Photocopying inventions 01/09

20090027634 - Bevel inspection apparatus for substrate processing: A substrate processing apparatus includes an indexer block, an anti-reflection film processing block, a resist film processing block, a development processing block, a resist cover film processing block, a resist cover film removal block, and an interface block. The interface block includes a bevel portion inspection unit. The bevel portion... Agent: Townsend And Townsend And Crew, LLP

20090027637 - Debris prevention system and lithographic apparatus: A debris prevention system is constructed and arranged to prevent debris emanating from a radiation source from propagating with radiation from the radiation source into or within a lithographic apparatus. The debris prevention system includes a first foil trap that is rotatable around an axis of rotation, and a second... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090027639 - Euv reticle handling system and method: An enclosure for protecting at least a pattern side and an opposing side of a reticle is disclosed. The enclosure includes a first and second part that form an enclosure around a reticle to be protected during handling, inspection, storage, and transport. The enclosure in conjunction with a heater and... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20090027638 - Lithographic appararus and method: A lithographic apparatus includes a projection system configured to project a patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of a substrate. The projection system includes a first gas-conditioned sub-environment and a second gas-conditioned sub-environment. The apparatus includes a gas control unit configured to control the feeding of conditioned gas... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090027635 - Lithographic apparatus and contamination removal or prevention method: An immersion lithographic apparatus is cleaned by use of a cleaning liquid consisting essentially of ultra-pure water and (a) a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ozone, or (b) hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of up to 5%, or (c) ozone at a concentration of up to 50 ppm, or (d)... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090027636 - Lithographic apparatus, reflective member and a method of irradiating the underside of a liquid supply system: A lithographic apparatus that includes a reflector configured to reflect a cleaning beam of radiation projected through a projection system onto an underside of a liquid retrieval system is disclosed. The construction of the reflector is also disclosed as is a method for irradiating the underside of a liquid supply... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090027642 - Exposure apparatus: An exposure apparatus includes a radiation system configured to supply a projection beam of radiation, and a patterning device configured to pattern the projection beam according to a desired pattern. The apparatus includes a substrate table having an area configured to support a substrate, and a projection system configured to... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090027641 - Illumination optical system and exposure apparatus including the same: An illumination optical system includes a first optical unit that collects light emitted from a light source; a reflective integrator that has a plurality of cylindrical reflection surfaces, whose generating lines are oriented in a uniform direction, and forms a plurality of linear light sources by using the light emitted... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division

20090027640 - Movable body drive method and movable body drive system, pattern formation method and apparatus, exposure method and apparatus, position control method and position control system, and device manufacturing method: Positional information of a movement plane of a wafer stage is measured using an encoder system such as, for example, an X head and a Y head, and the wafer stage is controlled based on the measurement results. At the same time, positional information of the wafer stage is measured... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090027643 - Compensation of reticle flatness on focus deviation in optical lithography: A method for lithography patterning includes providing a mask for photolithography patterning; measuring a mask flatness of the mask; calculating focal deviation of imaging the mask to a substrate in a lithography apparatus; adjusting the lithography apparatus to have a compensated focal plane of the mask based on the focal... Agent: Haynes And Boone, LLPIPSection

20090027645 - Exposure apparatus and method thereof: Disclosed are an exposure apparatus and a method thereof. The exposure apparatus includes a laser oscillating part which generates an incident light. A polarization part includes at least one medium, and generates a polarized light by reflecting the incident light from the medium. A light condensing part condenses the polarized... Agent: Sherr & Vaughn, PLLC

20090027646 - Illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus: The disclosure provides an illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, as well as related methods and components. In some embodiments, the illumination system includes an optical element configured so that, when a linearly polarised entry beam which has an angle spectrum is incident on the first optical element,... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20090027644 - Projection objective: The disclosure relates a projection objective for imaging an object field in an object plane into an image field in an image plane. The disclosure also relates to a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus including such a projection objective. The disclosure further relates to methods of using such a projection exposure... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20090027647 - Exposure apparatus and device fabrication method: The present invention provides an exposure apparatus comprising an illumination optical system configured to illuminate a reticle including a pellicle with light from a light source, a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of the reticle onto a substrate, an obtaining unit configured to obtain information on a... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20090027648 - Method of reducing noise in an original signal, and signal processing device therefor: In a method and apparatus for reducing noise in an original signal which contains a linear time varying signal and the noise, the original signal is differentiated to obtain a differentiated original signal. The differentiated original signal is Fourier transformed to obtain power spectral densities of the differentiated original signal.... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20090027649 - Lithography system, method of clamping and wafer table: The invention relates to a lithography system, for example for projecting an image or an image pattern on to a target (1) such as a wafer, said target being included in said system by means of a target table (2), clamping means being present for clamping said target on said... Agent: Blakely Sokoloff Taylor & Zafman LLP

