A method includes first step of forming first pattern in each of first region of a substrate by using scanning exposure apparatus, and second step of forming second pattern in each second region of the substrate having undergone the first step. Each second region includes at least two first regions, and in the first step, scanning direction in the scanning exposure apparatus is allocated to each of the at least two first regions. Combination of the scanning directions allocated to the at least two first regions is common to the second regions. The combination is determined such that the scanning directions of at least first regions, of the at least two first regions, which are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the scanning directions are alternately changed one by one.

Embodiments described herein provide a method of large area lithography. One embodiment of the method includes projecting at least one incident beam to a mask in a propagation direction of the at least one incident beam. The mask having at least one period of a dispersive element that diffracts the incident beam into order mode beams having one or more diffraction orders with a highest order N greater than 1. The one or more diffraction orders provide an intensity pattern in a medium between the mask and a substrate having a photoresist layer disposed thereon. The intensity pattern includes a plurality of intensity peaks defined by sub-periodic patterns of the at least one period. The intensity peaks write a plurality of portions in the photoresist layer such that a number of the portions in the photoresist layer corresponding to the at least one period is greater than N.

The present specification relates to a photomask, a laminate including the photomask, a method for manufacturing the photomask, a device for forming a pattern using the photomask, and a method for forming a pattern using the photomask.

Provided is an image exposure device capable of recording a favorable image and capable of decreasing the size of the device.

An image exposure device (10) includes an image display device (12) having pixels (13), a photosensitive recording medium support portion (21) that supports a photosensitive recording medium (14) for recording an image of the image display device (12) in a state in which an exposure surface (14A) of the photosensitive recording medium (14) faces the image display device (12), and a transmitted light control portion (16) that is provided between the image display device (12) and the photosensitive recording medium support portion (21) and is formed by laminating three or more layers of transmission members (100) that have a plurality of openings (102) formed therein and transmit only light incident on the openings (102).

In one embodiment of the disclosure, it is proposed a photolithography device for generating structure on a photoresist substrate, the photolithography device comprising a light illumination unit and a photomask. The photomask is remarkable in that it comprises at least one layer of dielectric material and a medium having a refractive index lower than that of said dielectric material, wherein a surface of said at least one layer of dielectric material has at least one abrupt change of level forming a step, and wherein at least a base and lateral part of said surface, with respect to said step and a propagation direction of an electromagnetic wave from said light illumination unit, is in contact with said medium.

An imprinting system and method. An illumination system for imprinting, during a first period of time, that illuminates a first portion of boundary region that surrounds a pattern region with a thickening dosage of light that is within a first dose range, such that the fluid in the first portion of the boundary region does not solidify but does increase a viscosity of the fluid. The illumination system, during a second period of time, illuminates the pattern region with a curing dosage of light that is within a second dose range higher than the first dose range. Prior to illumination, the imprinting includes dispensing droplets and holding a template with a template chuck such that the template contact the droplets and the droplets merge and form a fluid front that spreads through the pattern region and towards the boundary region.

The present disclosure provides a secondary imaging optical lithography method and apparatus. The method includes: contacting a lithography mask plate with a flexible transparent transfer substrate closely, the flexible transparent transfer substrate comprising a first near-field imaging structure having a photosensitive layer; irradiating the photosensitive layer through the lithography mask plate with a first light source, so as to transfer a pattern of the lithography mask plate to the photosensitive layer; coating a device substrate for fabricating devices with a photoresist; contacting the flexible transparent transfer substrate with the photoresist-coated device substrate closely; irradiating the device substrate through the flexible transparent transfer substrate with a second light source, so as to transfer a pattern of the photosensitive layer to the photoresist of the device substrate; and developing the device substrate comprising an exposed photoresist, so as to obtain a device pattern conforming to the pattern of the lithography mask plate.

A foreign substance inspection apparatus according to the present invention detects a foreign substance on a substrate, and includes a detection unit that includes a light projector configured to project light to a surface of the substrate and a light receiver configured to receive scattered light from the surface, an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a light quantity of the scattered light received by the light receiver, and a control unit configured to perform foreign substance detection in a state where sensitivity of the detection unit is changed to low sensitivity, after performing foreign substance detection in a state where the sensitivity of the detection unit is set to high sensitivity by adjusting the light quantity of the scattered light received by the light receiver.

Embodiments disclosed herein include a lithographic patterning system and methods of using such a system to form a microelectronic device. The lithographic patterning system includes an actinic radiation source, a stage having a surface for supporting a substrate with a resist layer, and a prism with a first surface over the stage, where the first surface has a masked layer and is substantially parallel to the surface of the stage. The prism may have a second surface that is substantially parallel to the first surface. The first and second surfaces are flat surfaces. The prism is a monolithic prism-mask, where an optical path passes through the system and exits the first surface of the prism through the mask layer. The system may include a layer disposed between the mask and resist layers. The mask layer of the prism may pattern the resist layer without an isolated mask layer.

Micro- and nano-patterns in imprint layers formed on a substrate and lithographic methods for forming such layers. The layers include a plurality of structures, and a residual layer having a residual layer thickness (RLT) that extends from the surface of the substrate to a base of the structures, where the RLT varies across the surface of the substrate according to a predefined pattern.