Actuation systems and lithographic apparatus which address the issue of uncontrolled return of common mode currents are provided. In an embodiment such systems aim to prevent the occurrence of corona and discharge between high voltage electric cables in low pressure environments. An exemplary actuation system includes an actuator module, a power source and power transmission cables. The actuator module includes an electrical motor and a first plurality of shielded cables configured to connect to the electrical motor at one end. The actuator module is located in a low pressure environment and each shield of the first plurality of cables is grounded. The transmission cables electrically connect the first plurality of cables with power supply, and include an extra cable configured to connect each shield of the first plurality of cables with the first extra cable, via a choke so as to provide a return path for common-mode currents.

A maskless exposure device includes an exposure head including a digital micro-mirror device and an exposure source, the digital micro-mirror device being configured to reflect a source beam outputted from the exposure source to a substrate and a system controller configured to control the digital micro-mirror device by using a graphic data system file. The graphic data system file includes data regarding patterns to be formed on the substrate. A pattern extending in a direction parallel to a scan direction of the exposure head includes a first pattern portion having a first width that is greater than a target width and a second pattern portion alternately disposed with the first pattern portion and having a second width that is less than the target width.

An exposure apparatus includes: a projection optical system; an adjusting unit configured to adjust imaging characteristics of the projection optical system; and a controller configured to divide the plurality of shot regions into groups based on data of a shift in the pattern of each shot region and an order of the exposure, determine setting amounts of the imaging characteristics for each group, and control the adjusting unit to set the imaging characteristics to the setting amounts for each group. The setting amount is common to a plurality of shot regions in the group and varies among the groups. The controller performs the division such that the shot regions belonging to the same group have a sequential exposure order and all values of the shift in the shot regions belonging to the same group fall within a predetermined range.

A maskless exposure device including a light source configured to emit an exposure beam, a light modulation element configured to modulate the exposure beam according to an exposure pattern, a projection optical system configured to transfer a modulated exposure beam to a substrate as a beam spot array, a beam measurement part configured to measure a beam data of the beam spot array, and a compensating mask generator configured to generate a compensating mask by utilizing a measured data of the exposure beam for compensating cumulative illumination, wherein the compensating mask generator is configured to turn off left and right beams of a first selected spot beam selected by the beam data, and then to turn off a second selected spot beam.

A microlithographic apparatus includes an objective that includes a transmission filter that is configured to variably modify a light irradiance distribution in a projection light path. The transmission filter includes a plurality of gas outlet apertures that are configured to emit gas flows that pass through a space through which projection light propagates during operation of the microlithographic apparatus. The transmission filter further includes a control unit which is configured to vary a number density of ozone molecules in the gas flows individually for each gas flow. In this manner it is possible to finally adjust the transmittance distribution of the transmission filter.

In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, a method of patterning can include dividing an image into a set of frame sections; determining a tip pattern for a respective portion of an image to be patterned by each tip of the tip array in each frame section of the set of frame sections; disposing the tip array in a patterning position in a first location of the substrate corresponding to a location of the substrate in which the first frame section in the set of frame sections is to be patterned; projecting a first pattern of radiation onto the tip array to selectively irradiate one or more tips of the tip array and pattern the substrate, wherein the first pattern of radiation corresponds to a tip pattern for the first frame section; disposing the tip array in a patterning position in a second location of the substrate corresponding to a location of the substrate in which the second frame section in the set of frame sections is to be patterned; projecting a second pattern of radiation onto the tip array to selectively irradiate tips of the tip array and pattern the substrate, wherein the second pattern of radiation corresponds to a tip pattern for the second frame section; and repeating the disposing and projecting for each frame section in the set of frame sections to pattern the image.

The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for mitigating printable native defects in an extreme ultra violet (EUV) mask substrate. In some embodiments, the method is performed by identifying a printable native defect within an EUV mask substrate that violates one or more sizing thresholds. A first section of the EUV mask substrate including the printable native defect is removed to form a concavity within the EUV mask substrate. A multi-layer replacement section that is devoid of a printable native defect is inserted into the concavity.

A method for controlling a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes: determining a wavefront error of the projection exposure apparatus; generating a travel vector, suitable for correcting the wavefront error, with travels for each zone of the optical manipulator; establishing a constraint parameter with respect to the travel for at least one zone of the optical manipulator; and checking the travels of the generated travel vector with respect to implementability.

A wavelength conversion system including: A. a first nonlinear optical crystal to which first pulsed laser light having a first polarization state and a first wavelength and second pulsed laser light having a second polarization state and a second wavelength are inputted and which is configured to output in response to the input the second pulsed laser light and first sum frequency light having the second polarization state and a third wavelength produced by sum frequency mixing of the first wavelength with the second wavelength; and B. a second nonlinear optical crystal to which the first sum frequency light and the second pulsed laser light outputted from the first nonlinear optical crystal are inputted and which is configured to output in response to the input third pulsed laser light having a fourth wavelength.

An extreme ultraviolet light generating system includes a chamber; a target supply unit configured to successively output, toward a predetermined region in the chamber, a plurality of droplets including a first droplet and a second droplet of a target substance; a trajectory correcting laser apparatus configured to apply a trajectory correcting laser beam to each of the droplets moving from the target supply unit toward the predetermined region; a drive laser apparatus configured to apply a drive laser beam to each droplet having reached the predetermined region to generate plasma; and a control unit configured to control the trajectory correcting laser apparatus such that intensity of the trajectory correcting laser beam applied to the first droplet is different from intensity of the trajectory correcting laser beam applied to the second droplet.