Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a mask device, an exposure apparatus and an exposure method, which enable a reduction in the possibility that the mask is scratched during exposure so as to protect the mask, and in turn a reduction in production cost of the semiconductor devices. The mask device comprises a mask carrier, a mask disposed on a lower surface of the mask carrier, and at least one protection unit provided on the mask carrier, wherein a lower end of the at least one protection unit is arranged to be lower than the lower surface of the mask during exposure. The mask device is applicable in exposure of a substrate to be exposed.

The present invention provides an exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate, comprising: an optical system configured to emit, in a first direction, light for exposing the substrate; a first supplier configured to supply a gas into a chamber where the optical system is arranged; and a second supplier configured to supply a gas to an optical path space where the light from the optical system passes through, wherein the second supplier includes a gas blower including a blowing port from which a gas is blown out in a second direction, and the guide member configured to guide the gas blown out from the blowing port to the optical path space, and the guide member includes a plate member extended on a side of the first direction of the blowing port so as to be arranged along the second direction.

An immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed in which at least a part of the liquid supply system (which provides liquid between the projection system and the substrate) is moveable in a plane substantially parallel to a top surface of the substrate during scanning. The part is moved to reduce the relative velocity between that part and the substrate so that the speed at which the substrate may be moved relative to the projection system may be increased.

Devices, systems, and methods (a) receive a predetermined fluid drop volume and an array of cells, wherein each cell in the array is associated with a respective predetermined fluid volume; (b) scan the array of cells according to a scanning sequence for a next unassigned cell and add the next unassigned cell to a respective fill set; (c) add unassigned cells neighboring the next unassigned cell to the respective fill set until an aggregate of the respective predetermined fluid volumes of the cells in the respective fill set equals or exceeds the predetermined fluid drop volume; (d) place a fluid drop in the drop pattern within an area associated with the respective fill set and mark all cells in the respective fill set as assigned; and (e) repeat (b)-(d) until all cells in the array of cells have been assigned and the drop pattern has been generated.

A method comprises loading a wafer onto a wafer chuck of a lithography apparatus, projecting an extreme ultraviolet light through an opening of a frame structure of the lithography apparatus, onto the wafer, and introducing an airflow from an air curtain module on the wafer chuck toward the frame structure, wherein the air curtain module surrounds the wafer. The airflow forms an air curtain around the wafer, and shields the wafer from contaminants from the frame structure or a wafer stage.

An object stage that includes a first structure and a second structure movable relative to the first structure. The second structure is configured to support an object. The object stage also includes a seal plate movably coupled to the first structure or the second structure, but not both. Further, the object stage includes an actuator configured to move the seal plate such that a substantially constant gap is defined between the seal plate and the first structure or second structure that is not coupled to the seal plate.

An exposure apparatus that performs a job process of exposing each of a plurality of substrates while exchanging the substrate is provided. The apparatus comprises a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate, and a controller configured to control the job process. The controller corrects, based on a relationship between an elapsed time of the job process and a substrate deformation amount, an overlay error generated due to deformation of the substrate, and exposes the substrate. In the relationship, the substrate conveyed to the substrate holder upon a substrate exchange is given an initial deformation amount corresponding to residual heat of the substrate holder at the time of the substrate exchange.

Techniques for lithography process delay characterization and effective dose compensation are provided. In one aspect, a method of analyzing a lithography process includes: applying a photoresist to a wafer; performing a post-apply bake of the photoresist; patterning the photoresist with sequences of open frame base line exposures performed at doses of from about 92% E0 to about 98% E0, and ranges therebetween, at multiple fields of the wafer separated by intervening programmed delay intervals, wherein E0 is the photoresist dose-to-clear; performing a post-exposure bake of the photoresist; developing the photoresist; performing a full wafer inspection to generate a grayscale map of the wafer; and analyzing the grayscale map to determine whether the intervening programmed delay intervals had an effect on the open frame base line exposures during the lithography process. Exposure dose compensation can then be applied to maintain a constant effective dose.

A lithography system includes a first load lock chamber configured to receive a mask, a cleaning module configured to clean the mask, a second load lock chamber configured to receive a wafer, an exposure module configured to expose the wafer to a light source through use of the cleaned mask. A direct path is provided between the first load lock chamber and the exposure module allowing the first load lock chamber to directly couple to the exposure module without through the cleaning module.

A mask chuck may include a base plate including a central region and an edge region surrounding the central region, a head part including a first surface connected to the edge region of the base plate and configured to move on the edge region to be close to the central region or away from the central region, and a pad part disposed on a second surface of the head part opposite to the first surface of the head part. The edge region may include a first edge region extending in a first direction, a second edge region extending in the first direction and spaced apart from the first edge region in a second direction crossing the first direction, a third edge region extending in the second direction, and a fourth edge region extending in the second direction and spaced apart from the third edge region in the first direction.