Abstract: An immersion lithography apparatus having a controller configured to control a positioner to move a support table relative to an immersion space between the support table and a projection system to follow a route having a series of motions, the controller adapted to: predict a speed of an edge of the immersion space relative to an edge of an object on the support table when the edge of the immersion space passes over the edge of the object during at least one motion of the series of motions of the route; compare the speed to a predetermined parameter and to predict liquid loss from the immersion space during the at least one motion if the speed is greater than the predetermined parameter; and if liquid loss from the immersion space is predicted, modify one or more parameters of the route during the at least one motion accordingly.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for treating a substrate and, in particular, making secondary adjustments to the results of a primary process applied to the substrate, leading to improved uniformity of the overall process, in which a substrate is positioned on a substrate holder; a scanning a beam of light is directed onto the surface of the substrate; and the amplitude of the scanned beam is varied by location based on a substrate signature.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is described, the lithographic apparatus comprising: 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 projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate, a stage assembly comprising: a substrate table constructed to hold the substrate; and a positioning device configured to displace the substrate table relative to the projection system; a base frame onto which stage assembly and the projection system are mounted; the base frame comprising a first portion configured to support the stage assembly and a second portion configured to support the projection system, the first portion and the second portion being connected to each other via a compliant portion of the base frame.

Abstract: A projection optical system for an immersion exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with an illumination light through the projection optical system and a liquid, the projection optical system includes: a plurality of reflective and refractive optical elements through which the illumination light passes, the plurality of reflective and refractive optical elements having a final lens, through which the illumination light passes, the final lens having a light emitting surface through a part of which the illumination light passes, the part of the light emitting surface being in contact with the liquid, wherein the image is projected in a projection region, a center of the projection region is away from an optical axis of the projection optical system with respect to a first direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and a center of the light emitting surface is away from the optical axis with respect to the first direction.

Abstract: A spatial light modulator includes a first reflective surface which reflects incident light and is movable between a first position and a second position, the first and the second positions being located along a first axis, a second reflective surface which reflects the incident light, is arranged at a position where the second reflective surface is adjacent to the first reflective surface in a direction along a second axis crossing the first axis, and is movable between a third position and a fourth position, the third and the fourth positions being located along a direction parallel to the first axis, and a reflective part which reflects the incident light and is arranged between the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface in the direction along the second axis, wherein a distance between the first position and the reflective part, defined in the direction parallel to the first axis, is configured to attenuate light reflected at the reflective part by using light reflected at the first re

Abstract: An optical unit, in particular a facet mirror unit, includes an optical element and a supporting device. The optical element has an optical surface, in particular an elongate optical surface, which defines a plane of main extension and a direction of main extension in the plane of main extension. The supporting device includes a supporting unit and an actuator unit. The actuator unit is configured for tilting the optical surface, in that a tilting moment is exerted on the optical element by way of the actuator unit. The tilting moment runs in an inclined manner in relation to the plane of main extension. The supporting unit is configured to predefine a tilting axis for the optical surface that lies substantially in the plane of main extension of the optical surface when there is tilting of the optical surface by the tilting moment of the actuator unit.

Abstract: A barrier member configured to at least partly confine a liquid in a space between a projection system and a substrate table of an immersion lithographic system, the barrier member including: a liquid inlet configured to provide liquid to the space, a liquid outlet configured to remove liquid from the space, the liquid outlet having a porous member located in a surface configured toward face the substrate, a first gas inlet configured to provide gas to the space, the first gas inlet arranged to face toward the substrate and the first gas inlet located outward, relative to a central portion of the barrier member, of the porous member, and a second gas inlet configured to provide gas to the space, the second gas inlet arranged to face toward the substrate and the second gas inlet located outward, relative to the central portion, of the first gas inlet.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a lithographic projection apparatus has an off-axis image field and a concave refractive lens as the final element of the projection system. The concave lens can be cut-away in parts not used optically to prevent bubbles from being trapped under the lens.

Abstract: An immersion lithographic apparatus is provided with a liquid confinement structure which defines at least in part a space configured to contain liquid between the projection system and the substrate. In order to reduce the crossing of the edge of the substrate which is being imaged (which can lead to inclusion of bubbles in the immersion liquid), the cross-sectional area of the space in a plane parallel to the substrate is made as small as possible. The smallest theoretical size is the size of the target portion which is imaged by the projection system. In an embodiment, the shape of a final element of the projection system is also changed to have a similar size and/or shape in a cross-section parallel to the substrate to that of the target portion.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of optimizing within an inspection apparatus, the position and/or size (and therefore focus) of a measurement illumination spot relative to a target on a substrate. The method comprises detecting scattered radiation from at least the target resultant from illuminating the target, for different sizes and/or positions of said illumination spot relative to the target; and optimizing said position and/or size of the measurement illumination spot relative to the target based on a characteristic of the detected scattered radiation for the different sizes and/or positions of said illumination spot relative to the target.

