Photocopying inventions 06/06

20060139584 - Holding mechanism in exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: Disclosed is a holding system and an exposure apparatus having the same, wherein deformation of an optical member resulting from its thermal expansion and causing degradation of imaging performance can be reduced to assure desired imaging performance. The holding system for holding an optical member includes a barrel for at...

20060139583 - Method of manufacturing a miniaturized device: A method of manufacturing a miniaturized device comprises disposing a patterning structure to be imaged in a region of an object plane of an imaging optics of the projection exposure system; disposing a substrate carrying a resist in a region of an image plane of the imaging optics and exposing...

20060139585 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed having a deformable lens element through which a patterned radiation beam is arranged to pass before reaching a substrate and having a deformable lens actuator configured to transmit a combination of a force substantially parallel to the optical axis of the projection system and a...

20060139594 - Exposure apparatus and device fabricating method: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by filling a liquid between a projection optical system and the substrate, and projecting the image of a pattern onto the substrate through the projection optical system and the liquid, and includes a liquid removing mechanism that intermittently blows a gas against a reference...

20060139593 - Exposure apparatus, exposure method and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus that by irradiating an exposure light, via a projection optical system and a liquid, on a substrate placed on the image plane side of the projection optical system, exposes the substrate, the exposure apparatus includes; a liquid supply mechanism that supplies the liquid onto the substrate; a...

20060139592 - Latent overlay metrology: An apparatus and method for improved latent overlay metrology is disclosed. In an embodiment, a scatterometer and an overexposed overlay target are used to obtain more robust overlay measurement. Overlay metrology and exposure may be done in parallel....

20060139586 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam, and a support structure constructed to support a patterning device. The patterning device imparts the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam. A substrate table is constructed to hold a...

20060139589 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: In an immersion lithographic apparatus, a final element is disclosed having, on a surface nearest the substrate, a layer bonded to the surface and having an edge barrier, of the same material as the layer, extending from the layer away from the substrate to shield the final element from a...

20060139590 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system for conditioning a radiation beam. A support structure supports a patterning device, which is capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam. A substrate table holds a substrate. A projection system projects the...

20060139591 - Scanner apparatus with twin substrate stage, semiconductor photo equipment with the apparatus and method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the equipment: A scanner apparatus includes an exposure unit and an alignment unit, wherein the alignment unit includes an aligning/leveling apparatus for performing global aligning and leveling processes for a wafer in the alignment unit and an edge exposure apparatus, receiving light from a light source, for performing an edge exposure process...

20060139587 - Software mechanism for generating flexible equipment state model views, software mechanism for measuring equipment reliability: A state model engine according to one embodiment is configured to dynamically determine Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability data in a lithographic processing system. The engine evaluates whether state changes occur in defined state models, based on transition events published by other state models....

20060139588 - System and method for determining maximum operational parameters used in maskless applications: A lithographic method and apparatus used to pattern an object. An illumination source supplies a beam of radiation. A pattern generator forms a pattern to pattern a beam of radiation using the pattern data. A projection system projects the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate supported by...

20060139595 - Lithographic apparatus and method for determining z position errors/variations and substrate table flatness: The invention pertains to a measurement system for measuring displacement of a moveable object relative to a base in at least a first direction of measurement, the moveable object having at least one reference part that is moveable in a plane of movement relative to the base, the actual movements...

20060139596 - Method and system for automated process correction using model parameters, and lithographic apparatus using such method and system: A method for aligning a substrate in a lithographic apparatus is presented. The substrate includes a plurality of alignment marks. The alignment marks have been defined by a second lithographic apparatus and are arranged to provide a substrate grid as a coordinate system that includes a first and a second...

20060139597 - Methods and systems for lithographic gray scaling: Improved gray scaling imaging methods and systems include a group of elements within an array of individually controllable elements that project a part of a radiation beam onto a lens in an array of microlenses, and are individually controllable so that any number of the individually controllable elements may be...

