Abstract: Wavefront aberration of a projection optical system is measured and information on the wavefront aberration is obtained (step 102). Furthermore, a pattern of a reticle is transferred onto a wafer via a projection optical system (steps 104 to 108). Then, the waver on which the pattern is transferred is developed, and line width measurement is performed on the resist image formed on the wafer and line width difference of images of a first line pattern extending in a predetermined direction and a second line pattern that is orthogonal to the first line pattern is measured (steps 112 to 118). And, according to a value of the 12th term of the Zernike polynomial, which is an expansion of the wavefront aberration, and the line width difference, the projection optical system is adjusted so that magnitude of the 9th term (a low order spherical aberration term) is controlled (steps 120 to 124).

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for maskless lithographic printing that compensate for static and/or dynamic misalignments and deformations. In an embodiment, a misalignment of a pattern formed by a spatial light modulator is measuring during printing. Rasterizer input data is generated based on the measured misalignment and passed the rasterizer. The rasterizer generates pattern data, based on the rasterizer input data, that is adjusted to compensate for the measured misalignment. The pattern data generated by the rasterizer is passed to the spatial light modulator and used to form a second pattern, which includes compensation for the measured misalignment. In an embodiment, deformations caused, for example, by a warping a surface of the spatial light modulator are measured and used by the rasterizer to generate pattern data that compensates for the deformations.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus including a position control system to control a position of a moveable object is presented, The position control system includes a position controller, an object represented as an object filter, a position feedback circuit, and an acceleration control system. The acceleration control system includes a subtractor and a first filter in a first circuit branch and a second filter in a second circuit branch. A position controller signal output from the position controller is input into the subtractor of the acceleration control system. An external disturbance force, however, is directly exerted upon the object. Thus, a first transfer function from the input of the subtractor to the acceleration of the object for the position controller force may be different than a second transfer function from the input of the object to the acceleration of the object for the disturbance force.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a radiation system that provides a beam of radiation, and a support structure that supports a patterning structure. The patterning structure is configured to pattern the beam of radiation according to a desired pattern. The apparatus also includes a substrate support that supports a substrate, a projection system that projects the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate, a plurality of optical elements that form part of at least one of the radiation system, the patterning structure, and the projection system; and a cleaning device. The cleaning device includes at least one cleaning beam of radiation, and a gas. The cleaning device is configured to clean an individual optical element or a subset of the plurality of optical elements.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing semiconductor devices and other finely structured parts, a projection objective (5) is used in order to project the image of a pattern arranged in the object plane of the projection objective onto a photosensitive substrate which is arranged in the region of the image plane (12) of the projection objective. In this case, there is set between an exit surface (15), assigned to the projection objective, for exposing light and an incoupling surface (11), assigned to the substrate, for exposing light a small finite working distance (16) which is at least temporarily smaller in size and exposure time interval than a maximum extent of an optical near field of the light emerging from the exit surface. As a result, projection objectives with very high numerical apertures in the region of NA>0.8 or more can be rendered useful for contactless projection lithography.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus is provided with an electrostatic chuck. The electrostatic chuck includes a dielectric element which has a plurality of pins formed on a first surface. The item to be clamped is clamped in position on the chuck by applying a potential difference between an electrode located on the surface of the dielectric member opposite to the clamping surface and an electrode located on the clamping surface of the item to be clamped. The pins are provided with at least an upper conducting layer, which serves to reduce the Johnsen-Rahbek effect, allowing the substrate to be released more quickly.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system for providing a beam of radiation, an article support for supporting a flat article to be placed in a beam path of the beam of radiation on the article support, an electrostatic clamp for clamping the article against the article support by an electrostatic field during projection, and a recessed backfill gas feed arranged in the article support for feeding backfill gas to a backside of the article when supported by the article support. According to one aspect of the invention, the recessed backfill gas feed includes a shielding layer for shielding the backfill gas in the recessed backfill gas feed from the electrostatic field.

Abstract: An edge exposing apparatus includes a photo detector and a lighting time measuring circuit for detecting a decrease in performance of light source units. The lighting time measuring circuit detects a ready state ((stabilization of luminous intensity) of the light source units, for example by measuring a lighting time for a startup (switch-on) of the light source units. When the measuring circuit detects a preset lighting time, or when the photo detector detects a luminous intensity below a preset value, the light source units are determined to have lowered performance, and are switched off. When a decrease in performance of one unit is detected, a replacement light source unit is started while continuing edge exposure with one or more other light source unit(s). When a ready state is detected, the edge exposure with the one light source unit is terminated (switch-off), and edge exposure is performed with the replacement light source unit.

