Abstract: An exposure device and an exposure method are provided. The exposure device includes an exposure lamp, a mask plate and a marking equipment. The marking equipment includes a guide rail frame disposed on the mask plate, and at least one marking vehicle disposed on the guide rail frame, a controller. The controller acts to make the guide rail frame move to a corresponding exposure location on the mask plate earlier than the exposure lamp under its control, and to make the marking vehicle lie in a corresponding marking location by dint of its control, for displaying a corresponding marking identification.

Abstract: Method for determining lithographic quality of a structure produced by a lithographic process using a periodic pattern, such as a grating, detects lithographic process window edges and optimum process conditions.

Abstract: A magnetic device includes first and second parts, a first magnetic part, with a first magnetic polarization, coupled to the first part, a second magnetic part, with a second magnetic polarization, coupled to the second part and an additional magnetic part coupled to the first part and having an additional magnetic polarization. The first and second magnetic parts magnetically interact with each other. The first magnetic part exerts a first force on the second magnetic part, the second magnetic part exerts a second force on the first magnetic part and the first and second forces have opposite directions that are parallel to a reference direction. The first magnetic polarization is substantially parallel to the reference direction, the second magnetic polarization is substantially perpendicular to the reference direction, the additional magnetic polarization makes an angle with the first magnetic polarization and has a magnitude in a range of about 90°-270°.

Abstract: A surface position detection apparatus capable of highly precisely detecting the surface position of a surface to be detected without substantially being affected by relative positional displacement due to a polarization component occurring in a light flux having passed through a reflective surface. In the apparatus, a projection system has a projection side prism member having first reflective surfaces, and a light receiving system has a light receiving prism member having second reflective surfaces arranged in correspondence with the projection side prism member. The surface position detection apparatus further has a member for compensating relative positional displacement due to a polarization component of a light flux having passed through the first and second reflective surfaces.

Abstract: System and method for applying mask data patterns to substrate in a lithography manufacturing process are disclosed. In one embodiment, a parallel imaging writer system comprises a plurality of spatial light modulator (SLM) imaging units, and a controller configured to control the plurality of SLM imaging units. Each of the plurality of SLM imaging units includes one or more illumination sources, one or more alignment sources, one or more projection lenses, and a plurality of micro mirrors configured to project light from the one or more illumination sources to the corresponding one or more projection lens. The controller synchronizes movements of the plurality of SLM imaging units with movement of a substrate in writing a mask data to the substrate in a lithography manufacturing process.

Abstract: In a lithography tool used in fabricating microelectronic devices, autofocus (AF) systems provide automatic image focusing before making exposures. To reduce production of erroneous results based on interaction of a beam of AF light with certain regions on lithographic substrates, a subject AF device has a sending unit and a receiving unit. The sending unit directs an AF light beam to the substrate, and the receiving unit receives AF light reflected from the substrate. The receiving unit has a system photodetector and a patterned optical element that receives AF light from the substrate and transmits a selected diffraction order(s) of said light. The system photodetector senses light of the selected diffraction order of reflected AF light while at least one additional photodetector detects divergent reflected AF light. Substrate areas exhibiting unusual amounts of divergent light may indicate a focus-error condition. The AF systems can be configured as fringe-projection or slit-projection AF systems.

Abstract: An objective lens system having a high numerical aperture, a large working distance, and low optical aberrations over a wide spectral band of wavelengths is disclosed. The objective lens system includes a first lens group, a second lens group, and a third lens group. The first lens group includes first and second positive meniscus lenses that are positioned at a distance from each other along an optical axis of the objective lens system. The distance may be dependent on a focal length of the objective lens system. The second lens group includes first and second meniscus lenses and a bi-convex lens. The third lens group includes a bi-concave lens and a doublet lens.

Abstract: An exposure head according to the invention includes: a transparent substrate; a plurality of exposure light sources which is formed in the transparent substrate and emits exposure light; at least one condensing lens which condenses the exposure light from the exposure light sources on the exposure object; an imaging unit which is disposed on the opposite side to the condensing lens with the transparent substrate interposed therebetween and images the exposure object; and a control unit which controls the turning on of the exposure light sources based on image information imaged by the imaging unit. An exposure device according to the invention includes the exposure head according to the invention. By virtue of such a configuration, it is possible to improve alignment precision of the exposure object and to improve exposure precision of the exposure object.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus comprises a metrology frame that supports a projection optical system, a first drive system that drives a first stage, a second drive system that drives a second stage, a first encoder system that measures positional information of the first stage, a second encoder system having four heads and measures positional information of the second stage, and a controller. The controller controls the first drive system based on measurement information of the first encoder system and the second drive system based on measurement information of the second encoder system for scanning exposure of a substrate. The controller also controls the second drive system based on correction information for compensating for a measurement error of the second encoder system which occurs due to performing drive control of the second stage and positional information.

