An exhaust stream monitoring system for a photolithography track of an IC fabrication process comprises a reaction chamber including a housing, an inflow port and an outflow port, the housing containing a thermal plate for heating a semiconductor process wafer for a predetermined amount of time. An influent pipe coupled to the inflow port supplies a photoresist adhesion promoter in a gaseous form to the reaction chamber. An effluent pipe coupled to the outflow port is operative to remove byproducts from the reaction chamber as an exhaust stream. At least one gas sensor manifold assembly is coupled to the effluent pipe for monitoring the exhaust stream from the reaction chamber to detect presence of one or more byproducts of a reaction between the photoresist adhesion promoter and the semiconductor process wafer.

An EUV mask inspection system includes a mask receiving unit configured to receive a manufactured EUV mask, a main chamber configured to perform an inspection on the EUV mask, and a load-lock chamber disposed between the mask receiving unit and the main chamber. The load-lock chamber includes a mask table for loading the EUV mask, an UV lamp disposed adjacent the mask table in a first direction, a cold trap disposed adjacent the mask table in a second direction, and a vacuum pump. The first direction is a direction perpendicular to a sidewall of the mask table, and the second direction is a direction perpendicular to a top surface of the mask table. The UV lamp is configured to evaporate water molecules on the EUV mask by irradiating UV light onto the EUV mask. The cold trap is configured to trap the water molecules evaporated from the EUV mask.

A substrate holder including: a main body having a main body surface; a plurality of burls projecting from the main body surface and configured for supporting the substrate; and an edge seal projecting from the main body surface, wherein: the edge seal is spaced apart from the plurality of burls so as to define a gap therebetween, the gap having a width greater than or equal to about 75% of a pitch of the plurality of burls; the plurality of burls includes a first group of burls and a second group of burls surrounding the first group of burls; and the stiffness in the direction perpendicular to the support plane per unit area of the second group of burls is greater than or equal to about 150% of the stiffness in the direction perpendicular to the support plane per unit area of the first group of burls.

A microlithographic arrangement, for example using light in the extreme UV range, includes a supporting structure for supporting an optical unit, the mass of which can be 4 t to 14 t. The supporting structure includes a number of separate supporting units for supporting the optical unit. Each of the supporting units includes an air bearing unit by way of which a supporting force which counteracts the weight of the optical unit can be generated. The number of supporting units is at least four, at least two of the supporting units being coupled via a coupling device to form a supporting unit pair in such a way that the coupling device counteracts a deviation from a predeterminable ratio of the supporting forces of the two supporting units of the supporting unit pair.

A projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography having a projection optical unit. The projection optical unit includes a sensor frame, a carrying frame, and a module. The module includes an optical element and actuators for positioning and orienting the optical element. The module is on the carrying frame, and the sensor frame is a reference for the positioning of the optical element. The module includes an infrastructure which includes interfaces for separating a module from the projection optical unit. A method exchanges the module of a projection optical unit of a projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography, wherein the module includes an optical element, while the reference remains in the projection exposure apparatus.

A reticle inspection system and a method of handling a reticle in a reticle inspection system are provided. The reticle inspection system includes an active reticle carrier and an inspection tool. The reticle is disposed on the active reticle carrier, and the inspection tool is configured to determine an orientation of the reticle when the active reticle carrier is disposed on a reticle stage. The active reticle carrier is movable between a loading station and the reticle stage and is configured to rotate the reticle to reorient the reticle based on the orientation of the reticle while the active carrier is disposed on the reticle stage.

This disclosure provides a substrate carrying device and a photoresist coating development device, and belongs to the field of display technologies. The substrate carrying device includes two carrying mechanisms opposite to each other, and a driving mechanism between the two carrying mechanisms. Each of carrying mechanisms includes a guiding assembly and a plurality of supports. The guiding assembly includes a guide and a moving member in cooperation with each other. The guide is configured to guide the moving member to move along a preset trajectory. The supports are secured to the moving member and are configured to carry the substrate together. The driving mechanism is capable of simultaneously driving movement of the moving members of the two carrying mechanisms.

A compensator for manipulating a radiation beam traveling along an optical path. The compensator includes a fixed support holding a first optical wedge and an adjustable support holding a second optical wedge. The adjustable support includes a base, a stage holding the second optical wedge, first and second flexures, and a drive block. The stage defines a cavity and is movable relative to the base and the fixed support. The first and second flexures couple the stage to the base such that the stage translates along a stage path. The drive block is disposed in the cavity of the stage and is configured to translate along a drive block path perpendicular to the optical path and perpendicular to the stage path. The drive block includes first and second drive bearing surfaces configured to translate the stage in first and second stage directions, respectively, along the stage path.

A positioning system to position a structure comprises an actuator and a control unit to control the actuator in response to a position setpoint received by the control unit. The actuator comprises a magnet assembly comprises a magnet configured to provide a magnetic flux, and a coil assembly, wherein the coil assembly and the magnet assembly are movable relative to each other, the coil assembly comprising a coil, an actuation of the coil by a drive current providing for a force between the magnet assembly and the coil assembly. The magnet assembly comprises a further electric conductor, the further electric conductor comprising a non-ferromagnetic electrically conductive material, wherein the further electric conductor is magnetically coupled to the coil of the coil assembly and forms a short circuit path for an inductive electrical current induced in the further electric conductor as a result of an actuator current in the coil.

The disclosure provides a method and to an apparatus for determining the heating state of a mirror in an optical system, in particular in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. A method for determining the heating state of an optical element includes: measuring values of a first temperature that the optical element has at a first position using a temperature sensor; and estimating a second temperature that the optical element has at a second position, which is located at a distance from the first position, on the basis of the measured values, wherein estimating the second temperature is accomplished while taking into account a temporal change in the previously measured values.