Abstract: Provided is an imprint apparatus that brings a mold into contact with an imprint material on a substrate to perform patterning on the substrate, and includes a mold holder configured to hold the mold; a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate; a driving device configured to move at least one of the mold holder and the substrate holder; a detector configured to detect a state of the driving device; and a controller configured to perform decision that release of the mold is started based on an output of the detector and to control the driving device so as to decrease a force for the release by the driving device in accordance with the decision.

Abstract: A command data generation method includes the steps of acquiring, by performing iterative learning control on a moving member, a first command data set for moving the moving member along a first trajectory, the first command data set including data corresponding to an acceleration section, a constant speed section and a deceleration section of the moving member, and generating a second command data set for driving the moving member along a second trajectory by using a part of data for the constant speed section in the first command data set.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lithography apparatus that performs patterning on a substrate with a beam, the apparatus comprising a blanker configured to perform blanking of the beam, and a controller configured to control the blanker, wherein the controller is configured to sequentially perform quantization accompanied by diffusion of an error to generate a command value for the blanking with respect to each of a plurality of pixels on the substrate, and the error is an error between a target value of dose and a predicted value of dose at a target pixel of the plurality of pixels.

Abstract: A charged-particle beam exposure apparatus which includes a deflector that deflects a charged-particle beam, and a stage mechanism that drives a substrate, and draws a pattern on the substrate while scanning the charged-particle beam in a main-scanning direction by the deflector and scanning the substrate in a sub-scanning direction by the stage mechanism. The apparatus includes a blanker unit configured to control irradiation and unirradiation of the substrate with the charged-particle beam, and a controller configured to control the deflector to deflect the charged-particle beam in the sub-scanning direction by an amount of driving of the substrate in the sub-scanning direction by the stage mechanism during a period of time from stop of drawing on the substrate until restart thereof when the drawing on the substrate is stopped and then restarted while the substrate is driven in the sub-scanning direction by the stage mechanism.

Abstract: A scanning apparatus which performs scan on an object with a charged particle beam includes: a blanking deflector configured to individually blank a plurality of charged particle beams based on control data; a scanning deflector configured to collectively deflect the plurality of charged particle beams to perform the scan; and a controller. The controller is configured to hold first data used to obtain error in a scanning amount and a scanning direction of the scanning deflector relative to a reference scanning amount and a reference scanning direction with respect to each of the plurality of charged particle beams, and to generate the control data based on the first data so that the scan is performed for a target region on the object.

Abstract: A drawing apparatus, that performs drawing on a substrate with charged particle beams based on first image data associated with a first grid, includes a blanker array including a plurality of columns each including a plurality of blankers, a scanning deflector configured to deflect at least one of the charged particle beams that has not been blanked by the blanker array to cause the deflected beam to scan the substrate in a scan direction, a drive circuit configured to sequentially drive the blanker array with respect to each of the columns periodically to define a second grid on the substrate that is displaced from the first grid in the scan direction, and a controller configured to generate second image data on the second grid by performing interpolation processing on the first image data and to control the drive circuit based on the second image data.

Abstract: A charged-particle beam exposure apparatus which includes a deflector that deflects a charged-particle beam, and a stage mechanism that drives a substrate, and draws a pattern on the substrate while scanning the charged-particle beam in a main-scanning direction by the deflector and scanning the substrate in a sub-scanning direction by the stage mechanism. The apparatus includes a blanker unit configured to control irradiation and unirradiation of the substrate with the charged-particle beam, and a controller configured to control the deflector to deflect the charged-particle beam in the sub-scanning direction by an amount of driving of the substrate in the sub-scanning direction by the stage mechanism during a period of time from stop of drawing on the substrate until restart thereof when the drawing on the substrate is stopped and then restarted while the substrate is driven in the sub-scanning direction by the stage mechanism.

Abstract: A positioning apparatus according to the present invention includes: a tabletop having a plane; a plurality of actuators configured to be driven in a direction perpendicular to the plane to move the tabletop; and a control unit configured to measure a frequency response of the tabletop and, when a peak is detected at the resonance frequency of elastic vibration of the tabletop, adjust the thrust distribution ratio for the plurality of actuators to reduce the peak.

Abstract: A charged-particle beam exposure apparatus which includes a deflector that deflects a charged-particle beam, and a stage mechanism that drives a substrate, and draws a pattern on the substrate while scanning the charged-particle beam in a main-scanning direction by the deflector and scanning the substrate in a sub-scanning direction by the stage mechanism. The apparatus includes a blanker unit configured to control irradiation and unirradiation of the substrate with the charged-particle beam, and a controller configured to control the deflector to deflect the charged-particle beam in the sub-scanning direction by an amount of driving of the substrate in the sub-scanning direction by the stage mechanism during a period of time from stop of drawing on the substrate until restart thereof when the drawing on the substrate is stopped and then restarted while the substrate is driven in the sub-scanning direction by the stage mechanism.

Abstract: An imprint apparatus is disclosed that forms, by pressing a resin applied onto a substrate and a mold against each other, a pattern on the substrate. The imprint apparatus includes a substrate stage that holds the substrate, and a control unit for controlling the position of the stage by outputting a manipulating variable on the basis of a position error between a position of the stage which has been measured by position measurement unit and a target position. The control unit reduces a ratio of the manipulating variable to the position error while the substrate and the mold are in contact with each other until mold release.

