Embodiments described herein provide a lithographic system having two or more lithographic tools connected to a radiation source using two or more variable attenuation units. In some embodiments, the variable attenuation unit reflects a portion of the received light beam to the lithographic tool attached thereto and transmits a remaining portion of the received light beam to the lithographic tools downstream. In some embodiments, the radiation source includes two or more laser sources to provide laser beams with an enhanced power level and which can prevent operation interruption due to laser source maintenances and repair.

An apparatus includes: a treatment block; and a relay block including a first transfer-in/out module for an exposure apparatus. In the treatment block, a treatment module is provided in each layer, and a deliverer is provided at an end on the relay block side in the layer including a pre-exposure treatment module. In the relay block, a second transfer-in/out module for the deliverer and a post-exposure treatment module is provided in a region adjacent, in the width direction, to the deliverer, the first transfer-in/out module is provided in a relay side transfer region extending in a depth direction from a region overlapping with the second transfer-in/out module, the post-exposure treatment module is provided in a region adjacent, in an up-down direction, to the relay side transfer region and adjacent, in the depth direction, to the second transfer-in/out module, and a relay mechanism is provided.

In accordance with some embodiments, a wafer processing method is provided. The wafer processing method includes placing a semiconductor wafer on a wafer stage with a backside surface of the semiconductor wafer facing downwardly. The wafer processing method further includes positioning a first brush assembly below the backside surface of the semiconductor wafer. The wafer processing method also includes moving a first brush assembly toward the backside surface of the semiconductor wafer to a first position. At the first position, an inner brush member and an outer brush member of the first brush assembly, made of different materials, are in contact with the backside surface of the semiconductor wafer. In addition, the wafer processing method includes rotating the first brush assembly relative to the semiconductor wafer while the first brush assembly is in the first position.

An immersion fluid recovery system and an immersion fluid recovery method using said system. The system comprises a recovery cavity (61), a sealing extraction opening (6), a recovery flow path (63), a gas-liquid separator (64), and an orifice plate (67); the sealing extraction opening (6) and the recovery cavity (61) are arranged at a terminal objective lens (1) and are located in an immersion fluid supply and recovery apparatus (3) above a substrate (2); the sealing extraction opening (6) is located in the immersion fluid supply and recovery apparatus (3) and is oriented toward the substrate (2), the sealing extraction opening (6) extracts immersion fluid from a gap between the immersion fluid supply and recovery apparatus (3) and the substrate (2), and also extracts, from said gap, a gas (GS) at the radial outer side of the immersion fluid; the recovery cavity is located inside the immersion fluid supply and recovery apparatus (3) and is in communication with the sealing extraction opening (6); the recovery cavity (61) is in communication with a cavity of the gas-liquid separator (64); the orifice plate (67) is arranged in the recovery flow path (63), the orifice plate (67) has through holes (671) in a fluid flow direction, and the size of the diameter of the through holes (671) is less than the size of the inner diameter of a recovery pipe of the recovery flow path (63) where the orifice plate (67) is located. The present method is able to effectively consume fluid turbulence so as to consume pressure pulsation energy, weaken gas-liquid impact, and prevent pressure pulsation in the recovery flow path (63) from being amplified by resonance.

An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus includes: an optical base; and a chamber module replaceable from the optical base. The chamber module includes a chamber in which extreme ultraviolet light is generated, a condenser mirror disposed inside the chamber and configured to condense extreme ultraviolet light generated inside the chamber, a window configured to transmit, into the chamber, a laser beam introduced into the optical base, and having a function to seal up the chamber, and a laser beam condensation optical system configured to condense the laser beam having transmitted through the window.

System and method for removing molecular contaminants from an air stream are disclosed. The system includes first, second and third filter. The first filter removes organic contaminants from an air stream passing through the first filter. The second filter is downstream of the first filter, is physically and chemically exchangeable with the first filter and removes organic contaminants from the air stream output of the first filter. The third filter, downstream of the second filter, is not exchangeable with the first filter or the second filter. The first position filter can be replaced by the second filter in the second position when the first filter in the first position becomes depleted as detected. A new filter in the second filter position is inserted. Replacing the depleted first filter with the second downstream filter reduces costs and waste while inserting the new filter in the second position ensures removing organic contaminants.

Systems and methods that include providing for measuring a first topographical height of a substrate at a first coordinate on the substrate and measuring a second topographical height of the substrate at a second coordinate on the substrate are provided. The measured first and second topographical heights may be provided as a wafer map. An exposure process is then performed on the substrate using the wafer map. The exposure process can include using a first focal point when exposing the first coordinate on the substrate and using a second focal plane when exposing the second coordinate on the substrate. The first focal point is determined using the first topographical height and the second focal point is determined using the second topographical height.

A system for a semiconductor fabrication facility includes a manufacturing tool including a load port, a maintenance crane, a rectangular zone overlapping with the load port of the manufacturing tool, a plurality of first sensors at corners of the rectangular zone, an OHT vehicle, a second sensor on the OHT vehicle, a third sensor on the load port, and a control unit. The first sensors are configured to detect a location of the maintenance crane and to generate a first location data. The second sensor is configured to generate a second location data. The control unit is configured to receive the first location data of the maintenance crane and the second location data of the OHT vehicle. The control unit further sends signals to the second sensor and the third sensor or to cut off the signal to the second sensor.

An apparatus includes: a treatment block; and a relay block including a first transfer-in/out module for an exposure apparatus. In the treatment block, a treatment module is provided in each layer, and a deliverer is provided at an end on the relay block side in the layer including a pre-exposure treatment module. In the relay block, a second transfer-in/out module for the deliverer and a post-exposure treatment module is provided in a region adjacent, in the width direction, to the deliverer, the first transfer-in/out module is provided in a relay side transfer region extending in a depth direction from a region overlapping with the second transfer-in/out module, the post-exposure treatment module is provided in a region adjacent, in an up-down direction, to the relay side transfer region and adjacent, in the depth direction, to the second transfer-in/out module, and a relay mechanism is provided.

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; and 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, and 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, and a non-treatment unit is provided at a portion where the pre-exposure storages are not provided in the two regions.