A system and method for forming microlattice structures of large thickness. In one embodiment, a photomonomer resin is secured in a mold having a transparent bottom, the interior surface of which is coated with a mold-release agent. A substrate is placed in contact with the top surface of the photomonomer resin. The photomonomer resin is illuminated from below by one or more sources of collimated light, through a photomask, causing polymer waveguides to form, extending up to the substrate, forming a microlattice structure connected with the substrate. After a layer of microlattice structure has formed, the substrate is raised using a translation-rotation system, additional photomonomer resin is added to the mold, and the photomonomer resin is again illuminated through the photomask, to form an additional layer of microlattice structure. The process is repeated multiple times to form a stacked microlattice structure.

A substrate holder for a lithographic apparatus has a main body having a thin-film stack provided on a surface thereof. The thin-film stack forms an electronic or electric component such as an electrode, a sensor, a heater, a transistor or a logic device, and has a top isolation layer. A plurality of burls to support a substrate are formed on the thin-film stack or in apertures of the thin-film stack.

Disclosed herein is a computer-implemented method of image simulation for a device manufacturing process, the method comprising: identifying regions of uniform optical properties from a portion or an entirety of a substrate or a patterning device, wherein optical properties are uniform within each of the regions; obtaining an image for each of the regions, wherein the image is one that would be formed from the substrate if the entirety of the substrate or the patterning device has the same uniform optical properties as that region; forming a stitched image by stitching the image for each of the regions according to locations of the regions in the portion or the entirety of the substrate of the patterning device; forming an adjusted image by applying adjustment to the stitched image for at least partially correcting for or at least partially imitating an effect of finite sizes of the regions.

The invention relates to an apparatus (10) and a method for optically characterizing or processing an object (60), and to an object transport unit (55). The apparatus (10) comprises an object carrier (50) for receiving an object (60); an optical characterization or processing unit (15), comprising at least one device for producing or for receiving light (140) and an objective (40) for exposing the object (60) using the light (140) or for capturing the light (140) from the object (60), wherein the objective (40) has an end face (46) facing the object carrier (50), wherein the end face (46) has an edge (47), wherein the objective (40) further defines an optical axis (502); at least one membrane (100) introduced between the objective (40) and the object carrier (50), wherein the membrane (100) has a portion (120) configured for penetration by the light (140), wherein at least the portion (120) of the membrane (100) is movable in the axial direction with respect to the optical axis (502), at least one membrane holder (80) for holding the at least one membrane (100), and at least one immersion medium (160) which is at least introduced between the membrane (100) and the object carrier (50),
wherein the membrane (100) and the membrane holder (80) are fastened at a point outside of the objective, and wherein the membrane (100) is arranged at the membrane holder (80) in a manner that first contact points (81) between the membrane (100) and the membrane holder (80) are located on or outside a lateral surface (510) which is formed by a geometric extrusion of the edge (47) of the objective (40) parallel to the optical axis (502).

The apparatus (10), the method and the object transport unit (55) facilitate the optical characterization or processing of an object (60) in a manner that meets the specific needs of high-throughput industrial applications.

Forming a three-dimensional structure includes applying photoresist on a layer and using a photolithography system to expose the photoresist. The photolithography system includes a photomask having a pattern thereon, where the pattern provides varying pattern density across a surface of the photomask and has a pitch that is less than a resolution of the photolithography system. The method includes subsequently developing the photoresist such that photoresist remaining on the layer has a three-dimensional profile defined by the photomask An isotropic etchant is used to etch the layer such that the three-dimensional profile of the photoresist is transferred to the layer.

A method of assembling a three-dimensional printing system includes providing a plurality of components, providing a plurality of spacer rings, and measurement, analysis and assembly steps. The components include a light engine, an adaptive support apparatus, a plurality of elongate struts, and a support plate. The measurement, analysis and assembly steps include (1) measuring a scale factor for the light engine, (2) determining a selection of one or more of the spacer rings based upon the measured scale factor, and (3) assembling the components with the determined selection of one or more spacer rings.

A method is described for controlled polymerization of a target zone in a photopolymerizable medium wherein the method comprises a processor connectable to an exposure system for illuminating a target zone in a photopolymerizable medium receiving a 3D data representation of a 3D model of an object and using the 3D model to determine a volume of the target zone, the volume being shaped according to the 3D model; the processor determining a target energy field E.sub.0 defining an energy for volume elements in the medium that is needed to achieve polymerization inside the target zone, the determining being based on a model of the polymerization process in the medium; the processor using the target energy field E.sub.0 and a light propagation model M to compute a solution I0 for the equation E.sub.0=t.Math.M[I.sub.0] wherein I.sub.0 is a direction-dependent illumination field needed for achieving energy deposition in the medium according to the target energy field E.sub.0 and t is the exposure time; and, the processor controlling the exposure system based on the direction-dependent illumination field I.sub.0, the exposure including generating a plurality of direction-dependent illumination beams to deposit energy within the target zone according to the target energy field E.sub.0.

The present disclosure provides methods and systems for the three-dimensional (3D) printing of 3D objects. Methods and systems provided herein may comprise 3D holographic lithography which may enable the 3D printing of various shapes. Methods and systems provided herein may enable high efficiency 3D holographic printing and may avoid, for example, problems zero-order defects. Methods and systems provided herein comprise methods for printing 3D objects with reduced or minimal inconsistency.

Techniques for evaluating support for an object to be fabricated via an additive fabrication device are provided. In some embodiments, a three-dimensional representation of the object is obtained and a plurality of voxels corresponding to the representation of the object is generated. A first supportedness value may be assigned to a first voxel of the plurality of voxels based on an amount of support provided by a support structure to the first voxel, and a second supportedness value determined for a second voxel of the plurality of voxels, wherein the second voxel neighbors the first voxel, and wherein the second supportedness value is determined based on the first supportedness value of the first voxel and a weight value representing a transmission rate of supportedness through voxels of the plurality of voxels.

Methods of fabricating an object via direct laser lithography are provided. In embodiments, such a method comprises illuminating, via an optical fiber having an end facet and a metalens directly on the end facet, a location within a photosensitive composition from which an object is to be fabricated with light, thereby inducing a multiphoton process within the photosensitive composition to generate a region of the object; and repeating the illuminating step one or more additional times at one or more additional locations to generate one or more additional regions of the object.