Abstract: The invention relates to a lithographic system that includes an illumination system for providing a projection beam of radiation, a mask table for supporting a mask, the mask serving to impart the projection beam with a pattern in its cross-section, a substrate table for holding a substrate, and a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The system also comprises a processor arranged to calculate overlay corrections using a reference height map representing a surface of the substrate table or the mask table. The invention allows feed forward correction of non-flatness induced wafer grid distortion during alignment and during exposure, thereby reducing overlay errors caused by differences in flatness characteristics. It provides an indirect qualification method for overlay accuracy related to exposure chuck flatness based on height map information.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes an illumination system arranged to condition a radiation beam, and an article support configured to support an article to be placed in a beam path of the radiation beam. The article support includes a plurality of bonded layers. At least one of the bonded layers includes a plurality of recesses facing another of the bonded layers, so as to reduce a bonding surface between the bonded layers.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus may include an optical element, such as an immersion fluid reservoir, which supported at least in part by a bearing, such as a gas bearing. To enable illumination by the lithographic apparatus of an edge of the substrate, a surrounding structure is provided that surrounds the substrate. A level parameter of the substrate, such as a thickness of the substrate, is measured by a sensor, such as a thickness sensor. By means of an actuator, the substrate table on which the substrate is or will be held is positioned with respect to the surrounding structure, such that a surface of the substrate would be on a substantially same level as a surface of the surrounding structure, thus enabling the optical element to transition from the surface of the substrate to the surface of the surrounding structure and vice versa.

Abstract: An apparatus including a support table for supporting a substrate is disclosed. The support table includes a plurality of support protrusions that contact the substrate during use for supporting the substrate. The support table includes a plurality of heat transfer protrusions that extend towards the substrate during use without contacting the substrate when the substrate is supported by the support protrusions. Gas-containing heat exchanging gaps for exchanging heat with the substrate extend between the heat transfer protrusions and the substrate.

Abstract: A porous member is used in a liquid removal system of an immersion lithographic projection apparatus to smooth uneven flows. A pressure differential across the porous member may be maintained at below the bubble point of the porous member so that a single-phase liquid flow is obtained. Alternatively, the porous member may be used to reduce unevenness in a two-phase flow.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a substrate support that is constructed to support a substrate, and a projection system that is configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The substrate support is arranged to move the substrate along a predetermined trajectory of subsequently targeted target portions of the substrate. The substrate support includes a duct configuration for providing thermal stabilization to the substrate. The duct configuration is arranged to duct thermally stabilizing media in the support, and to substantially duct the media away from a part of the substrate support that supports the target portion via parts of the substrate support that support previously targeted portions of the substrate, so as to keep subsequently targeted target portions thermally stable.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed having a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a space between a projection system of the lithographic apparatus and a substrate with liquid, a barrier member arranged to substantially contain the liquid within the space, and one or more elements to control and/or compensate for evaporation of liquid from the substrate.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam, and a support constructed to support a patterning device. The patterning device is capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam. The apparatus also includes a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate, a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate, a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a space between the projection system and the substrate with liquid, a seal member arranged to substantially contain the liquid within the space, and elements to control and/or compensate for evaporation of immersion liquid from the substrate.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus is disclosed in which a space between the projection system and a sensor is filled with a liquid.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus having an illumination system for providing a projection beam of radiation; an article support member for supporting an article to be placed in a beam path of the projection beam of radiation on the article support; and a clamp for providing a clamping pressure for clamping the article against the article support during projection. The article support member includes a section that is trimmed for locally adjusting a clamping pressure.

