An apparatus, which may form part of a lithographic apparatus, comprises a substrate table, a projection system, a gas lock and a gas flow guide. The substrate table is suitable for supporting a substrate. The projection system has a body which defines an interior and an opening. The projection system is configured and arranged to project a radiation beam through the opening onto a substrate supported by the substrate table. The gas lock is suitable for providing a gas flow from the opening away from the interior. The gas flow guide is configured to guide at least a portion of the gas flow away from the substrate supported by the substrate table.

A cooling controller receives, from one or more sensors, wafer information associated with a wafer. The cooling controller determines a pattern mask area for the wafer based on the wafer information. The cooling controller determines a cooling time for the wafer based on the pattern mask area. The cooling controller causes a cooling plate to cool the wafer for a time duration equal to the cooling time. Determining the cooling time for a wafer based on a pattern mask area provides stable and consistent wafer temperatures for wafers having different mask and layout properties, which reduces mask overlay variation and increases wafer yield.

A temperature control system and method are provided. The temperature control system includes: a bearing platform including a central platform and multiple edge platforms arranged around same; multiple temperature control modules each connected to a respective edge platform and configured to regulate temperature of a corresponding region of a wafer on the edge platform; a parameter acquisition module configured to acquire temperatures of the wafer; and a processing module configured to acquire a temperature abnormal region of the wafer and regulate a temperature of the temperature control module corresponding to the temperature abnormal region. The parameter acquisition module is used to acquire the temperatures of the wafer on the bearing platform, to acquire the temperature abnormal region of the wafer. Then, the processing module acquires the corresponding temperature control module based on the position of the temperature abnormal region. The temperatures at specific positions of a wafer are accurately controlled.

A system having a sub-system that is configured to change a thermal condition of a physical component from a set-point to a new set-point, wherein the sub-system includes: a mixer operative to receive a first conditioning fluid having a first temperature and a second conditioning fluid having a second temperature different from the first temperature, and operative to supply to the physical component a mix of the first conditioning fluid and the second conditioning fluid; and a controller configured to control the mixer in dependence on the new set-point. Also a method of operating a lithographic apparatus as well as a device manufactured using the system described herein or according to methods described herein.

A system and method for dynamically controlling a temperature of a thermostatic reticle. A thermostatic reticle assembly that includes a reticle, temperature sensors located in proximity to the reticle, and one or more heating elements. A thermostat component that is in communication with the temperature sensors and the heating element monitors the current temperature of the reticle relative to a steady-state temperature. In response to the current temperature of the reticle being lower than the steady-state temperature, the heating elements are activated to preheat the reticle to the steady-state temperature.

Particulate deposition rate on a photolithographic mask, particularly of tin (Sn) particles produced within an EUV light source, is reduced by producing turbulence within a radiation source chamber of the EUV light source. Turbulence can be produced by changing the temperature, pressure, and/or gas flow rate within the radiation source chamber. The turbulence reduces the number of particles exiting the EUV light source which could be deposited on the photomask.

A method of determining an overlay value of a substrate, the method including: obtaining temperature data that includes data on measured temperature at one or more positions on a substrate table after a substrate has been loaded onto the substrate table; and determining an overlay value of the substrate in dependence on the obtained temperature data. There is further disclosed a method of determining a performance of a clamping by a substrate table using a determined overlay value.

A support table for a lithographic apparatus, the support table having a support section and a conditioning system, wherein the support section, the conditioning system, or both, is configured such that heat transfer to or from a substrate supported on the support table, resulting from the operation of the conditioning system, is greater in a region of the substrate adjacent an edge of the substrate than it is in a region of the substrate that is at the center of the substrate.

A method of operating a semiconductor apparatus includes generating an air flow that flows from a covering structure; causing a photomask to move over the covering structure such that particles attached to the photomask are blown away from the photomask by the air flow; and irradiating the photomask with light through a light transmission region of the covering structure.

Methods and systems are described for reducing particulate contaminants on a clamping face of a clamping structure in a lithographic system. A substrate such as a cleaning reticle is pressed against the clamping face. A temperature differential is established between the substrate and the clamping face either before or after clamping occurs to facilitate transfer of particles from the clamping face to the substrate.