Photocopying inventions 03/06

20060066825 - Exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: Disclosed is an apparatus for exposing a wafer to light, the apparatus including a light source unit having a light source for emitting light, a first cooling unit for cooling the light source unit, the first cooling unit having a gas flowpassage for a gas passing through the light source...

20060066824 - Method and system for contamination detection and monitoring a lithographic exposure tool and operating method for the same under controlled atmospheric conditions: By using highly efficient detection techniques, such as chromatography and absorption spectroscopy, one or more contaminants may be identified and the concentration thereof may quantitatively be determined. In this way, the adverse effect on critical components of exposure tools, such as reticles and lenses in the form of, for instance,...

20060066827 - Alignment system, alignment method, and lithographic apparatus: A system and a method for aligning two devices with respect to each other are presented. A first of the devices is provided with a proximity switch and the second of the two devices may be provided with a reference mark. When the other device enters a detection area of...

20060066826 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: An immersion lithographic projection apparatus has a liquid confinement structure configured to at least partly confine liquid to a space between a projection system and a substrate, the confinement structure having a buffer surface, when in use, positioned in close proximity to a plane substantially comprising the upper surface of...

20060066828 - Lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method and computer program product: Additional vibrations are added during the exposure of a substrate so that vibrations occurring during exposure of a plurality of areas on the substrate are substantially uniform. This may improve CD uniformity....

20060066830 - Light modulator, and optical apparatus using the same: A light modulator for modulating a phase distribution of incident light includes an element that provides the incident light with three or more types of phase differences, wherein the element includes three or more displaceable light reflective bands, and wherein the light modulator has plural pixels each including the element....

20060066829 - Maskless exposure apparatus using optical modulator, and method for monitoring pattern generating performance by the optical modulator: A pattern monitoring method for an exposure apparatus that includes an optical modulator having at least one element that provides incident light with plural phase differences, and a projection optical system that uses first diffracted light among lights exited from the optical modulator to project a pattern onto an object...

20060066831 - Sheet post-process apparatus and processing tray: A processing tray comprises a transport belt which transports a sheet, and a push feed arm mounted to be projected onto a surface on a sheet transport side of the belt, the arm retaining a sheet distal end so that the sheet distal end can be pushed and fed, wherein...

20060066832 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam; a support configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam; a substrate table configured to hold a...

20060066833 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: The present invention relates to a lithographic apparatus including a projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate held on a substrate support, the patterned beam of radiation being patterned with a patterning device held by a patterning device support. The lithographic...

20060066834 - Euv reticle handling system and method: An enclosure for protecting at least a pattern side and an opposing side of a reticle is disclosed. The enclosure includes a first and second part that form an enclosure around a reticle to be protected during handling, inspection, storage, and transport. The enclosure in conjunction with a heater and...

20060055901 - Apparatus with compartment for high vacuum and use of construction element for constructing a compartment for high vacuum: An apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a compartment for containing a high vacuum environment. The compartment is partly defined by and/or includes a surface that has a subsurface that includes a first zone and a second zone. The second zone is located between the first zone and the surface....

20060055899 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus includes a support constructed to support a patterning device that is capable of imparting a radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam, a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate, a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam...

20060055900 - Lithographic apparatus, gas supply system, method for purging, and device manufacturing method and device manufactured thereby: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system for providing beam of radiation, and a support structure for supporting a patterning device. The patterning device imparts the beam of radiation with a pattern. The apparatus also includes a substrate table for holding a substrate, a projection system for projecting the patterned...

20060055902 - Image forming apparatus for correcting magnification of image: A measuring unit measures a time difference between detections of the optical beams by an optical beam detector arranged on either side of an image carrier with respect to a horizontal scanning direction. A magnification correcting unit determines whether a beam spot position adjustment amount corresponding to each of a...

20060055903 - Method and apparatus for printing large data flows: An aspect of the present invention includes a method for patterning a workpiece covered at least partly with a layer sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, comprising the actions of, providing a data representation of at least one image to be imaged onto a plurality of locations of said workpiece, fracturing said...

