A manufacturing system for fabricating self-aligned grating elements with a variable refractive index includes a patterning system, a deposition system, and an etching system. The manufacturing system performs a lithographic patterning of one or more photoresists to create a stack over a substrate. The manufacturing system performs a conformal deposition of a protective coating on the stack. The manufacturing system performs a deposition of a first photoresist of a first refractive index on the protective coating. The manufacturing system performs a removal of the first photoresist to achieve a threshold value of first thickness. The manufacturing system performs a deposition of a second photoresist of a second refractive index on the first photoresist. The second refractive index is greater than the first refractive index. The manufacturing system performs a removal of the second photoresist to achieve a threshold value of second thickness to form a portion of an optical grating.

The present invention provides a lithography apparatus which performs a process of forming a pattern on a substrate conveyed from a coating apparatus which coats the substrate with a resist, the lithography apparatus including an obtaining unit configured to obtain, from the coating apparatus, first specifying information which specifies a processing target substrate conveyed from the coating apparatus to the lithography apparatus, out of a plurality of substrates which are coated with the resist by the coating apparatus and on which the process is to be performed, and a processing unit configured to select offset correction information corresponding to the processing target substrate from a plurality of pieces of offset correction information respectively corresponding to the plurality of substrates based on the first specifying information and perform the process on the processing target substrate by using the selected offset correction information.

An apparatus includes: a treatment block including treatment modules; and a relay block coupling the treatment block and an exposure apparatus in a width direction, and including a transfer-in/out mechanism for the exposure apparatus. In the treatment block being multilayered in an up-down direction, a transfer mechanism is provided in a transfer region extending in the width direction. In a layer, in the treatment block, at a position accessible from the transfer-in/out mechanism, a deliverer on which the substrate is mounted when the substrate is delivered between the blocks is provided at an end on the relay block side. Pre-exposure storages storing the substrate before the exposure are provided along the width direction in two regions between which the transfer region is interposed in a depth direction. A non-treatment unit is provided at a portion where the pre-exposure storages are not provided in the two regions.

A connector arrangement includes a first connector element, a second connector element, a first printed circuit board section and a second printed circuit board section. The second connector element can be plugged together with the first connector element in an insertion direction to form an electrical connection. The first connector is mounted on the first printed circuit board section. The first printed circuit board section is mounted on the second printed circuit board section such that the first printed circuit board section is movable perpendicularly to the insertion direction. This can bring about tolerance compensation when the first and second connector elements are plugged together.

A method for cleaning a reflective photomask is provided. The method includes: disposing the reflective photomask in a chamber; providing hydrogen radicals to the chamber; and exposing the reflective photomask to the hydrogen radicals. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure and system for forming a semiconductor structure are also provided.

Disclosed is a substrate treating apparatus including a coating module, an exposure module, a plurality of developing modules, and a transfer unit that performs transfer of a substrate between the modules. The plurality of developing modules include a plurality of post-exposure bake units that perform a bake process on a substrate on which an exposure process is completely performed in the exposure module. The substrate treating apparatus further includes a controller that controls the transfer of the substrate by the transfer unit. When transferring a substrate from the exposure module to the plurality of post-exposure bake units, the controller performs control to select a post-exposure bake unit in which the least delay time occurs, among the plurality of post-exposure bake units and to transfer the substrate to the selected post-exposure bake unit.

A semiconductor fabrication apparatus comprising a light source configured to emit light, a substrate stage arranged to receive a substrate exposed to the emitted light, a reticle arranged between the substrate stage and the light source, and a reticle stage arranged to receive the reticle. The reticle stage including a lower plate, an upper plate arranged above the lower plate, an actuator connected to the lower plate configured to move in a direction parallel to the upper plate, a first cable slab arranged between the upper plate and the lower plate and connected to one side of the actuator, and a first cable cover that surrounds an outer periphery of the first cable slab and contacts the lower plate when the first cable slab becomes bent.

A flow restriction, a flow restriction assembly and methods for manufacturing the flow restriction and the flow restriction assembly. The flow restriction is for use in a pipe so as to restrict the flow of a fluid and includes a body extending along an axis and that has i) a central portion having an essentially constant cross section, ii) an upstream portion, wherein the cross-sectional area of the upstream portion monotonically increases in a downstream direction along the axis; and iii) a downstream portion, wherein the cross-sectional area of the downstream portion monotonically decreases in the downstream direction. The flow restriction also has a plurality of central portion projections for engaging the inner surface of the pipe, each of which projects from the surface of the central portion in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the central portion by a distance of less than 500 μm.

A supporting member on which a wafer table is mounted is substantially kinematically supported, via six rod members placed on a slider. Further, coupling members are placed facing in a non-contact manner via a predetermined gap, thin plate-shaped edges provided at both ends in the Y-axis direction of the supporting member. By this arrangement, vibration-damping is performed by the coupling members (squeeze dampers) facing the edges, on vibration of the supporting member mounted on the wafer table. Further, because the supporting member is kinematically supported via the plurality of rod members, it becomes possible to reduce deformation of the wafer table that accompanies deformation of the slider.

A lithographic apparatus comprising a substrate storage module having a controllable environment for protecting lithographically exposed substrates from ambient air. The substrate storage module is configured to store at least twenty substrates and the substrate storage module is an integral part of the lithographic apparatus. The substrate storage module may be used to protect substrates from ambient air during stitched lithographic exposures.