An inspection apparatus for inspecting an object such as a pellicle for use in an EUV lithographic apparatus, the inspection apparatus including: a vacuum chamber; a load lock forming an interface between the vacuum chamber and an ambient environment; and a stage apparatus configured to receive the object from the load lock and displace the object inside the vacuum chamber, wherein the vacuum chamber comprises a first parking position and a second parking position for temporarily storing the object.

Embodiments of a drain in a lithographic projection apparatus are described that have, for example, a feature which reduces inflow of gas into the drain during a period when no liquid is present in the drain. In one example, a passive liquid removal mechanism is provided such that the pressure of gas in the drain is equal to the ambient gas pressure and in another embodiment a flap is provided to close off a chamber during times when no liquid needs removing.

Embodiments of a drain in a lithographic projection apparatus are described that have, for example, a feature which reduces inflow of gas into the drain during a period when no liquid is present in the drain. In one example, a passive liquid removal mechanism is provided such that the pressure of gas in the drain is equal to the ambient gas pressure and in another embodiment a flap is provided to close off a chamber during times when no liquid needs removing.

Embodiments of a drain in a lithographic projection apparatus are described that have, for example, a feature which reduces inflow of gas into the drain during a period when no liquid is present in the drain. In one example, a passive liquid removal mechanism is provided such that the pressure of gas in the drain is equal to the ambient gas pressure and in another embodiment a flap is provided to close off a chamber during times when no liquid needs removing.

Embodiments of a drain in a lithographic projection apparatus are described that have, for example, a feature which reduces inflow of gas into the drain during a period when no liquid is present in the drain. In one example, a passive liquid removal mechanism is provided such that the pressure of gas in the drain is equal to the ambient gas pressure and in another embodiment a flap is provided to close off a chamber during times when no liquid needs removing.

Ultrasound devices and methods are described, including a repeatable ultrasound transducer probe having ultrasonic transducers and corresponding circuitry. The repeatable ultrasound transducer probe may be used individually or coupled with other instances of the repeatable ultrasound transducer probe to create a desired ultrasound device. The ultrasound devices may optionally be connected to various types of external devices to provide additional processing and image rendering functionality.

Provided is an illumination optical apparatus that illuminates the surface with light from a light source and includes an optical integrator (the integrator) configured to form a plurality of secondary source images (the images); a adjuster having a plurality of adjusting elements for adjusting a light of the images; and a consensor configured such that the adjuster is in a conjugate relationship with the end surface of the integrator, wherein the element is located at positions, which corresponds to a secondary source formed by an odd reflection times in the first direction by the integrator and a secondary source formed by an even times and a secondary source formed by an odd times in the second direction and a secondary source formed by an even times, wherein the element is not located at a position which corresponds to a secondary source formed by no reflection in the integrator.

An exposure apparatus exposes a peripheral portion of a substrate to light, and includes an optical system configured to irradiate the substrate with the light, a stage configured to hold the substrate and be moved in a direction to position the substrate in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical system, and a controller configured to cause the stage to be moved. The controller moves the stage based on information about a distance between the optical system and the peripheral portion in a direction parallel to the optical axis and a telecentricity of the optical system so that a predetermined portion of the substrate is irradiated with the light from the optical system.

A method of patterning lithographic substrates that includes using a free electron laser to generate EUV radiation and delivering the EUV radiation to a lithographic apparatus which projects the EUV radiation onto lithographic substrates. The method further includes reducing fluctuations in the power of EUV radiation delivered to the lithographic substrates by using a feedback-based control loop to monitor the free electron laser and adjust operation of the free electron laser accordingly, and applying variable attenuation to EUV radiation that has been output by the free electron laser in order to further control the power of EUV radiation delivered to the lithographic apparatus.

A method of cleaning an extreme ultraviolet lithography collector includes applying a cleaning composition to a surface of the extreme ultraviolet lithography collector having debris on the surface of the collector in an extreme ultraviolet radiation source chamber. The cleaning composition includes: a major solvent having Hansen solubility parameters of 25>δ.sub.d>15, 25>δ.sub.p>10, and 30>δ.sub.h>6; and an acid having an acid dissociation constant, pKa, of −15<pKa<4. The debris is removed from the surface of the collector and the cleaning composition is removed from the extreme ultraviolet radiation source chamber.