An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source includes a collector associated with the vessel. The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source includes a plurality of vanes along walls of the vessel. Each vane includes a stacked vane segment, and the stacked vane segments for each vane are stacked in a direction of drainage of tin (Sn) in the vessel. The EUV source includes a thermal control system comprising a plurality of independently controllable heating elements, where a heating element is configured to provide localized control for heating of a vane segment of the stacked vane segments.

An optical element and a lithographic apparatus including the optical element. The optical element includes a first member having a curved optical surface and a heat transfer surface, and a second member that comprises at least one recess, the at least one recess sealed against the heat transfer surface to form at least one closed channel between the first member and the second member to allow fluid to flow therethrough for thermal conditioning of the curved optical surface. In an embodiment, one or more regions of the heat transfer surface exposed to the at least one closed channel are positioned along a curved profile similar to that of the curved optical surface.

An optical system comprises at least one mirror having a mirror body and a mirror surface, and at least one actuator device coupled to the mirror body and serving for deforming the mirror surface. The actuator device comprises at least one electrostrictive actuator element for generating a mechanical stress in the mirror body for deforming the mirror surface depending on an electrical drive voltage, and at least one electrostrictive sensor element for outputting a sensor signal depending on a deformation of the sensor element. The at least one sensor element is arranged directly adjacent to the actuator element and/or is arranged in such a way that it is configured at least partly for transferring the mechanical stress generated by the actuator element to the mirror body.

An optical assembly of a projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography comprises an optical element and an actuator for deforming the optical element. The actuator is subjected to a bias voltage by a controller that is present. A projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography comprises an optical assembly. A method for operating an actuator for deforming an optical element for semiconductor lithography comprises subjecting the actuator to a bias voltage by a controller.

An EUV collector mirror for an extreme ultra violet (EUV) radiation source apparatus includes an EUV collector mirror body on which a reflective layer as a reflective surface is disposed, a heater attached to or embedded in the EUV collector mirror body and a drain structure to drain melted metal from the reflective surface of the EUV collector mirror body to a back side of the EUV collector mirror body.

A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises a projection lens for projecting structures of a mask into a substrate plane via exposure radiation. At least one optical element of the projection lens is provided with a manipulator configured for the targeted input of thermal energy into the optical element, without one of further optical elements of the projection lens being significantly heated in the process. The projection exposure apparatus furthermore comprises a control device configured for controlling the exposure radiation and for controlling the manipulator so that an effect on an optical property of the projection lens that is caused by a decrease in a thermal energy input into the projection lens due to an exposure pause is at least partly compensated for by the energy input via the manipulator. Furthermore, the disclosure relates to a corresponding method for controlling a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus.

In accordance with some embodiments, a lithography method in semiconductor manufacturing is provided. The lithography method includes transmitting a main pulse laser to a zone of excitation through a first optic assembly. The lithography method further includes supplying a coolant to the first optic assembly and detecting a temperature of the coolant with a use of at least one sensor. The lithography method also includes adjusting a heat transfer rate between the coolant and the first optic assembly based on the temperature of the first optic assembly. In addition, the lithography method includes generating a droplet of a target material into the zone of excitation. The lithography method further includes exciting the droplet of the target material into plasma with the main pulse laser in the zone of excitation.

The present application relates to a dispatch method for a production line in a semiconductor process, a storage medium and a semiconductor device. The dispatch method for a production line in a semiconductor process can acquire an overlay error reference curve of a product lot to be exposed in equipment and set an overlay error range according to the overlay error reference curve. At the end of exposure, an overlay error for the product lot to be exposed can be acquired, and it can be determined whether the overlay error falls into the overlay error range. If the overlay error for the product lot to be exposed does not fall into the overlay error range, the product lot to be exposed can be continuously machined by this equipment.

A lamp having a fin provided in a periphery of a metal base. The fin includes a first surface close to a bright spot of a light-emitting tube and a second surface far from the bright spot on an opposite side of the first surface. A distance between a first inner edge of the first surface and a bright spot plane as a plane orthogonal to a center axis of the metal base including the bright spot is shorter than a distance between the bright spot plane and a first outer edge of the first surface. A distance between the first inner edge and the first outer edge of the first surface is not shorter than a distance between a second inner edge and a second outer edge of the second surface.

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.