The present disclosure provides an exhaust system for discharging from semiconductor manufacturing equipment a hazardous gas. The exhaust system includes: a main exhaust pipe positioned above the semiconductor manufacturing equipment and having a top surface and a bottom surface extending parallel to the top surface; a first branch pipe including an upstream end coupled to a source of a gas mixture and a downstream end connected to the main exhaust pipe through the top surface; a second branch pipe including an upstream end and a downstream end connected to the main exhaust pipe through the bottom surface; and a detector configured to detect presence of the hazardous gas in the second branch pipe.

A fluid handling system for a lithographic apparatus, wherein the fluid handling system is configured to confine immersion liquid to a liquid confinement space between a part of a projection system and a surface of a substrate in the lithographic apparatus so that a radiation beam projected from the projection system can irradiate the surface of the substrate by passing through the immersion liquid, the fluid handling system including a replaceable plate with an outer surface that includes a plurality of fluid openings configured for supply and/or extraction of immersion liquid and/or gas in a channel between the fluid handling system and the substrate, wherein the outer surface is coated.

A system for measuring a beam. The system includes a measurement device configured to measure the beam and determine a signal based on the measured beam, and a fluid supply device configured to provide fluid as a fluid stream to, or surrounding, the beam. The system is configured to calculate noise of the signal, and to adjust a parameter of the fluid of the fluid stream to reduce the calculated noise.

An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source apparatus includes a light source part for generating a plasma that emits EUV light; a vacuum housing located between the light source part and a utilizing apparatus in which the EUV light is utilized; a debris trap located inside the vacuum housing for deflecting traveling directions of debris particles emitted from the plasma, whereby the debris particles do not ingress into the utilizing apparatus; a heat shield panel structure located inside the vacuum housing and located between the plasma and the debris trap; and a cooling mechanism for cooling the heat shield panel structure. The heat shield panel structure has a first heat shield panel and a second heat shield panel. The second heat shield panel is disposed between the first heat shield panel and the plasma. The first heat shield panel is cooled by the cooling mechanism.

A gas purifying filter includes a first gas permeable body having a gas inlet surface; a first adsorption layer disposed on the first gas permeable body and including activated carbon on which a phosphoric acid-based compound satisfying the following Formula 1 is supported; a second adsorption layer disposed on the first adsorption layer and including a hydrophobic zeolite having a SiO.sub.2/Al.sub.2O.sub.3 value of about 50 or more; and a second gas permeable body disposed on the second adsorption layer and having a gas outlet surface,

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where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

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 method includes: storing a carrier containing material in a storage; recording environmental data of the storage to a database while the material is in the storage; generating a forecast for the material in the carrier based on the environmental data; receiving a request for the material from a semiconductor fabrication tool; and providing the carrier to the semiconductor fabrication tool based on the forecast.

Some implementations described herein include operating components in a lithography system at variable speeds to reduce, minimize, and/or prevent particle generation due to rubbing of or collision between contact parts of the components. In some implementations, a component in a path of transfer of a semiconductor substrate in the lithography system is operated at a relatively high movement speed through a first portion of an actuation operation, and is operated at a reduced movement speed (e.g., a movement speed that is less than the high movement speed) through a second portion of the actuation operation in which contact parts of the component are to interact. The reduced movement speed reduces the likelihood of particle generation and/or release from the contact parts when the contact parts interact, while the high movement speed provides a high semiconductor substrate throughput in the lithography system.

Some implementations described herein include operating components in a lithography system at variable speeds to reduce, minimize, and/or prevent particle generation due to rubbing of or collision between contact parts of the components. In some implementations, a component in a path of transfer of a semiconductor substrate in the lithography system is operated at a relatively high movement speed through a first portion of an actuation operation, and is operated at a reduced movement speed (e.g., a movement speed that is less than the high movement speed) through a second portion of the actuation operation in which contact parts of the component are to interact. The reduced movement speed reduces the likelihood of particle generation and/or release from the contact parts when the contact parts interact, while the high movement speed provides a high semiconductor substrate throughput in the lithography system.

The invention relates to a device for measuring a substrate for semiconductor lithography with a reference interferometer for ascertaining the change in the ambient conditions, wherein the reference interferometer comprises a means for changing the optical path length of a measurement section of the reference interferometer, wherein the means is configured to bring about a change in the refractive index.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for correcting cyclic error components of a reference interferometer, wherein the reference interferometer comprises a means for changing the optical path length of a measurement section of the reference interferometer, comprising the following method steps: starting up the reference interferometer, continuously detecting measurement values of the reference interferometer, changing the optical path length of the measurement section of the reference interferometer until a path length change of at least one quarter of the wavelength of the reference interferometer is detected, determining the cyclic errors on the basis of the continuously detected measurement values of the reference interferometer, and correcting the current measurement values ascertained by the reference interferometer on the basis of the cyclic errors ascertained.