An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus includes a first chamber, an EUV light concentrating mirror arranged in the first chamber and configured to concentrate extreme ultraviolet light generated at a first point in the first chamber onto a second point, a first planar mirror arranged on an optical path of the extreme ultraviolet light reflected by the EUV light concentrating mirror, a second chamber accommodating the first planar mirror, a flexible tube arranged between the first and second chambers, an alignment optical system arranged at the first chamber and configured to cause alignment light to be incident on the EUV light concentrating mirror, a detector arranged at the second chamber and configured to detect the alignment light reflected by the EUV light concentrating mirror, an actuator configured to change posture of the first planar mirror, and a processor configured to control the actuator based on output of the detector.

A metrology system may include a controller to receive a first metrology dataset associated with a first set of metrology target features on a sample including first features from a first exposure field on a first sample layer and second features from a second exposure field on a second sample layer, where the second exposure field partially overlaps the first exposure field. The controller may further receive a second metrology dataset associated with a second set of metrology target features including third features from a third exposure field on the second layer that overlaps the first exposure field and fourth features formed from a fourth exposure field on the first layer of the sample that overlaps the second exposure field. The controller may further determine fabrication errors based on the first and second metrology datasets and generate correctables to adjust a lithography tool based on the fabrication errors.

Described is a telecentric illuminator that can be used, for example, in a mask aligner system for semiconductor wafer processing or as part of a solar simulator system for characterization of solar cells. The telecentric illuminator includes a tapered optic, a lens group having a plurality of lenses and an aperture stop, and a hybrid Fresnel lens. The Fresnel lens is disposed at a position along the optical axis of the telecentric illuminator to generate a telecentric image of the aperture stop at an illumination plane. The Fresnel lens may have a curved central portion and the aperture stop may be apodized to achieve desired illumination characteristics and improve the resolution of a mask aligner system.

A support device for an optical apparatus is disclosed. The support device includes first and second support elements. The support device also includes first and second flexure bearings. The first flexure bearing and the second flexure bearing each connect the first support element and the second support element to one another in a thermally conductive manner and hold the first support element in a manner movable in at least one first direction relative to the second support element. Spring forces generated by the first flexure bearing and the second flexure bearing partly or completely cancel one another out in the case of a movement of the first support element relative to the second support element in the first direction.

An alignment system having long term stability in illumination center wavelength is discussed. The alignment system includes a tunable radiation source and a feedback control system. The tunable radiation source includes a light source configured to provide a broadband radiation beam and a tunable multi-passband filter configured to filter the broadband radiation beam into narrow band radiation beam having a center wavelength value. The feedback control system is configured to measure the center wavelength value of the narrow band radiation beam and compare the measured center wavelength value with a desired center wavelength value. The feedback control system is further configured to generate a control signal based on the comparison in response to a difference being present between the measured center wavelength value and the desired center wavelength value and tune the tunable filter based on the control signal to eliminate or substantially reduce the difference.

Apparatuses and methods of overlay measurement are disclosed. An example apparatus includes: a substrate comprising first material; a first layer comprising second material disposed on a surface of in the substrate; a first alignment pattern including third material disposed in the first layer; and a second layer above the first layer including a second alignment pattern. A difference between refractive indexes of the second material and the third material is greater than a difference between refractive indexes of the first material and the third material.

A position determining device includes a first lighting unit configured to emit light to an edge portion of a rotating substrate and a second lighting unit configured to emit light to at least one mark on a surface of the substrate. The alignment device further includes a light receiving unit disposed on a side corresponding to the surface of the substrate and configured to receive light that is emitted from the first lighting unit and then passes through a region outside the substrate and to receive light that is emitted from the second lighting unit and then reflected from the at least one mark. The position of the substrate is determined based on a result of light reception by the light receiving unit.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a roll-to-roll exposure system having a reference mark array and alignment scope units for precisely measuring the position and orientation of an object on a flexible multilayered circuit film. A roll-to-roll exposure system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a plurality of rolls configured to move a flexible multilayered circuit film having an object positioned thereon; alignment scope units positioned so as to be spaced apart from each other and proximate to the rolls; and at least one exposure unit positioned so as to be spaced proximate to the rolls and spaced apart from sides of the alignment scope units, in which one of the rolls has a reference mark array on its surface.

A continuous flow projection lithography system to form microstructures using an optical array incorporated in a continuous coating process is provided. A mask is placed at a distance from the array. Each element of the array projects one image of the mask onto a substrate, effectively forming an array thereon. A coating process allows flows that can be used to define functional regions of particles or supporting layers that prevent adhesion of crosslinked polymers to surfaces.

An illumination optical unit for EUV projection lithography includes a field facet mirror and a pupil facet mirror. A correction control device, which is used for the controlled displacement of at least some field facets that are usable as correction field facets, which are signal connected to displacement actuators, is embodied so that a correction displacement path for the correction field facets is so large that a respective correction illumination channel is cut off at the margin by the correction pupil facet so that the illumination light partial beam is not transferred in the entirety thereof from the correction pupil facet into the object field.