Extreme ultra-violet (EUV) lithography ruling engine specifically configured to print one-dimensional lines on a target workpiece includes source of EUV radiation; a pattern-source defining 1D pattern; an illumination unit (IU) configured to irradiate the pattern-source; and projection optics (PO) configured to optically image, with a reduction factor N>1, the 1D pattern on image surface that is optically-conjugate to the 1D pattern. Irradiation of the pattern-source can be on-axis or off-axis. While 1D pattern has first spatial frequency, its optical image has second spatial frequency that is at least twice the first spatial frequency. The pattern-source can be flat or curved. The IU may include a relay reflector. A PO's reflector may include multiple spatially-distinct reflecting elements aggregately forming such reflector. The engine is configured to not allow formation of optical image of any 2D pattern that has spatial resolution substantially equal to a pitch of the 1D pattern of the pattern-source.

A method of patterning lithographic substrates, the method including using a free electron laser to generate EUV radiation and delivering the EUV radiation to a lithographic apparatus which projects the EUV radiation onto lithographic substrates, wherein the method further includes reducing fluctuations in the power of EUV radiation delivered to the lithographic substrates by using a feedback-based control loop to monitor the free electron laser and adjust operation of the free electron laser accordingly.

Embodiments of a drain in a lithographic projection apparatus are described that have, for example, a feature which reduces inflow of gas into the drain during a period when no liquid is present in the drain. In one example, a passive liquid removal mechanism is provided such that the pressure of gas in the drain is equal to the ambient gas pressure and in another embodiment a flap is provided to close off a chamber during times when no liquid needs removing.

Embodiments of a drain in a lithographic projection apparatus are described that have, for example, a feature which reduces inflow of gas into the drain during a period when no liquid is present in the drain. In one example, a passive liquid removal mechanism is provided such that the pressure of gas in the drain is equal to the ambient gas pressure and in another embodiment a flap is provided to close off a chamber during times when no liquid needs removing.

The present invention provides an exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate, including: an optical system including a barrel and an optical element arranged in the barrel; and an adjustment unit including a heat radiator and configured to adjust imaging characteristics of the optical system by applying heat to the optical element from the heat radiator, wherein the heat radiator is a member including a first end portion and a second end portion on a side opposite to the first end portion and having a variation in physical properties falling within a predetermined range, a central portion between the first end portion and the second end portion of the heat radiator is arranged inside the barrel, and the first end portion and the second end portion of the heat radiator are arranged outside the barrel.

A method for transferring an actual workpiece pattern (23) to a workpiece (24) using a pixelated phase mask (14) includes (i) evaluating a desired workpiece pattern (226) to identify a desired repetitive step cell (230) in the desired workpiece pattern (226), the desired repetitive step cell (230) having a desired step cell width (250), and a desired step cell length (252); (ii) evaluating if the desired step cell width (250) is equal to a first integer multiplied by a pixel width (28A) and an optical adjustment factor; and (iii) evaluating if the desired step cell length (252) is equal to a second integer multiplied by a pixel length (28B) and an optical adjustment factor.

An optical arrangement, in particular a lithography system, includes: a movable component, in particular a mirror; at least one actuator for moving the component; and at least one stop having a stop face for delimiting the movement of the component. The optical arrangement further includes, on a stop or on a plurality of stops, at least two stop faces for delimiting the movement of the movable component in one and the same movement direction.

There is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a light radiator configured to radiate a light for processing into an irradiation area which is smaller than a processing target area of a surface of a substrate; a driver configured to move the irradiation area in two directions that cross each other in a plane along the surface of the substrate; and a controller configured to control the driver to move an irradiation position in two directions according to a movement pattern which has been set to radiate the light to an entire area of the processing target area.

A system includes a visual sensor provided in an industrial machine or in the vicinity thereof to acquire a plurality of image data, a calculation unit that calculates a contamination degree of a lens or a lens cover of the visual sensor on the basis of the image data acquired by the visual sensor, and a prediction unit that calculates information on a predicted cleaning timing to be performed in the future, of the lens or the lens cover on the basis of the calculated contamination degree of the lens or the lens cover.

An illumination optical apparatus that illuminates an object with illumination light includes a first spatial light modulator in an optical path of the illumination light, and having a plurality of first mirror elements; a second spatial light modulator in the optical path of the illumination light from the first spatial light modulator, and having a plurality of second mirror elements; a control unit which controls the first and second spatial light modulators to control postures of the first and second mirror elements; and an optical integrator in the optical path of the illumination light from the second spatial light modulator on an incidence side of an illumination pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus. The control unit controls the postures of the first and second mirror elements to set a light intensity distribution of the illumination light on the illumination pupil plane.