Photocopying inventions 01/08

20080024741 - Lithographic apparatus with planar motor driven support: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system that conditions a radiation beam, a patterning support holding a patterning device that patterns the radiation beam, a substrate support to hold a substrate, a projection system to project the patterned radiation beam onto the substrate, an additional support, and a flexible line... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080024742 - Substrate stage and heat treatment apparatus: A stage body has a holding surface for placing a substrate thereon. A predetermined embossed configuration is formed by embossing on the holding surface, and thereafter an alumina film in an amorphous state is formed by an anodic oxidation process on the holding surface. The alumina film having an amorphous... Agent: Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen

20080024744 - System and method to compensate for critical dimension non-uniformity in a lithography system: A system and method are used to compensate for critical dimension non-uniformity caused by different polarization directions in an illumination beam. A system comprises a source of radiation and an optical system. The source of radiation produces a beam of radiation. The optical system is configured to transmit a first... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20080024745 - Patterning device utilizing sets of stepped mirrors and method of using same: A system and method are used to independently control multiple parameters of a patterned beam. This can be performed using a patterning device configured to pattern a beam of radiation comprising a controller and an array of stepped mirrors. The array comprises a plurality of sets of four of the... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20080024748 - Lithographic apparatus, method of calibrating a lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus includes a system to compensate for the effect of thermal distortion of the substrate table on position measurements of the substrate table using lateral mirrors in the substrate table. Methods of calibrating a lithographic apparatus using various substrate table scan trajectories and measurements of the localized position... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080024750 - Image reading apparatus: An image reading apparatus configured to read a document positioned on a document positioning plate includes an apparatus body, the document positioning plate mounted on the apparatus body, a document cover configured to press the document against the document positioning plate, a hinge member attached to the document cover and... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division

20080024743 - Lithography system, method of heat dissipation and frame: The present invention relates to a lithography system for projecting an image or an image pattern on to a target such as a wafer. Energy that is accumulated in the target by the projection of the image or image pattern is removed from said target, such that expansion by local... Agent: Blakely Sokoloff Taylor & Zafman

20080024746 - Microlithography projection system with an accessible diaphragm or aperture stop: The invention relates to a microlithography projection lens for wavelengths≦248 nm ≦, preferably ≦193 mm, in particular EUV lithography for wavelengths ranging from 1-30 nm for imaging an object field in an object plane onto an image field in an image plane, the microlithography projection lens developed in such a... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080024747 - Exposure method and apparatus, and method for fabricating device: An exposure method and apparatus simultaneously transfer patterns with various pitches with high resolution. On the pupil surface of an illumination system, nine areas are set. The nine areas are a first area including the optical axis, four second areas each smaller than the first area and arranged along a... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080024749 - Low mass six degree of freedom stage for lithography tools: A reticle or wafer stage mover with six degrees of freedom, a low mass coarse stage, and the ability to move an object in a scanning direction in a lithography tool. The mover includes a coarse stage and a fine stage configured to support the object and supported by the... Agent: Klarquist Sparkman, LLP

20080024751 - Reticle holding member, reticle stage, exposure apparatus, projection-exposure method and device manufacturing method: Reticle-holding members are disclosed that prevent a reticle from falling from the reticle stage of an exposure device, even in event of a power failure, and that maintain flatness of the reticle surface on which the pattern is formed. In an exemplary configuration a reticle-holding member is configured to hold... Agent: Klarquist Sparkman, LLP

20080024752 - Contact printing oxide-based electrically active micro-features: Contact printing can be used to form electrically active micro-features on a substrate. An ink formulation containing an oxide precursor is used to form the micro-features, which are heat cured to form oxides. Various precursors are illustrated which can be used to form conducting, insulating, and semiconductor micro-features.... Agent: Hewlett Packard Company

20080018868 - Circulation system for high refractive index liquid in pattern forming apparatus: A circulation system for a high refractive index liquid includes a first collecting section configured to collect a high refractive index liquid used in an immersion light exposure section; a first supply section configured to supply the high refractive index liquid collected in the first collecting section to a cleaning... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080018874 - Inspection method and apparatus, lithographic apparatus, lithographic processing cell and device manufacturing method: In a scatterometric method differential targets with different sensitivities to parameters of interest are printed in a calibration matrix and difference spectra obtained. principal component analysis is applied to the difference spectra to obtain a calibration function that is less sensitive to variations in the underlying structure than a calibration... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080018876 - Collector for an illumination system: Collectors with mirror shells arranged inside each other, illumination systems equipped with such collectors, projection exposure apparatuses equipped with such illumination systems, methods of manufacturing microelectronic components with such projection exposure apparatuses, and related systems, components and methods are disclosed.... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080018875 - Imprint lithography: A method of depositing an imprintable medium onto a target area of a substrate for imprint lithography is disclosed. The method includes moving the substrate, a print head comprising a nozzle to eject an imprintable medium onto the substrate, or both, relative to the other in a first direction across... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080018877 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A control system to control a position parameter of a stage in a lithographic apparatus includes a stage controller to control a position parameter of the stage in at least a first direction. The control system includes a disturbance torque estimator to estimate a disturbance torque on the stage, the... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080018866 - Exposure apparatus and device producing method: An exposure apparatus is provided that performs well a liquid supply operation for forming a liquid immersion region and a liquid recovery operation to form a liquid immersion region in a desired state, thereby allowing high exposure accuracy and high measurement accuracy. The exposure apparatus (EX) exposes a substrate (P)... Agent: Staas & Halsey