20090027650 - Original plate data generation method, original plate generation method, exposure method, device manufacturing method, and computer-readable storage medium for generating original plate data: A method for generating original plate data includes calculating a two-dimensional transmission cross coefficient based on a function indicating an intensity distribution of light formed on a pupil plane of a projection optical system with illumination light and a pupil function for the projection optical system, calculating an approximate aerial... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division

20090021704 - Coating/developing apparatus and operation method thereof: A coating/developing apparatus has a carrier block including a first transfer device, a process block including processing modules, an examination block including examination modules and a second transfer device, and first to forth stages. A controller executes a first operation mode preset to transfer substrates from the process block and... Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.c.

20090021705 - Debris prevention system, radiation system, and lithographic apparatus: A debris prevention system is constructed and arranged to prevent debris that emanates from a radiation source from propagating with radiation from the radiation source into or within a lithographic apparatus. The debris prevention system includes an aperture that defines a maximum emission angle of the radiation coming from the... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090021706 - Immersion fluid containment system and method for immersion lithogtraphy: A ferrofluid is provided adjacent to the immersion area between a projection optical system (PL) and substrate and receives a magnetic force so as to form a ferrofluidic seal (100) adjacent to the immersion area so as to inhibit immersion liquid from escaping from the gap between the projection optical... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, Plc

20090021707 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: An immersion lithography apparatus includes a liquid supply system configured to supply a liquid to a space through which a beam of radiation passes, the liquid having an optical property that can be tuned by a tuner. The space may be located between the projection system and the substrate. The... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090021708 - Inspection method and apparatus lithographic apparatus, lithographic processing cell, device manufacturing method and distance measuring system: A scatterometer has a focus sensor arranged to detect whether the target being measured is in a correct focal plane. A modulation is applied to a component of the focus sensor or the scatterometer such that a defocus as measured by the focus sensor varies according to a certain function.... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20090021709 - Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and method for producing device: An exposure apparatus fills an optical path space on a side of an image plane of a projection optical system with liquid and exposes a substrate via the projection optical system and the liquid. The exposure apparatus has a measurement unit which measures an optical property of the liquid. According... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, Plc

20090021710 - Immersion lithography apparatus and method of forming pattern using the same: An immersion lithography apparatus and/or a method of forming a pattern. In an immersion lithography apparatus, an intermediate medium may not directly contact the photoresist layer and it may be possible to maximize the transport speed of a wafer without generating defects (e.g. water marks). An intermediate medium may include... Agent: Sherr & Vaughn, Pllc

20090021711 - Method of inspecting exposure system and exposure system: A method of inspecting an exposure system uses a mask pattern including a first and a second mask pattern, the first pattern being formed in a line-and-space of a first pitch, the second pattern being disposed in parallel with the first mask pattern and formed in a line-and-space of a... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20090021712 - Projection optical system, exposure apparatus, exposure method, display manufacturing method, mask, and mask manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus of the present invention is an exposure apparatus for, while moving a first object M and a second object P along a scanning direction, performing projection exposure on the second object, which has a first projection optical system PL10 for forming an enlargement image of a portion... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, Plc

20090021714 - Combination stop for catoptric projection arrangement: The disclosure relates to an optical projection arrangement that can be used to image a reticle onto a substrate. The projection arrangement includes reflective elements, by which a ray path is defined. A combination stop is in a pupil of the ray path. The combination stop has a first opening... Agent: Fish & Richardson Pc

20090021713 - Illumination system and microlithographic projection exposure apparatus including same: The disclosure relates an illumination system configured to guide illumination light from a radiation source to an object plane and to provide defined illumination of an object field in the object plane, wherein illumination light is supplied to the object field by a bundle-guiding optical pupil component which is disposed... Agent: Fish & Richardson Pc

