Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a support unit that supports a substrate. The method includes: providing a support plate formed of a non-conductive material and supporting a substrate; providing a base plate disposed below the support plate and formed of a material including a conductive material; and depositing a metallic layer at a bottom of the support plate and coupling the metallic layer and the base plate through brazing.

Abstract: A substrate is exposed with an illumination light via a projection optical system. A stage that holds the substrate is moved over a base disposed below the projection optical system. An encoder system measures positional information of the stage with a plurality of heads that face a grating section. Movement of the stage is controlled based on the positional information measured with the encoder system, while compensating for a measurement error of the encoder system that occurs due to a head of the plurality of heads. During movement of the stage, one head of the plurality of heads is switched to another head different from the plurality of heads. Correction information for controlling movement of the stage using the another head after the switching is acquired based on the positional information measured with the plurality of heads used before the switching.

Abstract: The present invention is a pattern forming method of forming a pattern on a substrate using a block copolymer, the pattern forming method including the steps of: forming a film of a block copolymer containing at least two kinds of polymers on the substrate; heating the film of the block copolymer; irradiating the heated film of the block copolymer with ultraviolet light in an atmosphere of an inert gas; and supplying an organic solvent to the film of the block copolymer irradiated with the ultraviolet light.

Abstract: A plasma-generated EUV light source uses an EUV-diffracting collection mirror to channel spectrally pure in-band radiation through an intermediate-focus aperture and through EUV illumination optics. Out-of-band radiation is either undiffracted by the collection mirror or is diffractively scattered away from the aperture. The undiffracted portion, plus plasma-emitted radiation that does not intercept the collection mirror, can be efficiently recycled back to the plasma via retroreflecting mirrors, cat's-eye reflectors, or corner-cube reflectors, to enhance generation of in-band EUV radiation by the plasma.

Abstract: A temperature adjusting apparatus of a mask substrate according to an embodiment is used in a mask drawing apparatus drawing a desired pattern by irradiating a charged particle beam to a mask substrate after a temperature of the mask substrate is adjusted in advance. The temperature adjusting apparatus includes a supporting member supporting the mask substrate; and first and second temperature adjusting plates facing each other with sandwiching the supporting member, the plates having a plurality of first and second regions respectively, and each temperatures of the first and second regions being capable to be independently adjusted.

Abstract: A method is described for estimating a spectral feature of a pulsed light beam produced by an optical source and directed toward a wafer of a lithography apparatus. The method includes receiving a set of N optical spectra of pulses of the light beam; saving the received N optical spectra to a saved set; transforming the optical spectra in the saved set to form a set of transformed optical spectra; averaging the transformed optical spectra to form an averaged spectrum; and estimating a spectral feature of the pulsed light beam based on the averaged spectrum.

Abstract: A foreign substance detection method includes: judging the presence/absence of a foreign substance by measuring a surface condition of a substrate; measuring a surface condition of a second substrate different from the substrate upon replacing the substrate on the chuck with the second substrate, when it is judged in the judging that a foreign substance exists; and determining whether an adhering location of the foreign substance determined to exist in the judging is the substrate, based on a measurement result obtained in the measurement.

Abstract: A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus contains a plurality of optical elements arranged in N>?2 successive sections A1 to AN of the projection objective which are separated from one another by pupil planes or intermediate image planes. According to the invention, in order to correct a wavefront deformation, at least two optical elements each have an optically active surface locally reprocessed aspherically. A first optical element is in this case arranged in one section Aj, j=1 . . . N and a second optical element is arranged in another section Ak, k=1 . . . N, the magnitude difference |k?j| being an odd number.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for improving the imaging properties of a micro lithography projection objective, wherein the projection objective has a plurality of lenses between an object plane and an image plane, a first lens of the plurality of lenses being assigned a first manipulator for actively deforming the lens, the first lens being deformed for at least partially correcting an aberration, at least one second lens of the plurality of lenses furthermore being assigned at least one second manipulator, and the second lens being deformed in addition to the first lens. Furthermore, a method is described for selecting at least one lens of a plurality of lenses of a projection objective as actively deformable element, and a projection objective.

Abstract: Illumination systems for microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, as well as related systems, components and methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, an illumination system includes one or more scattering structures and an optical integrator that produces a plurality of secondary light sources.

Abstract: A method includes loading a wafer onto a wafer stage of a lithography system, the wafer stage comprising a heating component and a temperature sensing component. The method further includes controlling the heating component such that a temperature of the wafer stage approaches a desired point. The controlling step comprises use of a characterization curve associated with the heating component.

Abstract: A support table for a lithographic apparatus, the support table having a support section and a conditioning system, wherein the support section, the conditioning system, or both, is configured such that heat transfer to or from a substrate supported on the support table, resulting from the operation of the conditioning system, is greater in a region of the substrate adjacent an edge of the substrate than it is in a region of the substrate that is at the center of the substrate.

