Photocopying inventions 09/08

20080231823 - Apparatus and methods for reducing the escape of immersion liquid from immersion lithography apparatus: A stage assembly includes a workpiece table that supports the workpiece adjacent to an optical assembly. An environmental system supplies and removes immersion liquid to and from a space between the workpiece and the optical assembly to form an immersion area. The environmental system has a lower surface disposed opposite... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080231820 - Contamination prevention system, a lithographic apparatus, a radiation source and a method for manufacturing a device: A contamination prevention system constructed and arranged to prevent material emanating from a radiation source from propagating with radiation from the radiation source into or within a lithographic apparatus. The contamination prevention system includes a channel barrier constructed and arranged to traverse the radiation from the radiation source. The channel... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080231825 - Exposure apparatus and method for producing device: An exposure apparatus includes an optical element via which a patterned beam is projected onto a substrate through exposure liquid filled in a space between the optical element and the substrate. The apparatus also includes a member having a flow passage in which exposure liquid flows, the flow passage being... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080231821 - Exposure method of a semiconductor device: An exposure method of a semiconductor device includes the steps of: providing a wafer on which a photoresist is coated; rotating and aligning a reticle and the wafer so that a swing direction of a light source passing through the reticle is identical to a direction of a word line... Agent: Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP

20080231824 - Liquid recovery member, exposure apparatus, exposing method, and device fabricating method: An exposure apparatus comprises a recovery member that recover a liquid. The recovery ability with which the recovery member recovers the liquid differs in accordance with the region of the recovery member.... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080231822 - Nozzle to help reduce the escape of immersion liquid from an immersion lithography tool: An immersion lithography tool with a diverter element, positioned between the immersion element and the substrate, for altering the “footprint” or shape of the meniscus of the body of immersion liquid between the last optical element and an immersion element on one side, and the substrate on the other side... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080231826 - Uniform background radiation in maskless lithography: A device manufacturing method comprising applying patterns to a plurality of arrays of individually controllable elements, such that they modulate a beam of radiation, and projecting the modulated beam of radiation onto a substrate. The patterns applied to the arrays of individually controllable elements are arranged such that pre-determined amounts... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20080225246 - Apparatus and methods for keeping immersion fluid adjacent to an optical assembly during wafer exchange in an immersion lithography machine: Apparatus and methods keep immersion liquid in a space adjacent to an optical assembly. An optical assembly projects an image onto a substrate supported adjacent to the optical assembly by a substrate table. An insertion member insertable into the space between the optical assembly and the substrate, the substrate table,... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080225248 - Apparatus, systems and methods for removing liquid from workpiece during workpiece processing: Apparatus, systems and methods remove liquid from a workpiece. A first station subjects a workpiece to processing that leaves a liquid on a surface of the workpiece. A second station is disposed at a location spaced apart from the first station. A porous member is disposed between the first and... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080225245 - Euv debris mitigation filter and method for fabricating semiconductor dies using same: According to one exemplary embodiment, an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source collector module for use in a lithographic tool comprises an EUV debris mitigation filter. The EUV debris mitigation filter can be in the form of an aerogel film, and can be used in combination with an EUV debris mitigation module... Agent: Farjami & Farjami LLP

20080225249 - Exposure apparatus and method for producing device: An exposure apparatus includes an optical element via which a patterned beam is projected onto a substrate through exposure liquid filled in a space between the optical element and the substrate. The apparatus also includes a member having a surface and movable to a position at which the surface of... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080225250 - Exposure apparatus and method for producing device: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes an optical element via which a patterned beam is projected onto a substrate in an exposure operation, a liquid supply system having a supply port from which exposure liquid is supplied, and a member which has a surface and which is different from the... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080225251 - Immersion optical lithography system having protective optical coating: An immersion lithography system is provided which includes an optical source operable to produce light having a nominal wavelength and an optical imaging system. The optical imaging system has an optical element in an optical path from the optical source to an article to be patterned thereby. The optical element... Agent: International Business Machines Corporation Dept. 18g

20080225244 - Lithographic apparatus and method: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system constructed and arranged to condition a beam of radiation, and a support structure constructed and arranged to support a patterning device. The patterning device is configured to impart the beam of radiation with a pattern in its cross-section. The apparatus also includes a... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080225247 - Optical element unit for exposure processes: An optical element unit including a first optical element module and a sealing arrangement is disclosed. The first optical element module occupies a first module space and includes a first module component of a first component type and an associated second module component of a second component type. The first... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080225252 - Device manufacturing method, lithographic apparatus, and a computer program: A device manufacturing method includes exposing a substrate with a patterned beam of radiation formed by a reticle mounted on a displaceable reticle stage, determining a non-linear function for approximating a height and a tilt profile of a surface of the reticle with respect to the reticle stage, and controlling... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080225253 - Damper for a stage assembly: A stage assembly (220) that moves a work piece (200) along a first axis includes a stage base (236), a guide bar (238), a device table (240) that retains the work piece (200), a mover assembly (242), and a damper (225). The damper (225) can be a passive, electromagnetic damper... Agent: Roeder & Broder LLP