20090021716 - Illumination system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus: Illumination systems for microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, as well as related systems, components and methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, an illumination system includes one or more scattering structures and an optical integrator that produces a plurality of secondary light sources.... Agent: Fish & Richardson Pc

20090021715 - Microlithographic illumination system: A microlithographic illumination system can include a light distribution device that can generate a two-dimensional intensity distribution in a first illumination plane. A first raster array of optical raster elements can generates a raster array of secondary light sources. A device with an additional optical effect can be disposed spatially... Agent: Fish & Richardson Pc

20090021717 - Radiation detector, method of manufacturing a radiation detector, and lithographic apparatus comprising a radiation detector: A radiation detector, a method of manufacturing a radiation detector, and a lithographic apparatus comprising a radiation detector. The radiation detector has a radiation sensitive surface. The radiation sensitive surface is sensitive to radiation wavelengths between 10-200 nm and charged particles. The radiation detector has a silicon substrate, a dopant... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20090021718 - Method, computer program, apparatus and system providing printing for an illumination mask for three-dimensional images: A method able to provide illumination source parameters for illumination of a lithographic mask in order to project a three-dimensional image into a resist system. Source intensities of incident beams are determined using a near linear program and responsive to an allowed range of variation. Computer program, apparatus and system... Agent: Harrington & Smith, Pc

20090021719 - Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus: The disclosure relates to a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, as well as related components and methods. In some embodiments, a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes an illumination system and a projection objective, where the illumination system can illuminate an object plane of the projection objective and the projection objective can... Agent: Fish & Richardson Pc

20090015804 - Cleaning device and a lithographic apparatus cleaning method: A cleaning tool to clean a surface of a component of a lithographic apparatus is disclosed. The cleaning tool includes a sonic transducer, a liquid supply device configured to provide liquid to a reservoir between the surface to be cleaned and the sonic transducer, and a liquid outlet configured to... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090015805 - Cleaning device, a lithographic apparatus and a lithographic apparatus cleaning method: A cleaning tool to clean a surface of a liquid confinement system of an immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed, the liquid confinement system having an aperture to allow passage of a beam of radiation therethrough of an immersion lithographic apparatus. The cleaning tool includes a sonic transducer, a reservoir configured... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090015806 - Environmental control apparatus, stage apparatus, exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An environment control apparatus comprises a first member, which has a first opening, which forms a first space and is formed at least a part and a first surface provided in the vicinity of the first opening, and a movable member, which has a second surface, which is arranged so... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090015807 - Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An immersion lithographic system for patterning a work piece arranged at an image plane and covered at least partly with a layer sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, includes: a source emitting electromagnetic radiation onto an object plane; a mask arranged at the object plane to relay the electromagnetic radiation toward the... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090015808 - Exposure method, substrate stage, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system by which the pattern image is projected onto the substrate, and a movable member which is movable relative to the projection optical system. A liquid-repellent... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090015809 - Image recording method and device: A test pattern is formed on a substrate based on test data supplied from a test data memory and a line width of a test pattern is measured. Mask data is set to have a specified micromirror of a DMD, which constitutes exposure heads in an off state fixedly at... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20090015810 - Method of measuring the position of a mask surface along the height direction, exposure device, and exposure method: A method to measure the height-direction position of a mask M in an exposure device having a function to irradiate the mask M with light emitted from a light source and transfer a pattern formed on the mask M onto a photosensitive substrate such as a wafer by a projection... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20090015811 - Exposure apparatus, method for selecting optical element, and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus includes a light source configured to generate light having a wavelength of 250 nm or less, an illumination optical system comprising an optical element having synthetic quartz as a lens material and configured to illuminate an original plate using the light generated by the light source, and... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division

20090015812 - Illumination system particularly for microlithography: There is provided an illumination system for scannertype microlithography along a scanning direction with a light source emitting a wavelength ≦193 nm. The illumination system includes a plurality of raster elements. The plurality of raster elements is imaged into an image plane of the illumination system to produce a plurality... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20090015814 - Detector for registering a light intensity, and illumination system equipped with the detector: e

