A substrate holder for use in a lithographic apparatus and configured to support a substrate, the substrate holder including: a main body having a main body surface; and a plurality of burls projecting from the main body surface; wherein each burl has a distal end configured to engage with the substrate; the distal ends of the burls substantially conform to a support plane whereby a substrate can be supported in a substantially flat state on the burls; a frictional force between the distal end of each burl and a substrate engaged therewith arises in a direction parallel to the support plane in the event of a relative movement of the substrate and substrate holder in the direction; and distal end surfaces of the burls are provided with a release structure configured so that the frictional force is less than would arise in the absence of the release structure.

A substrate holder for use in a lithographic apparatus and configured to support a substrate, the substrate holder including: a main body having a main body surface; and a plurality of burls projecting from the main body surface; wherein each burl has a distal end configured to engage with the substrate; the distal ends of the burls substantially conform to a support plane whereby a substrate can be supported in a substantially flat state on the burls; a frictional force between the distal end of each burl and a substrate engaged therewith arises in a direction parallel to the support plane in the event of a relative movement of the substrate and substrate holder in the direction; and distal end surfaces of the burls are provided with a release structure configured so that the frictional force is less than would arise in the absence of the release structure.

An electrical discharge machining method includes a step of selectively immersing only a portion of a workpiece in an electrical discharge machining liquid such that a machining object portion included in the portion of the workpiece is opposed to an electrode immersed in the electrical discharge machining liquid and a step of applying an electrical discharge machining to the machining object portion by applying a voltage between the electrode and the workpiece in a state where the portion of the workpiece is selectively immersed in the electrical discharge machining liquid, the portion including the machining object portion.

An electrical discharge machining method includes a step of selectively immersing only a portion of a workpiece in an electrical discharge machining liquid such that a machining object portion included in the portion of the workpiece is opposed to an electrode immersed in the electrical discharge machining liquid and a step of applying an electrical discharge machining to the machining object portion by applying a voltage between the electrode and the workpiece in a state where the portion of the workpiece is selectively immersed in the electrical discharge machining liquid, the portion including the machining object portion.

A method of structuring and/or thinning a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of functional chip sites includes forming one or more semiconductor devices in a device region of each functional chip site at a frontside of the semiconductor wafer, and forming an electrode at one of the frontside or a backside of the semiconductor wafer. The side of the semiconductor wafer at which the electrode is formed is structured by applying voltage pulses between the electrode and a tool electrode positioned above the semiconductor wafer as part of an electrical discharge machining (EDM) process before the electrode is removed by the EDM process, and between the tool electrode and an intrinsic conductive layer formed on the side of the semiconductor wafer being structured after the electrode is removed by the EDM process.

A method of structuring and/or thinning a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of functional chip sites includes forming one or more semiconductor devices in a device region of each functional chip site at a frontside of the semiconductor wafer, and forming an electrode at one of the frontside or a backside of the semiconductor wafer. The side of the semiconductor wafer at which the electrode is formed is structured by applying voltage pulses between the electrode and a tool electrode positioned above the semiconductor wafer as part of an electrical discharge machining (EDM) process before the electrode is removed by the EDM process, and between the tool electrode and an intrinsic conductive layer formed on the side of the semiconductor wafer being structured after the electrode is removed by the EDM process.

To provide a wire electrical discharge machine for which the machining precision of corner parts and corner exit parts in a workpiece are improved. A wire electrical discharge machine includes a machining path compensation unit which compensates a machining path, in a case of creating a corner part which is a circular arc as a second machining block, by compensating a position of a center of the circular arc of the second machining block by way of a first compensation vector calculated based on at least one indicator among the four indicators of deflection of a wire electrode, etc., and inserting a linear first compensation block between an end point of the first machining block and a start point of a second machining block which was compensated, and by eliminating a predetermined distance from the start point of a third machining block, creates a starting point of this third machining block, and then inserts a second compensation block between the end point of the compensated second machining block and the created starting point of the first machining block.

To provide a wire electrical discharge machine for which the machining precision of corner parts and corner exit parts in a workpiece are improved. A wire electrical discharge machine includes a machining path compensation unit which compensates a machining path, in a case of creating a corner part which is a circular arc as a second machining block, by compensating a position of a center of the circular arc of the second machining block by way of a first compensation vector calculated based on at least one indicator among the four indicators of deflection of a wire electrode, etc., and inserting a linear first compensation block between an end point of the first machining block and a start point of a second machining block which was compensated, and by eliminating a predetermined distance from the start point of a third machining block, creates a starting point of this third machining block, and then inserts a second compensation block between the end point of the compensated second machining block and the created starting point of the first machining block.

An electrochemical machining system comprises a component having a passage, the passage has an opening and an internal surface formed along the passage, a conductive wire has insulation covering portions of the conductive wire forming gaps having exposed wire; the conductive wire is inserted in the passage; a power source is coupled to the component and the conductive wire forms an electrical circuit, wherein the component comprises an anode and the conductive wire comprises a cathode; and an electrolyte within the passage contacting the internal surface and the exposed wire, wherein the electrolyte comprises a charge-carrying liquid configured to complete the electrical circuit between the cathode and anode.

An electrochemical machining system comprises a component having a passage, the passage has an opening and an internal surface formed along the passage, a conductive wire has insulation covering portions of the conductive wire forming gaps having exposed wire; the conductive wire is inserted in the passage; a power source is coupled to the component and the conductive wire forms an electrical circuit, wherein the component comprises an anode and the conductive wire comprises a cathode; and an electrolyte within the passage contacting the internal surface and the exposed wire, wherein the electrolyte comprises a charge-carrying liquid configured to complete the electrical circuit between the cathode and anode.