20080225254 - Photomask, photomask superimposition correcting method, and manufacturing method of semiconductor device: In a photomask in which a device pattern, an alignment mark and a superimposition inspection mark are formed on a light transmitting base, each of the alignment mark and the superimposition inspection mark includes a main mark portion, and first and second auxiliary pattern portions. The main mark portion is... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20080225255 - Conforming seats for clamps used in mounting an optical element, and optical systems comprising same: Clamps are disclosed for holding an optical element relative to a support. An exemplary clamp includes first and second arms and a member connecting the arms such that a portion of a mounting feature of the optical element is between the first and second arms. The first arm applies a... Agent: Klarquist Sparkman, LLP

20080225258 - Euv illumination system having a folding geometry: There is provided an illumination system. The illumination system includes a source of light having a wavelength of less than or equal to about 193 nm, a first facet, a second facet, and a reflective element. The light is incident on the first facet via a first path, propagates from... Agent: Ohlandt, Greeley, Ruggiero & Perle, LLP

20080225259 - Illumination system with variable adjustment of the illumination: An illumination system comprises (a) a first optical element upon which a light beam impinges, where the first optical element has first raster elements that partition said light beam into light channels; (b) a second optical element that receives said light channels, where the second optical element has a second... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080225256 - Optical integrator system, illumination optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: An optical integrator system comprises a first optical integrator including a plurality of first wavefront dividing elements two-dimensionally juxtaposed, and a second optical integrator including a plurality of second wavefront dividing elements two-dimensionally juxtaposed. Each of the first wavefront dividing elements is so constructed that rays obliquely incident to a... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080225257 - Optical integrator system, illumination optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: An optical integrator system comprises a first optical integrator including a plurality of first wavefront dividing elements arranged in juxtaposition along a predetermined direction, and a second optical integrator including a plurality of second wavefront dividing elements arranged in juxtaposition along the predetermined direction, which are arranged in order from... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080225260 - Illuminator for a lithographic apparatus and method: An illuminator for a lithographic apparatus, the illuminator including an illumination mode defining element and a plurality of polarization modifiers, the polarization modifiers being moveable into or out of partial intersection with a radiation beam having an angular and spatial distribution as governed by an illumination mode defining element.... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080225261 - Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus is configured so that a wafer carrier robot can deliver a wafer to a wafer holder held by a holder carrier robot or can carry out a wafer from the wafer holder held by the holder carrier robot, under a reduced-pressure environment. According to the apparatus, even... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20080218708 - Exposure apparatus and method of manufacturing device: An exposure apparatus is configured to transfer a pattern to a substrate by exposing the substrate to light via a reticle. The apparatus comprises an inspection unit configured to inspect the reticle, an exposure unit configured to expose the substrate to light via the reticle inspected by the inspection unit,... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20080218710 - Exposure apparatus, image forming apparatus and heating method: The exposure apparatus is provided with: a substrate; plural light emitting elements that are arranged in a line on a first surface of the substrate; and a heating unit that heats the substrate from the first surface side.... Agent: Sughrue Mion, Pllc

20080218711 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: An immersion lithography apparatus is disclosed having a liquid supply system configured to at least partially fill a space between a final element of a projection system and a substrate table, with a first liquid, and a measurement system configured to measure a location of each of a plurality of... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080218712 - Lithographic apparatus, cleaning system and cleaning method for in situ removing contamination from a component in a lithographic apparatus: An immersion lithographic apparatus includes a cleaning system for cleaning a component in the immersion lithographic apparatus in situ. The cleaning system is arranged to provide a cleaning environment in proximity of a predetermined position on a component to be cleaned. The system is also arranged to provide the cleaning... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080218709 - Removal of deposition on an element of a lithographic apparatus: The invention provides a cleaning process for the removal of deposition on an element of a lithographic apparatus. The method includes (ex situ) treating the element with an alkaline cleaning liquid. In this way, Sn may be removed from a contaminant barrier or a collector mirror. Especially beneficial is the... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080218713 - Movable body drive method and movable body drive system, pattern formation method and apparatus, exposure method and apparatus, and device manufacturing method: A drive unit drives a wafer stage in a Y-axis direction based on a measurement value of an encoder that measures position information of the wafer stage in the Y-axis direction and based on information on the flatness of a scale that is measured by the encoder. In this case,... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, Plc

