Photocopying inventions 02/07

20070040999 - Method for the removal of deposition on an optical element, method for the protection of an optical element, device manufacturing method, apparatus including an optical element, and lithographic apparatus: A method for the removal of a deposition on an optical element of an apparatus including the optical element includes providing an H2 containing gas and one or more additional compounds selected from the group of hydrocarbon compounds and silane compounds in at least part of the apparatus includes producing... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20070041000 - Pattern formed body and method for manufacturing same: A main object of the present invention is to provide a pattern formed body capable of forming highly precise functional parts on various base materials, and a method for manufacturing the same. To achieve the object, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a pattern formed body, having a... Agent: Seyfarth Shaw LLP

20070041002 - Liquid immersion lithography system with tilted liquid flow: A liquid immersion lithography system including a projection optical system for directing electromagnetic radiation onto a substrate, and a showerhead for delivering liquid flow between the projection optical system and the substrate. The showerhead includes an injection nozzle and a retrieval nozzle located at different heights. The liquid flow is... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC

20070041001 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic projection apparatus in which a liquid supply system and the geometry of the objects on the substrate table are arranged to avoid high velocity immersion liquid flowing over sensors.... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20070041003 - Focus blur measurement and control method: A method for optimizing imaging and process parameter settings in a lithographic pattern imaging and processing system. The method includes correlating the dimensions of a first set of at least one control pattern printed in a lithographic resist layer, measured at three or more locations on or within the pattern... Agent: Delio & Peterson, LLC

20070041004 - Illumination optical system, projection/exposure device, micro device manufacturing method, illumination device manufacturing method, projection/exposure device adjustment method, and projection/exposure device manufacturing method: An object of this invention is to reduce even slight irregularities in illumination that occur after assembly of an optical system. To this end, in an exemplary illumination-optical system, a light source that emits extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light, a collimator, a fly's-eye mirror, and a condenser are positioned, in this... Agent: Klarquist Sparkman, LLP

20070035708 - Exposure apparatus: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an exposure apparatus which includes a chamber, an evacuating device configured to evacuate the chamber, a sensor configured to measure at least any one of the position and the height of a substrate, and a cover for hermetically sealing at least part... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division

20070035709 - End effector with integrated illumination system for reticle pre-alignment sensors: An apparatus includes a first support structure configured to support an element that has an alignment marker. The apparatus also includes an alignment sensor comprising a light source that is integrally formed on the first support structure and is configured to provide a light beam that illuminates the alignment marker... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20070035711 - Exposure apparatus and method for producing device: An exposure apparatus performs exposure for a substrate by filling a space between a projection optical system and the substrate with a liquid and projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate through the liquid by using the projection optical system. The exposure apparatus includes a substrate stage for... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20070035710 - Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and method for producing device: A device manufacturing method includes the steps of providing an immersion liquid between a substrate and at least a portion of a projection system of a lithographic projection apparatus, wherein a non-radiation sensitive material is carried by the substrate, the non-radiation sensitive material being at least partially transparent to radiation... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20070035712 - System and method for measuring and analyzing lithographic parameters and determining optimal process corrections: A method of using an in-situ aerial image sensor array is disclosed to separate and remove the focal plane variations caused by the image sensor array non-flatness and/or by the exposure tool by collecting sensor image data at various nominal focal planes and by determining best focus at each sampling... Agent: White & Case LLP Patent Department

20070035713 - Exposure apparatus: An exposure apparatus includes a first structure which supports a projection unit which projects an exposure beam onto a substrate, a first anti-vibration supporting leg which includes a first actuator and supports the first structure, a second structure which supports a substrate stage which aligns the substrate, a second anti-vibration... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20070035715 - Exposure apparatus for manufacturing semiconductors and method for inspecting pellicles: Example embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus for manufacturing semiconductors and a method of inspecting a pellicle. Other example embodiments of the present invention relate to an exposure apparatus for manufacturing semiconductors. The apparatus may include a reticle, a pellicle and a reticle chuck. The reticle may... Agent: Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C

20070035714 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method utilizing a metrology system: A system and method include an object supported on a moveable support, an optical system that transmits radiation onto the object, a support having an aperture therethrough, a sensor system coupled to the support, and a control system coupled to the sensor system and the moveable support. The sensor system... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC

20070035716 - Exposure method: An exposure method for exposing a pattern of a reticle onto a plate using a light from a light source and an optical system includes the steps of obtaining a relationship between an exposure parameter that determines a mode to expose a plate, and an electrical characteristic of a device... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20070035717 - Contact lithography apparatus, system and method: A contact lithography system includes a patterning tool bearing a pattern; a substrate chuck for chucking a substrate to receive the pattern from the patterning tool; where the system deflects a portion of either the patterning tool or the substrate to bring the patterning tool and a portion of the... Agent: Hewlett Packard Company

20070030462 - Low spring constant, pneumatic suspension with vacuum chamber, air bearing, active force compensation, and sectioned vacuum chambers: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to an apparatus for providing a low spring constant, pneumatic suspension using vacuum for the lens in a projection system. In one embodiment, a pneumatic suspension system for a load comprises a frame; and a body movably disposed in the frame and spaced... Agent: Townsend And Townsend And Crew, LLP