20090015813 - Exposure apparatus and device fabrication method: The present invention provides an exposure apparatus comprising a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of a reticle onto a substrate, and a position detection apparatus configured to detect at least one of a position of the reticle and a position of the substrate.... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20090015815 - Exposure apparatus and device fabrication method: The present invention provides an exposure apparatus comprising a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of a reticle onto a substrate, a stage configured to move the substrate; and a sensor unit which is arranged on the stage and configured to receive light having passed through the projection... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20090015816 - Exposure method, substrate stage, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate through a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system by which the pattern image is projected onto the substrate, and a movable member which is movable relative to the projection optical system. A liquid-repellent... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090015817 - Exposure appartus and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus configured to expose a substrate to light to transfer a pattern of a reticle onto the substrate includes a reticle stage configured to mount the reticle, a structure configured to support the reticle stage, a plurality of first supporting members configured to support the structure; and a... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division

20090009733 - Exposure apparatus: An exposure apparatus has a projection optical system configured to project light from a reticle onto a wafer and exposes the wafer to the light in a state where a gap between the projection optical system and the wafer is filled with liquid. In the exposure apparatus, a chuck for... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division

20090009734 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: In an immersion lithography apparatus, ultrasonic waves are used to atomize liquid on a surface of the substrate.... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090009735 - Reflective, refractive and projecting optical system; reflective, refractive and projecting device; scanning exposure device; and method of manufacturing micro device: A scanning exposure apparatus of the present invention is one for transferring a pattern of a first object onto a second object while projecting an image of the first object placed on a first plane, onto the second object placed on a second plane and changing a positional relation between... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090009736 - Apparatus for and method of forming optical images: In an apparatus for forming an image in a radiation sensitive layer (6) and comprising an array (16) of light valves (18-22) and a corresponding array (40) of converging elements (46) the positions of radiation spots (204) formed by these arrays (16,40) are monitored and their positions determined by means... Agent: Philips Intellectual Property & Standards

20090009741 - Device manufacturing method, device manufacturing system, and measurement/inspection apparatus: In the case where measurement/inspection of a wafer is performed in a measurement/inspection instrument before and after exposure is performed in an exposure apparatus, various kinds of conditions of the exposure apparatus and the measurement/inspection instrument such as environment in the apparatus/instrument, a measurement condition of an alignment system a... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090009739 - Exposure apparatus and method for manufacturing device: An exposure apparatus for exposing a shot region on a substrate includes a movable stage, a projection optical system, a measuring device configured to measure a position of a partial region of a surface of the substrate, and a controller configured to cause the measuring device to measure the position... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division

20090009737 - Lithography mask, rewritable mask, process for manufacturing a mask, device for processing a substrate, lithographic system and a semiconductor device: Lithography mask or rewritable mask comprising at least one material with reversible changeable optical properties. Processes for manufacturing a mask, devices for processing a substrate, lithographic systems and semiconductor devices.... Agent: Slater & Matsil, L.L.P.

20090009740 - Measurement apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: A measurement apparatus configured to measure a light intensity distribution in a plane to be measured includes a mask including an opening having a dimension smaller than a wavelength of light for forming the light intensity distribution, and a light-shielding portion being configured to substantially shield the light; a first... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division

20090009738 - Surface level detection method, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: This invention discloses a wafer surface level detection method. The wafer surface level detection method includes a first level measurement step of measuring a level of a surface of a substrate having a plurality of shot regions; a position measurement step of measuring a position along the surface of the... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20090009742 - Optical element driving apparatus, barrel, exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: A permanent magnet fixed to a peripheral portion of a lens cell includes two magnets that are joined together so that the north poles face each other and the south poles are exposed. A first driving coil is arranged to face toward exits for lines of magnetic force from the... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20090009745 - Exposure method, exposure apparatus, and method for producing device: A method for forming a liquid immersion area with a liquid on an object, includes determining a condition for forming the liquid immersion area based on affinity between the liquid and a liquid contact surface of the object, and forming the liquid immersion area under the determined condition.... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090009744 - Illumination system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus: An illumination system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus (10) comprises an optical axis (28), a pupil plane (74) and a diffractive optical element (76; 76b) as a field defining element. The diffractive optical element (76, 76b) is positioned at least approximately in the pupil plane (74) and extends in... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20090009743 - Method of defining patterns in small pitch and corresponding exposure system: A method of defining patterns in a small pitch is described. A substrate having a target layer thereon is provided, and two laterally separate reflective structures with two opposite sidewalls are formed over the target layer. A photoresist layer is formed over the target layer between the two opposite sidewalls.... Agent: J C Patents, Inc.