20060139598 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus includes a projection system including a movable optical element. The movable optical element is capable, by a displacement thereof to influence a position quantity of a radiation beam projected by the projection system. A control device is provided to drive the optical element actuator to influence a...

20060139599 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to provide a radiation beam; a patterning device configured to pattern the radiation beam to form a patterned radiation beam; and a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a substrate. An optical assembly includes multiple optical elements two-dimensionally...

20060139600 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithography apparatus including a projection system configured to project a beam of radiation onto a substrate as an array of sub-beams of radiation and an array of individually controllable elements configured to modulate the sub-beams of radiation. The apparatus also includes a data-path including at least one data manipulation...

20060139601 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus has an array of individually controllable elements to impart a projection beam with a pattern in its cross-section. The projection system includes an array of lenses and an actuator configured to change the shape of the array of lenses. In one example, the actuator is a piezoelectric...

20060139605 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method that limits a portion of a patterning device used to pattern a beam: A system and method are used to limit a proportion of a programmable patterning means used to pattern a substrate. This is done such that a size of a repeated pattern to be exposed on the substrate is an integer multiple of a size of a pattern exposed on the...

20060139602 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method utilizing a multiple substrate carrier for flat panel display substrates: A system and method allow for more than one substrate to be simultaneously moved and/or positioned on a support table. In one example, this is accomplished through use of a frame that either supports or separates one or more substrates for either transport or positioning on a support table. In...

20060139604 - Lithographic apparatus, illumination system, filter system and method for cooling a support of such a filter system: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam, a projection system configured to project the radiation beam onto a substrate, and a filter system for filtering debris particles out of the radiation beam. The filter system includes a plurality of foils for trapping the debris...

20060139603 - Mask superposition for multiple exposures: An exposure system includes a mask stage module adapted for holding a first mask and a second mask, wherein the first mask is configured for illumination by a first beam to form a transformed first beam having a first pattern from the first mask and the second mask is configured...

20060139608 - De-focus uniformity correction: A system and method for uniformity correction such that a defined uniformity specification is met while minimizing a set of selected constraints is provided. The system includes illumination optics, an opto-mechanical correction system, a contrast device, projection optics and a correction module coupled to the correction system. The correction system...

20060139606 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: In known lithographic apparatus the projection beam is symmetrical, while the process window can be asymmetrical. The invention addresses this problem by providing a lithographic apparatus comprising an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam; a support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of...

20060139607 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: Projection beam bandwidth contributes to optical proximity curve/Iso-Dense bias of a system, and can vary from one system to another. This can result in proximity mis-match between systems. The invention addresses this problem by providing a lithographic apparatus comprising: an illumination system for providing a projection beam of radiation; the...

20060139610 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: Projection beam bandwidth contributes to optical proximity curve/Iso-Dense bias of a system, and can vary from one system to another. This can result in proximity mis-match between systems. The invention addresses this problem by providing a lithographic apparatus including an illumination system for providing a projection beam of radiation, the...

20060139609 - Methods and systems for lithographic beam generation: A lithographic illumination apparatus and method includes receiving a plurality of source radiation beams from a plurality of corresponding radiation sources, deflecting the plurality of source radiation beams along a common beam path, thereby generating a projection beam of radiation, imparting the projection beam of radiation with a cross-section pattern,...

20060139611 - Polarized radiation in lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus uses polarized light to improve the imaging properties, such as exposure latitude, while maintaining and extending the lifetime of an illumination system in the lithographic apparatus....

20060139612 - Polarized radiation in lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus uses polarized light to improve the imaging properties such as exposure latitude, while maintaining and extending the lifetime of an illumination system in a lithographic apparatus....

20060139614 - Exposure method, substrate stage, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: In exposing substrate by projecting an image of a pattern onto substrate via projection optical system and liquid, side surface and underside surface of substrate are applied with liquid-repellent treatment. By such a configuration, an exposure method by which when exposing edge areas of the substrate, the exposure can be...