Abstract: When a pattern is transferred via a projection optical system, a size of an image of the pattern varies depending on a defocus amount of a transferring position from the best focus position, and a flucuation curve showing the variation (the so-called CD-focus curve) varies depending on wavefront aberration of the projection optical system. There is a close relation between a linear combination value of a plurality of terms that each have a coefficient (an aberration component) of a plurality of Zernike terms (aberration component terms) into which the wavefront aberration of the projection optical system is decomposed using a Zernike polynomial in series expansion, and the variation of the flucuation curve.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to provide a beam of radiation; a support configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device configured to impart the 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; a measurement system configured to generate an information signal including information about positions of at least one of the patterning device, the substrate, the projection system, and components therein; and a control system configured to control the positions.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to light via a pattern of an original while the original and the substrate are scanned. The apparatus includes a stage configured to hold the substrate and to move, a projection optical system configured to project the pattern of the original onto the substrate, a measurement unit configured to measure a positional deviation between superposition marks formed on the substrate, and a controller configured to control operation of projection of a slit shot pattern of an original onto plural areas of a substrate, with each area partially overlapping four of the plural areas adjacent to each other. The projection is performed by keeping the original stand still and moving the stage, to cause the measurement unit to perform measurement of a positional deviation between superposition marks in each of the overlapping areas formed through the projection, and to control movement of the stage based on the measurement.

Abstract: A method, suitable to photolithographie projection, for detecting the positioning errors of circuit patterns during the transfer by a mask into layers of a substrate of a semiconductor wafer. After the transfer of at least one multiple arrangement of a first test structure into at least one resist layer above the substrate, wherein the first test structure includes a first circuit pattern, at least one first overlay mark and at least one first micropatterned alignment mark, the values of a first positioning error of the first circuit patterns relative to the first overlay marks and the first micropatterned alignment marks are determined for each element of the at least one multiple arrangement.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, including obtaining a first dimension difference or ratio which shows a dimension difference or ratio of a latent images of a first and a second focus monitor marks, or a dimension difference or ratio of a first and a second focus monitor marks, calculating a first defocus value based on the first dimension difference or ratio, obtaining second characteristic showing defocus value characteristic for a pressure inside a chamber based on pairs of the pressure and defocus value, measuring the pressure, predicting the defocus value based on the measured pressure and the second characteristic, correcting the relationship between a focus position of an exposure light and a position on the optical axis of the second resist film in accordance with the predicted defocus value, and forming the latent image of the circuit pattern on the second photo resist film.

Abstract: Use of a refraction grating to divide a beam of radiation into a plurality of sub-beams that are each directed onto an array of individually controllable elements, modulated thereby and projected onto a substrate as an array of spots.

Abstract: An alignment method for substrates includes preparing an alignment apparatus having a movement mechanism to move a target substrate in horizontal and vertical directions, a rotation mechanism to rotate the substrate in a horizontal plane, an illumination tool to irradiate the substrate, an image sensor to pick up an substrate image, an edge position sensor to sense the substrate edge positions, and a control computer, transferring the substrate from a previous stage using the moving mechanism, measuring the substrate position using the image sensor which picks up the image on a back surface of the substrate, while irradiating the substrate with the illumination tool from a sidewise direction, calculating positional shifts regarding X, Y, and ? of the mask, using the edge position sensor and control computer, correcting the positional shifts of the mask by the moving and rotation mechanisms, and transferring the substrate to a next stage.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes an illuminator for conditioning a beam of radiation, and a first support for supporting a patterning device that serves to pattern the beam of radiation according to a desired pattern. The apparatus also includes a second support for supporting a substrate, a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate, and at least one gas generator for generating a conditioned gas flow. The gas generator includes a guiding element for guiding the gas flow to a lower volume generally located below a lower surface of the projection system and to a volume between the lower surface and the substrate. The guiding element directs the gas flow in a generally downward direction and then in a direction generally parallel to the lower surface.

Abstract: In an exposure apparatus, an exposure object is exposed to light by applying pulsed light that has a wavelength of 300 nm or less and that has been passed through a plurality of optical components. At least one of the plurality of optical components is made of a synthetic silica glass component. The thickness of the synthetic silica glass component, and the energy density per pulse and the pulse width of the pulsed light satisfy the following expression: ?I?2L?1.7?0.02 (ns·mJ?2·cm2.3·pulse2) wherein L is the thickness (unit: cm) of the synthetic silica glass component, I is the energy density (unit: mJ·cm?2·pulse?1) per pulse, and ? is the pulse width (unit: ns).

Abstract: Disclosed is a holding system and an exposure apparatus having the same, wherein deformation of an optical member resulting from its thermal expansion and causing degradation of imaging performance can be reduced to assure desired imaging performance. The holding system for holding an optical member includes a barrel for at least partially surrounding the optical member and/or a heat source, an average of radiation coefficient of an inside surface of the barrel is not less than 0.8.

Abstract: The invention provides systems and a method for reducing pellicle distortion. One feature of the invention reduces distortion of a pellicle by providing an airtight mounting structure for coupling a pellicle to a mask; and a port on the mounting structure though which a pressure difference can be created between the interior portion and an exterior environment. Hence, distortion can be reduced by controlling the pressure in the interior portion between the pellicle, the pellicle mounting structure and the mask. Another feature places an aerodynamic fairing adjacent the mask to reduce aerodynamic drag and, hence, suppress turbulent air flow over the pellicle. The features can be used separately or in combination.

Abstract: A detector, feedback and compensation system for use with a radiation distribution system for distributing the radiation from a radiation system to two or more arrays of individually controllable elements, each for patterning beams of radiation, which are subsequently projected onto a substrate. The detector determines the radiation lost in the radiation distribution system and feeds this information back to a compensation system, which compensates for the loss and keeps the radiation projected onto the substrate uniform.