A detection apparatus that detects a position deviation between an original and a substrate is provided. The apparatus includes an illumination optical system configured to illuminate a first diffraction grating arranged on the original and a second diffraction grating arranged on the substrate, and a detection optical system configured to detect interference light formed by diffracted light diffracted by the first diffraction grating and diffracted light diffracted by the second diffraction grating. The illumination optical system performs dipole illumination by light including two poles in a pupil plane of the illumination optical system, and polarization directions of light beams emitted from the two poles, respectively, and incident on the substrate are orthogonal to each other.

An arrangement of a microlithographic optical imaging device includes first and second supporting structures. The first supporting structure supports an optical element of the imaging device. The first supporting structure supports the second supporting structure via supporting spring devices of a vibration decoupling device. The supporting spring devices act kinematically parallel to one another between the first and second supporting structures. Each of the supporting spring devices defines a supporting force direction and a supporting length along the supporting force direction. The second supporting structure supports a measuring device which measures the position and/or orientation of the at least one optical element in relation to a reference in at least one degree of freedom up to all six degrees of freedom in space. A reduction device reduces a change in a static relative situation between the first and second supporting structures in at least one correction degree of freedom.

Provided are an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) exposure apparatus for improving an overlay error in a EUV exposure process, and an overlay correction method and a semiconductor device fabricating method using the exposure apparatus. The EUV exposure apparatus includes an EUV light source; a first optical system configured to emit EUV light from the EUV light source to an EUV mask; a second optical system configured to emit EUV light reflected from the EUV mask to a wafer; a mask stage; a wafer stage; and a control unit configured to control the mask stage and the wafer stage, wherein, based on a correlation between a first overlay parameter, which is one of parameters of overlay errors between layers on the wafer, and a second overlay parameter, which is another parameter, the first overlay parameter is corrected through correction of the second overlay parameter.

A lithographic apparatus and associated method of controlling a lithographic process. The lithographic apparatus has a controller configured to define a control grid associated with positioning of a substrate within the lithographic apparatus. The control grid is based on a device layout, associated with a patterning device, defining a device pattern which is to be, and/or has been, applied to the substrate in a lithographic process.

A laser processing method of performing laser processing on a transparent material that is transparent to ultraviolet light by using a laser processing system includes: performing relative positioning of a transfer position of a transfer image and the transparent material in an optical axis direction of a pulse laser beam so that the transfer position is set at a position inside the transparent material at a predetermined depth ΔZsf from a surface of the transparent material in the optical axis direction; and irradiating the transparent material with the pulse laser beam having a pulse width of 1 ns to 100 ns inclusive and a beam diameter of 10 μm to 150 μm inclusive at the transfer position.

An Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) having a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) dock and a tool access port, includes a robotic wafer handling system configured to transfer silicon wafers between a FOUP coupled to the FOUP dock and a process tool positioned for access via the tool access port. An air curtain system inside the EFEM is positioned to produce an air curtain across the tool access port while the port is open, acting to isolate the interior of the EFEM from the tool environment, and prevent passage of airborne contaminants into the EFEM via the access port.

A stage for supporting a semiconductor substrate is disclosed. The stage includes a platform that defines a plurality of apertures, and a plurality of burls that protrude from the apertures, where the plurality of burls have support surfaces for supporting a region of the semiconductor substrate. The stage includes an actuator coupled to at least a first burl included in the plurality of burls, wherein the actuator is operable to adjust an elevation of a first support surface of the first burl relative to the platform, and control circuitry that controls operation of the actuator to establish a substantially-planar alignment of the support surface of the first burl with a support surface of at least a second burl included in the plurality of burls.

A method for positioning a substage (9), supported by a main stage (5), relative to a reference object, the substage moveable in a direction (7) between a first and second position relative to the main stage. The method includes positioning the first stage using a passive force system that is activated by positioning the main stage. The passive force system includes two magnet systems (119, 121), each magnet system being configured to apply a force in the direction to the first stage with respect to the second stage in a non-contact manner, the forces resulting in a resultant force applied to the first stage in the direction by the passive force system. A magnitude and/or a direction of the resultant force depends on the position of the first stage relative to the second stage, and the first stage has a zero-force position between the first and second position in which the resultant force is zero.

An immersion lithography apparatus controller configured to control a positioner to move a support table to follow an exposure route and to control a liquid confinement structure, the controller configured to: predict whether liquid will be lost from an immersion space during at least one motion of the route in which an edge of the object passes under an edge of the immersion space, and if liquid loss from the immersion space is predicted, modify the fluid flow such that a first fluid flow rate into or out of an opening at a leading edge of the liquid confinement structure is different to a second fluid flow rate into or out of an opening at a trailing edge of the liquid confinement structure during the motion of predicted liquid loss or a motion of the route subsequent to the motion of predicted liquid loss.

A lithographic apparatus with a cover plate formed separately from a substrate table and means for stabilizing a temperature of the substrate table by controlling the temperature of the cover plate is disclosed. A lithographic apparatus with thermal insulation provided between a cover plate and a substrate table so that the cover plate acts as a thermal shield for the substrate table is disclosed. A lithographic apparatus comprising means to determine a substrate table distortion and improve position control of a substrate by reference to the substrate table distortion is disclosed.