Abstract: An immersion lithography system is provided which includes an optical source operable to produce light having a nominal wavelength and an optical imaging system. The optical imaging system has an optical element in an optical path from the optical source to an article to be patterned thereby. The optical element has a face which is adapted to contact a liquid occupying a space between the face and the article. The optical element includes a material which is degradable by the liquid and a protective coating which covers the degradable material at the face for protecting the face from the liquid, the protective coating being transparent to the light, stable when exposed to the light and stable when exposed to the liquid.

Abstract: A liquid supply system for an immersion lithographic apparatus provides a laminar flow of immersion liquid between a final element of the projection system and a substrate. A control system minimizes the chances of overflowing and an extractor includes an array of outlets configured to minimize vibrations.

Abstract: A maskless lithography system that writes patterns on an object. The system can include an illumination system, the object, spatial light modulators (SLMs), and a controller. The SLMs can pattern light from the illumination system before the object receives the light. The SLMs can include a leading set and a trailing set of the SLMs. The SLMs in the leading and trailing sets change based on a scanning direction of the object. The controller can transmit control signals to the SLMs based on at least one of light pulse period information, physical layout information about the SLMs, and scanning speed of the object. The system can also correct for dose non-uniformity using various methods.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed wherein a liquid supply system is configured to at least partly fill a region between a substrate and a projection system of the lithographic apparatus with a liquid and having a liquid confinement structure fixed in a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the projection system and configured to cooperate with a substrate table configured to hold the substrate in order to restrict the liquid to a region above an upper surface of the substrate table so that a side of the substrate to be exposed is substantially covered in the liquid during exposure.

Abstract: A liquid supply system for an immersion lithographic projection apparatus is disclosed in which a space is defined between the projection system, a barrier member and a substrate. The barrier member is not sealed such that, during use, immersion liquid is allowed to flow out the space and between the barrier member and the substrate.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus in which by filling at least a portion between a projection optical system and a substrate with a liquid and by projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate via said projection optical system and said liquid, said substrate is exposed, said exposure apparatus includes: a substrate holding member that holds said substrate and keeps liquid so that said substrate is immersed in the liquid; and a liquid supply mechanism that supplies, at a vicinity of the projection area of said projection optical system, liquid onto said substrate from above said substrate.

Abstract: A mirror has a mirror surface, wherein the mirror surface includes a protrusion including a material selected from at least one of Be, B, C, P, S, K, Ca, Sc, Br, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Pa and U, or a first protrusion including a first material selected from at least one of Be, B, C, P, S, K, Ca, Sc, Br, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Pa and U, and a second protrusion including a second material selected from at least one of Be, B, C, Si, P, S, K, Ca, Sc, Br, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Pa and U, and the first and second materials are not the same. A lithographic projection apparatus includes such a mirror. A device manufacturing method includes reflecting a beam of radiation by use of such a mirror. A device is manufactured according to the method.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed including a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a space between the projection system and the substrate with a liquid, an outlet configured to remove a mixture of liquid and gas passing through a gap between a liquid confinement structure of the liquid supply system and the substrate, and an evacuation system configured to draw the mixture through the outlet, the evacuation system having a separator tank arranged to separate liquid from gas in the mixture and a separator tank pressure controller, connected to a non-liquid-filled region of the separator tank, configured to maintain a stable pressure within the non-liquid-filled region.

Abstract: A printer and method for recording a predefined multiple intensity level image on a substrate, the method includes the steps of: converting the predetermined image to multiple intensity level associated images; converting a light beam to multiple light beam arrays; modulating each light beam array to provide modulated light beam arrays, in response to a corresponding intensity level associated image to be recorded on the substrate; directing each modulated light beam array to impinge on the substrate; and repeating the steps of converting, modulating and directing while moving the substrate until the predefined image is imaged on the substrate.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system for conditioning a radiation beam. A support structure supports a patterning device, which is capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam. A substrate table holds a substrate. A projection system projects the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate. A motion control system includes a controller having a transfer function. The controller controls a position of the support structure and or the substrate table along a series of positions. The transfer function consists of a sum of a plurality of positional transfer functions, each determined in one of the positions, and each multiplied by a weighing function.

