Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a liquid confinement system to confine liquid in a space between a final element of a projection system and a substrate, and a first and a second substrate stage that are configured to mutually cooperate in order to perform a joint movement for bringing the lithographic apparatus from a first configuration, in which the liquid is confined between a first substrate held by the first substrate stage and the final element, towards a second configuration, in which the liquid is confined between a second substrate held by the second substrate stage and the final element, such that during the joint movement the liquid is essentially confined within the space with respect to the final element. The apparatus also includes a position measurement system configured to at least during the joint movement measure the position of the first and second substrate stages.

Abstract: An exposure method includes the steps of introducing fluid between a surface of an object to be exposed, and a final surface of a projection optical system, displacing an interface of the fluid arranged between the surface of the object and the final surface of the projection optical system, and projecting a pattern on a mask onto the object via the projection optical system and the fluid.

Abstract: A system and method are used to pattern illumination to form one or more devices on a substrate using a reflecting system, a pattern generator that defines an objection plane, a projection system, and the substrate that defines an image plane. A reflecting portion of the reflecting system is substantially parallel to a reflecting portion of the pattern generator. The reflecting portion of the pattern generator patterns the illumination beam and directs the patterned illumination beam towards the substrate via the projection system. Based on the relationship of the reflecting system and the pattern generator, the illumination beam is telecentric proximate the object plane and the patterned illumination beam is telecentric proximate the image plane. Through use of a reflecting optic and not a transmissive optic to direct light between the illuminator and the projection system, illumination efficiency is increased and errors imparted on the illumination are decreased.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a positioning system including a first and second electromagnetic actuator. Each actuator includes two mutually co-operating electromagnetical elements which are movable with respect to one another due to force acting on the elements of the respective actuator. At least one of the actuators includes a shield configured to shield the actuator from a field generated by the other actuator. In this manner, a disturbance force due to the field is prevented to act on the shielded actuator. The invention also includes a positioning system including such actuators.

Abstract: A projection optical system for projecting a pattern on an object plane onto an image plane includes first to sixth reflective surfaces in order to reflect light from the object plane, wherein A1=?21/?11, B1=?31/?11, 1.5<A1<1.65, and 2.3<B1<2.5 are met. ?11 is an angle on a predetermined plane between a principal ray and a plane normal to the first reflective surface at an incident position of the principal ray. ?21 is an angle on the predetermined plane between the principal ray and a plane normal to the second reflective surface at an incident position of the principal ray. ?31 is an angle on the predetermined plane between the principal ray and a plane normal to the third reflective surface at an incident position of the principal ray.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for characterizing an illumination pupil of an exposure tool comprises forming a plurality of pinhole test patterns at a plurality of test site locations to facilitate locating test pattern edges for extracting therefrom the illumination pupil characteristics of the exposure tool.

Abstract: During scanned exposure of target portions at the edge of the substrate, the position of an edge of the illumination field is changed so as to prevent or reduce radiation falling onto the substrate table or to expose an L-shaped area. In this way the heat load on the substrate table can be reduced and dummy structures can fill a mouse bite without overlapping an alignment mark.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system for projecting a pattern of a mask onto an object using a light with wavelength of 20 nm or less from a light source, and first and second accommodating parts for accommodating the projection optical system and the mask or the object, said first and second accommodating part has different pressures, wherein said a Ps/Po?100 and Ps?10?3 Pa are met, where Po is the pressure of the first accommodating part, and Ps is the pressure of the second accommodating part.