20080218714 - Exposure method, exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus is provided with an optical system including a liquid, a sensor system for acquiring energy information of an energy beam which is incident on the liquid, and a controller which predicts variation of optical properties of the optical system including the liquid due to energy absorption of... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, Plc

20080218715 - Immersion exposure method of and immersion exposure apparatus for making exposure in a state where the space between the projection lens and substrate to be processed is filled with a liquid: An immersion exposure method is disclosed which, while causing a relative movement of an immersion area formed so as to intervene between a substrate to be exposed on an exposure stage and a projection lens to the substrate, exposes an irradiation area of the substrate covered with the immersion area.... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20080218717 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: In a lithographic apparatus, a localized area of the substrate surface under a projection system is immersed in liquid. The height of a liquid supply system above the surface of the substrate can be varied using actuators. A control system uses feedforward or feedback control with input of the surface... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080218718 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus is provided. The lithographic apparatus includes a radiation source configured to provide radiation, an array of optical light engines, and a substrate table that supports a substrate. Each of the optical light engines includes an array of individually controllable elements arranged and constructed to receive and to... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20080218716 - Method for setting an optical imaging property in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, and projection exposure apparatus of this type: In some embodiments, the disclosure provides a method for setting an optical imaging property in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus via which a mask can be imaged onto a substrate having a light-sensitive surface, wherein the substrate can be moved stepwise in a direction transversely with respect to an optical... Agent: Fish & Richardson Pc

20080218719 - Exposure apparatus: An exposure apparatus includes an illumination optical system that includes an optical integrator for forming a secondary light source from the light, and a variable stop arranged at or near a position where the secondary light source is formed, the diameter variable stop that defines a NA of the illumination... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.l.p.

20080218720 - Exposure apparatus and method of manufacturing device: An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to light includes a projection optical system which includes an optical element and a driving unit configured to move the optical element, and is configured to project light from an original to the substrate, a support mechanism which includes a gas spring and... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20080218722 - 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... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080218721 - Optical element unit: An optical element unit including an optical element and an optical element holder is disclosed. The optical element holder includes a holding element and coupling elements. The holding element holds the optical element and is made of a ceramic material. The elastic coupling elements are attached to the holding element... Agent: Fish & Richardson Pc

20080218723 - Light amount control, optical writing, and image forming apparatuses: A light-amount control apparatus for controlling an output light amount of light sources used for optical writing is disclosed. The apparatus includes one or more drive units for supplying a drive current to the light source; one or more drive-current setting units for determining an amount of the drive current... Agent: Dickstein Shapiro LLP

20080218724 - Illumination unit, image read apparatus, image formation apparatus: An illumination unit for use in an image read apparatus is provided which illuminates a surface of an original document with illumination light, reads an image of the original document by a light receiving element, and adjusts an amount of specular light reflection from the surface of the original document... Agent: Dickstein Shapiro LLP

20080218725 - Device and method for influencing the polarization distribution in an optical system: The disclosure relates to a device and a method for influencing the polarization distribution in an optical system, in particular in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. A device according to the disclosure includes a plurality of polarization-influencing optical elements which are arranged in a common plane in such a way... Agent: Fish & Richardson Pc

20080218726 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: Lithographic Apparatus and Device Manufacturing Method In a lithographic projection apparatus, a structure surrounds a space between the projection system and a substrate table of the lithographic projection apparatus. Gas is used between the structure and the surface of the substrate to contain liquid in the space.... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080212045 - optical system with at least a semiconductor light source and a method for removing contaminations and/or heating the systems: A method for removing contaminations from optical elements or parts thereof, especially from at least one surface of at least one optical element, with UV light. At least one semiconductor light source is used for removing the contaminations, wherein the semiconductor light source is arranged in and/or on a support... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20080212050 - Apparatus and methods for removing immersion liquid from substrates using temperature gradient: Apparatus and methods assist in the removal of immersion liquid from a surface of a substrate. In particular, the apparatus/method removes immersion liquid from a surface of a substrate that has been subjected to immersion lithographic exposure. A temperature control unit controls a temperature of the substrate to create a... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080212042 - Circuit breaker arrangement in an indicating arrangement in an electrically powered stapler: A linear motor with high heat recovery efficiency that inhibits the rise in surface temperature is offered. The linear motor is disposed in a surrounding member (142) and facing a flow passage (142a) of a liquid for regulating temperature, and is provided with a coil unit (141) having at least... Agent: Miles & Stockbridge PC

20080212044 - Debris mitigation system with improved gas distribution: The present invention relates to a debris mitigation system, in particular for use in a radiation unit for EUV radiation and/or X-rays. The debris mitigation system comprises a foil trap (11) having several passages allowing a straight passage of radiation and one or several feed pipes (5) for gas supply... Agent: Philips Intellectual Property & Standards