20060055904 - Method and system for aligning a first and second marker: According to one embodiment, a method for aligning a first alignment marker with respect to a second alignment marker, a lens being positioned in between the markers, includes providing an alignment beam and imaging the first alignment marker on the second alignment marker with the alignment beam through the lens....

20060055906 - Apodization measurement for lithographic apparatus: A method and apparatus are provided for measuring the apodization of projection optics for use in a lithographic apparatus, the projection optics having an object plane where, in use, a reticle is placed, a pupil plane, and an image plane where, in use, a wafer is placed. The method includes...

20060055905 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: Use of a refraction grating to divide a beam of radiation into a plurality of sub-beams that are each directed onto an array of individually controllable elements, modulated thereby and projected onto a substrate as an array of spots....

20060055907 - Projection optical system, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: A projection optical system for projecting an image of a first object onto a second object includes a first imaging optical system that forms a first intermediate image of the first object, and includes a lens, a second imaging optical system that forms a second intermediate image of the first...

20060055908 - Method of monitoring the light integrator of a photolithography system: A method of monitoring a light integrator of a photolithography system, wherein the photolithography system comprises a light source for illuminating different fields of a photosensitive layer and a light integrator for measuring the actual exposure doses of the illuminated fields, comprises the step of illuminating different fields of the...

20060055909 - Illumination system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus: An illumination system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus has a first polarization manipulator, a second polarization manipulator and at least one optical element located between these manipulators. The polarization manipulators ensure that the direction of the electric field vector of a light ray varies in time between the polarization...

20060055910 - Exposure apparatus adapted to detect abnormal operating phenomenon: A wafer edge exposure apparatus and method of operation are disclosed. The apparatus includes an edge exposing device exposing an edge portion of a wafer loaded onto a rotatable support chuck under a body tube and an interlock generator generating an interlock signal stopping operation of the wafer edge exposure...

20060055911 - High resolution printer and a method for high resolution printing: The invention provides a method and printer for printing an image that comprises at least one group of highly dense shapes, the method includes: (i) determining multiple intermediate schemes such as to allow printing corresponding intermediate images on an object; whereas at least one intermediate scheme comprises directing at least...

20060050256 - Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus is provided which has an optical system for projecting a pattern of an original onto a substrate and projects the pattern onto the substrate with a space between the optical system and the substrate filled with liquid. The apparatus includes a supply unit, having a nozzle, to...

20060050255 - Multiple level photolithography: A method is provided for performing photolithography on a substrate which has a first region on a lower level and a second region on an upper level, wherein a first pattern area exists within said first region, a second pattern area exists within said second region, and at least said...

20060050254 - Projection exposure apparatus and method for producing a printed circuit board: A projection exposure apparatus and a method for producing a printed circuit board wherein, the whole pattern including pieces 10 and coupons 12 to be exposed on a print circuit board 2 is depicted on a photo mask 1 divided in six areas by divide line 19, the exposure will...

20060050257 - Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system (3) for projecting a pattern of a mask (2) onto a substrate (5), and a fluid supply unit (6) for supplying a fluid between said projection optical system and the substrate, said fluid supply unit (6) including an injection unit (19) for...

20060050259 - Exposure apparatus and method, and device fabricating method using the same: An exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system for exposing and transferring a pattern on a mask onto an object, an illumination optical system for forming a secondary light source surface approximately conjugate with a pupil in the projection optical system, and for illuminating the mask, and a mechanism for...

20060050258 - Projection system for euv lithography: An EUV optical projection system includes at least six reflecting surfaces for imaging an object (OB) on an image (IM). The system is preferably configured to form an intermediate image (IMI) along an optical path from the object (OB) to the image (IM) between a secondary mirror (M2) and a...

20060050260 - Apodization measurement for lithographic apparatus: A method and apparatus are provided for measuring the apodization of projection optics for use in a lithographic apparatus, the projection optics having an object plane where, in use, a reticle is placed, a pupil plane, and an image plane where, in use, a wafer is placed. The method includes...