20060139613 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus includes a first movable element (such as an immersion liquid supply system), which is in operation in contact with a surface of a second movable element (such as a substrate table). Further, the lithographic apparatus includes a second element controller (such as a substrate table controller) to...

20060139617 - Lithographic apparatus and actuator: A lithographic apparatus is arranged to transfer a pattern from a patterning device onto a substrate and includes an electromagnetic actuator to actuate a part of the lithographic apparatus in a linear direction or in a rotational direction. The actuator has a substantially stationary part and a movable part interacting...

20060139616 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method utilizing a substrate handler: A substrate handler for moving a substrate relative to a substrate table of a lithographic apparatus. The substrate handler comprises at least one support surface or platform adapted to carry a plurality of independent substrates simultaneously. The substrate handler adapted to load substrates onto and unload substrates from the substrate...

20060139615 - Lithographic apparatus, reticle masking device for a lithographic apparatus, gas bearing and apparatus comprising such gas bearing: A lithographic apparatus includes a guiding mechanism to guide a movable structure such as a mask blade of a reticle masking device, a movable part connected to the movable structure, and a substantially stationary part to guide the movable part. The movable part includes a nozzle to inject a gas...

20060132730 - Developer endpoint detection in a track lithography system: A method of detecting developer endpoint. The method includes illuminating a device region of a substrate with a first optical beam prior to initiating a development stage of processing and detecting a baseline optical signal reflected from the device region of the substrate. The method also includes illuminating the device...

20060132731 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A method and apparatus for cleaning the inside of an immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed. In particular, a liquid supply system of the lithographic apparatus may be used to introduce a cleaning fluid into a space between the projection system and the substrate table of the lithographic apparatus. Additionally or...

20060132738 - Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic projection apparatus includes an illumination system arranged to condition a radiation beam, a support structure configured to hold a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern, a substrate table configured to hold a substrate, and a projection system arranged to...

20060132739 - Exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: A lithographic projection apparatus includes an illumination system that conditions a radiation beam, a support structure that holds a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern. a substrate table that holds a substrate, and a projection system that projects the patterned radiation...

20060132740 - Exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: An immersion liquid is supplied to a space between a projection system and a substrate, and a patterned beam of radiation is projected through the liquid onto a target portion of the substrate using the projection system. The projection system is maintained in contact with the immersion liquid after the...

20060132736 - Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and method for producing device: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by illuminating a pattern with an exposure beam and transferring an image of the pattern through a liquid onto the substrate. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system which projects the image of the pattern onto the substrate. In addition, a liquid immersion...

20060132737 - Exposure apparatus, method for producing device, and method for controlling exposure apparatus: An exposure apparatus (EX) exposes a substrate (P) by projecting an image of a pattern on the substrate (P) via a projection optical system (PL) and a liquid (1). The exposure device (EX) has a liquid supply mechanism (10) which supplies the liquid (1) between the projection optical system (PL)...

20060132741 - Liquid immersion type exposure apparatus: Disclosed is an exposure apparatus which includes a projection optical system for projecting a pattern of a reticle onto a substrate, wherein the substrate is exposed through a liquid medium kept at least in a portion between the substrate and an optical element of the projection optical system which optical...

20060132732 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: The present invention relates to a lithographic apparatus including an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam, a patterning device support constructed 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,...

20060132733 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: In a single or multiple stage lithography apparatus, a table provides a confining surface to a liquid supply system during, for example, substrate table exchange and/or substrate loading and unloading. In an embodiment, the table has a sensor to make a measurement of the projection beam during, for example, substrate...

20060132734 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic method and apparatus comprises an illumination system that supplies a beam of radiation, a patterning device that patterns the beam, and a projection system that projects the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate. A metrology system is provided adjacent the projection system for aligning the...

