Nikon Corporation

Other

Nikon Precision Incorporated

Nikon Research Corporation of America

Nikon Corporation of Japan

Nikon Corporation, Japan

W Thomas Novak

Douglas C Watson

Andrew J Hazelton

Akimitsu Ebihara

Mark K Takita

Uday G Nayak

Zahirudeen Premji

Michael B Binnard

Daniel Gene Smith

Bausan Yuan

Li Hong

Hidemi Kawai

Michael Kovalerchik

Martin E Lee

Yukiharu Okubo

Toshimasa Shimoda

Shinobu Tokushima

Shinji Shinohara

Takuma Tsuda

Michael R Sogard

David P Stumbo

Alton Hugh Phillips

Lloyd Frederick Holland

David Michael Williamson

Ken George Wasson

Pai-Hsueh Yang

Maki Suzuki

Hideaki Sakamoto

Fuyuhiko Inoue

John H McCoy

Hiroto Horikawa

Toshio Ueta

Yoshifumi Nakakoji

Yoichi Arai

Kirk Lok

Alex K Tim Poon

An immersion lithography apparatus includes a projection system having a last optical element, a plurality of liquid supply openings that surround a path of exposure light that exits an end surface of the last optical element and face downwardly, and a plurality of liquid recovery openings that surround the path of the exposure light, are arranged radially outward of the liquid supply openings, and face downwardly. An upper surface of a substrate is opposite to the liquid supply openings and the liquid recovery openings. A portion of the upper surface of the substrate is covered with immersion liquid, which flows across the end surface of the last optical element. The substrate is exposed with the exposure light through the immersion liquid between the end surface of the last optical element and the upper surface the substrate.

Liquid jet and recovery system for immersion lithography

An immersion lithography apparatus includes an optical assembly including an optical element, and configured to project a beam onto a substrate through immersion liquid, a containment member surrounding a path of the beam, a stage on which the substrate is held and moved below a bottom surface of the containment member with the substrate spaced from the bottom surface of the containment member, and a support system having an actuator to support and move the containment member. The containment member includes a first supply opening via which water as the immersion liquid is released, a recovery opening via which the immersion liquid is recovered from a gap between the containment member and the substrate and/or the stage, and a second supply opening via which the water is released to the gap, the second supply opening being provided radially inward of the recovery opening.

Environmental system including a transport region for an immersion lithography apparatus

A liquid immersion lithography apparatus includes a projection system including an optical member of which an incidence side has a convex lens shape, the projection system being configured to project an image through a liquid on a workpiece, and a liquid immersion member arranged below the optical member, the liquid immersion member having a plurality of openings through which the liquid is allowed to flow. A material of which the optical member is made is more resistant to the liquid than a material of which the liquid immersion member is made.

An immersion lithography apparatus includes an optical assembly that projects a beam onto a substrate through an immersion liquid, a containment member surrounding a path of the beam, a stage holding the substrate, an isolator having a first actuator which limits vibrations of the optical assembly, and a support system having a second actuator to support the containment member and move it by the second actuator. The containment member includes a first supply opening via which water as the immersion liquid is released, a recovery opening via which the immersion liquid is recovered from a gap between the containment member and the substrate and/or the stage, and a second supply opening via which the water is released to the gap between the containment member and the substrate and/or the stage, the second supply opening being provided radially inward of the recovery opening.

Boresight and other pointing errors are detected based on a monitor beam formed by diverting a portion of a probe beam. The monitor beam is directed to a position sensitive photodetector, and the optical power received at the position sensitive photodetector is used to estimate or correct such pointing errors.

Boresight error monitor for laser radar integrated optical assembly

A liquid immersion lithography apparatus includes a projection system, an opening from which liquid is supplied to a space under the projection system, the opening being connectable to a liquid source via a flow passage to supply the liquid to the space and the opening being connectable to a vacuum source via the flow passage, and a holding member by which a substrate is held, the holding member being movable below the projection system and the opening. The substrate held by the holding member is exposed through the liquid that is supplied from the opening and that covers only a portion of an upper surface of the substrate.

An immersion lithography apparatus includes (i) an optical assembly including an optical element, and configured to project a beam onto a substrate through an immersion liquid; (ii) a containment member that surrounds a path of the beam; and (iii) a stage on which the substrate is held, the substrate on the stage being moved below and spaced from a bottom surface of the containment member. The containment member includes: (1) a nozzle outlet via which water as the immersion liquid is released, (2) a recovery channel via which the immersion liquid is recovered from a gap between the containment member and the substrate and/or the stage, and (3) a fluid channel via which water is released to the gap between the containment member and the substrate and/or the stage, the fluid channel being provided radially inward of the recovery channel.

