Photocopying inventions 04/09

20090109412 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus comprises an immersion fluid system and an interferometric temperature detection system. The immersion fluid system is configured to provide immersion fluid to an exposure system. The interferometric temperature detection system is configured to measure a temperature of the immersion fluid.... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090109414 - Lithography apparatus, method of forming pattern and method of manufacturing semiconductor device: A lithography apparatus includes a resist processing apparatus to perform a process of applying a resist on a substrate, a process of heating a resist film on the substrate, and a process of developing the resist film on the substrate, an immersion exposure apparatus including a projection optical system which... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20090109413 - Maintenance method, exposure method and apparatus, and device manufacturing method: A maintenance method for performing maintenance of an exposure apparatus including a liquid immersion space-forming member which forms a liquid-immersion area by supplying liquid in a space between an optical member and a substrate; a liquid supply mechanism which supplies the liquid to the liquid-immersion space; a substrate stage which... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090109411 - Systems and methods for insitu lens cleaning using ozone in immersion lithography: An immersion lithography apparatus is provided that includes an energy source, a projection optical system, a stage, a showerhead including an immersion liquid supply device and an immersion liquid discharge device that produces a flow of liquid within an exposure zone, and a cleaning device that cleans a portion of... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20090109415 - Lithographic apparatus and method: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition a beam of radiation, a support structure configured to hold a reticle, a substrate table configured to hold a substrate, and a projection system configured to project a beam onto the substrate table. The numerical aperture of the illumination system... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090109416 - Dispersing immersion liquid for high resolution imaging and lithography: Methods and apparatus are described for delivering index-matching immersion liquid in high numerical-aperture optical microscopy and lithography. An array of immersion liquid droplets is delivered to a specimen substrate or specimen substrate cover by an immersion liquid printing apparatus. An immersion liquid reservoir provides immersion liquid to the printer by... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

20090109417 - Optical unit, illumination optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: An illumination optical apparatus has an optical unit. The optical unit has a light splitter to split an incident beam into two beams; a first spatial light modulator which can be arranged in an optical path of a first beam; a second spatial light modulator which can be arranged in... Agent: Miles & Stockbridge PC

20090109418 - Wafer table for immersion lithography: Methods and apparatus allow a liquid to be substantially contained between a lens and a wafer table assembly of an immersion lithography system. According to one example, an exposure apparatus includes a lens and a wafer table assembly. The wafer table assembly has a top surface, and is arranged to... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090109419 - Supporting plate, stage device, exposure apparatus, and exposure method: An exposure apparatus and method exposes, using an optical member, a pattern of a mask onto a substrate that is located on a substrate stage which is movable over a supporting plate. A liquid is provided between the optical member and the substrate, Fluid is sprayed toward the supporting plate... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090103063 - Cooling apparatus for optical member, barrel, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: An optical member cooling apparatus for cooling an optical member such as a mirror. The optical member cooling apparatus includes a cooling member fixed to the rear surface of the mirror by an engagement mechanisms. The rear surface of the mirror and the contact surface of the cooling mirror have... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20090103062 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus includes a projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate. The projection system has a final element. The apparatus also includes a barrier member surrounding a space between the projection system and, in use, the substrate, to define in... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090103064 - Maintenance method, exposure method and apparatus and device manufacturing method: There is provided a maintenance method capable of efficiently maintaining an exposure apparatus performing exposure by the liquid immersion method. The method for maintaining the exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with an exposure light via a projection optical system and a liquid of an liquid immersion area includes: a... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090103061 - Reticle protection member, reticle carrying device, exposure device and method for carrying reticle: A position measurement device 29 measures the position of a position measurement mark 26 formed on the lower surface of a reticle 1, thereby measuring the position of the reticle 1. A position measurement device 30 measures the position of the position measurement mark 27 formed on the lower surface... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20090103065 - Exposure apparatus and method of manufacturing device: The present invention provides an exposure apparatus comprising a projection optical system including an optical element of which at least one of a position, orientation, and shape can be regulated, a regulator configured to regulate the at least one of the position, orientation, and shape of the optical element, and... Agent: Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP Attn:IPDocketing

20090103067 - Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus comprises an original stage which holds an original, a substrate stage which holds a substrate, and a control unit which controls a measurement process of measuring a relative position between the original and substrate stages, wherein original-side measurement marks including an original-side rough-measurement mark and an original-side... Agent: Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP Attn:IPDocketing

20090103066 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A control system for controlling a position or position related quantity of an object is provided. A measurement system is configured to measure a position or position related quantity of the object. A controller is configured to provide a control signal on the basis of the measured position or position... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20090103068 - Exposure apparatus and method for photolithography process: Provided is an exposure apparatus including a variable focusing device. The variable focusing device may include a transparent membrane that may be deformed in the presence of an electric field. The deformation of the transparent membrane may allow the focus length of a radiation beam to be modified. In an... Agent: Haynes And Boone, LLPIPSection

