Abstract: A chemical pattern layer including an orientation control material and a prepattern material is formed over a substrate. The chemical pattern layer includes alignment-conferring features and additional masking features. A self-assembling material is applied and self-aligned over the chemical pattern layer. The polymeric block components align to the alignment-conferring features, while the alignment is not altered by the additional masking features. A first polymeric block component is removed selective to a second polymeric block component by an etch to form second polymeric block component portions having a pattern. A composite pattern of the pattern of an etch-resistant material within the chemical pattern layer and the pattern of the second polymeric block component portions can be transferred into underlying material layers employing at least another etch.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus applies a pattern repeatedly to target portions across a substrate. Prior to applying the pattern an alignment sensor measures positions of marks in the plane of the substrate and a level sensor measures height deviations in a direction normal to the plane of the substrate. The apparatus applies the pattern to the substrate while positioning the applied pattern using the positions measured by the alignment sensor and using the height deviations measured by the level sensor. The apparatus is further arranged to calculate and apply corrections in the positioning of the applied pattern, based on derivatives of the measured height deviations. The corrections may be calculated on an intrafield and/or interfield basis. The corrections may be based on changes between the observed height deviations and height deviations measured previously on the same substrate.

Abstract: An exposure method includes: exposing, with a photomask including a shot pattern including chip patterns arranged therein, a plurality of the shot patterns onto a wafer as a first pattern; aligning the photomask on the wafer so that a first region of the shot pattern overlaps the first pattern, a second region other than the first region of the shot pattern is outside the first pattern, and chip patterns are continuously arranged in the first pattern and the second region; adjusting focus on the wafer, with the photomask having been aligned on the wafer; and shielding the first region from light and exposing a pattern of the second region onto the wafer as a second pattern.

Abstract: A method for image processing comprising providing an opening for entrance of light; the light being capable of being formed into an image; providing at least one optical element in an optical train configured to focus light; providing a variable aperture operatively associated with the at least one optical element; the variable aperture being placed in the optical train at an image plane and comprising mask settings for shielding portions of the light; providing an imager; providing at least one processor operatively connected to the variable aperture and imager; the at least one processor configured to control the passage of the light through the variable aperture; selectively masking portions of light using the mask settings of the variable aperture; obtaining image results using the settings; comparing image results obtained by the mask settings, and determining the phase correction that provides the optimal image results.

Abstract: A method for improving a lithographic process for imaging a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic projection apparatus comprising a patterning device, wherein the patterning device deforms from a first state to a second state, the method comprising: determining a deformation of the patterning device from the first state to the second state; determining a compensatory design layout from the design layout and the deformation; wherein the compensatory design layout is such that when the compensatory design layout is generated on the patterning device in the first state, the deformation of the patterning device deforms the compensatory design layout to the design layout.

Abstract: There is provided a charged particle beam system for reducing phase variations in a charged particle beam due to sixth order three-lobe aberration. The charged particle beam system (100) is equipped with an aberration corrector (30) for correcting aberrations in the optical system, and includes: an aberration measuring section (44) for measuring sixth order three-lobe aberration of sixth order geometric aberration, a computing section (46) for computing the magnitude of at least one of fourth order three-lobe aberration of fourth order geometric aberration and three-fold astigmatism of second order geometric aberration for reducing phase variations in the charged particle beam due to the sixth order three-lobe aberration on the basis of the measured sixth order three-lobe aberration, and a controller (48) for controlling the aberration corrector (30) to produce at least one of the fourth order three-lobe aberration and the three-fold astigmatism on the basis of the computed magnitude.

Abstract: A pattern of features of an integrated circuit is provided. A configuration of a pupil of an extreme ultraviolet wavelength radiation beam (also referred to as an illumination mode), is selected. The selected configuration is an asymmetric, single pole configuration. At least one disparity is determined between a simulated imaging using the selected configuration and a designed imaging for the pattern of features. A parameter (also referred to as a compensation parameter) is then modified to address the at least one disparity, wherein the parameter at least one a design feature, a mask feature, and a lithography process parameter. A substrate is then exposed to the pattern of features using the selected configuration and the modified parameter.

Abstract: Printing a graphic media product is described. The media product has an indicia marked on a media substrate. An installation of a supply of the media substrate is detected. A sensor is activated based on the detection of the installation. The activated sensor measures a width of the installed media substrate. A center position of the media substrate is computed based on the measured width. The marking of the indicia upon the media substrate is aligned relative to the computed center position of the media substrate.

