Photocopying inventions 12/08

20080316441 - Lithographic apparatus having parts with a coated film adhered thereto: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed having a removable adhesive film carrying a coating on at least a part of the apparatus. In an embodiment, a liquid supply system having a liquid confinement structure extending along at least part of a boundary of a space between a projection system and a... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080316443 - Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus includes a first driving mechanism which drives a first optical element, a second driving mechanism which drives a second optical element, and a control unit which controls the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism so as to adjust the astigmatism of a projection optical system.... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20080316442 - Feedforward/feedback litho process control of stress and overlay: A method and apparatus for process control in a lithographic process are described. Metrology may be performed on a substrate either before or after performing a lithographic patterning process on the substrate. One or more correctables to the lithographic patterning process may be generated based on the metrology. The lithographic... Agent: Joshua D. Isenberg Jdi Patent

20080316444 - Method and device for the correction of imaging defects: The disclosure relates to a microlithography projection exposure system having optical corrective elements configured to modify the imaging characteristics, as well as related systems and components.... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080316451 - Catoptric objectives and systems using catoptric objectives: In general, in one aspect, the invention features an objective arranged to image radiation from an object plane to an image plane, including a plurality of elements arranged to direct the radiation from the object plane to the image plane, wherein the objective has an image side numerical aperture of... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080316450 - Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus is configured to expose a substrate to light while the substrate is scanned. The apparatus comprises a stage configured to hold the substrate and to move, a measuring device configured to measure a position of a surface of the substrate held by the stage, a controller configured... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20080316447 - Exposure apparatus and method of manufacturing device: An exposure apparatus the present invention comprises: an illumination optical system configured to illuminate an illumination area on an original with light from a light source; a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of the original onto a substrate; a first stage configured to hold the original; a... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20080316453 - Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and method for producing device: An exposure apparatus includes an optical system irradiating a first exposure light from a first pattern and a second exposure light from a second pattern onto a first exposure area and second exposure area respectively to form an image of the first pattern and an image of the second pattern... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080316449 - Exposure device, exposure method and method of manufacturing semiconductor device: The present invention provides a highly controllable device for exposure from the back side and an exposure method, and also provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the same. The present invention involves exposure with the use of the back side exposure device of which a reflecting means... Agent: Cook Alex Ltd

20080316454 - Exposure system: In the case of an exposure system for substrate bodies which carry a photosensitive coating on a substrate surface, comprising a machine frame, a substrate carrier which carries the substrate body and has a substrate carrier surface, and an exposure device with an optics unit, the optics unit and the... Agent: Lipsitz & Mcallister, LLC

20080316445 - Fluid pressure compensation for immersion lithography lens: An immersion lithography system that compensating for any displacement of the optical caused by the immersion fluid. The system includes an optical assembly (14) to project an image defined by the reticle (12) onto the wafer (20). The optical assembly includes a final optical element (16) spaced from the wafer... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080316448 - Measurement apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: A measurement apparatus comprises a polarization controller (2) which controls polarization of light which is incident on a detection target; a wavefront dividing unit (5) which divides a wavefront of the light from the polarization controller (2); a polarizing unit (6, 7) which polarizes the light transmitted through the target;... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20080316452 - Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus: A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus contains an illumination system (12) for generating projection light (13) and a projection lens (20; 220; 320; 420; 520; 620; 720; 820; 920; 1020; 1120) with which a reticle (24) that is capable of being arranged in an object plane (22) of the projection lens... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080316446 - Stage apparatus and exposure apparatus: A wafer stage and a measurement stage are configured so that they are movable along an upper surface of a base plate, and water is transferred therebetween by bringing the stages proximate to one another and moving them integrally in the Y directions. An alignment system measures mutually proximate edge... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20080316456 - Catadioptric projection objective with geometric beam splitting: A projection exposure lens has an object plane, optical elements for separating beams, a concave mirror, an image plane, a first lens system arranged between the object plane and the optical elements for separating beams, a second double pass lens system arranged between the optical elements for separating beams and... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20080316455 - Projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus: The disclosure relates a projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. In some embodiments, the apparatus is configured to project a mask which can positioned in an object plane onto a light-sensitive layer which can be positioned in an image plane. The projection objective can include a last optical... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080316457 - Method and apparatus for quantification of illumination non-uniformity in the mask plane of a lithographic exposure system: This disclosure relates to lithography using pulsed laser illumination. In particular it relates to lithography for producing electronic devices on wafers using multi-mode excimer and molecular lasers, e.g. KrF, ArF, and F2 lasers. It may also apply to illumination systems where several single-mode sources are mixed or one single-mode laser... Agent: Haynes Beffel & Wolfeld LLP

