Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for manufacturing a substrate table. An example method can include forming a vacuum sheet including a plurality of vacuum connections and a plurality of recesses configured to receive a plurality of burls disposed on a core body for supporting an object such as a wafer. Optionally, at least one burl can be surrounded, partially or wholly, by a trench. The example method can further include using the vacuum sheet to mount the core body to an electrostatic sheet including a plurality of apertures configured to receive the plurality of burls. Optionally, the example method can include using the vacuum sheet to mount the core body to the electrostatic sheet such that the plurality of recesses of the vacuum sheet line up with the plurality of burls of the core body and the plurality of apertures of the electrostatic sheet.

An object holder for a lithographic apparatus has a main body having a surface. A plurality of burls to support an object is formed on the surface or in apertures of a thin-film stack. At least one of the burls is formed by laser-sintering. At least one of the burs formed by laser-sintering may be a repair of a damaged burl previously formed by laser-sintering or another method.

A system designed to couple a patterning device to a support structure having a plurality of burls includes a camera module, an actuator, and a controller. The camera module is designed to capture image data of a backside of the patterning device. The actuator is coupled to at least one burl of the plurality of burls and is designed to move the at least one burl. The controller is designed to receive the image data captured from the camera module and determine one or more locations of contamination on the backside of the patterning device from the image data. The controller is also designed to control the actuator to move the at least one burl of the plurality of burls away from the one or more locations of contamination on the backside of the patterning device, based on the determined locations of contamination.

A mask includes a substrate, a light-reflecting structure, a patterned layer, and a plurality of bumps. The substrate has a first surface and a second surface. The light-reflecting structure is located on the first surface of the substrate. The patterned layer is located on the light-reflecting structure. The bumps are located on the second surface of the substrate. The bumps define a plurality of voids therebetween and protrude in a direction away from the second surface of the substrate.

An object holder for a lithographic apparatus has a main body having a surface. A plurality of burls to support an object is formed on the surface or in apertures of a thin-film stack. At least one of the burls is formed by laser-sintering. At least one of the burls formed by laser-sintering may be a repair of a damaged burl previously formed by laser-sintering or another method.

Methods and systems are described for reducing particles in the vicinity of an electrostatic chuck (300) in which a cleaning reticle or substrate (320) is secured to the chuck, the cleaning reticle or substrate having surfaces partially devoid of conductive material so that an electric field from the chuck can pass through to a volume adjacent the substrate to draw particles (360) in the volume to the surface of the substrate. Voltage supplied to the chuck may have an alternating polarity to enhance the attraction of particles to the surface.

A method including: generating a first force to attract a substrate holder to a support surface, the holder including a body having opposing first and second body surfaces, first burls at the first body surface, wherein each first burl has a distal end to support a substrate, and second burls at the second body surface to support the substrate holder on the support surface through contact with distal ends of the second burls; generating a second force to attract the substrate to the substrate holder; and controlling the first force and/or second force in a release step to deform the body between the second burls such as to create a gap between the distal ends of a first subset of the plurality of first burls and the substrate and such that the substrate is supported on distal ends of a second subset of the plurality of first burls.

Apparatus for and method of removing a contaminant from a working surface of a lithography support such as a reticle or wafer stage in an EUV or a DUV photolithography system in which abase supporting the substrate is provided with a surface profile so as to be thicker towards a middle portion of the base so that when a substrate supported by the base is pressed between the working surface and the base the contaminant is transferred from the working surface to the substrate.

Various burl designs for holding an object in a lithographic apparatus are described. A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system, a first support structure, a second support structure, and a projection system. The illumination system is designed to receive radiation and to direct the radiation towards a patterning device that forms patterned radiation. The first support structure is designed to support the patterning device on the first support structure. The second support structure has a plurality of burls and is designed to support the substrate on the plurality of burls. A topography of a top surface of each of the plurality of burls is not substantially flat, such that a contact area between the substrate and each of the plurality of burls is reduced. The projection system is designed to receive the patterned radiation and to direct the patterned radiation towards the substrate.

An electrostatic chuck includes electrodes to clamp a workpiece, electrodes to electrostatically levitate and position the workpiece, and sensors to detect position and orientation of the workpiece. Lateral motion of the workpiece relative to the electrostatic chuck can be damped prior to clamping.