Abstract: A method of depositing an imprintable medium onto a target area of a substrate for imprint lithography is disclosed. The method includes moving the substrate, a print head comprising a nozzle to eject an imprintable medium onto the substrate, or both, relative to the other in a first direction across the target area while ejecting a first series of droplets of imprintable medium onto the substrate and moving the substrate, the print head, or both, relative to the other in a second opposing direction across the target area while ejecting a second series of droplets of imprintable medium onto the substrate on or adjacent to droplets from the first series of droplets.

Abstract: An imprint lithography method is provided. The method includes undertaking first and second imprints, which comprises for each imprint: for an area of a substrate provided with a plurality of drops of imprintable medium in respectively first and second configurations, imprinting a pattern in the imprintable medium using a same imprint template, pockets being formed between the drops of the imprintable medium, the imprint template and the substrate during the imprinting of the pattern, wherein the first configuration of drops of imprintable medium is different from the second configuration of drops of imprintable medium, such that pockets formed during the second imprint are formed at different locations relative to the imprint template to pockets formed during the first imprint.

Abstract: There is provided a method of improving the yield of a nozzle plate fabrication process, the method comprising determining a variation in the size of nozzles in a nozzle plate from a predetermined size or range of sizes for the nozzles, the nozzles in the nozzle plate having been fabricated using a plurality of mandrels, each mandrel defining a respective nozzle in the nozzle plate and determining modifications to the size of one or more mandrels in the plurality of mandrels to compensate for the determined variation in the size of nozzles in the nozzle plate.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaning device comprises a unit (1) for aerodynamically affecting dust particles and/or a surface to be cleaned. The unit (1) comprises a housing (30) having a housing wall (31) encompassing two internal sections (20, 22), and a movable surface (11) arranged at an interface of the two sections (20, 22), wherein a portion (32) of the housing wall (31) delimiting a first section (20) is provided with at least one opening (21), and wherein means for actuating the movable surface (11) are arranged in a second section (22). A portion (33) of the housing wall (31) delimiting the second section (22) is adapted to at least hinder exchange of air between an inside of this section (22) and an outside of the housing (30) at the location of this section (22), in order to at least hinder a migration of dust to the second section (22).

Abstract: A vacuum cleaning device comprises a unit (1) for aerodynamically affecting dust particles and/or a surface (40) to be cleaned in order for the particles to become dislodged from the surface (40) and to be received by the unit (1). The unit (1) comprises a housing (10) having an internal space (11) enclosed by a housing wall (12) in which at least one opening (13) is arranged, a movable surface (30) which is integrated in the housing wall (12), and means (31) for actuating the movable surface (30), which are adapted to realize an oscillating movement of the surface (30) that causes air to alternately be drawn into the housing (10) through the opening (13) and expelled from the housing (10) through the opening (13). At least a portion of the housing wall (12), particularly a portion of the housing wall (12) in which the opening (13) is located, is movably arranged in the unit (1).

Abstract: An imprint template cover for an imprint template having a pattern feature thereon. The cover is configured such that, in use, it extends around the pattern feature of the imprint template, and such that the cover does not contact the pattern feature.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaning device comprises a unit (1) in which an oscillating airflow is generated which substantially zero net flow and an asymmetry between the suction and the blowing phases, such that in the blowing phase a jet is generated. A generator (31) which is needed for generating the oscillating airflow comprises a movable surface (30) which is integrated in a wall (12) of a housing (10) having an internal space (11) and at least one opening (13) for allowing air to flow to and from the internal space (11). The jet can be generates when the so-called Strouhal number, being the frequency of the movement of the movable surface (30) multiplied by a characteristic dimension of the opening (13) and divided by the velocity of the air in the opening (13), is not higher than a predetermined maximum.

Abstract: A chuck apparatus for holding a substrate is the disclosed. The chuck apparatus includes a first surface portion on which the substrate is to be held and a second surface portion adjacent to the first surface portion and extending at least partially around an edge of the first surface portion and which, in use, is arranged to deflect gas over the first surface portion and thus the substrate that is to be held on the first surface portion.

Abstract: A chuck apparatus for holding a substrate is the disclosed. The chuck apparatus includes a first surface portion on which the substrate is to be held and a second surface portion adjacent to the first surface portion and extending at least partially around an edge of the first surface portion and which, in use, is arranged to deflect gas over the first surface portion and thus the substrate that is to be held on the first surface portion.

Abstract: A chuck apparatus for holding a substrate is the disclosed. The chuck apparatus includes a first surface portion on which the substrate is to be held and a second surface portion adjacent to the first surface portion and extending at least partially around an edge of the first surface portion and which, in use, is arranged to deflect gas over the first surface portion and thus the substrate that is to be held on the first surface portion.

