector mirror, the gas manifolds configured to supply a second gas flow in the chamber, the second gas flow being directed toward the plasma to prevent thermalized debris from depositing on the collector mirror.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus (2) can include a radiation source (SO) configured to provide radiation (200), a radiation collector (CO) configured to collect radiation (200) from the radiation source (SO), an illumination system (IL), and a detector (300). The detector (300) can be disposed in a fixed positional relationship with the illumination system (IL) relative to an alignment of the collector (CO). Further, a region (310) of the collector (CO) can be configured to direct a portion of radiation (200) emanating from the radiation source (SO) and traversing the region (310) towards the detector (300). The detector (300) can be configured to detect a change in a portion of the radiation (200). The change can be indicative of a change in position or orientation of the collector (CO) relative to the illumination system (IL) relative to an alignment of the collector (CO).

Abstract: A method of measuring overlay between a first structure and a second structure on a substrate is provided. The structures include equidistant elements, such as parallel lines, wherein the equidistant elements of the first and second structure alternate. A design width CD1 of the elements of the first structure is different from a design width CD2 of the elements of the second structure. The difference in design width can be used to identify measurement points having incorrectly measured overlay errors.

Abstract: A mark structure includes on a substrate, at least four lines. The lines extend parallel to each other in a first direction and are arranged with a pitch between each pair of lines that is directed in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The pitch between each pair of selected lines differs from the pitch between each other pair of selected lines.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method of creating an alignment mark on a substrate includes forming a plurality of lines segmented into electrically conducting line segments and space segments, thereby forming spaces between the lines to form a macroscopic structure in a first layer of the substrate, creating a plurality of electrically conducting trenches in a second layer of the substrate, and arranging the plurality of trenches to be in electrical contact with the line segments and overlapping the space segments at least partially.

Abstract: In a lithographic apparatus, a localized area of the substrate surface under a projection system is immersed in liquid. The height of a liquid supply system above the surface of the substrate can be varied using actuators. A control system uses feedforward or feedback control with input of the surface height of the substrate to maintain the liquid supply system at a predetermined height above the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: An immersion lithographic apparatus is provided having a substrate table including a drain configured to receive immersion fluid which leaks into a gap between an edge of a substrate on the substrate table and an edge of a recess in which the substrate is located. A thermal conditioning system is provided to thermally condition at least the portion of the recess supporting the substrate by directing one or more jets of fluid onto a reverse side of the section supporting the substrate.

Abstract: In an immersion lithographic apparatus, bubble formation in immersion liquid is reduced or prevented by reducing a gap size or area on a substrate table and/or covering the gap.

Abstract: In a lithographic apparatus, a part of a reflector is heated and cooled. The rate of heating and/or the rate of cooling is adjusted to adjust the temperature of the part. The change in temperature of the part exerts a force on the reflector, which changes its shape.

Abstract: Calibration of an angularly resolved scatterometer is performed by measuring a target in two or more different arrangements. The different arrangements cause radiation being measured in an outgoing direction to be different combinations of radiation illuminating the target from ingoing directions. A reference mirror measurement may also be performed. The measurements and modeling of the difference between the first and second arrangements is used to estimate separately properties of the ingoing and outgoing optical systems. The modeling may account for symmetry of the respective periodic target. The modeling typically accounts for polarizing effects of the ingoing optical elements, the outgoing optical elements and the respective periodic target. The polarizing effects may be described in the modeling by Jones calculus or Mueller calculus. The modeling may include a parameterization in terms of basis functions such as Zernike polynomials.

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: 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 lithographic method to enhance image resolution in a lithographic cluster using multiple projections and a lithographic cluster used to project multiple patterns to form images that are combined to form an image having enhanced resolution.

Abstract: A projection system (PS) is provided which includes, in an embodiment, two frames. The optical elements of the projection system are mounted on a first frame (200). The position of the optical elements is measured relative to a second frame (300) using a first measurement system (910). A second measurement system (920) is used to measure a parameter associated with a deformation of the second frame. The measurement made by the second measurement system can be used to compensate for any errors in the position of the optical elements as measured by the first measurement system resulting from deformations of the second frame. Typically, deformations of the frames are due to resonant oscillation and thermal expansion. Having two frames enables the optical elements of the projection system to be positioned with a high degree of accuracy.