Abstract: A thin film deposition apparatus used to produce large substrates on a mass scale and improve manufacturing yield. The thin film deposition apparatus includes a deposition source; a first nozzle disposed at a side of the deposition source and including a plurality of first slits arranged in a first direction; a second nozzle disposed opposite to the first nozzle and including a plurality of second slits arranged in the first direction; and a barrier wall assembly including a plurality of barrier walls arranged in the first direction so as to partition a space between the first nozzle and the second nozzle.

Abstract: An exposure method and apparatus exposes an object with an exposure beam via a projection optical system and a liquid of a liquid immersion area formed under the projection optical system. A first stage on which the object is held and a second stage are moved relative to each other so that the second stage approaches the first stage that is placed facing the projection optical system, the second stage having an upper surface contactable with a liquid immersion area. The first and second stages that have approached each other are moved with respect to the projection optical system so that the second stage is placed facing the projection optical system instead of the first stage. For relative movement of the first and second stages in the approaching, driving of the first and second stages is controlled based on outer periphery positional information of the first stage.

Abstract: Described is a system for inducing and detecting multi-photon processes, in particular multi-photon fluorescence or higher harmonic generation in a sample. The system comprises a dynamically-controllable light source, said dynamically-controllable light source comprising a first sub-light source, said first sub-light source being electrically controllable such as to generate controllable time-dependent intensity patterns of light having a first wavelength, and at least one optical amplifier, thereby allowing for active time-control of creation of multi-photon-excitation. The system further comprises a beam delivery unit for delivering light generated by said dynamically-controllable light source to a sample site, and a detector unit or detector assembly for detecting signals indicative of said multi-photon process, in particular multi-photon fluorescence signals or higher harmonics signals.

Abstract: A reticle for a semiconductor lithography process includes a glass plate having regions with a reduced optical transmission factor. The regions may include arrays of elements comprising defects such as cracks or voids which are formed by laser pulses. The regions may be adjacent to openings in an opaque material at the bottom of the reticle to shield the openings from a portion of the light which illuminates the reticle from the top. As a result, the light which exits the reticle and is used to pattern a substrate has an asymmetric intensity. This allows the substrate to be patterned with an inspection mark which indicates whether a defocus condition exists, and whether there is a positive or negative defocus condition. Related methods use a reticle to form a pattern on a substrate and for adjusting a focus condition using a reticle.

Abstract: A structure in semiconductor fabrication includes at least a first periodic asymmetric feature and a periodic asymmetric second feature. The first feature contains a plurality of periodically distributed first elements. The first feature has a first asymmetric profile such that the first feature no longer has the same first asymmetric profile when it is rotated by 180 degrees. The second feature contains a plurality of periodically distributed second elements. The second feature has a second asymmetric profile such that the second feature no longer has the same second asymmetric profile when it is rotated by 180 degrees. The second asymmetric profile is different from the first asymmetric profile.

Abstract: Methods for calibrating a photolithographic system are disclosed. A cold lens contour for a reticle design and at least one hot lens contour for the reticle design are generated from which a process window is defined. Aberrations induced by a lens manipulator are characterized in a manipulator model and the process window is optimized using the manipulator model. Aberrations are characterized by identifying variations in critical dimensions caused by lens manipulation for a plurality of manipulator settings and by modeling behavior of the manipulator as a relationship between manipulator settings and aberrations. The process window may be optimized by minimizing a cost function for a set of critical locations.

Abstract: A projection exposure method includes exposing an exposure area of a radiation sensitive substrate with at least one image of a pattern of a mask in a scanning operation. The scanning operation includes moving the mask relative to an effective object field of the projection objective and simultaneously moving the substrate relative to an effective image field of the projection objective in respective scanning directions. The projection exposure method also includes changing imaging properties of the projection objective actively during the scanning operation according to a given time profile to change dynamically at least one aberration of the projection objective between a beginning and an end of the scanning operation.

Abstract: The present invention provides an original holding apparatus which holds an original, comprising a first holding unit configured to hold the original, a second holding unit configured to hold the original, a fixing unit configured to fix the second holding unit, and an adjustment unit configured to perform adjustment of an holding force of at least one of the first holding unit and the second holding unit, wherein the adjustment unit performs the adjustment such that the holding force of the second holding unit before fixing the second holding unit is smaller than the holding force of the first holding unit before fixing the second holding unit, and performs the adjustment such that the holding force of the second holding unit after fixing the second holding unit is larger than that before fixing the second holding unit.