Abstract: A method, including printing an apparatus mark onto a structure while the structure is at least partly within a lithographic apparatus. The structure may be part of, or is located on, a substrate table, but is separate from a substrate to be held by the apparatus. The method further includes measuring the apparatus mark using a sensor system within the apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vibration damping apparatus that performs vibration damping of a first optical element among a plurality of optical elements arranged in a barrel, comprising: a holding member connected to the barrel and configured to hold the first optical element; and a mass body supported by the holding member via a damper element, wherein the mass body includes a second optical element different from the first optical element among the plurality of optical elements.

Abstract: A method including: obtaining a measurement of a metrology target on a substrate processed using a patterning process, the measurement having been obtained using measurement radiation; and deriving a parameter of interest of the patterning process from the measurement, wherein the parameter of interest is corrected by a stack difference parameter, the stack difference parameter representing an un-designed difference in physical configuration between adjacent periodic structures of the target or between the metrology target and another adjacent target on the substrate.

Abstract: A method of measuring a property of a substrate, the substrate having a plurality of targets formed thereon, the method comprising: measuring N targets of the plurality of targets using an optical measurement system, where N is an integer greater than 2 and each of said N targets is measured Wt times, where Wt is an integer greater than 2 so as to obtain N*Wt measurement values; and determining R property values using Q equations and the N*Wt measurement values, where R<Q?N*Wt; wherein the optical measurement system has at least one changeable setting and, for each of the N targets, measurement values are obtained using different setting values of at least one changeable setting.

Abstract: In a lithographic apparatus, a localized area of the substrate surface under a projection system is immersed in liquid. The height of a liquid supply system above the surface of the substrate can be varied using actuators. A control system uses feedforward or feedback control with input of the surface height of the substrate to maintain the liquid supply system at a predetermined height above the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure generally provide a digital lithography system that can process both large area substrates as well as semiconductor device substrates, such as wafers. Both the large area substrates and the semiconductor device substrates can be processed in the same system simultaneously. Additionally, the system can accommodate different levels of exposure for forming the features over the substrates. For example, the system can accommodate very precise feature patterning as well as less precise feature patterning. The different exposures can occur in the same chamber simultaneously. Thus, the system is capable of processing both semiconductor device substrates and large area substrates simultaneously while also accommodating very precise feature patterning simultaneous with less precise feature patterning.

Abstract: A method to improve a lithographic process for imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic projection apparatus having an illumination system and projection optics, the method including: obtaining an illumination source shape and a mask defocus value; optimizing a dose of the lithographic process; and optimizing the portion of the design layout for each of a plurality of slit positions of the illumination source.

Abstract: An exposure method for projecting a pattern on an exposure mask onto a work by an exposure control of an exposure light including calculating an exposure position on the work from a relative positional relationship of the exposure mask and the work, setting a range acceptable for projecting the pattern even when the exposure position is off a target exposure position on the work as an exposure position range, and (3) executing an exposure control that irradiates the exposure light to the exposure mask when the exposure position is in the exposure position range, and that stops the exposure light when the exposure position is out of the exposure position range.

Abstract: A method of evaluating a focus control of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography apparatus includes preparing a wafer exposed by using the EUV lithography apparatus. The wafer includes test patterns formed of a photoresist and having circular islands or holes prepared by multiple exposures of EUV at different foci of exposure. The method further includes measuring a roughness parameter of the test patterns and estimating a function representing a dependence of the roughness parameter on the focus. A best focus is estimated based on an extremum of the function. Exposure wafers are then exposed to EUV with the best focus. The exposure wafers include the test patterns. The roughness parameter for the test patterns on the exposure wafers obtained by exposing the exposure wafers at the best focus is periodically measured. An abnormality in focus is then determined based on the measured roughness parameter and the function.

Abstract: An immersion lithographic apparatus is provided with a liquid confinement structure which defines at least in part a space configured to contain liquid between the projection system and the substrate. In order to reduce the crossing of the edge of the substrate which is being imaged (which can lead to inclusion of bubbles in the immersion liquid), the cross-sectional area of the space in a plane parallel to the substrate is made as small as possible. The smallest theoretical size is the size of the target portion which is imaged by the projection system. In an embodiment, the shape of a final element of the projection system is also changed to have a similar size and/or shape in a cross-section parallel to the substrate to that of the target portion.