20080212047 - Exposure apparatus, exposing method, and device fabricating method: An exposure apparatus comprises: a first optical member for acquiring positional information about the substrate through a first liquid that is for measurement; a second optical member that emits the exposure beam; a first movable member that holds the substrate and is capable of moving within a prescribed area that... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080212043 - Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and method for producing device: An exposure apparatus fills an optical path space of an exposure light beam with a liquid, and exposes a substrate by irradiating the substrate with the exposure light beam via a projection optical system and the liquid. A first optical element of the projection optical system is provided with a... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080212046 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A liquid confinement system for use in immersion lithography is disclosed in which the meniscus of liquid between the liquid confinement system and the substrate is pinned substantially in place by a meniscus pinning feature. The meniscus pinning feature comprises a plurality of discrete outlets arranged in a polygonal shape.... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080212051 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A liquid supply system for an immersion lithographic apparatus provides a laminar flow of immersion liquid between a final element of the projection system and a substrate. A control system minimizes the chances of overflowing and an extractor includes an array of outlets configured to minimize vibrations.... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080212052 - Optical arrangement and projection exposure system for microlithography with passive thermal compensation: An optical arrangement with a light source includes an optical element that is fastened in a mount. The light source emits radiation and the optical element is acted on thereby such that the heat that results lacks symmetry corresponding to the shape of the optical element. A connecting structure is... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080212049 - Substrate processing apparatus with high throughput development units: A substrate processing apparatus is arranged adjacent to an exposure device and includes a processing section, a transfer section configured to carry the substrate into and out of the processing section, and an interface configured to receive and transfer the substrate between the processing section and the exposure device. The... Agent: Townsend And Townsend And Crew, LLP

20080212048 - Substrate processing method and substrate processing system: A substrate processing method and a substrate processing system exclude wafers W provided with a protective film having surface defects that will cause components of a resist to dissolve in an immersion liquid during an immersion exposure process, and rated abnormal from those to be processed by the immersion exposure... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C.

20080212055 - Calibration method for a lithographic apparatus: Method to calibrate a substrate table position in a lithographic apparatus includes providing a substrate on the substrate table with a two dimensional arrangement of patterns; positioning the substrate table with a positioning system; measuring positions of the substrate table in at least two dimensions with a position measurement system;... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080212053 - Device manufacturing method, lithographic apparatus and device manufactured thereby: A device manufacturing method is disclosed. The method includes patterning a beam of radiation, projecting the patterned beam of radiation onto a plurality of outer target portions of a substrate in a sequence in which each subsequent outer target portion is spaced-apart from a preceding outer target portion, and subsequent... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080212056 - Exposure method, exposure apparatus, method for producing device, and method for evaluating exposure apparatus: An exposure method includes a first step for measuring position information of a substrate while controlling a substrate stage to move the substrate stage in a state that an optical path space is filled with a liquid under a predetermined condition; a second step for obtaining a movement control accuracy... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080212054 - Stage system and lithographic apparatus comprising such stage system: A stage system for a lithographic apparatus includes a stage, an over-determined number of actuators to act on the stage, at least two sensors to measure a position dependent parameter of the stage and to provide a respective sensor signal. The at least two sensors are arranged to measure the... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080212057 - Substrate comprising a mark: A substrate comprises a first mark and a second mark. The first mark comprises a first pattern with at least one mark feature formed by a first material and at least one region formed by a second material. The first and second materials have different material characteristics with respect to... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080212058 - Projection optical system, exposure apparatus, and device fabrication method: The present invention provides a projection optical system which projects an image on a first object plane onto a second object plane, comprising a plurality of optical members inserted in turn from a side of the second object plane, said plurality of optical members being made of an isotropic crystal... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20080212060 - Method for determining intensity distribution in the image plane of a projection exposure arrangement: A method for determining intensity distribution in the focal plane of a projection exposure arrangement, in which a large aperture imaging system is emulated and a light from a sample is represented on a local resolution detector by an emulation imaging system. A device for carrying out the method and... Agent: Patterson, Thuente, Skaar & Christensen, P.A.

20080212059 - Microlithography illumination systems, components and methods: The disclosure relates to microlithography systems, such as EUV microlithography illumination systems, as well as related components, systems and methods.... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080212061 - Illumination optical system, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: An illumination optical system which illuminates a plane to be illuminated using light from a light source, includes a diaphragm having an aperture of constant area and disposed on a pupil plane of the illumination optical system and an irradiation range adjustment unit configured to adjust an irradiation range of... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division

20080212062 - Exposure apparatus and method of manufacturing device: An exposure apparatus which comprises a reticle stage configured to hold a reticle, and executes multiple exposure of a substrate in a lot to light using a plurality of reticles. The apparatus comprises a calculator configured to calculate a conveyance times taken to convey each of the plurality of reticles... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.