Abstract: A method of irradiating to pattern a photosensitive layer such as a resist (L2) immersed in a fluid (L3), involves applying a removable transparent layer (L4, L5), projecting the radiation onto the resist through the immersion fluid and through the transparent layer, such that imperfections in the fluid are out of focus as projected on the surface, and subsequently removing the transparent layer. The transparent layer can help distance such imperfections from the focus of the radiation on the surface and so can reduce or eliminate shadowing. Hence the irradiation can be more complete, and defects reduced. It can be particularly effective for imperfections in the form of small bubbles or particles in the immersion fluid especially at the fluid/surface interface for example. The radiation can be for any purpose including inspection, processing, patterning and so on. The removal of the transparent layer can be combined with a step of developing the resist layer.

Abstract: An imprint lithography template is disclosed. The imprint lithography template includes a plurality of pattern features extending from a plane of a body of the imprint lithography template, and away from that body, the pattern features to be used to apply a pattern into an imprintable medium. The imprint lithography template further includes a plurality of assist features in the form of recesses extending from the plane of that body of the imprint lithography template, and into that body. A method for forming the assist features in the imprint lithography template, using self-assembled block copolymers as an etch resist, is also disclosed.

Abstract: An imprint lithography method is disclosed for forming a patterned layer from an imprintable liquid medium on a substrate by means of an imprint template having a patterned surface. The method involves contacting the patterned surface and imprintable liquid medium together for a filling period. Light emergent (e.g., scattered or reflected) from an interface between the medium and the patterned surface is collected and measured during the filling period to obtain data concerning one or more voids at the interface, and an estimated end time for the filling period is derived from a relationship between the data and time. The method may allow subsequent process steps to be undertaken more rapidly, with reduced risk of defects arising from remnants of unfilled voids. An imprint lithography apparatus and component for putting the method into effect are also disclosed.

Abstract: In an embodiment, there is provided an imprint lithography method that includes providing a first amount of imprintable medium on a first area of a substrate, the first amount of imprintable medium, when fixed, having a first etch rate; and providing a second amount of imprintable medium on a second, different area of the substrate, the second amount of imprintable medium, when fixed, having a second, different etch rate.

Abstract: The present invention is a transverse element for a drive belt for a continuously variable transmission. The drive belt includes two endless carriers, wherein transverse elements are continuously arranged along the entire length of the carriers. The transverse elements are on both sides provided with recesses for at least partially receiving the carriers. Furthermore, the transverse elements include supporting surfaces for supporting the carriers, as well as pulley sheave contact surfaces for the purpose of contact between the transverse elements and pulley sheaves of the continuously variable transmission. A convex transition region which has two parts having different curvature radii is situated between a supporting surface and a pulley sheave contact surface, wherein a first curvature radius of a first part at the side of the supporting surface is larger than a second curvature radius of a second part at the side of the pulley sheave contact surface.

Abstract: An imprint lithography method is disclosed, which includes imprinting a plurality of patterns in an imprintable medium provided on a substrate, wherein the order in which the patterns are imprinted in the imprintable medium is such that, for the majority of the patterns, two consecutively imprinted patterns are not imprinted adjacent to one another.

Abstract: A synthetic jet cooling device (1) for cooling an object (5), comprising: a transducer (10) adapted to generate velocity waves, and an enclosure (4) arranged to receive the velocity waves via an actuated aperture (8). The enclosure (4) is sufficiently large to generate, at the actuated aperture (8), an internal synthetic jet inside the enclosure (4). Furthermore, the enclosure (4) is arranged to contain the object (5), thereby enabling cooling of the object (5) by the internal synthetic jet. The arrangement typically permits multifunctional use of an existing enclosure, containing the object to be cooled, both for its original purpose (e.g. a reflector in a lamp, or a LED backlight module) and as an enclosure generating internal synthetic jets, why the cooling device typically requires virtually no extra space and weight, and can be provided at a low cost.

Abstract: An imprint lithography method is provided. The method includes undertaking first and second imprints, which comprises for each imprint: for an area of a substrate provided with a plurality of drops of imprintable medium in respectively first and second configurations, imprinting a pattern in the imprintable medium using a same imprint template, pockets being formed between the drops of the imprintable medium, the imprint template and the substrate during the imprinting of the pattern, wherein the first configuration of drops of imprintable medium is different from the second configuration of drops of imprintable medium, such that pockets formed during the second imprint are formed at different locations relative to the imprint template to pockets formed during the first imprint.

Abstract: An imprint template cover for an imprint template having a pattern feature thereon. The cover is configured such that, in use, it extends around the pattern feature of the imprint template, and such that the cover does not contact the pattern feature.

Abstract: A chuck apparatus for holding a substrate is the disclosed. The chuck apparatus includes a first surface portion on which the substrate is to be held and a second surface portion adjacent to the first surface portion and extending at least partially around an edge of the first surface portion and which, in use, is arranged to deflect gas over the first surface portion and thus the substrate that is to be held on the first surface portion.