20060132735 - Lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method, and device manufactured thereby: Substrate processing apparatus includes a lithographic apparatus which comprises an illumination system for supplying a projection beam of radiation, an array of individually controllable elements serving to impart the projection beam with a pattern in its cross-section, and a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion...

20060132742 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A system and method are provided including different moveable lenses within a projection system that can be placed in the path of a radiation beam to change a magnification of the projection system. By changing the magnification of the projection system an area of a substrate exposed per pixel can...

20060132744 - Lithographic apparatus focus test method and system, and device manufacturing method: A method and system for performing a focus test in a lithographic apparatus. According to the method, a substrate is provided with a layer of radiation sensitive material, the substrate is illuminated in the lithographic apparatus using a first focus sensitive feature and a second focus feature, and the substrate...

20060132743 - Lithographic apparatus with autofocus system: A lithographic apparatus having a projection system that includes a plurality of mirrors arranged to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The lithographic apparatus further includes an autofocus system having a light source, a position sensitive detector, and a light directing arrangement for directing...

20060132745 - Method and apparatus for automatic correction of direct exposure apparatus: An automatic correction method for a direct exposure apparatus comprises the steps of: illuminating two exposure elements, which are included in adjacent exposure heads separately and which are to expose an identical line on an exposure target, among exposure elements arranged in a two-dimensional manner with an inclination of relative...

20060132748 - Exposure system, exposure method and method for manufacturing a semiconductor device: An exposure system includes: an illumination optical system defining, in an effective illumination source plane, a center region forming a perpendicularly incident light and first and second eccentric regions forming obliquely incident lights having a perpendicular electric vector component perpendicular to a straight line connecting the first and second eccentric...

20060132746 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method utilizing hexagonal image grids: An apparatus and system that form a hexagonal exposed spot grid on a substrate. This is accomplished by using a patterning device that directs a patterned beam onto a microlens array, which forms Fourier transformed spots of the pattered beam at the substrate. Through at least one of (a) moving...

20060132747 - Optical element for an illumination system: There is provided an optical element for an illumination system for wavelengths of ≦193 nm. The illumination sytem includes a light source, a field plane, an exit pupil, and a plurality of facets. The plurality of facets receives light from the light source and guides the light to a plurality...

20060132750 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus comprises an illumination system for supplying a beam of radiation, a patterning arrangement incorporating an array of individually controllable elements for imparting a pattern to the beam cross-section, a substrate table for supporting a substrate, and a projection system incorporating a microlens array for projecting the beam...

20060132749 - Method of imaging using lithographic projection apparatus: A method is provided for compensating for the effect of flare due to stray radiation in use of a projection system of lithographic apparatus to project a radiation beam patterned by a patterning device to produce a pattern image in an image plane. The method comprising establishing a power spectral...

20060132751 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method utilizing an microlens array at a image plane: A lithographic apparatus includes a radiation system, a patterning device, and a projection system. The patterning device patterns a beam of radiation from the radiation system. The projection system projects the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate. The projection system comprising a pupil positioned at a pupil...

20060126037 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: The present invention relates to the method of reducing contamination of an immersion liquid in a lithographic apparatus when a closing surface is used to confine liquid in a liquid supply system. To avoid or reduce particulate contamination caused by the closing surface colliding with the liquid supply system, the...

20060126036 - Uniformity correction for lithographic apparatus: A uniformity correction module for improving the uniformity of a radiation distribution in a rectangular illumination slit having two longer sides and two shorter sides, including a plurality of movable blades arranged along each long side of the illumination slit and a chamber containing a fluid wherein said movable blades...

20060126038 - Substrate placement in immersion lithography: 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...

20060126045 - Coupling apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device fabricating method: An exposure apparatus is an exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate by filling a liquid between a projection optical system and the substrate, and projecting a pattern image onto the substrate via the projection optical system and the liquid, wherein the projection optical system has a first group comprising an...

20060126043 - Exposure apparatus and method for producing device: An exposure apparatus performs an exposure of a substrate by filling at least a portion of the space between a projection optical system and the substrate with a liquid and projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate via the projection optical system and the liquid. The apparatus includes...

