Abstract: An exposure apparatus and method exposes a substrate by projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate through a liquid. A projection optical system projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate. A recovery port recovers the liquid supplied onto the substrate. A temperature sensor measures a temperature of the liquid recovered via the recovery port.

Abstract: A microlens exposure system includes a microlenses array and a mask fixed in place a predetermined space apart, wherein the gap between the microlens array and an exposure substrate can easily be adjusted with high precision to an aligned focal point position of the microlenses. Laser light for exposure is irradiated onto a resist film by microlenses of a microlens array. Light from a microscope passes through a hole in a Cr film of a mask, and the light is transmitted through a microlens and radiated onto the resist film. Whether or not the light transmitted through the microlens has an aligned focal point on the resist film is observed through the microscope, whereby the aligned focal point of exposure light made to converge by the microlenses on the resist film can be distinguished.

Abstract: An image projection device includes: a centrifugal fan that sends air circulating through a casing to a light source; a heat generator that generates heat with supply of power and that is provided in the vicinity of an ejection port of the centrifugal fan; a temperature sensor that is provided to be adjacent to the heat generator; and a controller that monitors lowering of the velocity of the air, which is sent from the centrifugal fan, on the basis of the value of a temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

Abstract: In a projector that includes a light source, an image forming unit, a projection optical unit, and a case to contain the light source, the image forming unit, the projection optical unit, and the power supply, takes outside air in through a first intake duct provided on the case, cools the power supply by circulating the taken outside air to the power supply circumventing the projection optical unit, and exhausts the air after cooling through an exhaust vent provided on the case. A second intake duct is provided nearby the power supply compared to the first intake duct, and the amount of outside air drawn into the case through the second intake duct is larger than the amount of outside air drawn into the case through the first intake duct.

Abstract: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes a projection system having a last optical element, a first member having a liquid supply port, a second member having a liquid recovery port, and a driving system which electromagnetically moves the first member, the second member, or both of the first and second members. A substrate is moved below and relative to the last optical element, the first member and the second member. A liquid supply from the liquid supply port and a liquid recovery from the liquid recovery port are performed to form a liquid immersion area on a portion of an upper surface of the substrate. The substrate is exposed with a beam through liquid in the liquid immersion area.

Abstract: A projector, that projects an image, includes a light source, a liquid crystal panel that modulates light output from the light source and forms an image in response to input image data, a projection optical device that projects the image formed by the liquid crystal panel, a control device that controls the liquid crystal panel, and an acceleration sensor that detects a position of the projector. The control device includes a determination unit that determines whether or not the position detected by the acceleration sensor is a predetermined position, and a correction unit that corrects an orientation of the image data so that a longer side of the image data may coincide with a longer side of an image formation area of the liquid crystal panel if the determination unit determines that the detected position is the predetermined position.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of generating, by a computer, data on patterns of a plurality of originals for use in multiple exposure, in which a single-layer pattern is formed on a substrate by exposing the substrate a plurality of times, in an exposure apparatus including an illumination optical system which illuminates an original with light from a light source, and a projection optical system which projects a pattern of the original onto a substrate.

Abstract: An imprint lithography method is disclosed for reducing a difference between an intended topography and an actual topography arising from a part of a patterned layer of fixed imprintable medium. The method involves imprinting an imprint lithography template into a layer of flowable imprintable medium to form a patterned layer in the imprintable medium, and fixing the imprintable medium to form a patterned layer of fixed imprintable medium. Local excitation is applied to the part of the patterned layer to adjust a chemical reaction in the part of the patterned layer to reduce the difference between the intended topography and the actual topography arising from the part of the fixed patterned layer of imprintable medium when this is subsequently used as a resist for patterning the substrate. An imprint medium suitable for imprint lithography with the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An imaging optical system for a projection exposure system has at least one anamorphically imaging optical element. This allows a complete illumination of an image field in a first direction with a large object-side numerical aperture in this direction, without the extent of the reticle to be imaged having to be enlarged and without a reduction in the throughput of the projection exposure system occurring.

Abstract: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus in which a substrate is exposed with an exposure beam, includes a projection optical system by which the substrate is exposed to the exposure beam, a first inlet disposed at a first position, which is capable of supplying a first liquid to a space adjacent to a bottom surface of the projection optical system, and a second inlet disposed at a second position which is different from the first position, the second inlet being capable of supplying a second liquid that is different from the first liquid to the space.

Abstract: A system for holding and aligning a radiation sensing device is described. The system includes a radiation sensing device having a sensor engagement member. The system also includes a holder having a retention member including first and second retention guides connected with opposing ends of a back plate. The first retention guide also includes a complementary holder engagement member configured to mate with the sensor engagement member at a preset position.