20090103069 - Detection of contamination in euv systems: A sensor for sensing contamination in an application system is disclosed. In one aspect, the sensor comprises a capping layer. The sensor is adapted to cause a first reflectivity change upon initial formation of a first contamination layer on the capping layer when the sensor is provided in the system.... Agent: Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP

20090103070 - Optical element and exposure apparatus: An optical element is used for an exposure apparatus which is configured to illuminate a mask with an exposure light beam for transferring a pattern on the mask onto a substrate through a projection optical system and to interpose a given liquid in a space between a surface of the... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090103071 - Driving apparatus and exposure apparatus, and device fabrication method: A guide includes a brittle material layer and a magnetically attracting magnetic body, e.g., a metal layer. A recess and a projection are formed on the metal layer. The brittle material layer is made of, e.g., a sprayed ceramic material and covers the recess formed on the magnetically attracting metal... Agent: Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP Attn:IPDocketing

20090097000 - Projection exposure system and use thereof: A lithography method is proposed employing a projection exposure system having a catoptric imaging optics comprising a mirror formed as phase mask in the imaging beam path, wherein the mirror formed as phase mask exhibits continuous regions having dielectric layers provided thereon. Optionally, the regions of the mirror formed as... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20090097001 - Non-telecentric lithography apparatus and method of manufacturing integrated circuits: A lithography apparatus includes a condenser system and a projection system. The condenser system is configured to irradiate a mask with non-telecentric incident radiation. The projection system is configured to collect and focus a radiation diffracted at an absorber pattern on the mask to a sample. The projection system is... Agent: Edell, Shapiro & Finnan, LLC

20090097002 - Exposure device: The present invention provides an inexpensive exposure device with a simple structure which can draw in high precision by correcting drawing pixel positions at a time of exposing by respective beams emitted from a side of a device for selectively modulating a plurality of pixels so as to draw. A... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20090097003 - Method for positioning an object by an electromagnetic motor, stage apparatus and lithographic apparatus: A method for positioning an object by an electromagnetic motor which, in use, produces a plurality of primary forces and a pitch torque associated with the primary forces. The method includes a cycle which includes: determining the desired forces and torques for positioning the object, determining the primary forces to... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090097006 - Apparatus and method for obtaining information indicative of the uniformity of a projection system of a lithographic apparatus: Apparatus and methods are used to obtain information indicative of the uniformity of a projection system of a lithographic apparatus. An electromagnetic radiation beam is directed toward a projection system such that the radiation beam passes from a first end of the projection system to a second end of the... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20090097005 - Exposure apparatus and correction apparatus: An exposure apparatus is configured to expose a pattern of an original on a substrate by using light from a light source. The exposure apparatus includes an illumination optical system configured to illuminate the original by polarized light by using the light from the light source, and a correction unit... Agent: Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP Attn:IPDocketing

20090097007 - Illumination optical system, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: An illumination optical system for illuminating an irradiated plane M with illumination light provided from a light source includes a spatial light modulator, which is arranged in an optical path of the illumination optical system and forms a desired light intensity distribution at a pupil position of the illumination optical... Agent: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP

20090097004 - Lithography apparatus, masks for non-telecentric exposure and methods of manufacturing integrated circuits: A lithography apparatus includes a first optical system configured to irradiate a mask with a non-telecentric illumination and a second optical system configured to guide radiation reflected off or transmitted through the mask to a substrate. The mask includes an absorber structure arranged over a non-absorbing surface, wherein the absorber... Agent: Edell, Shapiro & Finnan, LLC

20090097008 - Alignment method and apparatus, lithographic apparatus, metrology apparatus and device manufacturing method: An alignment sensor includes a spatially coherent radiation source that supplies a radiation beam to an angle-resolved scatterometer. Alignment is performed by detecting beats in the scatter spectrum during scanning of the substrate relative to the scatterometer.... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20090097009 - Holding device and exposure apparatus: A reticle is supported by flexible reticle holders at its +X and −X end portions, and therefore even if there is unevenness on the supported portions of the reticle, the surfaces of the reticle holders are transformed following the unevenness, which makes it possible to restrain deformation of the reticle... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090091715 - Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus configured to expose a substrate through a liquid includes a projection optical system configured to project an image of a pattern formed on an original plate onto a substrate and a stage configured to move while supporting the substrate. Further, the exposure apparatus includes a member including... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division

20090091719 - Exposure system and pattern formation method: An exposure system includes an exposure section provided within a chamber for irradiating a resist film formed on a wafer with exposing light through a mask with an immersion liquid provided on the resist film. It further includes a drying section for drying the surface of the resist film after... Agent: Mcdermott Will & Emery LLP

