Abstract: Liquid is supplied to a space between the projection system and the substrate by an inlet. In an embodiment, an overflow region removes liquid above a given level. The overflow region may be arranged above the inlet and thus the liquid may be constantly refreshed and the pressure in the liquid may remain substantially constant.

Abstract: A lithographic or exposure apparatus has a projection system and a controller. The projection system includes a stationary part and a moving part. The projection system is configured to project a plurality of radiation beams onto locations on a target. The locations are selected based on a pattern. The controller is configured to control the apparatus to operate in a first mode or a second mode. In the first mode the projection system delivers a first amount of energy to the selected locations. In the second mode the projection system delivers a second amount of energy to the selected locations. The second amount of energy is greater than the first amount of energy.

Abstract: An alignment sensor including an illumination source, such as a white light source, having an illumination grating operable to diffract higher order radiation at an angle dependent on wavelength; and illumination optics to deliver the diffracted radiation onto an alignment grating from at least two opposite directions. For every component wavelength incident on the alignment grating, and for each direction, the zeroth diffraction order of radiation incident from one of the two opposite directions overlaps a higher diffraction order of radiation incident from the other direction. This optically amplifies the higher diffraction orders with the overlapping zeroth orders.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed including a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a space between the projection system and the substrate with a liquid, an outlet configured to remove a mixture of liquid and gas passing through a gap between a liquid confinement structure of the liquid supply system and the substrate, and an evacuation system configured to draw the mixture through the outlet, the evacuation system having a separator tank arranged to separate liquid from gas in the mixture and a separator tank pressure controller, connected to a non-liquid-filled region of the separator tank, configured to maintain a stable pressure within the non-liquid-filled region.

Abstract: An apparatus to measure the position of a mark, the apparatus including an objective lens to direct radiation on a mark using radiation supplied by an illumination arrangement; an optical arrangement to receive radiation diffracted and specularly reflected by the mark, wherein the optical arrangement is configured to provide a first image and a second image, the first image being formed by coherently adding specularly reflected radiation and positive diffraction order radiation and the second image being formed by coherently adding specularly reflected radiation and negative diffraction order radiation; and a detection arrangement to detect variation in an intensity of radiation of the first and second images and to calculate a position of the mark in a direction of measurement therefrom.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus including a projection system configured to project a plurality of radiation beams onto a target; a movable frame that is at least rotatable around an axis; and an actuator system configured to displace the movable frame to an axis away from an axis corresponding to the geometric center of the movable frame and to cause the frame to rotate around an axis through the center of mass of the frame.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus configured to project each of a plurality of radiation beams onto a respective location on a target, the plurality of radiation beams forming a desired dose pattern via a plurality of spot exposures, the nominal position of a characteristic point in the dose distribution of each of the spot exposures lying at points defining a first grid. The apparatus has, or is provided data from, a controller configured to: calculate a target intensity value for each of the plurality of radiation beams to expose the target to the desired dose pattern, the calculation using as input a rasterized representation of the desired dose pattern, the rasterized representation including a dose value defined at each of a plurality of points on a second grid, the first and second grids having the same geometry, and control the exposure apparatus to emit beams with the target intensity values.

Abstract: Liquid is supplied to a space between the projection system and the substrate by an inlet. In an embodiment, an overflow region removes liquid above a given level. The overflow region may be arranged above the inlet and thus the liquid may be constantly refreshed and the pressure in the liquid may remain substantially constant.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed including a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a space between the projection system and the substrate with a liquid, an outlet configured to remove a mixture of liquid and gas passing through a gap between a liquid confinement structure of the liquid supply system and the substrate, and an evacuation system configured to draw the mixture through the outlet, the evacuation system having a separator tank arranged to separate liquid from gas in the mixture and a separator tank pressure controller, connected to a non-liquid-filled region of the separator tank, configured to maintain a stable pressure within the non-liquid-filled region.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods are used for detecting the alignment of a feature on a substrate using a polarization independent interferometer. The apparatus, system, and methods include optical elements that receive light that has diffracted or scattered from a mark on a substrate. The optical elements may split the diffracted light into multiple subbeams of light which are detected by one or more detectors. The diffracted light may be combined optically or during processing after detection. The system may determine alignment and/or overlay based on the received diffracted light having any polarization angle or state.

