Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for manufacturing a wafer clamp having hard burls. The method can include providing a first layer that includes a first surface. The method can further include forming a plurality of burls over the first surface of the first layer. The forming of the plurality of burls can include forming a subset of the plurality of burls to a hardness of greater than about 6.0 gigapascals (GPa).

A method for the tracking and identification of components of lithography systems, for example of projection exposure apparatuses for semiconductor lithography is provided. The components are each provided with at least one transponder. The transponder has a data memory, on which data relating to the respective component are stored. The transponder is configured to pick up wirelessly arriving signals of a reader and to respond with data from the data memory. The data are stored on the data memory during the production of the component and/or during the production of the lithography system and/or after the start-up of the lithography system.

A method includes irradiating debris deposited in an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system with laser, controlling one or more of a wavelength of the laser or power of the laser to selectively vaporize the debris and limit damage to the EUV) lithography system, and removing the vaporized debris.

A method for particle beam-induced processing of a defect of a microlithographic photomask, including the steps of: a1) providing an image of at least a portion of the photomask, b1) determining a geometric shape of a defect in the image as a repair shape, c1) subdividing the repair shape into a number of n pixels in accordance with a first rasterization, d1) subdividing the repair shape into a number of m pixels in accordance with a second rasterization, the second rasterization emerging from a subpixel displacement of the first rasterization, e1) providing an activating particle beam and a process gas at each of the n pixels of the repair shape in accordance with the first rasterization, and f1) providing the activating particle beam and the process gas at each of the m pixels of the repair shape in accordance with the second rasterization.

A collector mirror for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light generator includes a first mirror in a vessel, the vessel being configured to receive a material and a laser beam for generating the EUV light, a second mirror surrounding the first mirror, and a detachable third mirror between the first mirror and the second mirror, the third mirror having an inner diameter that is not smaller than an outer diameter of the first mirror, and an outer diameter that is not larger than an inner diameter of the second mirror.

Method of and apparatus for repairing an optical element disposed in a vacuum chamber while the optical element is in the vacuum chamber. An exposed surface of the optical element is exposed to an ion flux generated by an ion source to remove at least some areas of the surface that have been damaged by exposure to the environment within the vacuum chamber. The method and apparatus are especially applicable to repair multilayer mirrors serving as collectors in systems for generating EUV light for use in semiconductor photolithography.

An abnormality detection apparatus for detecting an abnormal operation in a shutter apparatus configured to block light includes one or more memories, and one or more processors that cooperate with the one or more memories to detect the abnormal operation using an abnormality detection model that outputs determination data for detecting the abnormal operation in a case where information about measurement data on the shutter apparatus is input to the abnormality detection model.

A droplet catcher system of an EUV lithography apparatus is provided. The droplet catcher system includes a catcher body, a heat transfer part, a heat exchanger, and a controller. The catcher body has an outer surface. The heat transfer part is directly attached to the outer surface of the catcher body. The heat exchanger is thermally coupled to the heat transfer part. The controller is electrically coupled to the heat exchanger.

The invention provides a correction and compensation method in a semiconductor manufacturing process. The method includes the following steps: providing a machine, the machine is at least used for exposure manufacturing of a first product and a second product, performing period maintenance (PM) on the machine, recording an original offset map before and after the period maintenance of the machine is performed, the original offset map has an original exposure size, and adjusting the original exposure size of the original offset map to correspond to a first exposure size of the first product, and performing a first offset compensation correction on the first product. And adjusting the original exposure size of the original offset map to correspond to a second exposure size of the second product, and performing a second offset compensation correction on the second product.

In order to prevent observed long-term energy decay of power amplifiers and correspondingly increase the lifespan of CO.sub.2 lasers employing them, a hydrogen-doped mixing gas is supplied from an external pipeline during operation or periodic maintenance in order to effectively remove solid contaminants that build-up over time on a surface of a catalyst disposed within the power amplifier.