20080018869 - Exposure apparatus, exposure method, method for manufacturing device: An exposure apparatus has a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of a reticle onto a substrate, and exposes the substrate to light via the reticle and the projection optical system with a space between the projection optical system and the substrate filled with liquid. The apparatus includes... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080018867 - Maintenance method, maintenance device, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus is provided with a nozzle member that has at least one of a supply outlet which supplies the liquid and a collection inlet which recovers the liquid. By immersing the nozzle member in cleaning liquid LK stored in container, the nozzle member is cleaned.... Agent: Miles & Stockbridge PC

20080018870 - Projection optical system, exposure apparatus, exposure system, and exposure method: An exposure apparatus for performing exposure of a predetermined pattern on a photosensitive substrate, comprising an objective optical system that forms an image of the predetermined pattern in a field region of a substantially rectangular shape, in an exposure region on the photosensitive substrate; and a transformer that transforms the... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080018873 - Exposure apparatus and method for manufacturing device: An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by projecting an image of a pattern, via an projection optical system and a liquid of a liquid immersion area formed on the substrate, onto the substrate, includes a liquid supply mechanism having supply ports for supplying the liquid on both sides of... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080018871 - Immersion exposure technique: An exposure apparatus including a projection optical system which projects a pattern of an original onto an exposed surface of a substrate, and a supply nozzle configured to supply the liquid through a supply opening into a gap between a final surface of the projection optical system and a part... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20080018872 - Method and apparatus for manufacturing diamond shaped chips: In a first aspect, an inventive apparatus for imaging a chip on a wafer includes a combined diamond chip image and kerf image having a plurality of sloped sides. The combined diamond chip image and kerf image includes a diamond chip image comprising a plurality of chip image rows that... Agent: Ibm Corporation C/o Sally Redfern

20080013059 - Lithographic apparatus, radiation sensor and method of manufacturing a radiation sensor: A radiation sensor includes a radiation receiver positioned in a focal plane of the final element of the projection system; a transmissive plate supporting the radiation receiver at a side facing the projection system; a quantum conversion layer to absorb light at the first wavelength incident on the transmissive plate... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080013058 - Pneumatic spring apparatus, vibration-proof apparatus, stage apparatus and exposure apparatus: A high performance pneumatic spring apparatus is provided without increasing the sizes of the apparatus. The pneumatic spring apparatuses KB1-KB4 are provided with gas chambers AR filled with a gas at a prescribed pressure. The gas chamber AR is provided with an adjustment apparatus SW for adjusting a temperature change... Agent: Staas & Halsey LLP

20080013068 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed having a support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting a radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam, the support including a support clamp constructed to clamp the patterning device to the... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080013062 - Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus includes an optical system that irradiates a first exposure light with a first wavelength onto a first exposure field and irradiates a second exposure light with a second wavelength different from the first wavelength onto a second exposure field, a predetermined field on the substrate being multiply... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080013061 - Exposure method, exposure apparatus, photomask and method for manufacturing photomask: There is disclosed an exposure method is a method of projecting patterns (M1, M2) of a mask (M) onto a substrate to effect exposure thereof, through a plurality of projection optical units each having an enlargement magnification, and the exposure method comprises: placing the mask (M) having first pattern regions... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080013060 - Support apparatus, stage apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: A support apparatus, a stage apparatus, an exposure apparatus, etc. are proposed that can increase response of a relative movement between a piston and a cylinder, etc. are proposed. There is provided a support apparatus including: a cylinder portion; a piston portion that is provided inside the cylinder portion and... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080013063 - Optical imaging device: There is provided an optical imaging device, in particular for microlithography, comprising at least one optical element and at least one holding device associated to the optical element (109), wherein the holding device holds the optical element and a first part (109.1) of the optical element contacts a first atmosphere... Agent: Ohlandt, Greeley, Ruggiero & Perle, LLP

20080013064 - Exposure apparatus, maintenance method, exposure method, and method for producing device: An exposure apparatus EX includes a liquid immersion system and an exchange system which performs exchange of the liquid immersion member. The exchange system has a holding device which holds the liquid immersion member detachably and a transport device. By using the exchange system, it is possible to suppress the... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080013065 - Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus illumination optics: Optics, such as, for example, microlithographic projection exposure apparatus illumination optics, as well as related systems, methods, components and devices are disclosed.... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080013066 - Illumination system for microlithography: An illumination system for a microlithography projection exposure apparatus for illuminating an illumination field with the light from an assigned light source includes a pupil shaping unit for receiving light from the assigned light source and for generating a predeterminable basic light distribution in a pupil plane of the illumination... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20080013067 - Exposure apparatus: When exposing a predetermined pattern on a photosensitive material of a plate-like laminated body formed by applying a photosensitive film, which is formed of the photosensitive material and a support medium stacked on top of another, on a substrate with the photosensitive material toward the substrate, the reaction of the... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20080007704 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: An immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed in which a gas knife is shaped and a liquid removal device is positioned to improve removal of liquid from the surface of the substrate.... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080007705 - In-situ interferometer arrangement: An in-situ interferometer includes an image modifying optic that produces light ray bundles. The light ray bundles are projected onto a reticle with a plurality of measurement fiducials encoded onto a face of the reticle. The measurement fiducials are exposed onto a sensing plane and their locations measured. Aberrations in... Agent: Heller Ehrman LLP

20080007706 - Method of optimizing imaging performance: A method of optimizing an imaging performance of a projection exposure system is provided, wherein the projection exposure system includes an illumination optical system for illuminating a patterning structure and a projection optical system for imaging a region of the illuminated patterning structure onto a corresponding field. The method involves... Agent: Jones Day