Abstract: An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed that has a first support structure arranged to support an imprint template, and a first actuator attached to the first support structure, and arranged in use to be located between the first support structure and the imprint template. The first actuator is configured to apply a force to the imprint template. The imprint lithography apparatus further includes a second support structure and a second actuator located between the second support structure and the first support structure. The second actuator is configured to apply a force to the second support structure, wherein a range of movement of the second actuator is greater than a range of movement of the first actuator.

Abstract: An alignment system for a lithographic apparatus has a source of alignment radiation; a detection system that has a first detector channel and a second detector channel; and a position determining unit in communication with the detection system. The position determining unit is constructed to process information from said first and second detector channels in a combination to determine a position of an alignment mark on a work piece, the combination taking into account a manufacturing process of the work piece. A lithographic apparatus has the above mentioned alignment system. Methods of alignment and manufacturing devices with a lithographic apparatus use the above alignment system and lithographic apparatus, respectively.

Abstract: An imprint lithography template is provided with an alignment mark, wherein the alignment mark is formed from dielectric material having a refractive index which differs from the refractive index of the imprint lithography template, the dielectric material having a thickness which is such that it provides a phase difference between alignment radiation which has passed through the dielectric material and alignment radiation which has not passed through the dielectric material.

Abstract: A method of determining an offset between an imprint template and a substrate using an alignment grating on the imprint template and an alignment grating on the substrate is disclosed. The method includes bringing the imprint template alignment grating and the substrate alignment grating sufficiently close together such that they form a composite grating, directing an alignment radiation beam at the composite grating while modulating the relative position of the imprint template and the substrate, detecting the intensity of alignment radiation which is reflected from the composite grating, and determining the offset by analyzing modulation of the detected intensity.

Abstract: An alignment system for a lithographic apparatus has a source of alignment radiation; a detection system that has a first detector channel and a second detector channel; and a position determining unit in communication with the detection system. The position determining unit is constructed to process information from said first and second detector channels in a combination to determine a position of an alignment mark on a work piece, the combination taking into account a manufacturing process of the work piece. A lithographic apparatus has the above mentioned alignment system. Methods of alignment and manufacturing devices with a lithographic apparatus use the above alignment system and lithographic apparatus, respectively.

Abstract: An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed that includes a structure located away from a substrate holder and extending across the substrate holder, and such that an imprint template arrangement is, in use, located between the structure and the substrate holder, wherein the structure has one or more arrays of lines or one or more encoders, and the substrate or substrate holder and the imprint template have a corresponding one or more encoders that face towards one or more of the one or more arrays of lines or one or more arrays of lines that face towards one or more of the one or more encoders, and the configuration determination arrangement is configured to determine a relative configuration between the substrate or substrate holder and the structure, and/or a relative configuration between the imprint template arrangement and the structure, and/or a relative configuration between the imprint template arrangement and the substrate or substrate holder.

Abstract: An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed that includes an imprint template holder arranged to hold an imprint template, and a plurality of position sensors configured to measure change of the size and/or shape of the imprint template, wherein the position sensors are mechanically isolated from the imprint template. Also disclosed is a lithography method that includes using an imprint template to imprint a pattern onto a substrate, and measuring changes of the size and/or shape of the imprint template while imprinting the pattern onto the substrate.

Abstract: An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes an electromagnetic Lorentz actuator arrangement configured to move an imprint template arrangement, the electromagnetic Lorentz actuator arrangement comprising: an array of magnets; and an array of conductors, each conductor configured to carry an electric current, one of the array of magnets or the array of conductors being moveable and connected to the imprint template arrangement, and the other of the array of magnets or the array of conductors extending at least partially around or forming a part of a substrate holder; the array of magnets and the array of conductors together being in a configuration which facilitates moving of the moveable one of the array of magnets or the array of conductors in six degrees of freedom, such that the imprint template arrangement is also movable in six degrees of freedom.

Abstract: An arrangement suitable for use in an imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed. The arrangement includes a support structure arranged to support an imprint template arrangement, a first actuator configured to apply a force to the imprint template arrangement, and a second actuator attached to the support structure, and arranged in use to extend between the support structure and the imprint template arrangement, the second actuator configured to apply a force to the imprint template arrangement, a range of movement of the second actuator being greater than a range of movement of the first actuator.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a position controller configured to control a position of a patterning device in its planar direction by selectively pressing at least one of the side faces of the patterning device. The position controller includes a gas pressure supply and one or more outflow openings directed towards at least one side face of the patterning device so as to exert pressurized gas on this side face in order to control the position of the patterning device in its planar direction in a contactless manner.

Abstract: An imprint lithography apparatus and manufacturing method can lead to mechanical stress being formed in a substrate to which an imprint pattern is being applied. This may cause strain within the substrate leading to misalignment of a subsequent pattern with an earlier pattern in a part of the substrate, which is strained. An apparatus and method is disclosed which allows for stress relaxation in the substrate prior to further patterning to reduce, minimize or prevent such misalignment from residual strain. This is achieved by locally unclamping a portion of substrate (including optionally the entire substrate) from a corresponding portion of substrate holder so that mechanical stress leading to local strain may relax prior to further patterning. To overcome residual frictional force between the substrate and substrate holder, the substrate and substrate holder may be physically separated prior to further patterning.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes 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 mirror block provided with a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate; and a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate, wherein the mirror block is constructed and arranged to reduce slip between the mirror block and the substrate table. Slip can occur if the acceleration of the mirror block is high and the substrate table slips locally with respect to the mirror block. Slip may lead to exposure errors since the position of the substrate is no longer determined with the desired accuracy.

Abstract: A method of determining a position of a substrate relative to an imprint template is described, wherein the imprint template has at least three gratings and the substrate has at least three gratings positioned such that each imprint template grating forms a composite grating with an associated substrate grating, the at least three imprint template gratings and associated substrate gratings having offsets relative to one another. The method includes detecting an intensity of radiation which is reflected by the three composite gratings, and using the detected intensities to determine displacement of the substrate or imprint template from a position.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed having a support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting a radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam, the support including a support clamp constructed to clamp the patterning device to the support, and a bending mechanism constructed to apply a bending torque to the clamped patterning device, the bending mechanism comprising a force/torque actuator configured to act on the clamped patterning device without substantially reducing the clamping force exerted on the patterning device by the support clamp.

Abstract: An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed that has a first support structure arranged to support an imprint template, and a first actuator attached to the first support structure, and arranged in use to be located between the first support structure and the imprint template. The first actuator is configured to apply a force to the imprint template. The imprint lithography apparatus further includes a second support structure and a second actuator located between the second support structure and the first support structure. The second actuator is configured to apply a force to the second support structure, wherein a range of movement of the second actuator is greater than a range of movement of the first actuator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the activation of a software upgrade in a lithographic apparatus that transfers a pattern onto a substrate. The time and date of the activation of a software upgrade is compared with the time and date of the exposure of the first layer of a substrate or of a “lot” of substrates. If the activation date and time is later than the first exposure date and time, software-functionality types is not mixed on a single lot or substrate and the old software-functionality is used for that lot or substrate. If, on the other hand, the activation date and time of the software-functionality update is earlier than the first exposure of the lot or substrate, the lot or substrate has not yet been affected by the old software-functionality and the new, updated software-functionality may be used to control the pattern transfer onto all of the substrate layers.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus is disclosed that includes a predictive system configured to predict changes in projection system aberrations with time with respect to measured aberration values, a modelling system configured to determine an application-specific effect of said predicted projection system aberration changes on at least one parameter of an image for a selected pattern, a control system configured to generate a control signal specific to the selected pattern according to said predicted projection system aberration changes and their application-specific effect on the at least one parameter of the image, and an image adjusting system, responsive to the control signal, to compensate for the application-specific effect of said predicted projection system aberration changes on the image.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes an article support constructed to support a first article, capable of imparting a radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam, in a beam path of the radiation beam or a second article to be placed in a beam path of the patterned radiation beam, the article support having a plurality of supporting protrusions on which the first article or the second article is disposed in use, wherein the plurality of supporting protrusions are constructed to define a support zone to provide a plane of support for the first article or the second article, so that when the first article or the second article is subjected to a thermal load the support zone allows at least a portion of the first article or the second article to expand or contract to reduce the build up of a mechanical stress in the first article or second article, respectively, while maintaining the first article or second article substantially fixed to the article suppor

Abstract: An alignment system for a lithographic apparatus has a source of alignment radiation; a detection system that has a first detector channel and a second detector channel; and a position determining unit in communication with the detection system. The position determining unit is constructed to process information from said first and second detector channels in a combination to determine a position of an alignment mark on a work piece, the combination taking into account a manufacturing process of the work piece. A lithographic apparatus has the above mentioned alignment system. Methods of alignment and manufacturing devices with a lithographic apparatus use the above alignment system and lithographic apparatus, respectively.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus according to one embodiment includes an alignment system for aligning a substrate. The alignment system comprises an illuminator system configured to illuminate an alignment mark on the substrate with an illumination spot, the alignment mark comprising a plurality of lines and spaces. The system also includes a combiner system configured to transfer two images of the illuminated alignment mark without spatial filtering of the images, rotate the images 180° relatively to each other, and combine the two images; and a detection system configured to detect an alignment signal from the combined images and to determine a unique alignment position by selecting a specific one of extreme values in the detected alignment signal.