In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, in an EUV scanner, an EUV lithography operation using an EUV mask is performed on a photo resist layer formed over a semiconductor substrate. After the EUV lithography operation, the EUV mask is unloaded from a mask stage of the EUV scanner. The EUV mask is placed under a reduced pressure below an atmospheric pressure. The EUV mask is heated under the reduced pressure at a first temperature in a range from 100° C. to 350 C°. After the heating, the EUV mask is stored in a mask stocker.

A method is provided for determining surface parameters of a patterning device, comprising the steps of: positioning the patterning device with respect to a path of an exposure radiation beam using a first measurement system, providing the patterning device at a first focal plane of a chromatic lens arranged in a second measurement system, illuminating a part of a surface of the patterning device with radiation through the chromatic lens, wherein the radiation comprises a plurality of wavelengths, determining a position of the illuminated part of the patterning device in a first and second direction, collecting at least a portion of radiation reflected by the patterning device through the chromatic lens, measuring an intensity of the collected portion of radiation as a function of wavelength, to obtain spectral information of the illuminated area, and determining the surface parameters of the patterning device at the determined position from the spectral information.

A method of operating a semiconductor apparatus includes generating an electric field in peripheral areas of a first covering structure and a second covering structure; causing a photomask to move to a position between the first and second covering structures such that the photomask at least partially vertically overlaps the first and second covering structures and such that particles attached to the photomask are attracted to the first and second covering structures by the electric field; and irradiating the photomask with light through light transmission regions of the first and second covering structures.

An immersion lithographic apparatus is provided having a substrate table including a drain configured to receive immersion fluid which leaks into a gap between an edge of a substrate on the substrate table and an edge of a recess in which the substrate is located. A thermal conditioning system is provided to thermally condition at least the portion of the recess supporting the substrate by directing one or more jets of fluid onto a reverse side of the section supporting the substrate.

A reticle is pre-heated prior to an exposure operation of a semiconductor substrate lot to reduce substrate to substrate temperature variations of the reticle in the exposure operation. The reticle may be pre-heated while being stored in a reticle storage slot, while being transferred from the reticle storage slot to a reticle stage of an exposure tool, and/or in another location prior to being secured to the reticle stage for the exposure operation. In this way, the reduction in temperature variation of the reticle in the exposure operation provided by pre-heating the reticle may reduce overlay deltas and misalignment for the semiconductor substrates that are processed in the exposure operation. This increases overlay performance, increases yield of the exposure tool, and increases semiconductor device quality. Moreover, pre-heating the reticle prior to securing the reticle to the reticle stage for the exposure operation reduces and/or minimizes the impact that the pre-heating has on throughput and processing times of the exposure tool.

A lithographic system for projecting an image onto a workpiece using radiation is provided. The lithographic system includes: a support structure for supporting a workpiece; a radiation source for providing radiation to project an image on the workpiece; a reticle positioned between the radiation source and the workpiece; and a mask positioned adjacent the reticle, the mask being configured to block radiation from the radiation source, the mask including a heat removal apparatus.

A method for preparing a substrate for an exposure process of a lithographic manufacturing method, the method including imposing different local temperatures across the substrate so as to induce different thermal expansion across the substrate before the exposure process. This method is for compensating for deformation of the substrate induced when the substrate is positioned on a substrate table of a lithographic apparatus. There is also provided a local temperature applicator to implement this technique and to a lithographic apparatus including such a local temperature applicator.

A temperature control device and a temperature control method are provided. The temperature control device is located at an interface between a photoresist coating and developing machine and a lithography machine and includes: a temperature detection device, a gas flow generator and a controller. The temperature detection device and the gas flow generator are respectively connected to the controller. The temperature detection device is configured to detect an actual temperature at the interface in real time. The gas flow generator is at least configured to generate a gas flow sealing knife around the interface. The controller is configured to control the gas flow generator to generate the gas flow sealing knife responsive to that the actual temperature detected by the temperature detection device is not equal to the target temperature, to control the actual temperature at the interface to reach the target temperature through the gas flow sealing knife.

A reticle thermal expansion calibration method includes exposing a group of wafers and generating a sub-recipe, performing data mining and data parsing to generate a plurality of overlay parameters, extracting a plurality of predetermined parameters from the plurality of overlay parameters, performing a linear regression on each of the predetermined parameters, and generating a coefficient of determination for each of the predetermined parameters.

A passive flow induced vibration reduction system for use in a temperature conditioning system that controls the temperature of at least one component within a lithographic apparatus. This FIV reduction system includes: a conduit that provides a flow path for a liquid through the system; a liquid filled cavity in fluid connection with the conduit, wherein the fluid connection is provided via one or more openings in the wall of the conduit; a membrane configured such that it separates the liquid in the liquid filled cavity from a gas at a substantially ambient pressure and the membrane is configured such that compliance of the membrane reduces at least low frequency flow induced vibrations in the liquid flowing through the conduit; and an end-stop located on the gas side of the membrane, wherein the end-stop is configured to limit an extent of deflection of the membrane.