20080316458 - Light quantity adjustment method, image recording method, and device: According to test data supplied from a test data memory (80), a test pattern is formed on a substrate (F) and its line width is measured. Light source units (28a to 28j) are adjusted by a light source control unit (89) and the line width change amount between exposure heads... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20080316459 - Polarization-modulating optical element: The invention relates to a projection system, comprising a radiation source, an illumination system operable to illuminate a structured mask, and a projection objective for projecting an image of the mask structure onto a light-sensitive substrate, wherein said projection system comprises an optical system comprising an optical axis or a... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080316460 - Control system, lithographic projection apparatus, method of controlling a support structure, and a computer program product: A control system is provided for controlling a support structure in a lithographic apparatus. The control system includes a first measurement system arranged to measure the position of a substrate supported by the support structure, the position being measured in a first coordinate system. The control system further includes a... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20080316461 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: The present invention relates to a clamping device configured to clamp an object on a support, comprising a first device configured to exert an attracting force on said object, and a second device configured to exert a rejecting force on said object, wherein said first device and second device are... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20080309891 - Apparatus and method for immersion lithography: Immersion lithography apparatus and method using a shield module are provided. An immersion lithography apparatus including a lens module having an imaging lens, a substrate table positioned beneath the lens module and configured for holding a substrate for processing, a fluid module for providing an immersion fluid to a space... Agent: Haynes And Boone, LLP

20080309893 - Contamination prevention system, lithographic apparatus, radiation source, and method for manufacturing a device: A contamination prevention system is constructed and arranged to prevent material from propagating with radiation into a lithographic apparatus. The contamination prevention system includes a rotatable carrier provided with a plurality of generally radially outwardly extending blades. The blades are constructed and arranged to absorb or deflect the material. The... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080309895 - Dynamic fluid control system for immersion lithography: An apparatus includes a stage that supports a substrate, an optical system having a last optical element, that projects an image onto the substrate that is positioned spaced apart from the last optical element by a gap at least partly filled with an immersion liquid, and a pressure control system... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080309896 - Exposure method, exposure apparatus, and method for producing device: An exposure method forms an immersion area in at least a part of a substrate including a projection area of a projection optical system and projects an image of a mask pattern onto the substrate through liquid between the projection optical system and the substrate. Distribution of the mask pattern... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080309892 - In-line particle detection for immersion lithography: An immersion lithography system, comprising a lens unit configured to project a pattern from an end thereof and onto a wafer, a hood unit configured to confine an immersion fluid to a region of the wafer surrounding the end of the lens unit, a wafer stage configured to position the... Agent: Haynes And Boone, LLP

20080309894 - Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and measuring device for a projection lens: A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a projection lens that is configured for immersion operation. For this purpose an immersion liquid is introduced into an immersion space that is located between a last lens of the projection lens on the image side and a photosensitive layer to be exposed. To... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080309897 - Multivariable solver for optical proximity correction: The method of the invention tracks how the collective movement of edge segments in a mask layout alters the resist image values at control points in the layout and simultaneously determines a correction amount for each edge segment in the layout. A multisolver matrix that represents the collective effect of... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