20090091718 - Image projection device, image projection screen and image display system: An image projector according to the present invention includes a first light source that emits visible light and a second light source that emits invisible light and projects the visible light and the invisible light onto a screen. The screen includes a material, at least one of the visible light... Agent: Mark D. Saralino (pan) Renner, Otto, Boisselle & Sklar, LLP

20090091717 - Immersion exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An immersion exposure apparatus which projects a pattern of an original onto a substrate to expose the substrate, comprises a substrate stage mechanism including a substrate stage configured to hold the substrate, an immersion unit configured to supply the liquid into a space between the substrate or the substrate stage... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20090091716 - Lithographic apparatus and method of cleaning a lithographic apparatus: An immersion lithographic apparatus is described in which an inlet is provided to provide cleaning fluid to a space between an object, such as a substrate, positioned on a substrate table and the substrate table.... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090091720 - Force actuator: Actuator arrangement, serving in particular to effect a deformation of an optical element, with a first, specifically fluidic-based actuator device (110.3), which is designed to exert on a body (108, 109.1) associated with the first actuator device (110.3) a first actuator force in an amount up a first maximum force... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20090091722 - Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus, that exposes each shot according to shot arrangement on a substrate, includes a detector configured to detect a mark; and a processor configured to determine a coefficient of an expression that represents the shot arrangement by coordinate transformation of reference shot arrangement based on the positions of... Agent: Canon U.s.a. Inc. Intellectual Property Division

20090091721 - Immersion exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of an original onto a substrate via a liquid to expose the substrate to light, a stage mechanism including a stage configured to hold the substrate, an immersion unit configured to supply a liquid to a gap... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20090091725 - Lithographic apparatus, projection assembly and active damping: A lithographic apparatus comprises an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam and a support constructed to support a patterning device. The lithographic apparatus further comprises a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate; and a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20090091723 - Measuring apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device fabrication method: The present invention provides a measuring apparatus which measures a shape of a surface of a measurement target object, comprising a light projecting optical system configured to split light from a light source into measurement light and reference light so that the measurement light enters the surface of the measurement... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20090091724 - Positioning apparatus, exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: There is provided a positioning apparatus capable of reliably and simply detecting a break of a current supply path to an actuator which drives a table. A current supply path (42) is connected between an actuator (2) for driving a stage (1) and a driver (3) for supplying a current... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20090091726 - Optical focus sensor, an inspection apparatus and a lithographic apparatus: To detect whether a substrate is in a focal plane of an inspection apparatus, an optical focus sensor is arranged to receive a radiation beam via an objective lens. The optical focus sensor includes a splitter configured to split the radiation beam into a first sub-beam and a second sub-beam.... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20090091727 - Optical imaging device with determination of imaging errors: In some embodiments, the disclosure provides a system that includes an optical element group including a plurality of optical elements configured to project a pattern of an object in an object plane to an image plane. The system also includes a unit configured to detect an image selected from an... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20090091728 - Compact high aperture folded catadioptric projection objective: A catadioptric projection objective has a plurality of optical elements arranged along an optical axis to image a pattern from an object field in an object surface of the objective to an image field in an image surface region of the objective at an image-side numerical aperture NA≧1.35 with electromagnetic... Agent: Sughrue Mion, PLLC

20090091733 - Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: This invention provides an exposure apparatus configured to expose a pattern of an original on a substrate through a projection optical system. The apparatus comprises a holding unit configured to hold the projection optical system, at least three anti-vibration mounts configured to support the holding unit, and at least three... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20090091735 - Illumination optical system and exposure apparatus having the same: An illumination optical system for illuminating an object surface using light from a light source, the illumination optical system includes, a first optical system that includes a movable unit that is movable along an optical axis, said first optical system guiding the light to the object surface and varying an... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20090091731 - Illumination optical system for microlithography: The disclosure relates to illumination optical systems for microlithography, such as EUV-microlithography, as well as related systems, components and methods.... Agent: Fish & Richardson PC

20090091734 - Illumination system: A coherence remover is provided. In an embodiment the coherence remover includes a first mirror and a second mirror coupled to the first mirror. The coherence remover is configured to receive an input beam. Each of the first and second mirrors is configured to reflect a respective portion of the... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20090091729 - Lithography systems and methods of manufacturing using thereof: Lithography systems and methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices are disclosed. For example, a lithography system includes at least two reticle stages and a common projection lens system disposed between the reticle stages and a wafer stage, and at least one alignment system for aligning the reticle stages.... Agent: Slater & Matsil LLP

