Abstract: A substrate holder for use in a lithographic apparatus and configured to support a substrate, the substrate holder including a main body having a main body surface, a plurality of main burls projecting from the main body surface, wherein each main burl has a distal end surface configured to support the substrate, a first seal member projecting from the main body surface and having an upper surface, the first seal member surrounding the plurality of main burls and configured to restrict the passage of liquid between the substrate and the main body surface radially inward past the first seal member; and a plurality of minor burls projecting from the upper surface of the first seal member, wherein each minor burl has a distal end surface configured to support the substrate.

Abstract: The present application discloses an exposure method and an exposure device thereof. The method includes the following steps: confirming a position of a point to be exposed; capturing and confirming that the point to be exposed is successfully captured; adjusting a light source corresponding to the successfully captured point to be exposed to an adaptive position; and completing an exposure operation by an exposure machine.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for aligning masks with substrates are provided. A method can include receiving a carrier having a substrate disposed thereon at an alignment stage of an alignment module, transferring a mask from a mask cassette of a mask stocker of the alignment module to a position over the alignment stage, and positioning the mask on the carrier. The method can also include acquiring one or more images of the mask and the substrate, where the mask contains one or more alignment holes passing through the mask and the substrate contains one or more alignment dots disposed on an upper surface of the substrate, analyzing the one or more images to determine one or more differences between one or more alignment holes of the mask and one or more alignment dots on the substrate, and aligning the mask with the substrate based on the differences.

Abstract: A method for controlling a manufacturing process for manufacturing semiconductor devices, the method including: obtaining performance data indicative of the performance of the manufacturing process, the performance data including values for a performance parameter across a substrate subject to the manufacturing process; and determining a process correction for the manufacturing process based on the performance data and at least one control characteristic related to a dynamic behavior of one or more control parameters of the manufacturing process, wherein the determining is further based on an expected stability of the manufacturing process when applying the process correction.

Abstract: A method of measuring a parameter of a patterning process, the method including obtaining a measurement of a substrate processed by a patterning process, with a first metrology target measurement recipe; obtaining a measurement of the substrate with a second, different metrology target measurement recipe, wherein measurements using the first and second metrology target measurement recipes have their own distinct sensitivity to a metrology target structural asymmetry of the patterning process; and determining a value of the parameter by a weighted combination of the measurements of the substrate using the first and second metrology target measurement recipes, wherein the weighting reduces or eliminates the effect of the metrology target structural geometric asymmetry on the parameter of the patterning process determined from the measurements using the first and second metrology target measurement recipes.

Abstract: The present invention provides an exposure apparatus that performs an exposure process to transfer a pattern of a mask to a substrate, including a projection optical system configured to project the pattern of the mask onto the substrate, a measurement pattern arranged on an object plane of the projection optical system and including a plurality of pattern elements having different positions in an optical axis direction of the projection optical system, a first detection unit configured to detect light from the measurement pattern via the projection optical system, and a control unit configured to control a relative position between the mask and the substrate in the optical axis direction when the exposure process is performed.

Abstract: A method for determining substrate deformation includes obtaining first measurement data associated with mark positions, from measurements of a plurality of substrates; obtaining second measurement data associated with mark positions, from measurements of the plurality of substrates; determining a mapping between the first measurement data and the second measurement data; and decomposing the mapping, by calculating an eigenvalue decomposition for the mapping, to separately determine a first deformation (e.g. mark deformation) that scales differently from a second deformation (e.g. substrate deformation) in the mapping between the data. The steps of determining a mapping and decomposing the mapping may be performed together using non-linear optimization.

Abstract: An alignment structure is provided. The alignment structure includes a substrate, an alignment portion, and an extension portion. The alignment portion is disposed on the substrate. The extension portion is disposed on the substrate. The extension portion at least partially surrounds the alignment portion and is spaced apart from the alignment portion by a void. A side of the extension portion adjacent to the alignment portion and a side of the alignment portion adjacent to the extension portion are conformal to each other.

Abstract: A lithography patterning system includes a reticle having patterned features, a pellicle having a plurality of openings, a radiation source configured for emitting radiation to reflect and/or project the patterned features, and one or more mirrors configured for guiding reflected and/or projected patterned features onto a wafer. The pellicle is configured to protect the reticle against particles and floating contaminants. The plurality of openings include between 5% and 99.9% of lateral surface area of the pellicle. The pellicle can be attached to the reticle on a side of the patterned features, placed beside an optical path between the radiation source and the wafer, or placed in an optical path between mirrors and the radiation source. The plurality of openings in the pellicle are formed by a plurality of bar shaped materials, or formed in a honey comb structure or a mesh structure.