20060050261 - Illumination system for microlithography: An illumination system for a microlithography projection exposure apparatus for illuminating an illumination field (65) with the light from an assigned light source (11) comprises a pupil shaping unit (15, 30) for receiving light from the assigned light source (11) and for generating a predeterminable basic light distribution in a...

20060050262 - Non-contact pneumatic transfer for stages with small motion: Methods and apparatus for enabling a fine stage to be moved using pneumatics such that disturbances associated with a pneumatic transfer system are not transmitted to the fine stage are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a stage apparatus includes a first stage, a second stage, and...

20060044533 - System and method for reducing disturbances caused by movement in an immersion lithography system: In an immersion lithography system, a moveable substrate unit is formed from a substrate and at least one optical element, with immersion liquid between them. The immersion liquid and the optical element move in unison with the substrate. Movement of the substrate unit reduces refractive index disturbance produced by turbulence...

20060044534 - Photographic film processor: A check label on which an order identification number and a bar code thereof are recorded is attached to a leading portion of a photographic film and an envelope for containing the photographic film. Order information is inputted so as to relate to the order identification number. The inputted order...

20060044536 - Exposure apparatus equipped with interferometer and exposure apparatus using the exposure apparatus: An exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system for projecting an exposure pattern, onto an object to be exposed, and a measuring apparatus for measuring, as an interference fringe, optical performance of the projection optical system, wherein the measuring apparatus includes an optical element having opposing first and second surfaces,...

20060044535 - Offner imaging system with reduced-diameter reflectors: A projection optical system for digital lithography includes an Offner imaging system with a defined optical axis. The Offner imaging system has a well-corrected region. The system includes means for shaping an optical beam having an extent too large to fit within the well-corrected region to propagate through the Offner...

20060044537 - Stage alignment apparatus and its control method, exposure apparatus, and semiconductor device manufacturing method: A stage alignment apparatus includes a first moving member which moves in a first direction, a second moving member which moves in a second direction different from the first direction, a stage which is slidably supported by the first moving member and the second moving member and is guided in...

20060044538 - Alignment apparatus, exposure apparatus and device fabrication method: An alignment apparatus for aligning with each other a mask stage that supports a mask that has an exposure pattern and a wafer stage that supports an object by using a light with wavelength of 1 nm to 50 nm, said alignment apparatus including a substrate for forming a first...

20060044539 - Adjustable resolution interferometric lithography system: A lithographic system includes a laser outputting a laser beam; a beamsplitter dividing the laser beam into a plurality of beams; and a prism for forming interference fringes on a substrate using the plurality of beams. Resolution of the lithographic system is adjustable without replacing any optical components in an...

20060044541 - Exposure device: The invention provides an exposure device that can conduct digital exposure with high precision and with a high light-use efficiency using evanescent light. Light that is modulated by a DMD and condensed by a microlens array is incident at corresponding optical fiber cores arranged in a matrix in an evanescent...

20060044540 - Projection lens unit with focus and level control, related exposure apparatus and method: A projection lens unit, related exposure apparatus and control method are disclosed in which measurement light irradiates a semiconductor substrate after passing through lenses in the projection lens unit and reference light irradiates the semiconductor substrate without passing through the lenses in the projection lens unit are used to derive...

20060044542 - Method of performing resist process calibration/optimization and doe optimization for providing ope matching between different lithography systems: A method of optimizing a process for use with a plurality of lithography systems. The method includes the steps of: (a) determining a calibrated resist model for a given process and a target pattern utilizing a first lithography system; (b) selecting a second lithography system to be utilized to image...

20060044543 - Sheet conveying apparatus and image reading apparatus: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a sheet feed tray on which sheets of a plurality of sizes which differ in length in a sheet widthwise direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction, a conveying unit which conveys a sheet on the sheet feed tray to a predetermined processing position, a...