20090091732 - Scanning optical device, image forming apparatus using the same, and method of adjusting scanning optical device: A scanning optical device including a plurality of light source devices 1a-1d, a light beam converting system 3 for converting the light focus state of the plurality of light beams emitted from light emitting members of the light source devices, a deflecting member 5 for scanningly deflecting the light beam... Agent: Fitzpatrick Cella Harper & Scinto

20090091730 - Spatial light modulation unit, illumination apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: A spatial light modulation unit can be arranged in an optical system and can be arranged along an optical axis of the optical system. The spatial light modulation unit includes a first folding surface which folds light incident in parallel with the optical axis of the optical system; a reflective... Agent: Miles & Stockbridge PC

20090091736 - Calculation method, generation method, program, exposure method, and mask fabrication method: The present invention provides a calculation method of calculating, by a computer, a light intensity distribution formed on an image plane of a projection optical system, comprising a step of dividing an effective light source formed on a pupil plane of the projection optical system into a plurality of point... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20090086174 - Image recording apparatus, image correcting apparatus, and image sensing apparatus: An image recording apparatus for acquiring a main image from an image sensing portion and recording the main image on a recording medium has: an image acquirer that acquires, when acquiring the main image from the image sensing portion, also a short-exposure image shot with an exposure time shorter than... Agent: Ndq&m Watchstone LLP

20090086175 - Methods relating to immersion lithography and an immersion lithographic apparatus: A method of operating a fluid confinement system of an immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed. The performance of the liquid confinement system is measured in several different ways. On the basis of the result of the measurement of performance, a signal indicating, for example, that a remedial action may need... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090086176 - Method of operation for slm-based optical lithography tool: An optical lithography system comprises a light source, a spatial light modulator, imaging optics and means for continuously moving a photosensitive substrate relative to the spatial light modulator. The spatial light modulator comprises at least one array of individually switchable elements. The spatial light modulator is continuously illuminated and an... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

20090086178 - Exposure apparatus: Electric power is generated by using a generator equipped with: a coil unit that is arranged on a barrel platform and incorporates coils; and a magnet unit that has a magnet section arranged on a protruding section of a column separated from the barrel platform in terms of vibration and... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090086181 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: An immersion lithography apparatus is disclosed in which liquid is supplied to a space between a projection system and a substrate, and a plate structure is provided to divide the space into two parts. The plate structure has an aperture to allow transmission of the projection beam, has through holes... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090086177 - Lithographic apparatus having a lorentz actuator with a composite carrier: An actuator is configured to produce a displacement force between a first and a second part to displace the first and second parts relative to each other. The Actuator includes a first magnet subassembly, attached to one of a first and a second part, and an electrically conductive element, attached... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090086180 - Lithographic apparatus, stage apparatus and device manufacturing method: A lithographic apparatus is described, the apparatus comprising an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam; a support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam; a substrate table... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP

20090086179 - Radiometric kirk test: Systems and methods for measuring stray light in a lithographic apparatus are described using Radiometric Kirk Test (also known as Scanning SAMOS Test). The Radiometric Kirk Test of the present invention involves a test pattern having an isolated dark area within a much larger bright field. The radiometric Kirk test... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20090086182 - Apparatus for slm-based optical lithography with gray level capability: An optical lithography system comprises a light source, a spatial light modulator, imaging optics and means for continuously moving a photosensitive substrate relative to the spatial light modulator. The spatial light modulator comprises at least one array of individually switchable elements. The spatial light modulator is continuously illuminated and an... Agent: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

20090086184 - Controlling fluctuations in pointing, positioning, size or divergence errors of a beam of light for optical apparatus: A system and method are used for controlling fluctuations in one or more of a beam pointing error, a beam positioning error, a beam size error or a beam divergence error of a beam of light in a lithography system. An optical apparatus may comprise a first beam control module... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.

20090086183 - Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An exposure apparatus includes a calculating unit which calculates information representing the optical characteristic of the projection optical system, based on the relationship between the amount of defocus from the image plane of the projection optical system and the position of an image formed by the projection optical system.... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20090086186 - Illuminating optical apparatus, exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method: An illumination optical apparatus is able to quickly perform switching between polarization states of illumination light in a first region and in a second region. The illumination optical apparatus of the present invention for illuminating a surface to be illuminated on the basis of light from a light source is... Agent: Oliff & Berridge, PLC

20090086185 - Illumination optical system, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method: An illumination optical system comprises a first polarization control unit which is located between a light source and a pupil of an illumination optical system, and a second polarization control unit which is located between the first polarization control unit and the pupil, wherein a region on the pupil includes... Agent: Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.

20090086187 - Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method: A clamping device can be configured to clamp an object on a support. The clamping device can include a first device configured to exert an attracting force on the object, and a second device configured to exert a rejecting force on the object. The first device and second device can... Agent: Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox P.l.l.c.