A lithographic projection apparatus includes a projection optics having a last element, by which an exposure light is projected onto an upper surface of a wafer through liquid covering a portion of the upper surface. The last element has a convex-shape incident surface, an exit surface from which the exposure light is emitted, and an outer surface arranged above the exit surface. The outer surface of the last element has a lower portion, and extends radially-outwardly and upwardly from the lower portion. The apparatus also includes a gap along the outer surface of the last element, the gap being defined between the outer surface of the last element and an opposing surface.

Optical arrangement of autofocus elements for use with immersion lithography

A system for providing an adjusted image of a scene includes an optical assembly, a capturing system coupled to the optical assembly, and a control system. The optical assembly is adjustable to alternatively be focused on a first focal area and a second focal area that is different than the first focal area. The capturing system captures a first frame of the scene when the optical assembly is focused at the first focal area, and a second frame of the scene when the optical assembly is focused at the second focal area. The first frame includes a plurality of first pixels and the second frame includes a plurality of second pixels. The control system analyzes the first frame and the second frame and utilizes graph cuts techniques to assign a depth label to at least a portion of the first frame.

Image segmentation from focus varied images using graph cuts

An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by radiating a light onto the substrate through an optical assembly and a liquid provided on the substrate. The exposure apparatus includes a stage assembly which is movable relative to the optical assembly, the stage assembly including a support which supports the substrate, a first subregion which substantially encircles the support, and a second subregion which substantially encircles the first subregion. The first subregion includes a first surface having a first characteristic and the second subregion includes a second surface having a second characteristic which is different from the first characteristic.

Immersion lithography apparatus with hydrophilic region encircling hydrophobic region which encircles substrate support

A lithographic projection apparatus includes a projection system having a last element, by which an exposure light is projected onto an upper surface of a wafer through liquid locally covering a portion of the upper surface of the wafer. The last element has a lower surface from which the exposure light is emitted. The last element also has an outer surface which extends upwardly from an edge portion of the lower surface. The apparatus also includes a space along the outer surface of the last element, to which the liquid is supplied from above the lower surface of the last element. The space is defined by the outer surface of the last element and a surface opposing the outer surface of the last element.

A measurement assembly () for measuring a feature (A) on a surface () includes a metrology system (), a mover assembly (), a pointer (), and a control system (). The metrology system () generates a measurement beam (), and the mover assembly () selectively adjusts the direction of the measurement beam (). The pointer () is handheld and generates a pointer beam () that can be selectively directed at the surface () to form a pointer spot () on the surface (). Further, the control system () controls the mover assembly () to move the direction of the measurement beam () until the measurement beam () is approximately directed at the pointer spot ().

Measurement assembly including a metrology system and a pointer that directs the metrology system

A lithographic projection apparatus that is arranged to project a pattern from a patterning device onto a substrate using a projection system has a liquid supply system arranged to supply a liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate. The apparatus also includes a liquid collecting system that includes a liquid collection member having a permeable member through which a liquid is collected from a surface of an object opposite to the liquid collection member, wherein the permeable member has a plurality of passages that generate a capillary force.

A lithographic projection apparatus includes a projection system having a last element from which an exposure light is projected onto a wafer through liquid in a space under the last element. A light incident surface of the last element has a convex shape. A liquid retaining member is disposed adjacent to a surface of the last element through which the exposure light does not pass. The liquid retaining member has an undersurface under which liquid is retained. A gap is formed between the liquid retaining member and the surface of the last element, the gap being in fluidic communication with the space. The liquid is retained between the last element and the undersurface of the liquid retaining member on one side and an upper surface of the wafer on the other side. The liquid locally covers a portion of the upper surface of the wafer.

A lithographic projection apparatus includes a projection system having a spherical lens element from which an exposure light is projected through liquid in a space under the spherical lens element, a member disposed adjacent to a surface of the spherical lens element through which the exposure light does not pass, and a gap formed between the member and the surface of the spherical lens element. The gap communicates with the space and includes lower and upper portions. A wafer is moved below and relative to the spherical lens element and the member, and the liquid is retained between the spherical lens element and the member on one side and an upper surface of the wafer on the other side. The liquid locally covers a portion of the upper surface of the wafer to expose the wafer by projecting the exposure light onto the wafer through the liquid in the space.

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Hillsborough, CA, United States of America

W Thomas Novak