Abstract: An exposure method for an exposure apparatus that exposes a mask pattern onto a plate using a projection optical system includes the steps of obtaining information about flatness of a first mask, condition of an image plane when projecting a pattern of the first mask by using the projection optical system, information about a driving amount of a driving system, which can change an imaging condition on the plate based on the condition of the image plane, and information about flatness of a second mask, changing information about the driving amount by using information about flatness of the first and second masks, and driving the driving system based on changed information about the driving amount of the driving system to project a pattern of the second mask onto the plate using the projection optical system.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an instrument for determining the radiation intensity distribution at a pupil plane of the projection system while a patterning device is imparting the projection beam with a pattern, a calculation apparatus for calculating the effect on the imaging by the projection system of heating resulting from the projection beam in the projection system having the determined intensity distribution and a controller for adjusting the lithographic apparatus to compensate for the calculated effect of heating.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus including an array of individually controllable elements and a plurality of projection systems that project respective ones of patterned beams onto a substrate. A displacement system causes relative displacement between the substrate and the projection systems such that the respective patterned beams are scanned across the substrate in a predetermined scanning direction. The projection systems are arranged in groups, such that lenses in the array of lenses of different groups direct parts of different ones of the patterned beams to different ones of the respective target areas of the substrate that are aligned in the scanning direction. The groups are spaced apart in the scanning direction, wherein each group scans the respective ones of the patterned beams across a respective area of the substrate.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a illumination optical system for illuminating a reticle with light from a light source, and a projection optical system for projecting a pattern of the reticle onto an object, said projection optical system includes a lens closest to the object, wherein a surface on the object side of the lens is smaller than an effective area of a surface on the reticle side of the lens, and wherein said exposure apparatus exposes the object via a liquid that is filled in a space between the lens and the object.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus in which a size and/or a position of features formed on a substrate are adjusted by adjusting an intensity of radiation at boundaries of pattern features.

Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an exposure apparatus which includes an illumination optical system configured to irradiate a mask with light from a light source, and a projecting optical system configured to project a pattern image of the mask onto a substrate. The illumination optical system provides a first light intensity which can be altered by an optical unit forming a second light intensity. The second light intensity can be further altered by an optical unit changing the dimension of the second light intensity forming a third light intensity, where the third light intensity can be used in the lithographic process for forming devices.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern of a reticle onto a plate while synchronously scanning the reticle and the plate, said exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system for projecting the pattern of the reticle onto the plate, a measuring part for measuring a position of a surface of a target to be measured in an optical axis direction of the projection optical system, and a controller for controlling the position of the surface of the target in the optical axis direction based on a measurement result by the measuring part, wherein said measuring part measures a position of the same measurement point on the surface of the target plural times, wherein said controller uses, as a measurement value of the same measurement point, an average value of plural measurement results obtained at the same measurement point, and wherein said target is the reticle or the plate.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system, a patterning system, a projection system, and a combining system. The illumination system supplies a beam of radiation. The patterning system patterns the beam. The patterning system includes at least two arrays of individually controllable elements arranged to be illuminated by respective portions of the beam, each of the arrays pattering the respective portion of the beam. The combining system combines the patterned portions into the patterned beam. The projection system projects the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate.

Abstract: A mask supporting apparatus includes an absorption glass provided with at least one vacuum hole, a mask provided with a predetermined pattern and attached on a bottom surface of the absorption glass, and an absorption pad disposed between the absorption glass and the mask to define a space between the absorption glass and the mask. Air in the space is exhausted through the vacuum hole to securely fix the mask on the absorption glass.

Abstract: An illumination optical system for illuminating a target surface using light from a light source, said illumination optical system includes a polarizing element that is arranged in an optical path from the light source to the target surface, and adjusts a polarization ratio of the light, and an optical element that is arranged in an optical path from the polarizing element to the target surface, wherein the total birefringence of the optical element is m+2?<1.0 nm/cm, where an average of birefringence amount of a glass material of the optical element is m, and standard variation birefringence amount of a glass material of the optical element is ?.

Abstract: A method and a device are provided for automating receipt of orders for additional printing of a photographic print, including order information relating to desired image processing. In a print order receiving machine, when a photographic print is inserted, an image of the photographic print is read and displayed on a monitor (steps 150, 152). When order conditions are inputted, an image which is processed on the basis of the order conditions is displayed on the monitor (steps 154 through 158). Further, when input of the order conditions is completed, the order conditions and order information based on the order conditions are set. The set order information is printed onto a photographic print as an invisible two-dimensional bar code. Copying processing of the photographic print is carried out on the basis of the order information which is read from the photographic print.

Abstract: A controller controls a wafer carrier to move from a SMIF-POD to transfer and collect a wafer between a space of a transfer unit through a thermal chamber. The wafer carrier is returned into the SMIF-POD, when the wafer is exposed, to be kept waiting in the SMIF-POD until the wafer completes the exposure. The wafer can be shielded from direct airflow by a protection plate inside the transfer area.