Abstract: A DUV scanned-spot-array lithography system comprises an array of phase- Fresnel microlenses, which focus multiple radiation beams through intermediate foci at the object surface of a projection system. The intermediate foci are imaged by the projection system onto corresponding focused-radiation spots on an image plane, and the spots expose a photosensitive layer proximate the image plane as the layer is scanned in synchronization with modulation of the beams. The modulators may comprise micromechanical shutters proximate the intermediate foci for ON/OFF switching, in series with transmission grating modulators for gray-level control, and the microlenses may also be actuated to provide dynamic beam centering control. A nodal line printing technique may be used to provide ultra-high-resolution and high-throughput maskless printing capability in conjunction with multi-patterning or dual-wavelength recording processes.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a substrate table capable of holding a substrate, a projection system that projects a patterned beam of radiation onto the substrate held by the substrate table, and a sensor table that is not capable of holding a substrate but that includes a sensor capable of sensing a property of the patterned beam of radiation. In addition, a first positioning system is connected to the substrate table and displaces the substrate table into and out of a path of the patterned beam of radiation, and a second positioning system is capable of positioning the sensor table into the path of the patterned beam of radiation when the substrate table is displaced out of the path of the patterned beam of radiation.

Abstract: A method and system render rasterized data by receiving non-rasterized page description language data and a corresponding transformation matrix representing transformation operations to be performed. The non-rasterized page description language data is rasterizing to create rasterized data. The corresponding transformation matrix is decomposed into a plurality of individual transformation operation matrices and a discrete transformation operation value, from each corresponding individual transformation operation matrix, is generated for each transformation operation to be performed upon the rasterized data. The transformation operations are performed upon the rasterized data based upon the generated discrete transformation operation values.

Abstract: A method and system render rasterized data by receiving non-rasterized page description language data and a corresponding transformation matrix representing transformation operations to be performed. The non-rasterized page description language data is rasterizing to create rasterized data. The corresponding transformation matrix is decomposed into a plurality of individual transformation operation matrices and a discrete transformation operation value, from each corresponding individual transformation operation matrix, is generated for each transformation operation to be performed upon the rasterized data. The transformation operations are performed upon the rasterized data based upon the generated discrete transformation operation values.

Abstract: A method of detecting focus shift in a lithography process, a method of analyzing an error of a transferred pattern using the same, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the methods are provided. The focus shift detecting method of a lithography process comprises generating a first contour band of a mask pattern between a first focus and a second focus, generating a second contour of the mask pattern between the first focus and a third focus, and determining whether focus shift of the mask pattern occurs using an intersection of the first contour band and the second contour band.

Abstract: A printing apparatus, when a sheet is fed from a sheet feeding unit in a state where size information indicating the size of sheets stacked in the sheet feeding unit is not stored in a storage unit, detects and stores the size of the sheet during conveyance. The printing apparatus controls the execution of the print processing, without using size information in a case where a print instruction is received in a state where the size information is not stored, and using the size information in a case where the print instruction is received in a state where the size information is stored. Furthermore, the printing apparatus clears the size information stored in the storage unit when a particular key is operated in a state where the size information is stored while print processing is not being executed.

Abstract: A method for calibrating a manufacturing device that manufactures solid parts by projecting images onto a photo-curable substrate includes providing the manufacturing device including a projector and an optical train, positioning an imaging plate at a manufacturing position relative to the manufacturing device, and providing a contrasting image on the imaging plate. The method further includes projecting a test image from the projector through the optical train onto the contrasting image and calibrating the projector and/or the optical train in response to the test image projected onto the contrasting image. The method further includes manufacturing a solid component with the manufacturing device after the calibrating.

Abstract: An automatic focus searching method for an image capture device is provided. The image capture device has a lens and an image sensor. The method includes: setting an exposure time of the image sensor; computing a focal sweep trajectory of the lens based on at least the exposure time; during the exposure time, moving the lens along the focal sweep trajectory while exposing the image sensor; reading out pixel data of the image sensor that is generated during the exposure time; and applying a filtering operation upon the pixel data to generate an output image.

