Degradation of the reflectivity of one or more reflective optical elements in a system (SO) for generating EUV radiation is reduced by the controlled introduction of a gas into a vacuum chamber (26) containing the optical element. The gas may be added to the flow of another gas such as hydrogen or alternated with the introduction of hydrogen radicals.

An objective lens protection device, objective lens system and lithographic device. The objective lens protection device includes a main structure provided with, oppositely disposed, an air supply unit and extraction unit. The air supply unit is used to output air. The extraction unit extracts air output by the air supply unit to form at least one layer of air curtain between the air supply unit and extraction unit. The objective lens protection device can effectively control the flow rate of wind discharge, controlling wind in a laminar flow state and ensuring uniform flow field of the air curtain, and can effectively block organic matters volatilized from the bottom up, eliminate opportunity for a direct contact of the organic matters with the lens, and prevent objective lens from contamination by the volatilization of the organic matters of photoresist, thus ensuring the imaging quality of the objective lens.

Degradation of the reflectivity of one or more reflective optical elements in a system for generating EUV radiation is reduced by the controlled introduction of a gas into a vacuum chamber containing the optical element. The gas may be added to the flow of another gas such as hydrogen or alternated with the introduction of hydrogen radicals.

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) exposure apparatuses and methods, and methods of manufacturing a semiconductor device by using the exposure method, which minimize an error caused by a mirror in an EUV exposure process to improve an overlay error, are provided. The EUV exposure apparatus includes an EUV source configured to generate and output EUV, first illumination optics configured to transfer the EUV to an EUV mask, projection optics configured to project the EUV, reflected from the EUV mask, onto an exposure target, a laser source configured to generate and output a laser beam for heating, and second illumination optics configured to irradiate the laser beam onto at least one mirror included in the projection optics.

The present application relates to a carbon dioxide snow cleaning apparatus comprising: a carbon dioxide source; a carbon dioxide snow nozzle in fluid communication with the carbon dioxide source; a charging element; and a collection surface. Also described is a method of cleaning a surface, the method comprising the steps of: (i) passing a stream of carbon dioxide out of a carbon dioxide snow nozzle to form a carbon dioxide snow stream; (ii) charging the carbon dioxide snow stream; (iii) directing the charged carbon dioxide snow stream onto the surface to be cleaned; (iv) collecting particles removed by the charged carbon dioxide snow stream from the surface to be cleaned on a collection surface. Also described is the use of such apparatus in a lithographic apparatus and the use of such an apparatus or method.

The present invention relates to a lithographic apparatus, comprising: a projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a substrate, comprising optical elements, a sensor frame, a first position measurement system configured to measure a position of an optical element relative to the sensor frame, comprising a sensor adapted to monitor an optical element, with a sensor element mounted to the sensor frame, a sensor frame support supporting the sensor frame on a reference, a force measurement device adapted to generate force measurement data relating to force exerted on the sensor frame by the sensor frame support, a position control device adapted to control the relative position of the substrate and the patterned radiation beam wherein the position control device is configured to receive the force measurement data and to control said relative position based on at least the force measurement data.

A lithography system and a cleaning method thereof are provided. The lithography system includes a light source generator. The light source generator includes a collector, a droplet generator and a droplet catcher. The droplet generator and the droplet catcher are facing each other, and disposed at a region surrounding the collector. The cleaning method includes: shifting the droplet generator out of the light source generator via a port of the light source generator; inserting a shove assembly into the light source generator via the port; using a borescope attached to the shovel assembly to identify a location of a deposit formed by droplets generated by the droplet generator; using the shovel assembly to remove and collect the deposit; and withdrawing the shovel assembly along with the borescope from the light source generator via the port.

An exposure device has a cylindrical peripheral wall member. The peripheral wall member forms a processing space in which a substrate is storable and has an upper opening and a lower opening. Further, a light emitter is provided in an upper portion of the peripheral wall member to close the upper opening. A lower lid member that is provided to be movable in an up-and-down direction and configured to be capable of closing and opening the lower opening is provided below the peripheral wall member. The atmosphere in the processing space is replaced with an inert gas with the substrate stored in the processing space and the lower opening closed by the lower lid member. In this state, vacuum ultraviolet rays are emitted to the substrate from the light emitter, and the substrate is exposed.

Embodiments described herein relate to a dynamically controlled lens used in lithography tools. Multiple regions of the dynamic lens can be used to transmit a radiation beam for lithography process. By allowing multiple regions to transmit the radiation beam, the dynamically controlled lens can have an extended life cycle compared to conventional fixed lens. The dynamically controlled lens can be replaced or exchanged at a lower frequency, thus, improving efficiency of the lithography tools and reducing production cost.

An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system includes a vane bucket module. The vane bucket module includes a collecting tank and a temperature adjusting pack. The collecting tank has a cover and the cover includes a plurality of through holes. Thicknesses of edges of the cover is greater than a thickness of a center of the cover. The temperature adjusting pack surrounds the collecting tank. The temperature adjusting pack includes a plurality of inlets aligned with the through holes.