A method for printing a periodic pattern of linear features into a photosensitive layer which includes providing a mask bearing a pattern of linear features, arranging the substrate parallel to the mask, generating an elongated beam for illuminating the mask with a range of angles of incidence in a plane parallel to the linear features and with a uniform power per incremental distance along the length of the beam except at its ends where the power per incremental distance falls to zero according to first and second profiles over a fall-off distance, and scanning the beam in first and second sub-exposures to print first and second parts of the desired pattern such that the first and second parts overlap by the fall-off distance. The first and second profiles are selected so that their summation across the fall-off distance produces a uniform power per incremental distance.

In corner sections of first to fourth quadrants whose origin point is a center of an upper surface of a stage, three each of two-dimensional heads are provided. The three each of two-dimensional heads include one first head and two second heads. The stage is driven, while measuring a position of the stage using three first heads that face a two-dimensional grating of a scale plate provided above the stage from the four first heads, and during the driving, difference data of measurement values of the two second heads with respect to the first head in a measurement direction are taken in for head groups to which the three first heads belong, respectively, and using the difference data, grid errors are calibrated.

An optical assembly guides an output beam of a free electron laser to a downstream illumination-optical assembly of an EUV projection exposure apparatus. The optical assembly has first and a second GI mirrors, each with a structured reflection surface to be impinged upon by the output beam. A first angle of incidence on the first GI mirror is between one mrd and 10 mrad. A maximum first scattering angle is produced, amounting to between 50% and 100% of the first angle of incidence. A second angle of incidence on the second GI mirror is at least twice as large as the first angle of incidence. A maximum second scattering angle of the output beam amounts to between 30% and 100% of the second angle of incidence. The two planes of incidence on the two GI mirrors include an angle with respect to one another that is greater than 45.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: providing a first photoresist pattern on a wafer; measuring an overlay of the first photoresist pattern; generating a first overlay model function by a first overlay regression analysis of the measured overlay; and generating a second overlay model function by a second overlay regression analysis of a difference between the measured overlay and the first overlay model function.

An optical apparatus, which illuminates a first area with light from a light source while the first area is longer in a second direction intersecting a first direction than in the first direction, includes a collector optical member which is arranged in an optical path between the light source and the first area, and condenses the light from the light source to form a second area in a predetermined plane, the second area being longer in a fourth direction intersecting a third direction than in the third direction; and a first fly's eye optical member which is provided within the predetermined plane including the second area, and has a plurality of first optical elements guiding the light of the collector optical member to the first area.

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 super-resolution system for nano-patterning is disclosed, comprising an exposure head that enables a super-resolution patterning exposures. The super-resolution exposures are carried out using electromagnetic radiation and plasmonic structures, and in some embodiments, plasmonic structures having specially designed super-resolution apertures, of which the bow-tie and C-aperture are examples. These apertures create small but bright images in the near-field transmission pattern. A writing head comprising one or more of these apertures is held in close proximity to a medium for patterning. In some embodiments, a data processing system is provided to re-interpret the data to be patterned into a set of modulation signals used to drive the multiple individual channels and multiple exposures, and a detection means is provided to verify the data as written.

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.

A method for operating a semiconductor apparatus includes generating a plurality of target droplets, deforming the target droplets into a plurality of target plumes respectively, changing an orientation of at least one of the target plumes, and generating a plurality of EUV radiations from the target plumes respectively. At least one of the EUV radiations irradiates an area on the light collector different from other EUV radiations in response to the orientation of the at least one of the target plumes.

A super-resolution system for nano-patterning is disclosed, comprising an exposure head that enables a super-resolution patterning exposures. The super-resolution exposures are carried out using electromagnetic radiation and plasmonic structures, and in some embodiments, plasmonic structures having specially designed super-resolution apertures, of which the bow-tie and C-aperture are examples. These apertures create small but bright images in the near-field transmission pattern. A writing head comprising one or more of these apertures is held in close proximity to a medium for patterning. In some embodiments, a data processing system is provided to re-interpret the data to be patterned into a set of modulation signals used to drive the multiple individual channels and multiple exposures, and a detection means is provided to verify the data as written.