20080309898 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method using pupil filling by telecentricity control: A method of measuring aberration present in a lithographic apparatus comprising the following steps. Modulating a radiation beam using a reflective patterning device. Projecting the radiation beam using a projection system. Detecting the projected radiation using a sensor. Measuring aberration via interference in the detected radiation beam. The radiation beam... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20080309899 - Lithographic apparatus and method: Systems and methods are provided for measuring aberration in a lithographic apparatus. A radiation beam is modulated using an array of individually controllable elements, and the modulated beam is projected using a projection system. A pattern is provided on the array of individually controllable elements to modulate the radiation beam,... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20080309903 - Exposure apparatus, method of manufacturing device, method applied to exposure apparatus and computer-readable medium: An exposure apparatus comprises: a controller configured to control a position of a stage and operation of a detector; and a computer terminal connected to the controller; wherein the controller is configured to: (i) cause the detector to perform position detection of alignment marks under each of a plurality of... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20080309901 - Lithographic apparatus and pivotable structure assembly: A mirror assembly to interact with a beam of radiation of a lithographic apparatus is disclosed. The mirror assembly includes a mirror, a piezo electric actuator, and a mover structure, the mover structure connected to the mirror, an assembly of the mirror and the mover structure being pivotable about a... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080309900 - Method of making patterning device, patterning device for making patterned structure, and method of making patterned structure: A method and apparatus to fabricate a patterned structure using a template supported on a carrier. The method includes patterning a material to conform to the patterned structure. The patterned material is cured while remaining on the template. The carrier is removable during the curing process. The template is later... Agent: Dickstein Shapiro LLP

20080309904 - Optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus: An optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus contains a module, which can be fitted in the optical system and removed from it as a unit. The module contains a cavity which can be completely filled with a liquid and hermetically sealed, and a concavely curved optical surface which... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080309902 - Printing a mask with maximum possible process window through adjustment of the source distribution: Disclosed is a method for illuminating a lithographic mask with light from different directions, in such a way that the intensities of the various incident beams provide the largest possible integrated process window. The process window is defined in terms of allowable ranges for printed shapes. For example, boundaries of... Agent: Harrington & Smith, PC

20080309905 - Method of processing an optical element and an optical element, in particular for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus: A method of processing an optical element which has a substrate (110) and a layer system (120) applied to the substrate (110), wherein the layer system (120) in a starting condition has a plurality of volume defects (130), wherein the method includes at least partially filling at least one of... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20080309906 - Illumination of a patterning device based on interference for use in a maskless lithography system: A lithographic apparatus in which beams of radiation are projected onto an array of individually controllable elements, such that the beams interfere. Radiation that is further modulated by the array of individually controllable elements is projected onto a substrate.... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20080309907 - Adjusting device for a microlithography projection exposure installation, and related illumination system and projection exposure installation: An adjusting device used to align two components of a microlithography projection exposure installation relative to each other. The adjusting device has an autocollimating device with a light source and a reflector. The light source and the reflector are each rigidly connected to one of the optical components. In one... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080309908 - System and method for providing modified illumination intensity: A lithography system including a polarized illumination source, a birefringence-controllable optical element, a birefringence inducer, a pattern generator, a linear polarizer, and a projection system. The polarized illumination source is configured to provide polarized light. The birefringence-controllable optical element is optically coupled to the polarized illumination source. The birefringence inducer... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20080309909 - Holding apparatus, exposure apparatus, exposure method, and device manufacturing method: A holding apparatus is provided with a holding member that has a holding surface that holds a substrate on which a pattern is to be formed, a plurality of first electrode members that are provided on the holding member and that generate electrostatic force in accordance with supplied voltage in... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20080309911 - Stage system and lithographic apparatus comprising such a stage system: A stage system for a lithographic apparatus includes a stage, an over-determined number of actuators arranged to act on the stage, and an electric power supply configured to provide a current to the actuators, wherein the current is supplied to a coil associated with a first actuator of the actuators... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080309910 - Vibration isolating apparatus, control method for vibration isolating apparatus, and exposure apparatus: An active vibration isolating apparatus can perform vibration isolation with high precision and fast response speed using a gas damper. A vibration isolating apparatus comprises an air damper that uses air supplied from a compressed air source to support a structure on an installation surface; a servo valve that controls... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080309912 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus includes a movable table constructed and arranged to transport an object to a position in a beam path in a vacuum chamber, a first capacitor electrode and a second capacitor electrode attached to the table, a first inductor assembly coupled to the capacitor electrodes, and configured to... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080304025 - Apparatus and method for immersion lithography: An immersion lithography apparatus includes a lens assembly having an imaging lens, a wafer stage for securing a wafer beneath the lens assembly, a fluid module for providing a fluid into a space between the lens assembly and the wafer, and a plurality of extraction units positioned proximate to an... Agent: Haynes And Boone, LLP