Abstract: A printing apparatus, when a sheet is fed from a sheet feeding unit in a state where size information indicating the size of sheets stacked in the sheet feeding unit is not stored in a storage unit, detects and stores the size of the sheet during conveyance. The printing apparatus controls the execution of the print processing, without using size information in a case where a print instruction is received in a state where the size information is not stored, and using the size information in a case where the print instruction is received in a state where the size information is stored. Furthermore, the printing apparatus clears the size information stored in the storage unit when a particular key is operated in a state where the size information is stored while print processing is not being executed.

Abstract: The invention provides a level sensor configured to determine a height level of a surface of a substrate, comprising a detection unit arranged to receive a measurement beam after reflection on the substrate, wherein the detection unit comprises an array of detection elements, wherein each detection element is arranged to receive a part of the measurement beam reflected on a measurement subarea of the measurement area, and is configured to provide a measurement signal based on the part of the measurement beam received by the respective detection element, and wherein the processing unit is configured to calculate, in dependence of a selected resolution at the measurement subarea, a height level of the measurement subarea, or to calculate a height level of a combination of multiple measurement subareas.

Abstract: A method for determining overlay error includes measuring asymmetry of radiation reflected from each of a plurality of targets on a substrate. The plurality of targets include a predetermined overlay offset. The method also includes comparing the measured asymmetry of the radiation reflected from each of the plurality of targets to the corresponding predetermined overlay offset of the respective target. Additionally, the method includes determining the overlay error of a point on the substrate as a function of measured asymmetry reflected from the point. The function is determined by fitting a polynomial or a Fourier series to a comparison of the measured asymmetry of the radiation reflected from each of the plurality of targets to the corresponding predetermined overlay offset of the respective target. The function limits an effect of linearity error.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus is equipped with a coarse movement stage which can move along an XY plane and includes a first section and a second section that can come close to and separate from each other, a fine movement stage which holds wafer W and is supported relatively movable at least within the XY plane by the coarse movement stage, and a drive system which drives the fine movement stage supported by the coarse movement stage independently or integrally with the coarse movement stage. Further, the exposure apparatus is equipped with a relay stage which can deliver the fine movement stage to/from the coarse movement stage.

Abstract: In an EUV (extreme ultraviolet) lithography apparatus, an illumination system includes a multifaceted field mirror and a multifaceted pupil mirror. A field facet mirror within mirror focuses EUV radiation onto a particular associated pupil facet mirror, from where it is directed to a target area. Each field facet mirror is modified to scatter unwanted DUV (deep ultraviolet) radiation into a range of directions. The majority of DUV falls onto neighboring pupil facet mirrors within the pupil mirrors, so that the amount of DUV radiation reaching target E is suppressed in comparison to the wanted EUV radiation. Because the distance between mirrors is much greater than the width of an individual pupil facet mirror, good DUV suppression can be achieved with only a narrow scattering angle. Absorption of EUV radiation in the scattering layer can be minimized.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus having an optical column capable of creating a pattern on a target portion of a substrate is disclosed. The optical column may have a self-emissive contrast device configured to emit a beam, and a projection system configured to project the beam onto the target portion. The apparatus may also have an actuator to move the optical column or a part thereof with respect to the substrate. The apparatus may be constructed to reduce the optical effect of density variation in a medium around the moving part of the optical column on the beam.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus having a projection system configured to project a plurality of radiation beams onto a target and an image slicer. The image slicer is arranged in an inverted configuration such that, if an input image formed of a plurality of separated image regions were provided to the image slicer, it would output an output image formed from the plurality of image regions, each arranged to adjoin an adjacent image region. The exposure apparatus is configured such that each of the radiation beams is input into the image slicer at a location corresponding to a respective one of the separated image regions.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a pattern formation method includes preparing a mask pattern for interference, producing Talbot interference, and forming a pattern by blocking a part of interference light. The mask pattern for interference is arranged periodically a plurality of light transmissive portions. The Talbot interference is based on a transmitted light. The transmitted light is transmitted through the light transmissive portions by applying a light to the mask pattern for interference. The part of interference light is produced by the Talbot interference by means of a mask pattern for light blocking and applying another part of the interference light transmitted through the mask pattern for light blocking to an exposure object member.