20060126044 - Exposure apparatus and method for producing device: A liquid immersion type exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system for projecting a pattern of a mask onto a substrate, a liquid film forming system for forming a liquid film in a predetermined region between the projection optical system and the substrate, and a sensor for detecting disappearance of...

20060126041 - Lithographic apparatus: A vacuum operated lithographic apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a vacuum housing for providing a vacuum environment to a support constructed to support a patterning device, or a substrate table, or a projection system, or any combination thereof. An interior of the vacuum housing includes a plurality of transport...

20060126039 - Multiple system vibration isolator: A vibration isolator (200) for isolating a first assembly (206) from vibration from a second assembly (208) includes a first system (202) and a second system (204) coupled to the first system (202). In one embodiment, the first system (202) supports the majority of the first assembly (206) relative to...

20060126042 - Reticle-processing system: The present invention corrects automatically the wrong orientation of a reticle-carrying container 11. The present invention includes a reticle-processing system having the reticle-carrying container 11, transfer means (4, 5) for transferring the reticle-carrying container 11, a light exposure apparatus for printing a circuit pattern, and a reticle stocker 2 for...

20060126040 - Support device and lightographic apparatus: To correctly transfer a pattern to a substrate, or transfer any other pattern having small features, a transfer of vibrations from an external support structure, e.g. a floor, is minimized by using a vibration isolation support device, e.g. an airmount. To improve the vibration isolation characteristics of the airmount, the...

20060126046 - Lithographic apparatus and method for optimizing illumination using a photolithographic simulation: A method of configuring a transfer of an image of a patterning device pattern onto a substrate with a lithographic apparatus. The method includes determining an intermediate illumination arrangement parameter and an intermediate patterning device parameter by varying an initial illumination arrangement parameter and an initial patterning device parameter using...

20060126047 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: An array of individually controllable elements for use in lithography in which each of the individually controllable elements is comprised of a planar reflector mounted on supports on a substrate by way of elongate hinges....

20060126048 - Projection optical system and exposure apparatus having the same: A projection optical system used for an exposure apparatus to projecting a reduced size of an image of an object onto an image plane includes plural refractive elements that dispense with a reflective element having a substantial optical power, wherein the projection optical system forms an intermediate image....

20060126049 - Illumination system for a microlithography projection exposure apparatus: An illumination system for a microlithography projection exposure apparatus is designed for illuminating an illumination field with an illumination radiation with a predeterminable degree of coherence σ, it being possible to adjust the degree of coherence within a degree of coherence range extending into the range of very small degrees...

20060126051 - Exposure apparatus: An exposure apparatus which exposes substrates to a pattern on a master. The apparatus includes first, second and third chucks which hold the substrates, a first fine adjustment stage which holds the first chuck to perform fine driving, a second fine adjustment stage which holds the second chuck to perform...

20060126050 - Substrate holding device, substrate holding method and substrate heating device: A substrate holding device comprises a holding table for holding a substrate, heating means for heating the holding table, and attraction means for causing the substrate to be attracted onto the holding table. When the substrate which has warped is placed on the holding table heated by the heating means,...

20060126053 - Apparatus for characterization of photoresist resolution, and method of use: An optical apparatus used for the efficient characterization of photoresist material includes at least one grating interferometer having at least two gratings that together define an optical recombination plane. An optical stop blocks any zeroth order beam from propagating through the apparatus. A reticle positioned at the recombination plane has...

20060126052 - Reticle-carrying container: The present invention allows a reticle-carrying container 11 to be fastened in a reticle stocker 2 even if the reticle-carrying container 11 is wrongly oriented. The reticle-carrying container 11 includes an interior with an opening at one end for storing a reticle 12, a door 14 for covering and blocking...