20090009746 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes a utility substrate storage configured to hold a utility substrate, and a utility substrate scheduling unit configured to schedule the loading of a utility substrate in a flow of substrates in the lithographic apparatus.... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090002650 - Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus which exposes a pattern of an original onto a substrate via projection optical system in a state where a gap between the projection optical system and the substrate is filled with a liquid, comprising a liquid supply unit which supplies liquid to the gap, a front side... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20090002651 - Exposure apparatus and method: An apparatus projects a pattern formed on an original plate onto a substrate through a projection optical system and liquid in a state where a gap between the substrate and a face of the projection optical system is filled with liquid. The apparatus includes a movable substrate stage to hold... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division

20090002655 - Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and method for producing device: A liquid immersion exposure apparatus includes an optical member through which a substrate is exposed with an exposure beam, and a liquid supply system having a supply port from which a liquid is supplied. The liquid supply system supplies the liquid from the supply port to a space between the... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090002648 - Gas curtain type immersion lithography tool using porous material for fluid removal: A gas curtain type immersion lithography apparatus has a fluid removing porous region adjacent the gas inlet to prevent evaporative cooling. The apparatus includes a substrate holder which holds a substrate having an imaging surface and a projection optical system having a last optical element. The projection optical system projects... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090002647 - Hydrocarbon getter for lithographic exposure tools: Carbon contamination of optical elements in an exposure tool is minimized by incorporating a hydrocarbon getter. Embodiments include EUV lithography tools provided with at least one hydrocarbon getter comprising a substrate and a high energy source, such as an electron gun or separate EUV source, positioned to direct an energy... Agent: Ditthavong Mori & Steiner, P.C.

20090002649 - Immersion exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An immersion exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate through a liquid includes an illumination optical system, a projection optical system, a chuck, a liquid support plate, a stage, and a liquid repellency recovery unit. The illumination optical system illuminates an original with exposure light from exposure light sources. The projection... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division

20090002654 - Immersion lithography apparatus and method of performing immersion lithography: An immersion lithography apparatus comprises an optical system having a liquid delivery unit. The liquid delivery unit is arranged to deliver a layer of an immersion liquid onto a surface of a wafer as well as an annulus of a barrier liquid adjacent an exterior wall of the immersion liquid.... Agent: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. Law Department

20090002652 - 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. A gas seal is formed between said structure and the surface of said substrate to contain liquid in the space.... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090002653 - Lithographic apparatus having encoder type position sensor system: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes an encoder type sensor system configured to measure a position of a substrate table of the lithographic apparatus relative to a reference structure. The encoder type sensor system includes an encoder sensor head and an encoder sensor target and the lithographic apparatus comprises... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090002656 - Device and method for transmission image detection, lithographic apparatus and mask for use in a lithographic apparatus: l

20090002657 - Exposure apparatus capable of asymmetrically adjusting light intensity: An exposure apparatus of a semiconductor device may include an exposure light source; an asymmetric adjustment filter for asymmetrically adjusting intensity of a light which passes through the exposure light source; a photomask for passing the light of which intensity is adjusted by the asymmetric adjustment filter; a projection lens... Agent: Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP

20090002660 - Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus projects a pattern image onto a substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid, and the projection optical system has an optical member that comes into contact with the liquid and an optical group arranged between the optical member and a reticle. A holding mechanism that... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090002658 - Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and method for producing device: An exposure apparatus includes: a first optical member via which an exposure beam exits; a first movable body movable while holding a substrate in a predetermined area; a first holding device releasably holding a first cover member, capable of forming a space retaining a liquid between the first optical member... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090002659 - Stage apparatus, exposure apparatus, and method of manufacturing device: This invention discloses a stage apparatus including a first stage (104) and a second stage (105) mounted on the first stage (104). A linear motor (103) positions the second stage (105) relative to the first stage (104). A plurality of electromagnets (106a-106d) accelerate and decelerate the second stage (105) relative... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20090002661 - Method for improving an optical imaging property of a projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus: A method is disclosed for improving an optical imaging property, for example spherical aberration or the focal length, of a projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. Firsts an immersion liquid is introduced into an interspace between a photosensitive surface and an end face of the projection objective. Then... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20090002670 - Apparatus for the manipulation and/or adjustment of an optical element: The invention relates to an apparatus for the manipulation and/or adjustment of an optical element with respect to a structure, the optical element being connected to the structure by means of a number of setting members, and the setting members having as active adjusting elements screw elements or piezoceramic elements,... Agent: Gerald T. Shekleton