Abstract: A charged-particle beam exposure apparatus which includes a deflector that deflects a charged-particle beam, and a stage mechanism that drives a substrate, and draws a pattern on the substrate while scanning the charged-particle beam in a main-scanning direction by the deflector and scanning the substrate in a sub-scanning direction by the stage mechanism. The apparatus includes a blanker unit configured to control irradiation and unirradiation of the substrate with the charged-particle beam, and a controller configured to control the deflector to deflect the charged-particle beam in the sub-scanning direction by an amount of driving of the substrate in the sub-scanning direction by the stage mechanism during a period of time from stop of drawing on the substrate until restart thereof when the drawing on the substrate is stopped and then restarted while the substrate is driven in the sub-scanning direction by the stage mechanism.

Abstract: A positioning apparatus according to the present invention includes: a tabletop having a plane; a plurality of actuators configured to be driven in a direction perpendicular to the plane to move the tabletop; and a control unit configured to measure a frequency response of the tabletop and, when a peak is detected at the resonance frequency of elastic vibration of the tabletop, adjust the thrust distribution ratio for the plurality of actuators to reduce the peak.

Abstract: An imprint apparatus is disclosed that forms, by pressing a resin applied onto a substrate and a mold against each other, a pattern on the substrate. The imprint apparatus includes a substrate stage that holds the substrate, and a control unit for controlling the position of the stage by outputting a manipulating variable on the basis of a position error between a position of the stage which has been measured by position measurement unit and a target position. The control unit reduces a ratio of the manipulating variable to the position error while the substrate and the mold are in contact with each other until mold release.

Abstract: An optical unit including a plate, an optical element, a fixing device for partially fixing the optical element against the plate, and a deforming device, located between the plate and the optical element, for applying a deforming force to the optical element to change a surface shape of the optical element. The deforming device includes poles for contacting a back face of the optical element, and actuators for driving the poles against the plate.

Abstract: In driving a movable body in a target direction, a force in another direction, which may act on the movable body, is reduced. A system includes a current amplifier, which drives X1 and X2 electromagnets (a first actuator) for aligning the movable body in the X direction, a system including a current amplifier, which drives Y1 and Y2 electromagnets (a second actuator) for aligning the movable body in the Y direction, a subordinate direction component correction unit, which reduces a force in the Y direction acting on the movable body when driving the movable body in the X direction by the first actuator, and a subordinate direction component correction unit, which reduces a force in the X direction acting on the movable body when driving the movable body in the Y direction by the second actuator.

Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an optical element driving apparatus which includes a first actuator configured to drive an optical element in accordance with a deformation target value, a sensor arranged to measure a position and an orientation of the optical element, a second actuator configured to drive the optical element in accordance with position and orientation target values and an output of the sensor, and a correcting unit configured to correct a measurement error of the sensor caused by deformation of the optical element.

Abstract: A positioning apparatus comprises a controller for controlling a driving device, and positions a measurement portion of an optical element. The controller displaces a drive portion of the optical element by a specific operation of the driving device, and calculate a displacement of the optical element as a first displacement based on an output from a position measuring device, calculate a displacement of the optical element caused by the specific operation as a second displacement, based on an output from a wavefront measuring device configured to measure a wavefront of light directed by the optical element, based on a difference between the first displacement and the second displacement, calibrate a position of the optical element calculated from the output from the position measuring device, and store a result of the calibration, and control the driving device based on the stored calibration result and an output from the position measuring device.

Abstract: A spark plug having a protrusion amount t of not smaller than 0.3 mm and satisfying a relation ?1+?2?93° in which ?1 is an included angle between virtual lines s1 and s2, and ?2 is an included angle between virtual lines s3 and s4 when the virtual line s1 is taken as a line parallel to a direction of an axis and including the other end side edge on a leading end surface of a first precious metal tip, the virtual line s2 is taken as a line connecting the other end side edge and a point of intersection between an inner circumferential surface of a ground electrode body and the other end surface of the ground electrode body, the virtual line s3 is taken as a line parallel to the direction of the axis and including the other end side edge on a leading end surface of a center electrode, and the virtual line s4 is taken as a line including the other end side edge and tangent to an insulator.

Abstract: A fluid control mechanism includes a laser irradiation control unit to control irradiation of a light beam generated by a laser generation unit, and a liquid tank, having at least one liquid passing port and a lens to collect the light beam in the liquid tank, to hold liquid. The laser irradiation control unit emits the light beam to the lens to collect the light beam by the lens, thereby causing thermal expansion of the liquid in the liquid tank, to control inflow/outflow of the liquid via the liquid passing port.

Abstract: A driving apparatus for driving an object in a vacuum environment includes a first chamber whose interior is maintained in a vacuum environment, a mover configured to load the object, and a stator, wherein the mover includes one or more magnets, the stator includes one or more coils. The mover moves along an upper surface of the stator in a non-contact state therewith when an electric current is applied to the coil or coils. The upper surface of the stator is a part of a partition wall of the first chamber.