A passivation layer and conductive via are provided, wherein the transmittance of an imaging energy is increased within the material of the passivation layer. The increase in transmittance allows for a greater cross-linking that helps to increase control over the contours of openings formed within the passivation layer. Once the openings are formed, the conductive vias can be formed within the openings.

An apparatus and method for measuring thermo-mechanically induced reticle distortion or other distortion in a lithography device enables detecting distortion at the nanometer level in situ. The techniques described use relatively simple optical detectors and data acquisition electronics that are capable of monitoring the distortion in real time, during operation of the lithography equipment. Time-varying anisotropic distortion of a reticle can be measured by directing slit patterns of light having different orientations to the reticle and detecting reflected, transmitted or diffracted light from the reticle. In one example, corresponding segments of successive time measurements of secondary light signals are compared as the reticle scans a substrate at a reticle stage speed of about 1 m/s to detect temporal offsets and other features that correspond to spatial distortion.

An imprint apparatus that cures an imprint material on a substrate in a state where a mold is in contact with the imprint material includes a substrate holding unit having a plurality of holding regions that holds the substrate, and a control unit configured to control a pressure in each of the holding regions independently, wherein the control unit controls the pressure based on at least one of shape information and distortion information of the substrate, at least when the imprint material is cured.

Nanoparticle(NP)-decorated carbon nanotube (CNT) ropes used as sensing elements for hydrogen gas (H.sub.2) chemiresistors are described herein. The NP-decorated CNT rope sensors were prepared by dielectrophoretic deposition of a single semiconducting CNT rope followed by the electrodeposition of metal nanoparticles to highly disperse said nanoparticles on the CNT surfaces. The rope sensors produced a relative resistance change 20-30 times larger than what was observed at single, pure Pd nanowires. Thus, the rope sensors improved upon all H.sub.2 sensing metrics (speed, dynamic range, and limit-of-detection) relative to single Pd nanowires.

An extreme ultraviolet light source apparatus includes a light source part for generating a plasma that emits extreme ultraviolet light with use of excitation of a raw material for emitting extreme ultraviolet light; a storage vessel for storing a melt of a waste material including the raw material and a melt of particles of debris that are emitted from the plasma; a receiving plate member having a receiving surface; and a corrosion-resistant member disposed on the receiving surface of the receiving plate member, the corrosion-resistant member being more corrosion-resistant to the melt of the waste material and the melt of the debris than the receiving plate member, the corrosion-resistant member receiving the melt of the waste material and the melt of the debris and guiding the melt of the waste material and the melt of the debris into the storage vessel.

A digital masking system includes a supporting structure for supporting a material, and a pattern imaging apparatus. The pattern imaging apparatus includes a light source device, multiple imaging devices that convert light from the light source device into a plurality of light beams each representing an image, and a combiner that combines the light beams into a single light beam which is projected toward a material.

An optical wavelength dispersion device and manufacturing method therefor are disclosed, wherein the optical wavelength dispersion device includes a waveguide unit and a reflector, wherein the waveguide unit has a first substrate, an input unit, a grating and a second substrate. The input unit is formed on the first substrate and having a slit for receiving an optical signal, a grating is formed on the first substrate for producing an output beam once the optical signal is dispersed, the second substrate is located on the input unit and the grating, and forms a waveguide space with the first substrate, the reflector is located outside of the waveguide unit, and is used for change emitting angle of the output beam.

Embodiments related to emissive display device structures having an emissive display element and a metamaterial lens having a plurality of nanoparticles over an emissive surface of the emissive display element to control the angular distribution of light emitted from the emissive display element, displays having such controlled emissive display device structures, systems incorporating such controlled emissive display device structures, and methods for fabricating them are discussed.

A passivation layer and conductive via are provided, wherein the transmittance of an imaging energy is increased within the material of the passivation layer. The increase in transmittance allows for a greater cross-linking that helps to increase control over the contours of openings formed within the passivation layer. Once the openings are formed, the conductive vias can be formed within the openings.

Improved methods of manufacturing highly sensitive and selective electrochemical biosensors are provided. The method may comprise washing the nanowell array electrodes of the biosensors with ferricyanide, preferably potassium ferricyanide. The method may also comprise washing the electrodes of the biosensors with methylene blue (i.e., methylthioninium chloride), either in addition to the ferricyanide and/or H2SO4 washing steps, or without the ferricyanide and/or H.sub.2SO.sub.4 washing steps.