Abstract: A lithography apparatus includes an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) scanner, an EUV source coupled to the EUV scanner, a quartz crystal microbalance and a feedback controller. The quartz crystal microbalance is disposed on an internal surface of at least one of the EUV source and the EUV scanner. The feedback controller is coupled to the quartz crystal microbalance and one or more of a radiation source, a droplet generator, and optical guide elements controlling the trajectory of the radiation source associated with the EUV source.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a method and to an apparatus for determining the heating state of a mirror in an optical system, in particular in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. A method for determining the heating state of an optical element includes: measuring values of a first temperature that the optical element has at a first position using a temperature sensor; and estimating a second temperature that the optical element has at a second position, which is located at a distance from the first position, on the basis of the measured values, wherein estimating the second temperature is accomplished while taking into account a temporal change in the previously measured values.

Abstract: The invention provides a substrate support for supporting a substrate, comprising: a support body, which support body comprises a support surface for supporting the substrate, a rotary dither device, which is configured to induce a relative rotary dither motion between the substrate and the support surface of the support body around a rotation axis which is perpendicular to the support surface.

Abstract: An EUV lithographic apparatus includes a wafer stage and a particle removing assembly for cleaning a wafer for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithographic apparatus. The wafer stage includes a measurement side and an exposure side. The particle removing assembly includes particle removing electrodes, an exhaust device and turbomolecular pumps. The particle removing electrodes is configured to direct debris from the chamber by suppressing turbulence such that the debris can be exhausted from the wafer stage to the outside of the processing apparatus. In some embodiments, turbomolecular pumps are turned off in the measurement side of the wafer stage so that an exhaust flow can be guided to an exposure side of the wafer stage. In some embodiments, the speed of voltage rise to the electrodes of the wafer chuck is adjusted.

Abstract: A method of cleaning a reticle pod and an exposure method, the method of cleaning the reticle pod including receiving the reticle pod that includes an inner pod and an outer pod surrounding the inner pod; disassembling the inner pod from the outer pod; inspecting a surface of a base plate of the inner pod to detect defects; performing a local plasma cleaning process at a defect location on the surface of the base plate; performing a wet cleaning process on the inner pod; and reassembling the inner pod to the outer pod.

Abstract: A substrate holder for use in a lithographic apparatus and configured to support a substrate, the substrate holder having a main body having a main body surface, a plurality of main burls projecting from the main body surface, wherein each main burl has a distal end surface configured to support the substrate, a first seal member projecting from the main body surface and having an upper surface, the first seal member surrounding the plurality of main burls and configured to restrict the passage of liquid between the substrate and the main body surface radially inward past the first seal member, and a plurality of minor burls projecting from the upper surface of the first seal member, wherein each minor burl has a distal end surface configured to support the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lithography apparatus for performing a process of transferring a pattern of an original to each of shot regions two-dimensionally arrayed on a substrate, including a stage that moves while holding one of the substrate and the original, a measurement unit configured to measure, when performing the process, a positional shift amount between a mark provided on the original and a mark provided in each of the shot regions, and a control unit configured to control the process for the shot region so that after the process is performed successively for a plurality of first shot regions included in a first row, the process is performed successively for a plurality of second shot regions included in a second row adjacent to the first row.

Abstract: A method is provided for spatially modulating electromagnetic radiation at high frequency where the modulation is phase, polarization or direction of propagation comprises a substrate carrying an ordered array of optical elements in relative motion with respect to an incident beam of electromagnetic radiation to be modulated and measuring the relative motion. The array contains at least three optical elements and at least two different types of optical elements. At least some of the optical elements are formed from and integral to the substrate material. The optical elements may be fabricated on the substrate material by a subtractive process. The electromagnetic radiation to be modulated is incident on a region of the substrate termed the active region. As the substrate moves relative to the incident electromagnetic radiation, the active region also moves and the designation of individual optical elements changes also.

Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments, a method for processing a semiconductor wafer is provided. The method includes transporting a carrier along with a reticle supported by the carrier in a lithography exposure apparatus. The method also includes regulating particles in the carrier through a magnetic field. In addition, the method includes removing the reticle from the carrier. The method further includes performing, using the reticle, a lithography exposure process to the semiconductor wafer in the lithography exposure apparatus.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus and method. The exposure apparatus includes a control system, light source system, plurality of illumination systems and plurality of projection objective lenses. The light source system is configured to emit a plurality of first illumination beams incident on the illumination systems. Each illumination system includes a variable attenuator and branch energy detector. The branch energy detector is configured to detect an illuminance level of a second illumination beam generated in the corresponding illumination system and feed it back to the control system. The control system is configured to adjust the illuminance levels of the second illumination beams in the respective illumination systems by controlling the respective variable attenuators therein. The exposure apparatus and method have improved exposure performance and allow finer and faster energy adjustments, thus enabling precise control and higher exposure accuracy.

Abstract: A control device for performing position control of a control target by imparting a feedforward operation amount to the control target to curb a control deviation even when a continuous target time of the control exceeds an upper limit in a case where the position control is performed by imparting the feedforward operation amount, including at least one processor or circuit configured to function as a determination unit configured to determine whether or not a target time for continuing the control using the feedforward operation amount exceeds a predetermined time, and a correction unit configured to correct the feedforward operation amount to be damped toward an end of the target time in a case where it is determined by the determination unit that the target time has exceeded the predetermined time.