20090002665 - Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus includes a measurement system which performs exposure control measurement using a first mark arranged on an original stage and a second mark arranged on a substrate stage, and a control unit which can set, when the measurement system performs the measurement in order to expose a substrate... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20090002667 - Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with exposure light, comprises a projection optical system which projects a pattern image of an original onto the substrate; a first illumination unit which illuminates the original with the exposure light; and a second illumination unit which guides illumination light that is different... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20090002666 - Exposure apparatus and method of manufacturing device: An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate to pulsed light supplied from a light source, comprises an input device, and a controller configured to periodically change a wavelength of the pulsed light emitted by the light source, wherein the controller is configured to calculate number of pulsed light required to... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20090002671 - Illumination optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: An illumination optical apparatus that substantially maintains a desirable profile even when changing the outer shape of light intensity distribution formed on an illumination pupil plane with an axicon system. The illumination optical system illuminates an irradiated surface based on light from an optical source and includes a prism system,... Agent: Staas & Halsey LLP

20090002662 - Lighting apparatus, exposure apparatus and microdevice manufacturing method: An illumination apparatus for illuminating a surface (M) to be irradiated with illumination light emitted from a light source (2) comprises a reflection type fly-eye optical systems (12, 14) disposed between the light source (2) and the surface (M) to be irradiated and constituted by a plurality of reflection partial... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20090002668 - Method and device for controlling a plurality of actuators and an illumination device for lithography: The present invention relates to a method and a device for controlling multiple actuators with a controller and multiple actuators controllable by the controller. At least several groups of actuators are individually controllable by the controller and to each actuator or each group of actuators is assigned at least one... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20090002664 - Optical integrator, illumination optical device, aligner, and method for fabricating device: An optical integrator is able to keep down a light-quantity loss in modified illumination with an illumination optical apparatus. An optical integrator of a wavefront division type according to the present invention has a plurality of refracting surface regions which refract incident light, and a plurality of deflecting surface regions... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20090002663 - Projection illumination system: A projection illumination system with a plurality of optical components (29, 32) includes an interferometer arrangement (37) whose components are arranged outside a projection beam path (17) of the projection illumination system. Measurement radiation of the interferometer arrangement strikes a surface (35) of the optical component (29) to be measured... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20090002669 - Ultraviolet light-emitting diode exposure apparatus for microfabrication: An exposure apparatus for use in optical lithography can include a holder and a plurality of UV-LED modules carried by the holder and disposed in an array. A respective plurality of collimating lenses can be disposed in an array corresponding to the array of UV-LED modules. The plurality of UV-LED... Agent: Dorsey & Whitney LLP US Bank Center

20090002673 - Exposure apparatus and device fabrication method: The present invention provides an exposure apparatus comprising an illumination optical system configured to illuminate a reticle with a light beam from a light source, and a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of the reticle onto a substrate, the illumination optical system including a light amount adjusting... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20090002672 - Exposure apparatus having the same id bias: An exposure apparatus includes an exposure light source generating light to be emitted to photomask, a projection lens for projecting the light having passed through the photomask to wafer, and a transmittance adjustment filter in projection lens the transmittance adjustment filter varies the transmittance of the light projected into the... Agent: Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP

20090002676 - Lithographic apparatus: A lithographic apparatus including means for selectively transmitting a projection beam before imaging the patterned projection beam onto a substrate. The means may include any of the following: a selectively transmitting device disposed downstream of a patterning device in the direction of the projection beam, a fixed and a moving... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090002674 - Optical device, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: This invention effectively limits light incidence on an adhesive material fixing an optical element. An optical device includes an optical element, a supporting member connected to the optical element through an adhesive material to support the optical element, and a light shielding film formed in an unirradiated region on the... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20090002675 - Polarization-modulating optical element: A polarization-modulating optical element consisting of an optically active crystal material has a thickness profile where the thickness, as measured in the direction of the optical axis, varies over the area of the optical element. The polarization-modulating optical element has the effect that the plane of oscillation of a first... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC