In an alignment mark of an embodiment, a first pattern includes a first portion and a second portion, a second pattern includes a third portion and a fourth portion, the first portion and the third portion partially overlap each other, the second portion and the fourth portion partially overlap each other, a pitch length of each structural periods of the first portion and the third portion are equal within 1.2 times, a pitch length of each structural periods of the second portion and the fourth portion are equal within 1.2 times, a duty ratio of each of the first and third portions is 1:1, and a duty ratio of the second portion is D:2, and D is an integer of two or more, the duty ratio being a ratio between a light-shielding portion and a light-transmitting portion.

Disclosed is a lithography process on a sample with at least one emitter, the process including: putting at least one layer of resist above the sample; exciting one selected emitter with light through the at least one layer of resist; detecting light emitted by the excited selected emitter and determining a position of the selected emitter; and curing with a light beam a part of the at least one layer of resist above the position of the selected emitter, the light beam being a shaped light beam having a cross-section, this cross-section having a central part, an intermediate part surrounding the central part and a border part surrounding the intermediate part, the intensity of the shaped light beam on the at least one layer of resist reaching a maximum at the intermediate part.

A length measurement device includes: a placement table; cameras imaging images of imaging ranges including target points; first marks within the imaging ranges; a reference position storage unit storing positions of the first marks on a placement surface as first mark reference positions; an image position acquisition unit acquiring, on the basis of the imaged images of the cameras, the target image positions of the target points in the imaged images and the first mark image positions of the first marks in the imaged images; a target position acquisition unit determining positions of the target points on the placement surface on the basis of the target image positions and first mark image positions in the imaged images and the first mark reference positions on the placement surface; and a length acquisition unit determining, on the basis of positions of the target points, the length of a portion to have the length thereof measured.

The invention relates to a method for exposing at least one stored image (21) on a light-sensitive recording medium (14), with an exposure device (11), which picks up at least one recording medium (14) on a support (12), with at least one exposure head (16, 17), which is moved above the support (12) along a guiding axis (18) in the X direction and the guiding axis (18) and/or the support (12) are moved in the Y direction, with a control system, by which a traversing movement of the at least one exposure head (16, 17) is operated for exposing the at least one image (21) of the recording medium (14) and/or the recording medium (14), wherein the position of the recording medium (14) and/or the position of the at least one image (21) on the recording medium (14) are detected with at least one linear image acquisition device (25), which extends at least partially in the X direction.

Provided is a lithography apparatus capable of detecting the abnormal holding of an original in a shorter period of time. The lithography apparatus is configured to form a pattern on a substrate through use of the original, and includes: a holding unit configured to hold the original on which a first mark is formed; a measuring unit configured to pick up an image of the first mark; and a control unit configured to: cause the measuring unit to obtain the image of the first mark on the original held by the holding unit with a focus position of the measuring unit being adjusted to a reference position; and determine that the original is being abnormally held by the holding unit when a change in a first contrast, which is a contrast of the image of the first mark with respect to a reference contrast, falls out of an allowable range.

A lithographic apparatus having a substrate table, a projection system, an encoder system, a measurement frame and a measurement system. The substrate table has a holding surface for holding a substrate. The projection system is for projecting an image on the substrate. The encoder system is for providing a signal representative of a position of the substrate table. The measurement system is for measuring a property of the lithographic apparatus. The holding surface is along a plane. The projection system is at a first side of the plane. The measurement frame is arranged to support at least part of the encoder system and at least part of the measurement system at a second side of the plane different from the first side.

An angle adjustment tool, an angle adjustment system for a liquid crystal panel and a corresponding line defect analysis method are disclosed. The angle adjustment tool includes: a base; a first toothed member and a second toothed member; a rotating scale; and an angle indicator. The first toothed member includes a first toothed portion. A first end of the second toothed member has a second toothed portion and engages with the first toothed portion of the first toothed member, and a second end of the second toothed member is connected to the rotating scale; the second toothed member is pivotable about a central pivot axis of the second toothed portion. A pitch circle diameter of the second toothed portion is n times a pitch circle diameter of the first toothed portion, where n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.

The disclosure relates to an adjustable load transmitter for adjusting an alignment between planar members separated from each other by a gap. The load transmitter comprises a set of plates to be received inside the gap, the set comprising two rotatable plates and being adapted for transmitting a load via a load transmission path between the planar members. The load transmission path comprises the rotatable plates. Each of the plates comprises two flat, non-parallel contact faces, and one of the contact faces of the first rotatable plate is in permanent surface contact with one of the contact faces of the second rotatable plate. The rotatable plates are adapted for being rotated relative to each other around one of their respective normal axes.

Various embodiments of aligning wafers are described herein. In one embodiment, a photolithography system aligns a wafer by averaging individual via locations. In particular, some embodiments of the present technology determine the center locations of individual vias on a wafer and average them together to obtain an average center location of the set of vias. Based on a comparison of the average center location to a desired center location, the present technology adjusts the wafer position. Additionally, in some embodiments, the present technology compares wafer via patterns to a template and adjusts the position of the wafer based on the comparison.

A dual-layer alignment apparatus is disclosed which includes: a fixed frame (40) and, disposed thereon, a first measuring device (50) and a mark plate (41), the mark plate (41) having a fixed-frame mark (20); and a motion stage (60) and, disposed thereon, a reference mark (30), a motion-stage mark (70) and a second measuring device (10). The first measuring device (50) is configured to measure a relative positional relationship between the reference mark (30) and the motion-stage mark (70), the second measuring device (10) is configured to measure a relative positional relationship between the reference mark (30) and the fixed-frame mark (20), from which a final relative positional relationship between the motion-stage mark (70) and the fixed-frame mark (20) is derived, based on which the motion stage (60) is displaced to a target location. A corresponding dual-layer alignment method is also disclosed. In the apparatus, the motion stage (60) is the only movable component. Additionally, coordinate relationships can be calibrated in a static manner in order to immunize calibration accuracy from positioning accuracy of the motion stage (60), such that the alignment accuracy is improved. Further, a dual- or multi-lens design can be employed to allow additional improvements in flexibility and alignment efficiency.