A conveyance apparatus for conveying a substrate chuck includes a hand for supporting the substrate chuck, a main body for pivotally supporting the hand about a vertical axis and movable in horizontal and vertical directions, and a guiding portion for guiding pivotal motion of the hand. The hand includes hand distal end portions and a hand proximal end portion supported by the main body. An end surface of the hand proximal end portion facing the main body is formed in an arc shape of a circle centered about a vertical axis of a reference position between the hand distal end portions. The guiding portion includes a guiding surface that has a shape corresponding to the end surface of the hand proximal end portion and can slidably contact the end surface.

An illustrative device disclosed herein includes a plate and a reticle pod receiving structure on the front surface of the plate that at least partially bounds a reticle pod receiving area on the front surface. In this example, the back surface of the plate has a pin engagement structure that is adapted to engage a plurality of pins and a fluid flow channel that is adapted to allow fluid communication with an interior region of a reticle pod when the reticle pod is positioned in the reticle pod receiving area.

The present invention relates to methods for improving the resistance of lithography substrate holders to corrosion. The present invention also relates to systems comprising lithography substrate holders with improved corrosion resistance, and to methods of fabricating devices, e.g. integrated circuits, using such systems. The present invention also relates to substrates with backsides configured to preferentially corrode when used in lithography. The present invention has particular use in connection with lithographic apparatus for fabricating devices, for example integrated circuits.

Embodiment discloses a photomask and a photomask fixing device. The photomask includes a photomask body. The photomask body includes a first side surface and a second side surface arranged in parallel, and a pattern surface connecting the first side surface and the second side surface. The first side surface and the second side surface are respectively provided with a plurality of fixing holes configured for fitting with a fixing portion to fix the photomask body. In the above photomask, two parallel side surfaces positioned on the pattern surface are used as fixing surface of the photomask, i.e., the first side surface and the second side surface. The first side surface and the second side surface are respectively provided with a plurality of fixing holes configured for fitting with the fixing portion configured to fix the photomask, to strengthen fixation of the photomask.

In an embodiment, an apparatus includes an energy source, a support platform for holding a wafer, an optical path extending from the energy source to the support platform, and a photomask aligned such that a patterned major surface of the photomask is parallel to the force of gravity, where the optical path passes through the photomask, where the patterned major surface of the photomask is perpendicular to a topmost surface of the support platform.

A lithography system includes a radiation source configured to generate a radiation, a reticle configured to redirect the radiation, a first type injection nozzle proximal to the reticle and configured to generate a first particle shield in a propagation path of the radiation, and a second type injection nozzle proximal to the radiation source and configured to generate a second particle shield in the propagation path of the radiation. The second type injection nozzle and the first type injection nozzle are of different types.

An optical element and a lithographic apparatus including the optical element. The optical element includes a first member having a curved optical surface and a heat transfer surface, and a second member that comprises at least one recess, the at least one recess sealed against the heat transfer surface to form at least one closed channel between the first member and the second member to allow fluid to flow therethrough for thermal conditioning of the curved optical surface. In an embodiment, one or more regions of the heat transfer surface exposed to the at least one closed channel are positioned along a curved profile similar to that of the curved optical surface.

A wafer table inspection tool described herein is capable of being positioned over a wafer table while the wafer table is positioned in a bottom module of an exposure tool of a lithography system. The wafer table inspection tool is capable of quickly evaluating the condition of surface burls on the wafer table and evaluating cleaning performance of a cleaning operation in which the surface burls are cleaned.

A substrate support is configured to support a substrate. The substrate support comprises a plurality of burls protruding from a base surface of the substrate support. The burls have distal ends in a plane for supporting a lower surface of the substrate with a gap between the base surface of the substrate support and the lower surface of the substrate. The substrate support comprises a liquid supply channel for supplying a conductive liquid to the gap so as to bridge the gap between the base surface of the substrate support and the lower surface of the substrate, thereby allowing charge to pass between the substrate support and the substrate. The substrate support has a controlled electrical potential such that charge distribution at the lower surface of the substrate can be manipulated.

The present invention provides a substrate treating apparatus including: a support unit for supporting and rotating a substrate on which a first pattern and a second pattern different from the first pattern are formed; a liquid supply unit for supplying a treatment liquid to the substrate supported on the support unit; and a heating unit for heating any one of the first pattern and the second pattern.