Abstract: A device manufacturing method includes conditioning a beam of radiation using an illumination system. The conditioning includes controlling an array of individually controllable elements and associated optical components of the illumination system to convert the radiation beam into a desired illumination mode, the controlling including allocating different individually controllable elements to different parts of the illumination mode in accordance with an allocation scheme, the allocation scheme selected to provide a desired modification of one or more properties of the illumination mode, the radiation beam or both. The method also includes patterning the radiation beam having the desired illumination mode with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned beam of radiation, and projecting the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate.

Abstract: A property of a target structure is measured based on intensity of an image of the target. The method includes (a) obtaining an image of the target structure; (b) defining (1204) a plurality of candidate regions of interest, each candidate region of interest comprising a plurality of pixels in the image; (c) defining (1208, 1216) an optimization metric value for the candidate regions of interest based at least partly on signal values of pixels within the region of interest; (d) defining (1208, 1216) a target signal function which defines a contribution of each pixel in the image to a target signal value. The contribution of each pixel depends on (i) which candidate regions of interest contain that pixel and (ii) optimization metric values of those candidate regions of interest.

Abstract: An alignment sensor including an illumination source, such as a white light source, having an illumination grating operable to diffract higher order radiation at an angle dependent on wavelength; and illumination optics to deliver the diffracted radiation onto an alignment grating from at least two opposite directions. For every component wavelength incident on the alignment grating, and for each direction, the zeroth diffraction order of radiation incident from one of the two opposite directions overlaps a higher diffraction order of radiation incident from the other direction. This optically amplifies the higher diffraction orders with the overlapping zeroth orders.

Abstract: In an immersion lithography apparatus, the immersion liquid is supplied from a tank via a flow restrictor. The liquid held in the tank is maintained at a substantially constant height above the flow restrictor to ensure a constant flow of liquid.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is described 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 a heater.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is described 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 a heater.

Abstract: A device manufacturing method includes conditioning a beam of radiation using an illumination system. The conditioning includes controlling an array of individually controllable elements and associated optical components of the illumination system to convert the radiation beam into a desired illumination mode, the controlling including allocating different individually controllable elements to different parts of the illumination mode in accordance with an allocation scheme, the allocation scheme selected to provide a desired modification of one or more properties of the illumination mode, the radiation beam or both. The method also includes patterning the radiation beam having the desired illumination mode with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned beam of radiation, and projecting the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is described 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 a heater.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a sensor, such as an alignment sensor including a self-referencing interferometer, configured to determine the position of an alignment target including a periodic structure. An illumination optical system focuses radiation of different colors and polarizations into a spot which scans the structure. Multiple position-dependent signals are detected and processed to obtain multiple candidate position measurements. Asymmetry of the structure is calculated by comparing the multiple position-dependent signals. The asymmetry measurement is used to improve accuracy of the position read by the sensor. Additional information on asymmetry may be obtained by an asymmetry sensor receiving a share of positive and negative orders of radiation diffracted by the periodic structure to produce a measurement of asymmetry in the periodic structure.

Abstract: An apparatus to measure the position of a mark, the apparatus including an objective lens to direct radiation on a mark using radiation supplied by an illumination arrangement; an optical arrangement to receive radiation diffracted and specularly reflected by the mark, wherein the optical arrangement is configured to provide a first image and a second image, the first image being formed by coherently adding specularly reflected radiation and positive diffraction order radiation and the second image being formed by coherently adding specularly reflected radiation and negative diffraction order radiation; and a detection arrangement to detect variation in an intensity of radiation of the first and second images and to calculate a position of the mark in a direction of measurement therefrom.