Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve a positioning system for positioning a portion of a lithographic apparatus. SOLUTION: The lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system, a support, a substrate table, a projection system, and an actuator. The illumination system is configured to condition a radiation beam. The support is constructed to support a patterning device. The patterning device is capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam. The substrate table is constructed to hold a substrate. The projection system is configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The actuator is constructed and arranged to exert a force on a part of the lithographic apparatus via an elongated structure. The elongated structure is provided with a vibration damper constructed and arranged to damp vibrations in the elongated structure. The actuator may be used in a positioning system configured to position a portion of the lithographic apparatus, and the portion may be the support and/or substrate table. COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide accurate short stroke positioning.SOLUTION: A stage system comprises an object table which holds an object, a short stroke actuator element which moves the object table over a first moving range, a long stroke actuator element which moves the short stroke actuator element over a second moving range wider than the first moving range. The stage system further comprises a pneumatic compensation device including a sensor which measures an amount representing an air disturbance force on the short stroke actuator element, an actuator which provides a compensation force at least partially compensating for air disturbance, and a controller. The sensor is connected to a controller input of the controller, and the actuator is connected to a controller output of the controller. The controller drives the actuator in response to a signal received from the sensor.
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vibration isolation system for an imprint lithographic apparatus, capable of improving a throughput of an imprint lithographic apparatus. SOLUTION: An imprint lithographic apparatus 100 includes an actuator 130 displacing an imprint template holder 110 relative to a substrate holder 120. A support structure 140 of the imprint template holder 110 and/or the substrate holder 120 is attached to a vibration isolation system 150 attached to a base 160. The vibration isolation system 150 isolates vibration of the support structure 140 relative to the base 160. A control unit controlling the actuator 130 in an imprint process controls an adjusting member of the vibration isolation system 150, and adjusts a dynamic characteristic of the vibration isolation system 150 during at least part of the imprint process to reduce a displacement of the support structure 140 relative to the base 160, the displacement being caused by a force acting the support structure 140. COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT
Abstract:
A method and apparatus of correcting thermally-induced field deformations of a lithographically exposed substrate, is presented herein. In one embodiment, the method includes exposing a pattern onto a plurality of fields of a substrate in accordance with prespecified exposure information and measuring attributes of the fields to assess deformation of the fields induced by thermal effects of the exposing process. The method further includes determining corrective information based on the measured attributes, and adjusting the prespecified exposure information, based on the corrective information, to compensate for the thermally-induced field deformations. Other embodiments include the use of predictive models to predict thermally-induced effects on the fields and thermographic imaging to determine temperature variations across a substrate.