Abstract: An exposure method and apparatus exposes a substrate that is loaded on a stage via a carrier system, with an exposure beam via a projection optical system and a liquid. An object carried by the carrier system is mounted in a depressed section of the stage. Information on a positional relation between the object mounted in the depressed section and the depressed section is obtained. The substrate is loaded on the stage based on the obtained information so that the substrate carried to above the stage by the carrier system is mounted in the depressed section. A part of the substrate mounted in the depressed section is irradiated with the exposure beam via the projection optical system and a liquid immersion area formed by the liquid under the projection optical system.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include systems and methods of controlling reticle transmission. A process window for reticle transmission is received. For a given design, default fill cells of a default fill pattern are inserted in unused areas of an integrated circuit (IC). A pattern density is computed for each tile of an IC at each appropriate level, such as metallization levels and contact levels. An IC reticle transmission (RT) is computed for an area corresponding to an entire (or area of) IC or reticle. If the integrated circuit RT is outside of the process window, then the tiles that have an individual tile RT that is outside of the process window are identified and ranked into groups. Default fill cells in one group of tiles are replaced with replacement fill cells having an appropriate pattern and pattern density, and an updated IC RT parameter is computed until the updated IC RT parameter is within the process window.

Abstract: A lithographic system includes a monitored lithographic projection apparatus arranged to project a patterned beam onto a substrate. A scatterometer measures a plurality of parameters of the pattern transferred to the substrate including at least one CD-profile parameter and at least one further parameter of the pattern transferred to the substrate which is indicative of a machine setting of the monitored lithographic projection apparatus. A matching system includes a database storing information representative of reference CD values and reference values for the further feature. A comparison arrangement compares the measured values with the corresponding stored values, a lithographic parameter calculation means calculating a corrected set of machine settings for the monitored lithographic apparatus dependent on the differences between the measured and reference values.

Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a vacuum chamber. A stage mounts a semiconductor substrate thereon within the vacuum chamber. An electrostatic chuck fixes the semiconductor substrate onto the stage. A sensor detects a height of a surface of the semiconductor substrate fixed onto the stage by the electrostatic chuck. A processor determines whether the surface of the semiconductor substrate is distorted based on the height of the surface of the semiconductor substrate. The processor calculates correction values for a pattern transferred onto the surface of the semiconductor substrate by exposure based on the height of the surface of the semiconductor substrate when the surface of the semiconductor substrate is distorted. An exposure part exposes the surface of the semiconductor substrate to light using the correction values.

Abstract: A method of measuring a phase difference between two regions in an aberration function: Reference structures are produced on a substrate using illumination that minimizes effects of phase aberration. A grating is produced on the substrate using a phase-shift grating reticle to produce, in the exit pupil, a pair of diffracted non-zero orders, while forbidding other diffracted orders and produces interference fringes formed by interference between the pair. The interference contributes to a first grating on the substrate. Overlay error is measured between the grating and the reference structure using diffraction-based or image-based overlay measurements. A phase aberration function for the exit pupil of the lithographic apparatus can then be determined from the measured overlay errors.

Abstract: An imaging optics includes a plurality of mirrors which reflect imaging light to image an object field in an object plane into an image field in an image plane. A mirror body of at least one of the mirrors has a through-opening for the imaging light to pass through. The through-opening has an internal region of a smallest opening width in the mirror body. The through-opening expands from the internal region towards both edge regions of the mirror body. A disturbing influence of unused light portions is reduced or eliminated completely.

Abstract: A method for determining an offset between a center of a substrate and a center of a depression in a chuck includes providing a test substrate to the depression, the test substrate having a dimension smaller than a dimension of the depression, measuring a position of an alignment mark of the test substrate while in the depression, and determining the offset between the center of the substrate and the center of the depression from the position of the alignment mark.

Abstract: An exposure method and apparatus for illuminating a pattern with an illumination system to expose a substrate through a projection system. The pattern is illuminated with illumination light with a light amount distribution in which an amount of light is larger in a pair of first areas and a pair of second areas than in an area other than the first and second areas on a pupil plane of the illumination system. The pair of the first areas being arranged outside an optical axis, the pair of the second areas being arranged on the same straight line as the pair of the first areas are arranged on, and the pair of the second areas being arranged outside the pair of the first areas.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hologram which forms a light intensity distribution on a predetermined plane by using incident light. The hologram includes a plurality of cells configured to control both a phase of a first polarized light component in a first polarization direction of the incident light and a phase of a second polarized light component in a second polarization direction perpendicular to the first polarization direction, to form a phase difference distribution between phase distributions for the first and second polarized light components. The plurality of cells are designed so that a number of phase difference levels of the phase difference distribution is less than a number of phase levels of the phase distribution of the first polarized light component.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus includes a support structure configured to hold a patterning device, the patterning device configured to pattern a beam of radiation according to a desired pattern; a substrate table configured to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate; a liquid supply system configured to provide liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate; and a shutter configured to isolate the space from the substrate or a space to be occupied by a substrate.