20080304027 - Cooling apparatus and substrate treating apparatus: The object of the present invention is to provide a cooling apparatus which makes it possible to cool a substrate uniformly in a short period of time even if the substrate has a large area. The cooling apparatus 3 comprises a flat-box-shaped body 10, a cooling medium supply tube 11... Agent: Carrier Blackman And Associates

20080304026 - Immersion exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An immersion exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system, a first supply unit, and a second supply unit. The projection optical system projects exposure light from an original onto a substrate. The first supply unit forms a first liquid film in a space formed between the projection optical system and... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division

20080304028 - Lithographic apparatus and radiation system: A lithographic apparatus includes a radiation system configured to form a projection beam of radiation. The radiation system includes a radiation source that emits radiation, a filter system for filtering debris particles out of the radiation beam, and an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam. A projection system... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080304029 - Method and system for adjusting an optical model: In a method of adjusting an optical parameter of an exposure apparatus, a photolithographic projection is performed using an exposure apparatus and using a layout pattern so as to provide measured layout data with different focus settings of the exposure apparatus. An optical model is provided including at least one... Agent: Edell, Shapiro & Finnan, LLC

20080304031 - Exposure apparatus: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate using light from a light source having a wavelength of 20 nm or smaller, and includes plural optical elements, each of which is configured to reflect the light, plural vacuum chambers, each of which houses one or more of the plural optical elements, and... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20080304032 - Microlitographic projection exposure apparatus and immersion liquid therefore: An immersion liquid for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus is enriched with heavy isotopes. This reduces the chemical reactivity, which leads to an extension of the lifetime of optical elements which come in contact with the immersion liquid. For example, heavy water (D2O), deuterated sulfuric acid, (D2SO4) or deuterated phosphoric... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080304033 - Projection objective for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus: Another approach to decrease the resolution is to introduce an immersion liquid having high refractive index into the gap that remains between a final lens element on the image side of the projection objective and the photoresist or another photosensitive layer to be exposed. Projection objectives that are designed for... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080304030 - Spatial light modulator device, lithographic apparatus, display device, method of producing a light beam having a spatial light pattern and method of manufacturing a device: The spatial light modulator device (SLM) for providing a spatial light pattern which is alterable in response to an electric signal comprises a first modulator element (ME1) and a second modulator element (ME2). The first light beam (LB1) processed by the first modulator element (ME1) and the second light beam... Agent: Nxp, B.v. Nxp Intellectual Property Department

20080304036 - Catadioptric imaging system, exposure device, and device manufacturing method: A catadioptric imaging optical system with a high numerical aperture and including an effective imaging region shaped optimally for use in a batch type exposure apparatus and having an imaging magnification with a small absolute value. The catadioptric imaging optical system includes a dioptric first imaging system, which forms a... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20080304034 - Dose control for optical maskless lithography: A lithographic apparatus comprises a patterning device, a projection system, and a controller. The patterning device is configured to pattern a beam of radiation. The radiation beam comprises a plurality of pulses of radiation. The projection system is configured to project the patterned beam of radiation onto a substrate coated... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20080304035 - Optical element, projection lens and associated projection exposure apparatus: An optical element (1) made of a material that is transparent to wavelengths in the UV region, which optical element (1) includes an oleophobic coating (6, 7) outside of its optically free diameter whose disperse component of the surface energy is preferably 25 mN/m or less, particularly preferably 20 mN/m... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20080304037 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus includes a support structure configured to hold a patterning device, the patterning device configured to pattern a beam of radiation according to a desired pattern, a substrate table configured to hold a substrate and a projection system configured to project the beam as patterned onto a target... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20080297743 - Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: A scanning exposure apparatus exposing a substrate to a pattern of an original through a projection optical system while relatively moving the original and the substrate, includes a substrate stage movable while holding the substrate; a measurement system measuring a position of the substrate in an optical-axis direction of the... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division

