Abstract: Light irradiation is performed on a strip region on a photosensitive material by main scanning of an irradiation region group on the photosensitive material where light emitted from a micromirror group of a DMD is directed and light is applied to a plurality of strip regions partially overlapping in a sub scan direction in turn while repeating the main scanning, to write a pattern on the photosensitive material. When a preceding irradiation region group and a following irradiation region group pass over an overlapping area, a part of micromirrors corresponding to the overlapping area, out of the micromirror group, are made inactivated. As a result, a cumulative passage time in which the preceding irradiation region group and the following irradiation region group pass each position of the overlapping area is shorter than a passage time where the preceding irradiation region group passes each position of a non-overlapping area.

Abstract: A substrate processing method and a substrate processing system exclude wafers W provided with a protective film having surface defects that will cause components of a resist to dissolve in an immersion liquid during an immersion exposure process, and rated abnormal from those to be processed by the immersion exposure process. The substrate processing system is provided with a protective film forming module for forming a protective film on a resist film formed on a surface of a wafer W, an exposure system 4 for processing the surface of the wafer W coated with a transparent immersion liquid layer by an immersion exposure process, and a developing module 28 for processing the wafer W by a developing process using a developer. A protective film inspecting device 33 detects surface defects in a protective film formed on a wafer W.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus and method for exposing a substrate. An illumination system supplies a series of beams of radiation that are patterned by an array of individually controllable elements. The patterned beams are projected through arrays of lenses onto target portions of a substrate. Each lens in the arrays directs a respective part of the patterned beam towards the substrate. A displacement system causes relative displacement between the substrate and the beam, such that the beams are scanned across the substrate in a predetermined scanning direction. The projection systems are positioned so that each beam is scanned along a respective one of a series of tracks on the substrate. The tracks overlap so that each track comprises a first portion that is scanned by one beam and at least one second portion that overlaps an adjacent track, and is scanned by two beams.

Abstract: A near-field exposure mask includes a light blocking film having an opening smaller than a wavelength of exposure light, and a mask base material for holding the light blocking film. The near-field exposure mask is configured and positioned to effect exposure of an object to be exposed to near-field light generated corresponding to the opening during contact thereof with the object to be exposed. The mask base material is transparent to the exposure light and comprises a synthetic resin material having Young's modulus in a range of 1 GPa or more to 10 GPa or less.

Abstract: For the correction of anamorphism in the case of a projection lens of an EUV projection exposure apparatus for wafers it is proposed to tilt the reticle bearing the pattern to be projected and preferably also the wafer by a small angle about an axis that is perpendicular to the axis A of the lens and perpendicular to the scan direction and that in each instance passes through the middle of the light field generated on the reticle or on the wafer. For the correction of a substantially antisymmetric quadratic distortion the reticle and/or the substrate is instead rotated about an axis of rotation that is disposed at least approximately parallel to an optical axis of the projection lens.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprises an indexer block, an edge-cleaning processing block, an anti-reflection film processing block, a resist film processing block, a development processing block, a resist cover film processing block, a resist cover film removal block, a cleaning/drying processing block and an interface block. An exposure device is arranged adjacent to the interface block of the substrate processing apparatus. In the exposure device, exposure processing is applied to a substrate by a liquid immersion method. In the edge-cleaning processing group in the edge-cleaning processing block, an edge of the substrate before exposure processing is cleaned.

Abstract: A lithography system including a polarized illumination source, a birefringence-controllable optical element, a birefringence inducer, a pattern generator, a linear polarizer, and a projection system. The polarized illumination source is configured to provide polarized light. The birefringence-controllable optical element is optically coupled to the polarized illumination source. The birefringence inducer is coupled to the birefringence-controllable optical element and configured to induce birefringence on the birefringence-controllable optical element to provide polarization-retarded polarized light. The pattern generator is optically coupled to the birefringence-controllable optical element. The linear polarizer is optically coupled to the pattern generator and configured (i) to receive the polarization-retarded polarized light and (ii) modify intensity distribution of the polarization-retarded polarized light to provide modified polarization-retarded polarized light.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holding stage to hold a substrate having a surface facing up, the substrate having an exposed and developed resist pattern over the surface, a rotation driving mechanism to rotate the substrate holding stage around a vertical axis, a solvent vapor discharge nozzle having a discharge hole capable of discharging solvent vapor to swell the resist pattern onto the surface of the substrate and a vacuum opening capable of absorbing the solvent vapor discharged from the discharge hole, and a moving mechanism to move the solvent vapor discharge nozzle from an edge to a center of the substrate. The substrate is rotated around the vertical axis while moving the solvent vapor discharge nozzle from the edge to the center of the substrate, discharging the solvent vapor from the discharge hole, to supply the solvent vapor over the substrate in a spiral manner.

Abstract: A puddle of developer supplied from a developer discharge nozzle is placed on a substrate held stationary. Next, the substrate is held stationary for a predetermined length of time, with the puddle of developer allowed to remain on the substrate. This causes a development reaction to proceed. Subsequently, deionized water is supplied from a deionized water discharge nozzle to the substrate to stop the development reaction, and the substrate is rotated while part of the puddle of developer is allowed to remain on the surface of the substrate. This makes a dissolution product easy to diffuse in the developer remaining on the surface of the substrate to promote the dissolution of the resist. A rinsing process and a drying process are performed to complete the development process.