Abstract: A burl plate for use in immersion lithography has a higher burl density in a peripheral portion than in a medial portion so that when a higher pressure differential is applied in the peripheral portion the compression of the burls in the peripheral portion is substantially the same as in the medial portion.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an article support for supporting a substantially flat article to be placed in a beam path of a beam of radiation. The article support includes a plurality of supporting protrusions that define a support zone for providing a plane of support. A backfill gas feed is arranged in the support zone and provides a backfill gas that flows to a backside of the article when supported by the article support. The support zone is surrounded by a boundary zone that has a reduced height relative to the plane of support so that the backfill gas flow is permitted to exit the support zone. A tunable clamp clamps the article to the article support, and a flow measuring system measures the outflow of the backfill gas. The tunable clamp is operatively coupled to the flow measuring system to tune the clamping based on the measured outflow.

Abstract: An electrostatic clamp assembly for a lithographic apparatus is provided. The clamp assembly includes an electrostatic clamp structured to clamp an article against an article support structure during projection of a beam of radiation, and a controller structured to control at least one of the clamp and a backfill gas pressure to release the article from the article support structure by use of the backfill gas pressure.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system for providing a beam of radiation and a support structure for supporting a patterning device. The patterning device serves to impart the beam with a pattern in its cross-section. The lithographic apparatus includes a substrate table for holding a substrate and a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The apparatus has a chuck system for supporting an object, such as the substrate or the patterning device, in the lithographic apparatus. The chuck system includes a chuck for supporting the object, a frame for supporting the chuck, and a chuck support structure for supporting the chuck relative to the frame. The chuck support structure includes at least one flexure element, which flexure element is flexible in at least one degree of freedom and is coupled to the chuck and the frame.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes an illumination system to provide a beam of radiation, an article support to support an article to be placed in a beam path of the beam of radiation, and a clamp to clamp the article to the article support. The clamp is provided with a plurality of zones located around a circumference of the article support to create a locally adjusted pressure so as to provide a local bending moment to locally bend the article.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of correcting thermally-induced field deformations of a lithographically exposed substrate, is presented herein. In one embodiment, the method includes exposing a pattern onto a plurality of fields of a substrate in accordance with pre-specified exposure information and measuring attributes of the fields to assess deformation of the fields induced by thermal effects of the exposing process. The method further includes determining corrective information based on the measured attributes, and adjusting the pre-specified exposure information, based on the corrective information, to compensate for the thermally-induced field deformations. Other embodiments include the use of predictive models to predict thermally-induced effects on the fields and thermographic imaging to determine temperature variations across a substrate.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system for providing a beam of radiation, an article support for supporting a flat article to be placed in a beam path of the beam of radiation on the article support, an electrostatic clamp for clamping the article against the article support by an electrostatic field during projection, and a recessed backfill gas feed arranged in the article support for feeding backfill gas to a backside of the article when supported by the article support. According to one aspect of the invention, the recessed backfill gas feed includes a shielding layer for shielding the backfill gas in the recessed backfill gas feed from the electrostatic field.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system for providing a beam of radiation and an article support for supporting an article to be placed in a beam path of the beam of radiation on the article support. The article support has a plurality of supporting protrusions. The plurality of protrusions define a support zone for providing a flat plane of support. A backfill gas feed is arranged in the support zone for providing a backfill gas flow to a backside of the article when supported by the article support, for providing an improved thermal conduction between the article and the article support. According to one aspect of the invention, the support zone is surrounded by a boundary zone having a reduced height relative to the plane of support so that the backfill gas flow is not bounded to the support zone.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus including an illumination system for providing a beam of radiation and a support structure for supporting a patterning device. The patterning device serving to impart the beam with a pattern in its cross-section. The apparatus also having a substrate table for holding a substrate and a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The lithographic apparatus further having a chuck for supporting an object and a frame which supports the chuck with respect to other parts of the lithographic apparatus. The chuck is thermally isolated from at least the frame.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed. The lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system for providing a beam of radiation on a flat article to be placed in a beam path of the beam of radiation, and an article handler for handling the article during placement or removal of the article. The article handler includes an electrode and a dielectric layer in order to form an electrostatic clamp for electrostatically clamping the article.