20070030465 - Exposure apparatus and a device manfacturing method using the same: A scanning type exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system which projects a pattern of a reticle onto a wafer, which is held by a wafer chuck, a scanning stage system which scanningly moves the reticle and the wafer synchronously with respect the projection optical system, and an inspection system... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20070030466 - Exposure apparatus control method, exposure method and apparatus using the control method, and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus control method maintains good characteristics of optical elements for a long period of time. The partial pressure of a deterioration causing gas, which is an oxidizing gas or a coating forming gas, is monitored by a mass spectrometry apparatus. A deterioration suppressing gas from a gas supply... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20070030464 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A gas knife configured to dry a surface in an immersion lithographic apparatus is optimized to remove liquid by ensuring that a pressure gradient is built up in the liquid film on the surface being dried.... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20070030463 - Lithographic projection apparatus, gas purging method, device manufacturing method and purge gas supply system: A lithographic projection apparatus (1) includes a support configured to support a patterning device (MA), the patterning device configured to pattern the projection beam according to a desired pattern. The apparatus has a substrate (W) table configure to hold a substrate, a projection system configured to project the patterned beam... Agent: Hamilton, Brook, Smith & Reynolds, P.C.

20070030467 - Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and device fabricating method: The present invention provides an exposure apparatus that can satisfactorily perform a measurement process and can accurately perform an exposure process, even if a liquid immersion method is applied to a twin stage type exposure apparatus. An exposure apparatus (EX) comprises: two substrate stages (PST1, PST2) each capable of holding... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20070030468 - Optical element and projection exposure apparatus based on use of the optical element: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system (PL) which projects an image of a pattern onto a substrate (W) and a unit (5) which supplies a liquid (7) between an optical element (4) at the end of the projection optical system (PL) and the substrate (W). A... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20070030469 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: The projection system of a lithographic apparatus has a plurality of pupil planes and at least two irises provided in respective pupil planes each optimized to provide a high degree of NA uniformity over a respective NA range so that a high degree of NA uniformity can be provided over... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20070030470 - 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... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC

20070030471 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method using dose control: A system and method are used to manufacture a device using at least one exposure step. Each exposure step projects a patterned beam of radiation onto a substrate. The patterned beam includes a plurality of pixels. Each pixel delivers a radiation dose no greater than a predetermined normal maximum dose... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC

20070030472 - System and method for determining maximum operational parameters used in maskless applications: A lithographic method and apparatus for determining operational parameters of a maskless lithography tool. In an embodiment, an amount of data in a datapath of the maskless lithography system is reduced. A maximum value of at least one operational parameter of the maskless lithography system is determined responsive to the... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC

20070024829 - Driving unit, exposure apparatus using the same, and device fabrication method: A driving unit includes an actuator for actuating a target and a magnetic dampener for controlling a vibration of the target, wherein the driving unit controls the vibration of the target, which is generated by the actuation of the actuator, by using the magnetic dampener.... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20070024830 - Illumination compensator for curved surface lithography: A zero power identical pair of oppositely-oriented meniscus lens elements mounted in the projection light path, serves as curved mask support while compensating for optical anomalies such as beam shift and beam deviations produced by other transparent supports for the curved mask. The zero-power meniscus lens pair, without affecting the... Agent: Anvik Corporation

20070024831 - A method and apparatus for correcting gravitational sag in photomasks used in the production of electronic devices: In a projection apparatus for projecting optical images, an optical mask support stage having a pair of separated arms. Each arm being provided with a respective mask chucking bar that supports a respective edge of a thin glass mask and applies to the respective edge a bending moment away from... Agent: Francis J. Thornton

20070024832 - Exposure apparatus and method for producing device: An exposure apparatus, wherein exposure is carried out while filling a space between a projection optical system and a substrate with a liquid, enables to suppress deterioration of a pattern image caused by any bubble in the liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a liquid supply unit 1 which fills at... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20070024834 - Apparatus and process for determination of dynamic scan field curvature: A process for the determination of focal plane deviation uniquely due to the scanning dynamics associated with a photolithographic scanner is described. A series of lithographic exposures is performed on a resist coated silicon wafer using a photolithographic scanner. The lithographic exposures produce an array of focusing fiducials that are... Agent: Heller Ehrman LLP

20070024833 - 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... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20070024838 - Exposure apparatus and exposure method, and method of manufacturing electrical wiring board: This invention provides: an exposure apparatus and exposure method based on a maskless exposure technique which uses a two-dimensional optical modulator, in which maskless exposure technique, the exposure apparatus and exposure method employ a first irradiation source optics for drawing a pattern based on exposure pattern data, and a second... Agent: Antonelli, Terry, Stout & Kraus, LLP

20070024836 - Illumination system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus: An Illumination system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus has a light source and a first optical raster element that is positioned in or in close proximity to a first plane. The first plane is conjugated to a pupil plane of the illumination system by Fourier transformation. A second optical... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20070024835 - Method for improving illumination uniformity in exposure process, and exposure apparatus: A method for improving illumination uniformity in an exposure process is described, wherein a light source, a reticle and a projection system are used to expose a substrate in the exposure process. A realtime adjustable gray filter like a gray LCD panel is placed in the light path between the... Agent: J C Patents, Inc.

20070024837 - Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus with immersion projection lens: A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes an illumination system and a projection lens which images a reticle onto a photosensitive layer. The projection exposure apparatus further includes an immersion arrangement for introducing an immersion liquid into an immersion interspace between a last optical element of the projection lens on the... Agent: Young & Basile, P.C.

20070024839 - Exposure apparatus and method for manufacturing device using the exposure apparatus: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an exposure apparatus which includes an illumination optical system configured to irradiate a mask with light from a light source, and a projecting optical system configured to project a pattern image of the mask onto a substrate. The illumination optical system provides... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division