Abstract: An alignment method includes dividing a wafer into a plurality of regions including a first region and a second region, and each region contains a plurality chip areas. The method also includes obtaining alignment offset values for the first region, and determining a first alignment compensation equation for the first region. The method also includes obtaining alignment offset values for the second region, and determining a second alignment compensation equation for the second region. Further, the method includes determining whether a chip area to be exposed is in the first region or the second region, when the chip area is in the first region, using the first alignment compensation equation to adjust alignment of the wafer and, when the chip area is in the second region, using the second alignment compensation equation to adjust the alignment of the wafer.

Abstract: A laser beam (L50) generated by a laser light source (50) is reflected by a light beam scanning device (60) and irradiated onto a hologram recording medium. (45). On the hologram, recording medium (45), an image (35) of a scatter plate is recorded as a hologram by using reference light that converges on a scanning origin (B). The light beam scanning device (60) bends the laser beam (L50) at the scanning origin (B) and irradiates the laser beam onto the hologram recording medium (45). At this time, scanning is carried out by changing a bending mode of the laser beam with time so that an irradiation position of the bent laser beam (L60) on the hologram recording medium (45) changes with time. Regardless of an irradiation position of the beam, diffracted light (L45) from the hologram recording medium (45) produces a reproduction image (35) of the scatter plate.

Abstract: An optical module includes an aperture device and a support structure supporting the aperture device. The aperture device defines an aperture edge and an aperture plane. The aperture edge is adapted to define a geometry of a light beam passing the aperture device along an optical axis. The support structure is adapted to hold the aperture device in a defined manner when the aperture plane is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane. A temperature distribution prevails within the aperture device and at least one of the aperture device and the support structure is adapted to maintain at least one of a relative position of the aperture edge with respect to the optical axis and a geometry of the aperture edge substantially unaltered upon an introduction of a thermal energy into the aperture device, where the thermal energy being adapted to cause an alteration in the temperature distribution.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus can include a component and a positioning system operatively coupled and configured to move the component along a first axis. The positioning system can be configured to measure a position of the component along a second axis or a third axis. The positioning system can also be configured to control movement of the component so as to compensate for an effect of eigenmode coupling between the movement of the component along the first axis and the measured position of the component along the second axis or the third axis. In some embodiments, the component is a reticle stage or a wafer stage.

Abstract: A system to control the focus of a mask-less lithographic apparatus, the apparatus including a projection system to project an image of a programmable patterning device onto a substrate. A first actuator system is configured to move at least one of the lenses of the projection system in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the projection system. A radiation beam expander is configured to project an image of the programmable patterning device onto the at least one lens. A second actuator system is configured to move the radiation beam expander in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the projection system in order to control the focus of the image projected onto the substrate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for identifying information to facilitate adjusting a projector's position to achieve a specified projected image on a projection surface. In an embodiment, a computing device comprising one or more sensors, which have a known spatial relationship with a projector, includes a position adjustment service configured to identify, based at least in part on the known spatial relationship between the one or more sensors and the projector, a current position of the projector relative to positions of a plurality of reference points that define a projection surface. The position adjustment service is further configured to determine a target position for the projector, determine differences between the current position of the projector and the target position for the projector, and perform one or more actions based upon the determined differences between the current position of the projector and the target position for the projector.

Abstract: A projection lens of an EUV-lithographic projection exposure system with at least two reflective optical elements each comprising a body and a reflective surface for projecting an object field on a reticle onto an image field on a substrate if the projection lens is exposed with an exposure power of EUV light, wherein the bodies of at least two reflective optical elements comprise a material with a temperature dependent coefficient of thermal expansion which is zero at respective zero cross temperatures, and wherein the absolute value of the difference between the zero cross temperatures is more than 6K.

Abstract: A lithographic exposure process is performed on a substrate using a scanner. The scanner comprises several subsystems. There are errors in the overlay arising from the subsystems during the exposure. The overlay errors are measured using a scatterometer to obtain overlay measurements. Modeling is performed to separately determine from the overlay measurements different subsets of estimated model parameters, for example field distortion model parameters, scan/step direction model parameters and position/deformation model parameters. Each subset is related to overlay errors arising from a corresponding specific subsystem of the lithographic apparatus. Finally, the exposure is controlled in the scanner by controlling a specific subsystem of the scanner using its corresponding subset of estimated model parameters. This results in a product wafer being exposed with a well controlled overlay.

Abstract: A substrate is transported between a first space and a second space, which are separated by a partition wall, through an opening portion formed in the partition wall. A transport apparatus includes a support device having a support portion which supports the substrate, the support device being provided so as to block the opening portion while a clearance between the partition wall and the support device is formed, the support device moving the support portion from a state where the support portion faces the first space to a state where the support portion faces the second space; and an adjustment device which adjusts an amount of the clearance, thereby suppressing the movement of fluid from the first space to the second space.