20080297746 - Exposure method, exposure apparatus, and method for producing device: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus in which a substrate is exposed with an exposure beam, includes a projection optical system by which the substrate is exposed to the exposure beam, a first inlet disposed at a first position, which is capable of supplying a first liquid to a space adjacent... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080297744 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: An immersion lithographic apparatus is described with a drain configured to remove liquid from a gap between an edge of the substrate and the substrate table on which the substrate is supported. The drain is provided with a means to provide liquid to the drain irrespective of the position of... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080297745 - Projection objective for immersion lithography: In a projection objective provided for imaging a pattern arranged in an object plane of the projection objective into an image plane of the projection objective with the aid of an immersion medium arranged between a last optical element of the projection objective in the light path and the image... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080297747 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: One or more patterning arrays are mounted to a mounting plate via height adjustment structures that enable the flatness of the active surfaces of the patterning arrays to be controlled. The height adjustment structures may comprise an array of piezoelectric actuators or screws. Alternatively, the backside of the patterning means... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20080297751 - Exposure method, exposure apparatus, and method for producing device: An exposure method includes measuring coordinates of alignment marks before and after exposing a first wafer to determine a fluctuation amount of a parameter of the alignment; measuring coordinates of alignment marks before exposing a second wafer to determine a parameter of the alignment; and aligning and exposing the second... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20080297749 - Immersion lithographic process using a variable scan speed: A lithography system and a lithography method is provided for increasing reliability and efficiency of immersion lithography. By varying a scan speed between a wafer and an optical component depending on at least one process parameter during exposure of the wafer, loosening of a fluid meniscus during the relative movement... Agent: Williams, Morgan & Amerson

20080297748 - Lithographic apparatus: A substrate table for a lithographic apparatus includes a mask constructed and arranged to prevent exposure of a peripheral exposure region of a substrate on the substrate table. The mask is attached to a moveable carrier. The moveable carrier has a range of movement which at least partially circumnavigates the... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20080297750 - Optical axis adjustment device and exposure apparatus using the same: In order to adjust the optical axis of a light beam L1 in an exposure apparatus, on a support body in an XYZ three-dimensional coordinate system are mounted: a first mirror 10 having a reflective surface M1 obtained by rotating a plane parallel to the XY plane around an axis... Agent: Ladas & Parry

20080297752 - Focus sensitive lithographic apparatus, systems, and methods: A system includes an illuminator, a mask, and a measurement device. The illuminator includes a light source. The mask includes at least one focus determination pattern having a first pattern portion and an adjacent second pattern portion. The first pattern portion and the second pattern portion have substantially the same... Agent: Schwegman, Lundberg & Woessner, P.A.

20080297753 - Apparatus and method for defect-free microlithography: An illumination source pupil for microlithography includes a substrate of substantially opaque material having an x-axis and a y-axis defined with respect to the substrate. The substrate has a first arcuate opening therein, and a second arcuate opening therein. The substrate also includes a third opening therein positioned at the... Agent: Schwegman, Lundberg & Woessner, P.A.

20080297755 - Focusing-device for the radiation from a light source: A focusing-device for the radiation from a light source (2) is provided with a collector mirror (1, 1′) which is arranged in a mount (24) and collects the light, in virtual or real terms, from the light source (2) at the second focus (200). The collector mirror (1, 1′) is... Agent: Gerald T. Shekleton 22nd Floor

20080297754 - Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus: The disclosure relates to a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, such as are used for the production of large-scale integrated electrical circuits and other microstructured components. The disclosure relates in particular to coatings of optical elements in order to increase or reduce the reflectivity.... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20080297756 - Transverse electric-field type liquid crystal display device, process of manufacturing the same, and scan-exposing device: A process of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device of transverse electric-field type, wherein a halftone photomask which is used to form a photoresist pattern has a fully light-shielding area preventing UV irradiation of a portion of an active matrix substrate in which a thin-film transistor element is to be... Agent: Yasuo Muramatsu Muramatsu & Associates

20080297757 - Light-modulating nano/micro scale aperture array device having immersion layer and high speed nano scale pattern recording system using the same: An optical modulating fine aperture array device is provided. The device includes a spatial light modulation unit provided with at least one light capacity cell arranged in a shape of a matrix, wherein each of the light capacity control cells is capable of individually controlling a degree of an inputted... Agent: Venable LLP

20080297758 - Lithographic support structure: The invention relates to a transfer apparatus for transferring an object (W). the transfer apparatus comprises a gripper (15) for at least one of gripping the object (W) at a first position and then releasing the object (W) at a second position proximate to a receiver (20) and releasing the... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP