A cantilever linear motion reference device employing two-layer air suspension. By means of a two-layer force sealed air suspension structure, the invention realizes two-dimensional air suspension support and motion guiding and improves the rotational stiffness per unit for an air suspension working surface. By combining accurate driving and feedback control, the invention achieves high speed, high acceleration, high frequency motion, and enables construction of a small-volume, long cantilever, high torque load two-dimensional motion reference device.

A method for optimization to increase lithographic apparatus throughput for a patterning process is described. The method includes providing a baseline dose for an EUV illumination and an initial pupil configuration, associated with a lithographic apparatus. The baseline dose and the initial pupil configuration are configured for use with a dose anchor mask pattern and a corresponding dose anchor target pattern for setting an illumination dose for corresponding device patterns of interest. The method includes biasing the dose anchor mask pattern relative to the dose anchor target pattern; determining an acceptable lower dose for the biased dose anchor mask pattern and the initial pupil configuration; unbiasing the dose anchor mask pattern relative to the dose anchor target pattern; and determining a changed pupil configuration and a mask bias for the device patterns of interest based on the acceptable lower dose and the unbiased dose anchor mask pattern.

Disclosed are a system for fabricating a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The system may include a chamber, an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source in the chamber and configured to generate an EUV beam, an optical system on the EUV source and configured to provide the EUV beam to a substrate, a substrate stage in the chamber and configured to receive the substrate, a reticle stage in the chamber and configured to hold a reticle that is configured to project the EUV beam onto the substrate, and a particle collector between the reticle and the optical system and configured to allow for a selective transmission of the EUV beam and to remove a particle.

Disclosed are optical arrays and optical devices that can be operated in narrow and wide spectral bands and at high spectral resolutions. Disclosed also are filter arrays with replicated etalon units that can function as bandpass filters. Disclosed further are methods for manufacturing optical arrays, filter arrays, and optical devices having such optical or filter arrays.

In one embodiment, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a stage on which a substrate is to be installed. The apparatus further includes a light source configured to generate light. The apparatus further includes a shaper including a rotating portion provided with an opening configured to shape the light from the light source, the shaper being configured to irradiate a photomask with the light which has passed through the opening. The apparatus further includes a controller configured to change a width of the light passing through the opening by rotating the rotating portion while scanning the substrate by the light which has passed through the photomask.

A method for controlling a scanning exposure apparatus configured for scanning an illumination profile over a substrate to form functional areas thereon. The method includes determining a control profile for dynamic control of the illumination profile during exposure of an exposure field including the functional areas, in a scanning exposure operation; and optimizing a quality of exposure of one or more individual functional areas. The optimizing may include a) extending the control profile beyond the extent of the exposure field in the scanning direction; and/or b) applying a deconvolution scheme to the control profile, wherein the structure of the deconvolution scheme is based on a dimension of the illumination profile in the scanning direction.

A reticle-masking structure is provided. The reticle-masking structure includes a magnetic substrate and a paramagnetic part disposed on the magnetic substrate. The paramagnetic part includes a plurality of fractions disposed on a plurality of protrusion structures. In some embodiments, the protrusion structures are irregularly arranged. A method for forming a reticle-masking structure and an extreme ultraviolet apparatus are also provided.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus including mask pattern formed on a mask substrate. A plurality of spatial radiation modulators may be vertically displaced from the mask pattern, and distributed across a two-dimensional area. Each of the plurality of spatial radiation modulators may be adjustable between a first transparent state and a second transparent state to control whether radiation transmitted through the mask pattern passes through each of the plurality of spatial radiation modulators.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus including mask pattern formed on a mask substrate. A plurality of spatial radiation modulators may be vertically displaced from the mask pattern, and distributed across a two-dimensional area. Each of the plurality of spatial radiation modulators may be adjustable between a first transparent state and a second transparent state to control whether radiation transmitted through the mask pattern passes through each of the plurality of spatial radiation modulators.

The present invention provides a tubular linear actuator, comprising: a tubular coil assembly comprising multiple tubular coils arranged next to each other in longitudinal direction of the tubular linear actuator and concentric with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tubular linear actuator, and a magnet assembly comprising a series of permanent magnets with alternating polarization direction extending in the longitudinal direction, wherein the magnet assembly is at least partially arranged in the coil assembly and movably with respect to the coil assembly, wherein the tubular coils comprise edge windings.