Abstract: A porous member is used in a liquid removal system of an immersion lithographic projection apparatus to smooth uneven flows. A pressure differential across the porous member may be maintained at below the bubble point of the porous member so that a single-phase liquid flow is obtained. Alternatively, the porous member may be used to reduce unevenness in a two-phase flow.

Abstract: A support apparatus for a lithographic apparatus has an object holder and an extraction body radially outward of the object holder. The object holder is configured to support an object. The extraction body includes an extraction opening configured to extract fluid from a top surface of the support apparatus. The extraction body is spaced from the object holder such that the extraction body is substantially decoupled from the object holder. The extraction body comprises a projection configured such that it surrounds the object holder and such that, in use, a layer of liquid is retained on the projection and in contact with an object supported on the object holder.

Abstract: An illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes an optical integrator having a plurality of light entrance facets each being associated with a secondary light source. A spatial light modulator has a light exit surface and transmit or to reflect impinging projection light in a spatially resolved manner. A pupil forming unit directs projection light on the spatial light modulator. An objective images the light exit surface of the spatial light modulator onto the light entrance facets of the optical integrator. The light exit surface of the optical light modulator includes groups of object areas being separated by areas that are not imaged on the light entrance facets. The objective combines images of the object areas so that the images of the object areas abut on the optical integrator.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus has a substrate holding member, a first supporting member, a second supporting member, and a driving system. The first supporting member supports the substrate holding member from below. The second supporting member supports the first supporting member from below such that the first supporting member and the second supporting member are capable of moving relative to each other. The driving system moves the substrate holding member, the first supporting member and the second supporting member. The driving system includes a first driving device and a second driving device, the first driving device moving the substrate holding member and the first supporting member in a direction along a predetermined axis, and the second driving device moving the second supporting member in the direction along the predetermined axis.

Abstract: A liquid confinement member supplies liquid to and collects the liquid from a liquid immersion area formed adjacent to a final optical element of an immersion exposure apparatus, and includes a channel formation member that surrounds a portion of the final optical element of the immersion exposure apparatus. The channel formation member includes a hole through which exposure light projected by the final optical element passes, a liquid supply opening through which the liquid is supplied to the liquid immersion area, a liquid recovery opening through which the liquid is recovered from the liquid immersion area, a liquid supply channel by which the liquid is supplied to the liquid supply opening, and a liquid recovery channel by which the liquid is recovered from the liquid recovery opening. At least one of the liquid supply and liquid recovery channels includes a protrusion into a portion of the channel.

Abstract: A system to, and a method to, select a metrology target for use on a substrate including performing a lithographic simulation for a plurality of points on a process window region for each proposed target, identifying a catastrophic error for any of the plurality of points for each proposed target, eliminating each target having a catastrophic error at any of the plurality of points, performing a metrology simulation to determine a parameter over the process window for each target not having a catastrophic error at any of the plurality of points, and using the one or more resulting determined simulated parameters to evaluate target quality.

Abstract: Projection objectives, such as projection objectives of lithography projection exposure apparatuses, as well as related systems, components and methods, such as methods of revising and/or repairing such objectives, are disclosed.

Abstract: A porous member is used in a liquid removal system of an immersion lithographic projection apparatus to smooth uneven flows. A pressure differential across the porous member may be maintained at below the bubble point of the porous member so that a single-phase liquid flow is obtained. Alternatively, the porous member may be used to reduce unevenness in a two-phase flow.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, and to a microlithographic exposure method. An optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises at least one mirror arrangement having a plurality of mirror elements, wherein these mirror elements can be adjusted independently of one another for changing an angular distribution of the light reflected by the mirror arrangement, and a polarization-influencing optical arrangement which is arranged downstream of the mirror arrangement in the light propagation direction, wherein the polarization-influencing optical arrangement reflects a light beam incident on the arrangement in at least two reflections, which do not occur in a common plane, for at least one angular distribution of the light reflected by the mirror arrangement.

Abstract: Liquid is supplied to a space between the projection system and the substrate by an inlet. In an embodiment, an overflow region removes liquid above a given level. The overflow region may be arranged above the inlet and thus the liquid may be constantly refreshed and the pressure in the liquid may remain substantially constant.

Abstract: A light source includes: a generation device configured to generate a first EUV beam having a polarization that is a superimposition of two linearly polarized waves with directions of polarization that are perpendicular to each other and that have a phase difference with respect to each other that is non-zero and not an integral multiple of ?; and a polarization setting device configured to interact with the first EUV beam to provide a second EUV beam by exerting an effect on the first EUV beam that is linearly polarizing with respect to the direction of polarization to set a polarization of the second EUV beam.