A movable body apparatus that moves a substrate equipped with: a substrate holder which can move in the X-axis and the Y-axis directions; a Y coarse movement stage can move in the Y-axis direction, a first measurement system acquiring position information on the substrate holder with heads provided at the substrate holder and a scale provided at the Y coarse movement stage; a second measurement system acquiring position information on the Y coarse movement stage with heads at the Y coarse movement stage and a scale; and a control system controlling the position of the substrate holder based on position information acquired by the first and the second measurement systems, and the first measurement system irradiates a measurement beam on the scale while moving the heads in the X-axis direction, and the second measurement system irradiates a measurement beam on the scale while moving the heads in the Y-axis direction.

A lithographic apparatus having a substrate table, a projection system, an encoder system, a measurement frame and a measurement system. The substrate table has a holding surface for holding a substrate. The projection system is for projecting an image on the substrate. The encoder system is for providing a signal representative of a position of the substrate table. The measurement system is for measuring a property of the lithographic apparatus. The holding surface is along a plane. The projection system is at a first side of the plane. The measurement frame is arranged to support at least part of the encoder system and at least part of the measurement system at a second side of the plane different from the first side.

An electron beam lithography (Ebeam) method for a wafer having alignment and device layers with a design alignment. The Ebeam method includes executing an Ebeam scan of predefined length and resolution based on the design alignment over a pattern edge of the device layer, generating a signal from reflections of the Ebeam scan off the pattern edge, determining an offset of the device layer relative to the alignment layer from a comparison of the signal and the design alignment and applying the offset to the design alignment to obtain an actual measurement of Ebeam alignment.

A lithographic apparatus having a substrate table, a projection system, an encoder system, a measurement frame and a measurement system. The substrate table has a holding surface for holding a substrate. The projection system is for projecting an image on the substrate. The encoder system is for providing a signal representative of a position of the substrate table. The measurement system is for measuring a property of the lithographic apparatus. The holding surface is along a plane. The projection system is at a first side of the plane. The measurement frame is arranged to support at least part of the encoder system and at least part of the measurement system at a second side of the plane different from the first side.

An apparatus, method, or platter for modifying mesa sidewalls of a template by cleaning or coating the mesa sidewalls. In which the template has a pattern area on a first surface of a mesa. Mesa sidewalls surround the first surface of the mesa. The mesa sidewalls are exposed to a gas. The gas modifies the mesa sidewalls. Resistance to the flow of gas towards the pattern area is provided.

A lithographic apparatus having a substrate table, a projection system, an encoder system, a measurement frame and a measurement system. The substrate table has a holding surface for holding a substrate. The projection system is for projecting an image on the substrate. The encoder system is for providing a signal representative of a position of the substrate table. The measurement system is for measuring a property of the lithographic apparatus. The holding surface is along a plane. The projection system is at a first side of the plane. The measurement frame is arranged to support at least part of the encoder system and at least part of the measurement system at a second side of the plane different from the first side.

A movement area of a stage includes first-fifth areas. In the first area, three of four heads except for a first head respectively face three of four sections of a scale member except for a first section. In the second area, three of four heads except for a second head respectively face three of four sections except for a second section of the scale member. In the third area, three of four heads except for a third head respectively face three of four sections except for a third section of the scale member. In the fourth area, three of four heads except for a fourth head respectively face three of four sections of the scale member. In the fifth area, the four heads respectively face the four sections. The stage is moved from one of the first-fourth areas to another of those areas via the fifth area.

Lithographic apparatuses suitable for, and methodologies involving, complementary e-beam lithography (CEBL) are described. In an example, a blanker aperture array (BAA) for an e-beam tool includes a first column of openings along a first direction and having a pitch. The BAA also includes a second column of openings along the first direction and staggered from the first column of openings. The second column of openings has the pitch. A scan direction of the BAA is along a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction.

A method of forming patterned features on a substrate is provided. The method includes positioning a plurality of masks arranged in a mask layout over a substrate. The substrate is positioned in a first plane and the plurality of masks are positioned in a second plane, the plurality of masks in the mask layout have edges that each extend parallel to the first plane and parallel or perpendicular to an alignment feature on the substrate, the substrate includes a plurality of areas configured to be patterned by energy directed through the masks arranged in the mask layout. The method further includes directing energy towards the plurality of areas through the plurality of masks arranged in the mask layout over the substrate to form a plurality of patterned features in each of the plurality of areas.

An optical measurement device includes: a frame measurement unit for measuring magnitude of deformation of an optical detection platform frame, and a correction module for correcting the position of a substrate carrier and/or the position of an optical detection unit according to the magnitude of deformation of the optical detection platform frame, so as to eliminate an error in measurement of mark positions due to deformation of the frame. An optical measurement method is also disclosed.