Abstract: An image-capturing device disclosed in the present application includes: an image-capturing element including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in two dimensions, wherein the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are exposed through successive scanning and electrical signals are read out from the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements through successive scanning, thereby generating an image signal; a lens optical system including a focus lens for collecting light toward the image-capturing element; a driving section for driving one of the image-capturing element and the focus lens so as to change a distance between the image-capturing element and the focus lens; a displacement control section for outputting a command to the driving section so as to control displacement of the image-capturing element or the focus lens to be driven based on a predetermined displacement pattern; and a synchronizing section for controlling the displacement control section based on exposure

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for improving the imaging properties of a micro lithography projection objective, wherein the projection objective has a plurality of lenses between an object plane and an image plane, a first lens of the plurality of lenses being assigned a first manipulator (ml, Mn) for actively deforming the lens, the first lens being deformed for at least partially correcting an aberration, at least one second lens of the plurality of lenses furthermore being assigned at least one second manipulator, and the second lens being deformed in addition to the first lens. Furthermore, a method is described for selecting at least one lens of a plurality of lenses of a projection objective as actively deformable element, and a projection objective.

Abstract: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes a projection system having a last optical element, the projection system projecting a beam onto a substrate through an immersion liquid; a movable stage having a holder by which the substrate is held; a measurement member provided on the movable stage, the measurement member having a measurement portion covered with a light-transmissive material; a first alignment system by which an alignment mark is detected not through the immersion liquid; and a second alignment system which optically obtains, using the measurement member, first positional information of the beam projected by the projection system through the immersion liquid. In order to obtain the first positional information, the movable stage is moved so that the measurement member is under the projection system and a gap between the projection system and the measurement member is filled with the immersion liquid.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a nanoantenna array may include forming a resist layer on a substrate, forming a focusing layer having a dielectric microstructure array on the resist layer, diffusing light one-dimensionally in a specific direction by using a linear diffuser, forming an anisotropic pattern on the resist layer by illuminating the light diffused by the linear diffuser on the focusing layer and the resist layer, depositing a material suitable for a plasmonic resonance onto the substrate and the resist layer on which the pattern is formed, and forming a nanoantenna array on the substrate by removing the resist layer and the material deposited on the resist layer. A light diffusing angle by the linear diffuser and a size of the dielectric microstructure are determined based on an aspect ratio of the pattern to be formed.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate with exposure light via a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes an optical system including an emission surface from which the exposure light is emitted; a liquid supply port that supplies the liquid in order to fill an optical path of the exposure light emitted from the emission surface with the liquid; and a fluid supply port that supplies a fluid including a material capable of changing the specific resistance of the liquid to at least a part of a space around a liquid immersion space that is formed by the liquid.

Abstract: An immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes a fluid supply system configured to supply a fluid, the fluid supply system having a chamber with a plurality of inlet holes in a first side wall and a plurality of outlet holes in a second side wall, the first side wall facing the second side wall, wherein the inlet holes direct fluid entering the chamber in a direction towards areas of the second side wall between the plurality of outlet holes.

Abstract: A projection exposure method includes exposing an exposure area of a radiation sensitive substrate with at least one image of a pattern of a mask in a scanning operation. The scanning operation includes moving the mask relative to an effective object field of the projection objective and simultaneously moving the substrate relative to an effective image field of the projection objective in respective scanning directions. The projection exposure method also includes changing imaging properties of the projection objective actively during the scanning operation according to a given time profile to change dynamically at least one aberration of the projection objective between a beginning and an end of the scanning operation.

Abstract: A field manipulator to provide high resolution control of position in the XY plane and/or focus control. The field manipulator includes a plate located between the patterning device and the substrate. Control of the XY position is provided by tilting of the plate, while control of the focus position may be provided by localized deformation of the plate. Both adjustments may be performed by one or more actuators that act upon one or more edges of the plate. In an embodiment, two substantially parallel plates are provided and focus control can be provided by changing the spacing between them. A liquid may be provided between the plates which may be temperature controlled to adjust the focus by changing the refractive index of the liquid.