Abstract: Laminar flow gas curtains for use in lithographic applications. In an embodiment, a gas curtain system includes a nozzle that enhances the fluidic purge process. The nozzle includes a first housing, a second housing, a flow distribution plate, and a plurality of flow conditioning channels. The first housing has an inlet for receiving a gas and encloses a first volume. The second housing encloses a second volume and is fluidly coupled to the first housing. The flow distribution plate controls the flow of gas from the first volume to the second volume. The plurality of flow conditioning channels are disposed within a portion of the second volume and are used to discharge the gas that forms the gas curtain. The length of the flow conditioning channels is selected to attenuate non-axial, gas velocity flow-vectors. The nozzle limits the gaseous mixing that occurs after the purge gas exits the nozzle channels and starts to purge a gaseous volume.

Abstract: There is provided an EUV optical projection system. The system includes a first mirror, a second mirror, a third mirror, a fourth mirror, a fifth mirror, and a sixth mirror situated in an optical path from an object plane to an image plane, for imaging an object in said object plane into an image in said image plane. The image has a width W and a secant length SL, and the width W is greater than about 2 mm.

Abstract: Photolithographic processing apparatus and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of photolithographically patterning a surface of a substrate includes forming a photoreactive layer on the surface of the substrate, transmitting light through a first patterning portion of a first photolithographic mask to expose a first patterned portion of the photoreactive layer, transmitting light through a second patterning portion of a second photolithographic mask to expose a second patterned portion of the photoreactive layer. In an alternate embodiment, transmitting light through the first patterning portion of the first photolithographic mask is performed simultaneously with transmitting light through the second patterning portion of the second photolithographic mask. In a further embodiment, the light being transmitted through the second patterning portion of a second photolithographic mask has already been transmitted through a first transparent portion of the first photolithographic mask.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam; a support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device being 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; a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate; and a detector for measuring the intensity of the radiation after it has passed through the projection system. The apparatus further includes a polarization changing element, such as a quarter-wave plate, that is adjustable; and a polarization analyzer, such as a linear polarizer, wherein the polarization changing element and the polarization analyzer are arranged in order in the radiation beam path at the level at which a patterning device would be held by the support.

Abstract: A pattern exposure method and a pattern exposure apparatus in which the throughput is improved with an inexpensive apparatus and without a low running cost. Output faces of a plurality of laser beams emitted from a plurality of semiconductor lasers respectively are arranged in two directions. One of the directions is the same direction as the scanning direction of a polygon mirror while the other is a direction crossing the scanning direction of the polygon mirror. In this event, the array pitch of the output faces arranged in the direction crossing the scanning direction of the polygon mirror is made equal to resolution of an exposure pattern. In this event, the wavelength of each laser may be made not longer than 410 nm.

Abstract: A projection objective having a number of adjustable optical elements is optimized with respect to a number of aberrations by specifying a set of parameters describing imaging properties of the objective, each parameter in the set having an absolute value at each of a plurality of field points in an image plane of the projection objective. At least one of the optical elements is adjusted such that for each of the parameters in the set, the field maximum of its absolute value is minimized.

Abstract: A lithographic system includes a radiation system configured to provide a beam of radiation; an illumination system configured to condition the beam of radiation; a support configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device configured to impart the projection beam with a pattern in its cross-section; a substrate table configured to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate; and transmission adaptor arranged along an optical pathway. The radiation system includes a source configured to generate a beam of radiation. The transmission adaptor adapts an intensity profile as a function of wavelength of the beam of radiation and/or the patterned beam in such a way that the intensity profile equals a predetermined intensity profile.

Abstract: There is provided an optical system including an optical element having a first used area and a second used area on which impinge rays of a light bundle, and a device for moving the optical element between a first position and a second position. The light bundle impinges on the first used area when the optical element is in the first position, and light bundle impinges on the second used area when the optical element is in the second position.

Abstract: A system and method are used to allow for compensation of a thermal output of an array of individually controllable elements. This can be done by inputting control signals to the array when it is not being used to pattern a projection beam in order to maintain the temperature of the array. A heating element can be provided to maintain the temperature of the array. A thermal reservoir can be provided to maintain the temperature of the array or a cooling element can be provided to reduce the temperature of the array during use.

Abstract: An illumination system for a microlithographic stepper has a light source that emits light of selected wavelength(s) along an optical path toward a photomask. An aperture mask is positioned in the path of the illumination light and between the light source and the photomask. The aperture mask has a dithered pattern of pixels. The intensity of the pattern controls the illumination of the photomask. The masking aperture pattern defines one or more zones of illumination. Each zone has elements that are patterned in accordance with a selected wavelength of incident light to diffract the incident light into an illumination pattern for illuminating a photomask. Each of the elements is constructed with a matrix of pixels. In the preferred embodiment the array of pixels is 8×8. The number of elements is generally greater than 3×3.