A measurement system used in a manufacturing line for micro-devices includes: a plurality of measurement devices in which each device performs measurement processing on a substrate; and a carrying system to perform delivery of a substrate with the plurality of measurement devices. The plurality of measurement devices includes a first measurement device that acquires position information on a plurality of marks formed on a substrate, and a second measurement device that acquires position information on a plurality of marks formed on a substrate. Position information on a plurality of marks formed on a substrate can be acquired under a setting of a first predetermined condition in the first measurement device, and position information on a plurality of marks formed on another substrate can be acquired under a setting of a second predetermined condition different from the first predetermined condition in the second measurement device.

A substrate table to support a substrate on a substrate supporting area, the substrate table having a heat transfer fluid channel at least under the substrate supporting area, and a plurality of heaters and/or coolers to thermally control the heat transfer fluid in the channel at a location under the substrate supporting area.

This disclosure provides a lithography apparatus including: a lens barrel having an optical system configured to irradiate a substrate with a beam; and a stage apparatus configured to repeat a long distance movement in a primary scanning direction of the substrate and a short distance movement which is shorter than the long distance movement in terms of the amount of movement in a secondary scanning direction of the substrate, and being configured to form a pattern on the substrate with the beam, wherein the stage apparatus includes: a first moving body configured to move in the primary scanning direction; a floating unit configured to support the first moving body, so as to float by a magnetic force and be movable in the primary scanning direction; a second moving body configured to move in the secondary scanning direction; and a guide using a rolling body configured to support the second moving body in contact therewith so as to be movable in the secondary scanning direction.

A method of unloading an object from a support table, the object clamped to the support table during an exposure process by: applying a first pressure to a central region of the support table under a central portion of the object; and applying a second pressure to a peripheral region of the support table under a peripheral portion of the object, wherein during clamping the first pressure and the second pressure are controlled such that liquid is retained between the object and a seal member that is positioned radially between the central region and the peripheral region at an upper surface of the support table and protrudes towards the object, the method including: increasing the first pressure towards ambient pressure; removing at least some of the liquid retained between the object and the seal member by decreasing the second pressure; and increasing the second pressure towards the ambient pressure.

The invention provides a method for calibration of an optical measurement system, which may be a heterodyne interferometer system, wherein a first optical axis and a second optical axis have a different optical path length, the method comprises: .sup.∘measuring a first measurement value along the first optical axis using a first measurement beam, .sup.∘measuring a second measurement value along the second optical axis using a second measurement beam, .sup.∘changing a wavelength of the first measurement beam and the second measurement beam, .sup.∘measuring a further first measurement value along the first optical axis using the first measurement beam with changed wavelength, measuring a further second measurement value along the second optical axis using the second measurement beam with changed wavelength, .sup.∘determining a cyclic error of the optical measurement system on the basis of the measured values, and .sup.∘storing a corrective value based on the cyclic error.

An alignment method and an alignment system are provided. The alignment method includes: providing a wafer including an exposed surface, wherein an alignment mark and a reference point with a reference distance are provided on the exposed surface; placing the wafer on a reference plane; performing an alignment measurement on the exposed surface to obtain a projection distance, configured as a measurement distance, between the alignment mark and the reference point on the reference plane; performing a levelling measurement between the exposed surface and the reference plane to obtain levelling data of the exposed surface; obtaining a distance, configured as an expansion reference value, between the alignment mark and the reference point in the exposed surface; obtaining an expansion compensation value based on a difference between the expansion reference value and the reference distance; and adjusting parameters of a photolithography process based on the expansion compensation value for an alignment.

An apparatus for moving movable part on surface parallel to first and second directions includes single guide to constrain position of the movable part in the second direction and drive mechanism to drive the movable part. The movable part includes first movable member movable in the first direction while being guided by the guide, second movable member having first and second ends, the first end being connected to the first movable member via rotation bearing and moving above the surface, and third movable member movable within range between the first and second ends while being guided by the second movable member. The drive mechanism includes first driver to drive the first end of the second movable member in the first direction, and second driver to drive the second end of the second movable member in the first direction.

A metrology system serves for examining objects with EUV measurement light. An illumination optical unit serves for guiding the EUV measurement light towards the object to be examined. The illumination optical unit has an illumination optical unit stop for prescribing a measurement light intensity distribution in an illumination pupil in a pupil plane of the illumination optical unit. An output coupling mirror serves for coupling a part of the measurement light out of an illumination beam path of the illumination optical unit. The output coupling mirror has a mirror surface which is used to couple out measurement light and has an aspect ratio of a greatest mirror surface extent A longitudinally with respect to a mirror surface longitudinal dimension (x) to a smallest mirror surface extent B longitudinally with respect to a mirror surface transverse dimension (y) perpendicular to the mirror surface longitudinal dimension (x). The aspect ratio AB is greater than 1.1. The result is a metrology system in which a measurement light throughput is optimized even in the simulation or emulation of an imaging optical unit of a projection exposure apparatus having an image-side numerical aperture of greater than 0.5 and in particular in the simulation or emulation of an anamorphic imaging optical unit.

An image sensor for a position sensor apparatus for ascertaining a position of at least one mirror of a lithography apparatus includes: a plurality of integrated optical waveguides; a plurality of incoupling areas; a multiplexer apparatus; and an image reconstruction apparatus.

A method of unloading an object from a support table, the object clamped to the support table during an exposure process by: applying a first pressure to a central region of the support table under a central portion of the object; and applying a second pressure to a peripheral region of the support table under a peripheral portion of the object, wherein during clamping the first pressure and the second pressure are controlled such that liquid is retained between the object and a seal member that is positioned radially between the central region and the peripheral region at an upper surface of the support table and protrudes towards the object, the method including: increasing the first pressure towards ambient pressure; removing at least some of the liquid retained between the object and the seal member by decreasing the second pressure; and increasing the second pressure towards the ambient pressure.