A lithographic apparatus with a cover plate formed separately from a substrate table and means for stabilizing a temperature of the substrate table by controlling the temperature of the cover plate is disclosed. A lithographic apparatus with thermal insulation provided between a cover plate and a substrate table so that the cover plate acts as a thermal shield for the substrate table is disclosed. A lithographic apparatus comprising means to determine a substrate table distortion and improve position control of a substrate by reference to the substrate table distortion is disclosed.

A stage assembly (10) that includes (i) a stage (14) that retains a device (26); (ii) a reaction assembly (18) that is spaced apart from the stage (14); (iii) a stage mover (16) that moves the stage (14), the stage mover (16) including a magnet array (38) that is coupled to the stage (14) and a conductor array (36) that is coupled to the reaction assembly (18); (iv) a temperature adjuster (20); and (v) a control system (22) that selectively controls the temperature adjuster (20). The conductor array (36) includes a set of first zone conductor units (250), and a set of second zone conductor units (252). The temperature adjuster (20) independently adjusts the temperature of the set of first zone conductor units (250), and the set of second zone conductor units (252).

The invention relates to a lithographic apparatus comprising: an actuation system for positioning an object; a control unit (CU) for controlling the actuation system; and a cooling system for cooling the actuation system, wherein the actuation system comprises a coil assembly (CA) including one or more coils (CO) as force generating members, wherein the cooling system comprises cooling element (CE) interacting with the coil assembly for cooling the coil assembly, and wherein the control unit is configured to control a temperature of the one or more coils to keep a magnitude of cyclic stress below a predetermined value.

A method of controlling a temperature of the semiconductor device includes operating an semiconductor apparatus; maintaining a temperature of a vessel of the semiconductor apparatus with a first cooling output by a cooling controller; heating the vessel for removing a material on the vessel; transferring a first signal, by a converter, to the cooling controller when heating the vessel; and reducing the first cooling output to a second cooling output by the cooling controller base on the first signal.

An improved particle beam inspection apparatus, and more particularly, a particle beam inspection apparatus including an improved load lock unit is disclosed. An improved load lock system may comprise a plurality of supporting structures configured to support a wafer and a conditioning plate including a heat transfer element configured to adjust a temperature of the wafer. The load lock system may further comprise a gas vent configured to provide a gas between the conditioning plate and the wafer and a controller configured to assist with the control of the heat transfer element.

A storage environment monitoring device is capable of measuring and/or monitoring various parameters of an environment inside a storage area, such as airflow, temperature, and humidity, to increase the storage quality of semiconductor components stored in the storage area. The storage environment monitoring device is capable of measuring and/or monitoring the parameters of the environment inside the storage area without having to open an enclosure that is storing the semiconductor components in the storage area. This reduces exposure of the semiconductor components to contamination and other environmental factors. In addition, the storage environment monitoring device may perform automatic measurements inside the storage area based on usage schedules of the semiconductor components that are to be stored in the storage area, which decreases downtime of the storage area and/or the semiconductor components, and increases productivity in a semiconductor processing environment in which the semiconductor components are used.

An immersion lithography apparatus has a controller configured to control a substrate table to move along an exposure route including in order: an entry motion in which the substrate moves from an off-substrate position at which the immersion space does not overlap the substrate to an on-substrate position at which the immersion space at least partially overlaps the substrate, a transfer motion in which the substrate table changes speed and/or direction and moves for at least a transfer time after the substrate moves to the on-substrate position, and an expose motion in which the substrate is scanned and the patterned beam is projected onto the substrate, wherein throughout the transfer motion at least a part of the immersion space overlaps the substrate and wherein the patterned beam is not projected onto the substrate during the entry motion and the transfer motion.

An immersion liquid is provided comprising an ion-forming component, e.g. an acid or a base, which has a relatively high vapor pressure. Also provided are lithography processes and lithography systems using the immersion liquid.

A lithographic apparatus including: a projection system to project radiation onto a substrate supported on a substrate stage, during an exposure phase; a sensing system to sense a property of the substrate on the stage during a sensing phase; and a positioning system to determine a position of the stage relative to a reference system via a radiation path between the stage and the reference system, wherein the apparatus is configured to control stage movement relative to the reference system in the sensing phase and to control other movement relative to the reference system during the exposure phase; the stage or reference system having an outlet to provide a gas curtain to reduce ingress of ambient gas into the path; and the apparatus is operative such that a characteristic of the gas curtain is different in at least part of the sensing phase compared to in the exposure phase.

An Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) having a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) dock and a tool access port, includes a robotic wafer handling system configured to transfer silicon wafers between a FOUP coupled to the FOUP dock and a process tool positioned for access via the tool access port. An air curtain system inside the EFEM is positioned to produce an air curtain across the tool access port while the port is open, acting to isolate the interior of the EFEM from the tool environment, and prevent passage of airborne contaminants into the EFEM via the access port.