A substrate holder for a lithographic apparatus has a planarization layer provided on a surface thereof. The planarization layer provides a smooth surface for the formation of an electronic component such as a thin film electronic component. The planarization layer may be provided in multiple sub layers. The planarization layer may smooth over roughness caused by removal of material from a blank to form burls on the substrate holder.

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; a plurality of burls projecting from the main body surface to support the substrate spaced apart from the main body surface; and a liquid control structure provided in a peripheral region of the main body surface and configured to cause liquid to preferentially flow toward the periphery of the main body surface.

A method of using a dual stage lithographic apparatus, wherein the lithographic apparatus includes: two substrate supports each arranged to move and support a substrate, a measure field in which selectively one of the two substrate supports is positioned to measure a feature of the substrate supported by the respective one of the two substrate supports, and an expose field in which selectively one of the two substrate supports is positioned to expose the substrate supported by the respective one of the two substrate supports to a patterned beam of radiation, the method including thermal relaxation of a substrate loaded on one of the two substrate supports, wherein the thermal relaxation is at least partially performed at the expose field and/or in transfer between the measure field and the expose field.

An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate with an illumination light via a projection optical system. The apparatus has a base member supported via a first isolating member below the projection optical system; a stage arranged on the base member, and having a holder configured to support the substrate; a metrology frame supported via a second isolating member; a drive system to drive the stage on the base member; a plurality of grating portions on the metrology frame and arranged substantially parallel to a predetermined plane orthogonal to an optical axis of the projection optical system above the stage; an encoder system on the stage and configured to obtain position information of the stage; and a controller configured to control the drive system based on the position information obtained by the encoder system.

Exemplary lithography mask processing chambers may include a substrate support that includes a plurality of lift pins that are vertically translatable relative to a top surface of the substrate support. The lithography mask processing chambers may include a cover ring positioned atop the substrate support. The cover ring may define a rectilinear substrate seat. A top surface of the rectilinear substrate seat may be elevated above the top surface of the substrate support. An outer periphery of the rectilinear substrate seat may be positioned outward of the plurality of lift pins.

The present invention provides a control method of a driving apparatus that repeatedly performs a process of driving a target object in a predetermined range by a linear motor, wherein the linear motor includes a stator in which a plurality of coils are arrayed, and a mover provided with the target object, the control method comprising: changing a position of the stator with respect to the predetermined range at an arbitrary timing; and determining, in accordance with the changed position of the stator, output ratios of the plurality of coils in the process.

The present invention provides a stage driving apparatus for driving a stage, the apparatus comprising: a linear motor including a stator having a plurality of coils arrayed along a driving direction of the stage, and a mover provided with the stage; and a controller configured to control the linear motor, wherein the mover includes a permanent magnet provided on one of an upper side and a lower side of the plurality of coils, and an electromagnet provided on the other, the stator includes a yoke member provided to cover the electromagnet side of the plurality of coils, and the controller controls driving of the stage in the driving direction while floating the mover relative to the stator by controlling energization to the plurality of coils and the electromagnet.

A stage apparatus includes a surface plate as well as a guide shaft fixedly secured to the surface plate, a drive member moving along the guide shaft, and a hydrostatic fluid bearing that forms fluid films in the gap portion between the guide shaft and the drive member. The apparatus further includes: a positional deviation detection section—for detecting a relative positional deviation which occurs between the guide shaft and the drive member and which affects the thickness dimensions of the fluid films; and a state decision section for making a decision on the condition of the apparatus itself based on the positional deviation detected by the detection section and outputting information responsive to the decision.

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.

A wafer table inspection tool described herein is capable of being positioned over a wafer table while the wafer table is positioned in a bottom module of an exposure tool of a lithography system. The wafer table inspection tool is capable of quickly evaluating the condition of surface burls on the wafer table and evaluating cleaning performance of a cleaning operation in which the surface burls are cleaned.