Embodiments disclosed herein include a lithographic patterning system and methods of using such a system to form a microelectronic device. In an embodiment, the lithographic patterning system includes an actinic radiation source, a stage where a major surface of the stage is for supporting a substrate with a resist layer, and a first prism over the stage, where the first prism comprises a first face that is substantially parallel to the major surface of the stage. In an embodiment, the lithographic patterning system further comprises a second prism, where the second prism comprises a first surface that is substantially parallel to a second surface of the first prism, and where a second surface of the second prism has a reflective coating.

A proximity exposure method, wherein a mask (M) of which the master patterns (31) are formed larger than the resolution limit of the resist (R) is prepared with respect to the resist patterns (43) having the minimum pitch (P) equal to or smaller than the resolution limit of the resist (R); in the first exposure step, the mask (M) and the workpiece (W) are relatively step-moved by the pitch (P) of the resist patterns (43) after the mask patterns (31) are exposed and transferred onto the workpiece (W); and in the second exposure step, the mask patterns (31) are exposed and transferred onto the workpiece (W) again.

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.

To provide a cleaning apparatus advantageous for cleaning, for example, an original plate used to transfer a pattern to a substrate.

Provided is a cleaning apparatus that cleans an original plate used when a pattern is transferred to a substrate, the cleaning apparatus including a region dividing unit which divides the original plate into a plurality of regions on the basis of information of the original plate, a conditions generator which generates cleaning conditions for each of the separate regions, and a cleaner which cleans the original plate on the basis of the cleaning conditions.

In a second direction (y direction) substantially orthogonal to a first direction (x direction), a distance between a light transmission region formed on a mask and an optical axis Ax is A times as long as a distance between an exposure pattern formed on a substrate W by light that passed through the light transmission region (A is a number that is equal to or greater than 1).

An information processing apparatus for acquiring an inspection condition for performing an inspection on a pattern formed by a lithography apparatus that forms a pattern on a substrate with an original includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire a second inspection condition to be applied in a case where an inspection is performed on a second pattern by inputting third information indicating a state of the lithography apparatus acquired when the second pattern is formed to a model, wherein the model is acquired by machine learning with learning data including first information indicating a state of the lithography apparatus acquired when a first pattern is formed and second information indicating a first inspection condition applied when an inspection is performed on the first pattern.

The present application relates to contact immersion lithography exposure units and methods of their use. An example contact exposure unit includes a container configured to contain a fluid material and a substrate disposed within the container. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface, and the substrate includes a photoresist material on at least the first surface. The contact exposure unit includes a photomask disposed within the container. The photomask is optically coupled to the photoresist material by way of a gap comprising the fluid material. The contact exposure unit also includes an inflatable balloon configured to be controllably inflated so as to apply a desired force to the second surface of the substrate to controllably adjust the gap between the photomask and the photoresist material.

An imprint lithography apparatus having a first frame to be mounted on a floor, a second frame mounted on the first frame via a kinematic coupling, an alignment sensor mounted on the second frame, to align an imprint lithography template arrangement with a target portion of a substrate, and a position sensor to measure a position of the imprint lithography template arrangement and/or a substrate stage relative to the second frame.

Provided is a method of making a circuit pattern. The method includes: Step (A): providing a master substrate comprising a first photosensitive layer containing photosensitive particles; Step (B): providing an energy beam to reduce metal ions in a predetermined area of the first photosensitive layer to form multiple first metal particles; Step (C): removing unreduced photosensitive particles by a fixer to obtain a master mask; wherein the first metal particles form a first predetermined pattern in the master mask; Step (D): providing a chip comprising a second photosensitive layer containing second photosensitive particles; Step (E): putting the master mask on the second photosensitive layer and providing an energy beam to reduce metal ions of an uncovered part of the second photosensitive layer to form multiple atomized second metal particles; Step (F): removing unreduced photosensitive particles by a fixer to obtain the circuit pattern having line spacing at picoscopic/nanoscopic scale.

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.