A liquid crystal exposure apparatus that moves a substrate supported in a noncontact manner by a noncontact holder to a projection optical system, and performs scanning exposure to the substrate equipped with: holding pads that hold a part of the substrate located at a first position above the noncontact holder; adsorption pads that hold another part of the substrate; a first drive section moves the holding pads from below the substrate direction intersecting a vertical direction, where the substrate is located at the first position held by the adsorption pads; and a second drive section that moves the adsorption pads holding the substrate, to a second position where the substrate is supported in a noncontact manner by the noncontact holder, wherein the scanning exposure, the second drive section moves the adsorption pads holding the substrate supported in a noncontact manner by the noncontact holder to the projection optical system.

Methods and systems are described for reducing adhesion and controlling friction between a wafer and a wafer table during semiconductor photolithography wherein the tops of burls on the wafer table have a layer with a nanoscale topography.

A lithography system includes an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source, a reticle stage, a reflection layer, and a plurality of light permeable protrusions. The EUV light source is configured for generating an EUV light beam. The reticle stage is configured for holding a reticle with a front surface of the reticle facing in a downward direction. The reflection layer is below the reticle stage. The light permeable protrusions are formed on the reflection layer. Each of the light permeable protrusions includes a bouncing surface facing in a direction that forms an acute angle with the downward direction. A first portion of the EUV light beam from the EUV light source passes through the bouncing surface of each of the light permeable protrusions to the reflection layer and is reflected to the reticle by the reflection layer.

A carrier system and method carries an object to an object mounting member provided with an object mounting section. The system includes: a measurement device which obtains information related to a flatness of the object; a carrier member that carries the object; and a controller which controls a driving speed of the carrier member using the information related to the flatness of the object obtained by the measurement device.

A method of operating a semiconductor apparatus includes generating an electric field in peripheral areas of a first covering structure and a second covering structure; causing a photomask to move to a position between the first and second covering structures such that the photomask at least partially vertically overlaps the first and second covering structures and such that particles attached to the photomask are attracted to the first and second covering structures by the electric field; and irradiating the photomask with light through light transmission regions of the first and second covering structures.

A stage apparatus includes a movable body having a first support surface for supporting an object, a support portion that is elastically deformable, has a predetermined thickness, and supports the movable body, a support device having a second support surface that supports the support portion, and a drive unit configured to move the movable body so that an angle between the first support surface and the second support surface is changed, wherein the support portion elastically deforms so that the predetermined thickness at a first side where an interval between the first support surface and the second support surface is narrow becomes small and the predetermined thickness at a second side where the interval between the first support surface and the second support surface is wide becomes large in accordance with a change in the angle caused by the drive unit to support the movable body.

Exemplary lithography mask processing chambers may include a substrate support that includes a plurality of lift pins that are vertically translatable relative to a top surface of the substrate support. The lithography mask processing chambers may include a cover ring positioned atop the substrate support. The cover ring may define a rectilinear substrate seat. A top surface of the rectilinear substrate seat may be elevated above the top surface of the substrate support. An outer periphery of the rectilinear substrate seat may be positioned outward of the plurality of lift pins.

An immersion lithographic apparatus having a fluid handling structure, the fluid handling structure configured to confine immersion fluid to a region and including: a meniscus controlling feature having an extractor exit on a surface of the fluid handling structure; and a gas knife system outwards of the extractor exit and including passages each having an exit, the passages having a plurality of first passages having a plurality of corresponding first exits on the surface, and a plurality of second passages having a plurality of corresponding second exits outwards of the first exits on the surface, wherein the surface faces and is substantially parallel to a top surface of a substrate during exposure, and the first exits and the second exits are arranged at a greater distance from the substrate than the extractor exit.

Some devices, systems, and methods obtain one or more images of a substrate, wherein the substrate includes a feature pattern; determine one or more edges of the feature pattern based on the one or more images; determine an offset of the feature pattern relative to the substrate and an angle of the feature pattern relative to the substrate based on the one or more edges of the feature pattern; and generate a transformation for a drop pattern based on the offset of the feature pattern and on the angle of the feature pattern.

A difficulty of contamination interfering with a grid plate positional measurement system is addressed. In one embodiment contamination is prevented from coming into contact with the grating or the sensor. In an embodiment, surface acoustic waves are used to detach contamination from a surface of the grating or sensor.