Asml Netherlands B.v.

Hako Botma

Markus Franciscus Antonius Eurlings

Marcel Mathijs Theodore Marie Dierichs

Heine Melle Mulder

Ewoud Vreugdenhil

Vadim Yevgenyevich Banine

Johannes Jacobus Matheus Baselmans

Jan Bernard Plechelmus Van Schoot

Sven Antoin Johan Hol

Ramon Pascal Van Gorkom

Antonius Johannes Josephus Van Dijsseldonk

Edwin Johan Buis

Gosse Charles De Vries

Marinus Johannes Maria Van Dam

Adel Joobeur

Martinus Van Duijnhoven

Hendrik Antony Johannes Neerhof

Marius Ravensbergen

Judocus Marie Dominicus Stoeldraijer

Jan Van Schoot

Erik Maria Rekkers

Mark Trentelman

Jan Jaap Krikke

Johannes Aldegonda Theodorus Marie Van Den Homberg

Johannes Hendrik Everhardus Aldegonda Muijderman

Joe Sakai

Joerg Bruebach

Jan Bruining

Cornelis Petrus Andreas Marie Luijkx

Cornelis Jacobus Van Duijn

Sven Hol

Marinus Van Dam

Johannes Hendrick Everardus Aldegonda Muiderman

An actuator to displace, for example a mirror, provides movement with at least two degrees of freedom by varying the currents in two electromagnets. A moving part includes a permanent magnet with a magnetic face constrained to move over a working area lying substantially in a first plane perpendicular to a direction of magnetization of the magnet. The electromagnets have pole faces lying substantially in a second plane closely parallel to the first plane, each pole face substantially filling a quadrant of the area traversed by the face of the moving magnet. An optical position sensor may direct a beam of radiation at the moving magnet through a central space between the electromagnets. The sizes of facets in a pupil mirror device may be made smaller in a peripheral region, but larger in a central region, thereby relaxing focusing requirements.

Actuation mechanism, optical apparatus, lithography apparatus and method of manufacturing devices

A lithographic apparatus is provided with a sensor. The sensor comprises a frame that defines a space that is crossed multiple times by wire. Detection electronics are connected to the wire and configured to detect a change of temperature of the wire due to infrared radiation being incident upon the wire. The detection electronics are further configured to provide an output signal in the event that a change of temperature of the wire is detected.

Lithographic apparatus and method

A pulse modifier, and associated lithographic apparatus and a method for manufacturing a device, is disclosed. The pulse modifier is configured to receive an input pulse of radiation and further configured to emit a plurality of corresponding output pulse portions of radiation, wherein the respective pulse portions are respectively mirrored about an axis transverse to the optical axis and mirrored about a point of the optical axis of the pulse portions.

Pulse modifier, lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

Apparatus and methods are used for controlling electromagnetic radiation pulse duration in a lithographic apparatus. A dividing element is arranged to divide an electromagnetic radiation pulse into a first portion and a second portion. A prism receives, refracts, and subsequently emits the first portion of the electromagnetic radiation pulse. A directing element is arranged to direct the first and second portions of the electromagnetic radiation pulse parallel to a common optical axis. The first portion combines with the second portion to form a combined radiation beam pulse. The combined radiation beam pulse has a longer pulse duration than the divided electromagnetic pulse and experiences no corresponding loss in intensity.

Electromagnetic radiation pulse duration control apparatus and method

A beam directing element configured to receive a substantially collimated input beam of predetermined wavelength propagating in a first direction and to output a substantially collimated output beam in a second direction includes a prism formed of a transparent material and having input and output faces, wherein the internal angle between the input face and the output face is such that when the input beam is incident on the input face substantially at Brewster's angle, it is internally incident on the output face at Brewster's angle. The beam directing element is useful in lithography, for example in beam delivery systems.

Lithographic apparatus, beam delivery systems, prisms and device manufacturing method

A pulse modifying unit is provided in the illumination system of the lithographic apparatus to reduce the degradation of the expensive lens elements by billions of the high intensity ultraviolet pulses from the laser is configured to receive an input pulse of radiation along a first optical axis and further configured to emit one or more corresponding output pulses of radiation along a second optical axis, including a divider disposed along the first optical axis and configured to divide the incoming pulse into a first and a second pulse portion, wherein the divider is further configured to direct the first pulse portion along the second optical axis. A first and a second mirror, each with a radius of curvature, are disposed facing each other with a predetermined separation, configured to receive the second pulse portion and to redirect the second portion along the second optical axis. The optical path of the second portion through the pulse modifier is longer than that of the first portion, and the separation is less than radius of curvature.

Pulse modifier, lithographic apparatus, and device manufacturing method

A lithographic apparatus comprises an illumination system for providing a projection beam of radiation. A support structure is provided for supporting a patterning device, the patterning device serving to impart the projection beam with a pattern in its cross-section. A substrate table holds a substrate, while a projection system projects the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The illumination system comprises a field defining element arranged to define an illuminating field in the plane of the patterning device or in a plane conjugate thereto, the field being off-axis with respect to the optical axis of the illuminating system.

Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

An attenuation adjustment device is disclosed that includes a plurality of members configured to cast penumbras in a radiation beam illuminating a patterning device in a lithography apparatus. Furthermore, an attenuation control device is provided to adjust the members in such a manner as to control the attenuation of the patterned radiation beam projected onto a target portion of a substrate across the cross-section of the patterned radiation beam. The attenuation control device includes a detector configured to provide an output indicative of the position of each member in dependence on detection of a beam of detecting radiation reaching the detector after attenuation by the member.

A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system including a field faceted mirror including a plurality of field facets and configured to receive radiation from a radiation source and form a plurality of images of the radiation source on corresponding pupil facets of a pupil faceted mirror. Each of the field facets is configured to provide an illumination slit at a level of a patterning device. The illumination slits are summed together at the level of the patterning device to illuminate the patterning device. First blades are configured to block radiation from a radiation source and each first blade is selectively actuable to cover a portion of a selectable number of field facets. The field faceted mirror further comprises partial field facets, the partial field facets being configured to produce a partial illumination slit at the level of the patterning device, and the pupil faceted mirror further includes pupil facets corresponding to the partial field facets. The partial field facets are configured to produce an illumination slit that is summed with the summed illumination slits of the field facets and/or correct for non-uniformity in the summed illumination slits of the field facets. Second blades are selectively actuable to cover a portion of a selectable number of partial field facets.

A beam modifying device configured to receive an input radiation beam along a first optical axis, and configured to emit an output radiation beam along a second optical axis. The beam modifying device includes a divider disposed along the first optical axis and configured to divide the incoming radiation beam into a first part and a second part, the divider being configured to direct the first part along the second optical axis and to direct the second part via a delay path. The beam modifying device further includes optics forming the delay path, the optics being configured to receive the second part and to direct the second part via the delay path and then along the second optical axis. The optics are arranged to mirror the second part such that the second part is mirrored with respect to the first part.

Beam modifying device, lithographic projection apparatus, method of treating a beam, and device manufacturing method

A lithographic projection apparatus includes an illumination system having a reflective integrator with a rectangular cross-section. An optical element is provided to redistribute an intensity distribution exiting the reflective integrator.

Lithographic apparatus, illumination system, and optical element for rotating an intensity distribution

The present invention provides a lithographic apparatus comprising an illumination system for providing a projection beam of radiation. The illumination system comprises at least one movable optical element (), such that a projection beam of radiation () can be shifted around a central position. This ensures that inhomogeneities in the intensity distribution in the projection beam () will be smeared out, which in turn provides an improved homogeneity of the exposure of a surface to be illuminated by the system, such as a wafer or other substrate. The optical element () may comprise a motor movable mirror, prism, filter, lens, axicon, diffuser, diffractive optical array, optical integrator, etc. The invention further provides a device manufacturing method, using a lithographic apparatus according to the invention, wherein the optical element is moved, in order to provide an optimum homogeneity for the projection beam of radiation.

A lithographic projection apparatus includes a radiation system for providing a projection beam of radiation, a support structure for supporting a patterning device, the patterning device serving to pattern the projection beam according to a desired pattern, a substrate table for holding a substrate, a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate, an illumination system for conditioning the beam of radiation beam so as to provide a conditioned radiation beam so as to be able to illuminate said patterning means, and a beam delivery system including redirecting elements for redirecting and delivering the projection beam from the radiation system to the illumination system. The radiation beam is arranged to have a predetermined polarization state and the redirecting elements are arranged to provide a minimum radiation loss in relation to the predetermined polarization state of the radiation beam.

Lithographic apparatus, mirror element, device manufacturing method, and beam delivery system

The invention relates to an illumination assembly, including a beam expander being arranged for receiving from a radiation source a radiation beam directed in a first direction (z) and for expanding the beam with a first magnification factor in a second direction (x) and with a second magnification factor in a third direction (y). The first, second and third directions being substantially mutually orthogonal. The illumination assembly further includes a beam splitter that is arranged for splitting the radiation beam in two split radiation beams split in at least one of the second and third direction, the propagation direction of the split radiation beams being substantially in the first direction. The beam splitter is further arranged for delivering the split radiation beams to the beam expander, of which at least one of the magnification factors is adjustable.

Illumination assembly, method for providing a radiation beam, lithographic projection apparatus and device manufacturing method

An optical attenuator device operates to remove a part of a beam of radiation having a higher than average intensity using at least one optical attenuator element. The device has application in a radiation system, and/or a lithographic apparatus, in particular a scanning lithographic apparatus, wherein the optical attenuator element(s) are provided in a central part of the beam, for example perpendicularly to a scanning direction.

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Hako Botma