Abstract: A buffer module is installed in a coating film forming unit block of a coating and developing system to reduce the number of interface arms needed by an interface block, and the manufacturing cost and footprint of the coating and developing system. For example, buffer modules BF31 to BF34 capable of holding a number of wafers W greater by one than the number of coating modules COT1 to COT3 of a COT layer B3 is installed in the COT layer B3, In the COT layer B3, a wafer W is carried along a carrying route passing a temperature control module CPL3, COT1 to COT3, a heating and cooling module LHP3, and the buffer modules BF31 to BF34. A main arm A3 carries wafers W such that the number of wafers W placed in the modules on the downstream side of the CPL3 is greater by one than the number of modules between the CPL3 and the buffer module when a processing rate at which an exposure system processes wafers W is lower that at which the COT layer B3 processes wafers W.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for reducing the coherence of a wave front-emitting laser radiation, especially for a projection lens for use in semiconductor lithography, wherein a first partial beam of a laser beam incident on a surface of a resonator body is partially reflected. A second partial beam penetrates the resonator body and emerges from the resonator body at least approximately in the area of entry after a plurality of total internal reflections. The two partial beams are then Passed on jointly to an illumination plane. The resonator body is adapted, in addition to splitting the laser beam into partial beams, to modulate the wave fronts of at least one partial beam during a laser pulse. The partial beams reflected on the resonator body and penetrating the resonator body are superimposed downstream of the resonator body. The resonator body is provided with a phase plate having different local phase distribution.

Abstract: A coater/developer is disclosed that includes a heating module having a pair of rotary bodies configured to rotate about respective horizontal axles, the rotary bodies being spaced apart from each other in a direction along the conveyance path of a substrate so that the rotational axles thereof are parallel to each other; a conveyance path member engaged with and extended between the rotary bodies so as to move along an orbit, the conveyance path member forming a part of the conveyance path of the substrate placed on the conveyance path member; a first transfer part provided at the upstream end of the conveyance path; a second transfer part provided at the downstream end of the conveyance path; and a heating part provided between the upstream end and the downstream end of the conveyance path and configured to heat the substrate.

Abstract: A method for monitoring photolithography processing includes monitoring application of a light sensitive material to the surface of each of a plurality of substrates and detecting that a supply of the light sensitive material applied to the substrates has changed from a first batch of light sensitive material to a second batch light sensitive material. A change in photolithography process results caused by the change from the first batch to the second batch of light sensitive material is determined. Also included is initiating corrective action based on the change in photolithography process results.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus is arranged to project a pattern from a patterning device onto a substrate through a liquid confined to a space adjacent to the substrate. The apparatus includes a liquid diverter in the space to promote liquid flow across the space.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate P by locally filling a side of an image plane of a projection optical system PL with a liquid 50 and projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate P through the liquid 50 and the projection optical system PL. The exposure apparatus includes a recovery unit 20 which recovers the liquid 50 outflowed to the outside of the substrate P. When the exposure process is performed in accordance with the liquid immersion method, the pattern can be transferred accurately while suppressing any environmental change even when the liquid outflows to the outside of the substrate.

Abstract: Provided is a method and system for developing a lithographic mask layout. The lithographic mask layout is adapted for configuring an array of micro-mirrors in a maskless lithography system. The method includes generating an ideal mask layout representative of image characteristics associated with a desired image. Next, an equivalent mask is produced in accordance with an average intensity of the ideal mask layout.

Abstract: Systems and methods for retrieving residual liquid during immersion lens photolithography are disclosed. A method in accordance with one embodiment includes directing radiation along a radiation path, through a lens and through a liquid volume in contact with the lens, to a microfeature workpiece in contact with the liquid volume. The method can further include, while moving at least one of the microfeature workpiece and the lens relative to the other, recovering liquid from the liquid volume and replenishing liquid in the liquid volume. A spacing between the lens and the microfeature workpiece can be controlled by providing a gas bearing between the lens and the microfeature workpiece. Residual liquid remaining on a surface on the microfeature workpiece can be directed back into the liquid volume, for example, by injecting a gas through at least one injection port that is oriented annularly inwardly toward the liquid volume.

Abstract: In an immersion lithographic apparatus, a closing plate is used to contain liquid in a liquid confinement structure while, for example, substrates are swapped on a substrate table. A closing plate displacement mechanism using, for example, a combination of one or more leaf springs and one or more electromagnets or a combination of one or more linear actuators and one more pins, is used to moving the closing plate toward or from the liquid confinement structure. In an embodiment, an adjustment plate is used to compensate for closing plates of varying thickness in closing plate receptacles of varying depth on different substrate tables.

Abstract: A coating/developing apparatus has a carrier block including a first transfer device, a process block including processing modules, an examination block including examination modules and a second transfer device, and first to forth stages. A controller executes a first operation mode preset to transfer substrates from the process block and carrier block into the examination block in parallel. The first operation mode includes transferring substrates processed by the process block to the third or fourth stage through or not through an examination module by the second transfer device, transferring substrates to be only examined from a carrier in the carrier block to the second stage by the first transfer device, and transferring these substrates from the second stage to an examination modules by the second transfer device, and transferring substrates thus examined from the examination block to the third or fourth stage by the second transfer device.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is provided. The lithographic apparatus includes a radiation source configured to provide radiation, an array of optical light engines, and a substrate table that supports a substrate. Each of the optical light engines includes an array of individually controllable elements arranged and constructed to receive and to pattern the radiation and projection optics configured to receive the patterned radiation and to project the patterned radiation onto the substrate. The substrate table is arranged and constructed to move relative to the array of optical light engines during exposure of the substrate to the patterned radiation.