Abstract: A lithographic or exposure apparatus has a projection system and a controller. The projection system includes a stationary part and a moving part. The projection system is configured to project a plurality of radiation beams onto locations on a target. The locations are selected based on a pattern. The controller is configured to control the apparatus to operate in a first mode or a second mode. In the first mode the projection system delivers a first amount of energy to the selected locations. In the second mode the projection system delivers a second amount of energy to the selected locations. The second amount of energy is greater than the first amount of energy.

Abstract: A method of controlling a manufacturing process, the method including the steps of a) providing a testing area with a periodic structure, where the periodic structure includes a series of sets of patterned features, b) illuminating the periodic structure with a light, thereby producing a non-zero order diffraction signal, c) collecting the diffraction signal to produce a test signature, d) matching the test signature with a reference signature, where the reference signature was previously produced by performing steps a), b), and c) with respect to a reference structure that is at least similar to the periodic structure, and e) controlling a manufacturing process using a control setting set associated with the matching reference signature.

Abstract: A liquid immersion member including first and second members forming the immersion space; first member having a first lower surface disposed at a portion of the optical member surrounding, second member having a second upper surface opposite to the first lower surface via a gap and a second lower surface opposing the substrate and second member disposed at a portion of exposure light optical path surrounding; driving apparatus to move the second member with respect to the first; controlling the driving apparatus so the second member's operation in the substrate first operation movement is between exposure termination and start of a first and second shot regions differently from a second member's operation in the substrate second movement period which is between exposure termination and start of a third and fourth shot regions; first and second shot regions are in the same row contrary to third and fourth shot regions.

Abstract: The invention relates to arrangements for actuating an element in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. In accordance with one aspect, an arrangement for actuating an element in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises a first number (nR) of degrees of freedom, wherein an adjustable force can be transmitted to the optical element in each of the degrees of freedom, and a second number (nA) of actuators, which are coupled to the optical element in each case via a mechanical coupling for the purpose of transmitting force to the optical element, wherein the second number (nA) is greater than the first number (nR). In accordance with one aspect, at least one of the actuators is arranged in a node of at least one natural vibration mode of the optical element.

Abstract: There is provided a reflective imaging optical system forming an image of a first plane onto a second plane, wherein the numerical aperture with respect to a first direction on the second plane is greater than 1.1 times a numerical aperture with respect to a second direction crossing the first direction on the second plane. The reflecting imaging optical system has an aperture stop defining the numerical aperture on the side of the second plane, and the aperture stop has an elliptic-shaped opening of which size in a major axis direction is greater than 1.1 times that in a minor axis direction. The reflective image-forming optical system is applicable to an exposure apparatus using, for example, EUV light and capable of increasing numerical aperture while enabling optical path separation of light fluxes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lithography apparatus which forms a pattern on a substrate, including a stage configured to hold the substrate, a substrate transport system configured to transfer the substrate to the stage, an obtaining unit configured to obtain information about a holding state of the substrate on the stage, and a processor configured to perform processing of determining a transport position on the stage when the substrate transport system transfers the substrate to the stage, wherein based on information obtained by the obtaining unit when the stage holds the substrate at each of a plurality of positions on the stage, the processor determines the transport position at which the substrate transport system transfers the substrate to the stage.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for providing a thermal distribution on a workpiece during a lithographic process. The system provides a source of lithographic energy to workpiece, such as a workpiece having a lithographic film formed thereover. A workpiece support having a plurality of thermal devices embedded therein is configured to support the workpiece concurrent to an exposure of the workpiece to the lithographic energy. A controller individually controls a temperature of each of the plurality of thermal devices, therein controlling a specified temperature distribution across the workpiece associated with the exposure of the workpiece to the lithographic energy. Controlling the temperature of the thermal devices can be based on a model, a measured temperature of the workpiece, and/or a prediction of a temperature at one or more locations on the workpiece.

Abstract: A dynamic pattern generator (DPG) device and method of making a DPG device are disclosed. The DPG device is used in semiconductor processing tools that require multiple electron-beams, such as direct-write lithography. The device is a self-aligned DPG device that enormously reduces the required tolerances for aligning the various electrode layers, as compared to other design configurations including the non-self-aligned approach and also greatly simplifies the process complexity and cost. A process sequence for both integrated and non-integrated versions of the self-aligned DPG device is described. Additionally, an advanced self-aligned DPG device that eliminates the need for a charge dissipating coating or layer to be used on the device is described. Finally, a fabrication process for the implementation of both integrated and non-integrated versions of the advanced self-aligned DPG device is described.