A difficulty of contamination interfering with a grid plate positional measurement system is addressed. In one embodiment contamination is prevented from coming into contact with the grating or the sensor. In an embodiment, surface acoustic waves are used to detach contamination from a surface of the grating or sensor.

A projection exposure apparatus has a vibration damper with a holder and a mass that is connected to the holder via a damping element. The vibration damper comprises a temperature control device for the temperature control of the damping element. The disclosure also relates to a method for designing a vibration damper.

An apparatus for treating a substrate includes a plurality of heat treatment chambers and a plurality of sensors that determine whether the plurality of heat treatment chambers are mounted. The number of the plurality of sensors corresponds to the number of the plurality of heat treatment chambers. The plurality of sensors are B contact sensors.

An imprint lithography apparatus having a first frame to be mounted on a floor, a second frame mounted on the first frame via a kinematic coupling, an alignment sensor mounted on the second frame, to align an imprint lithography template arrangement with a target portion of a substrate, and a position sensor to measure a position of the imprint lithography template arrangement and/or a substrate stage relative to the second frame.

An arrangement of a microlithographic imaging device includes a first component, a second component and a connection unit of a connection device. The connection unit is configured to cooperate with the first component in a connection region between the first and second components. The connection unit is configured to cooperate, in a mounted state, with a tensioning unit of the connection device in a tensioning direction. The tensioning unit cooperates with the second component to connect the first and second component to one another in the connection region. The connection unit includes a main body. The insert is inserted in a receiving cutout in the main body and connected to the main body to transfer forces in the tensioning direction. The insert is configured to cooperate with the tensioning unit to connect the first and second components to one another in the connection region.

An actuator assembly including a first piezo actuator and a second piezo actuator. The piezo actuator has a correction unit configured to determine an output voltage difference representing a difference between a voltage at the output terminal of the first piezo actuator and a voltage at the output terminal of the second piezo actuator, and a first power correction for correcting the first power signal and/or a second power correction for correcting the second power signal, based on the output voltage difference.

A driving apparatus includes a holding member configured to hold an object to be driven, a support member configured to support the holding member via an elastic member, a plurality of actuators configured to drive the holding member holding the object, and a constrainer configured to constrain, in a non-contact manner, a position of the holding member with respect to the support member in anon-driving direction different from a drivable direction which is a direction in which the holding member can be driven by the plurality of actuators.

Embodiments of baking chambers for baking a photomask are provided herein. In some embodiments, a baking chamber includes: a chamber body enclosing a first interior volume and a second interior volume, disposed beneath and fluidly independent from the first interior volume; a radiant heat source disposed in the first interior volume; a photomask support structure configured to support a photomask disposed in the second interior volume; a window disposed between the first interior volume the second interior volume, wherein the window is made of a material that is transparent to thermal radiation; a first gas inlet and a first gas outlet coupled to the first interior volume; and a second gas inlet and a second gas outlet coupled to the second interior volume on opposite ends thereof to facilitate flow of a process gas laterally through the second interior volume and across the photomask support structure.

Embodiments of baking chambers for baking a substrate and methods of use thereof are provided herein. In some embodiments, a multi-chamber process tool for processing a substrate including: a wet clean chamber for cleaning the substrate; and a baking chamber configured to heat the substrate to remove residue or haze left over after a wet clean process performed in the wet clean chamber, the baking chamber comprising: a chamber body enclosing an interior volume; a heater disposed in the interior volume, wherein the heater is configured to have a surface temperature of about 100 to about 400 degrees Celsius during use; a substrate support configured to support a substrate disposed in the interior volume, wherein the substrate support has a direct line of sight with the heater such that the heater heats the substrate support via convection; and a gas inlet and a gas outlet coupled to the interior volume.

An optical arrangement, in particular to a lithography system, includes: a first component, in particular a carrying frame; a second component which is movable relative to the first component, in particular a mirror or a housing; and at least one stop having at least one stop face for limiting the movement of the second component in relation to the first component. The stop includes a metal foam for absorbing the kinetic energy of the second component when it strikes against the stop face. A method for repairing an optical arrangement of this kind after a shock load includes replacing at least one stop, in which the metal foam was compressed under the shock load, with a stop in which the metal foam is not compressed.