20060114432 - Reticle thermal detector: A reticle thermal detector for measuring a thermal condition and distortion of a reticle prior to photolithography is disclosed. The reticle thermal detector includes a mechanism for determining a degree of distortion of the reticle. An alarm is connected to the mechanism for activation by the mechanism when the reticle...

20060114434 - Apparatus to easily measure reticle blind positioning with an exposure apparatus: An exposure apparatus and printed wafer such that a design is printed within a peripheral portion of the wafer. The peripheral portion of the wafer is between an outer boundary of an active portion of the wafer and an outer boundary of the wafer. The exposure apparatus comprises a lens,...

20060114435 - Environmental system including vacuum scavenge for an immersion lithography apparatus: An environmental system controls an environment in a gap between an optical assembly and a device and includes a fluid barrier and an immersion fluid system. The fluid barrier is positioned near the device. The immersion fluid system delivers an immersion fluid that fills the gap and collects the immersion...

20060114433 - Exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: Disclosed is an exposure apparatus for projecting, by exposure, a pattern of an original onto a substrate, the exposure apparatus including comprising a light blocking system for blocking at least a portion of exposure light, a driving system for moving the light blocking system, and a reaction force absorbing system...

20060114437 - Lithographic projection apparatus and device manufacturing method using such lithographic projection apparatus: A lithographic projection apparatus includes a measurement system for measuring changes in projection system aberrations with time, and a predictive control system for predicting variation of projection system aberrations with time on the basis of model parameters and for generating a control signal for compensating a time-varying property of the...

20060114436 - Using unflatness information of the substrate table or mask table for decreasing overlay: 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...

20060114438 - Maskless lithography systems and methods utilizing spatial light modulator arrays: A maskless lithography system that writes patterns on an object. The system can include an illumination system, the object, spatial light modulators (SLMs), and a controller. The SLMs can pattern light from the illumination system before the object receives the light. The SLMs can include a leading set and a...

20060114440 - Direct exposure apparatus and direct exposure method: A direct exposure apparatus having a light source for projecting light onto an exposure target or, more specifically, an exposure target substrate, comprises: measuring means for measuring the illuminance distribution of light on an area corresponding to the exposure surface of the exposure target substrate; and control means for controlling,...

20060114439 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus including an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam is described. The illumination system includes radiation beam uniformity adjuster for adjusting the uniformity of the radiation beam using segments that are at least partly arranged in the radiation beam and that are mounted on a frame...

20060114441 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to provide a beam of radiation, a support configured to support a patterning device, a substrate table and a projection system. Furthermore, the lithographic apparatus includes a plurality of EUV sources for providing EUV radiation to the illumination system and a distributor...

20060114443 - Exposure apparatus including a non-contact utilities transfer assembly: An apparatus (10) for positioning a device (228) includes a stage assembly (218) and a first transfer device (268A). The stage assembly (218) positions the device (228) and includes a device stage (250) that retains the device (228). The stage assembly (218) positions the device (228) in a work area...

20060114445 - Exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: A hydrostatic bearing is provided opposite to a wafer on a table. The hydrostatic bearing maintains the distance between the bearing surface and the wafer in the direction of the optical axis of a projection optical system at a predetermined value....

20060114444 - Pattern control system: A pattern control system for cooling a wafer prior to a photolithography exposure step. The pattern control system includes a wafer transfer pathway for transferring the wafer in a photolithography process and at least one cooling module provided along the wafer transfer pathway for cooling the wafer. Cooling of the...

20060114442 - Substrate table, method of measuring a position of a substrate and a lithographic apparatus: The invention relates to a substrate table arranged to support a substrate provided with at least one substrate mark. The at least one substrate mark having a position that can be measured using an alignment system. The substrate table is provided with an optical system having a magnification factor deviating...

20060114446 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic method and apparatus used to pattern an object. An illumination system supplies a beam of radiation. An array of individually controllable elements patterns the beam. The patterned beam is projected by a projection system on to a substrate supported on a substrate table. Individual elements of the array...