Some implementations described herein include operating components in a lithography system at variable speeds to reduce, minimize, and/or prevent particle generation due to rubbing of or collision between contact parts of the components. In some implementations, a component in a path of transfer of a semiconductor substrate in the lithography system is operated at a relatively high movement speed through a first portion of an actuation operation, and is operated at a reduced movement speed (e.g., a movement speed that is less than the high movement speed) through a second portion of the actuation operation in which contact parts of the component are to interact. The reduced movement speed reduces the likelihood of particle generation and/or release from the contact parts when the contact parts interact, while the high movement speed provides a high semiconductor substrate throughput in the lithography system.

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 clamp assembly is disclose, the clamp assembly comprising a clamp (50) configurable to clamp a support member (110) to a lower base surface (49) of the clamp by electrostatic adhesion, and an arrangement configurable to direct a gas to the lower base surface (49) of the clamp. The arrangement is configurable to humidify the gas by exposing the gas to a liquid. Also disclosed is a method of discharging a lower base surface of a clamp, The method comprises the steps of humidifying a gas by exposing the gas to a liquid, and directing the humidified gas to a lower base surface of the clamp.

An immersion liquid is provided comprising an ion-forming component, e.g. an acid or a base, which has a relatively high vapor pressure. Also provided are lithography processes and lithography systems using the immersion liquid.

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.

A method for drying a component interior of a component can be used in a lithographic process chain. The method includes a first drying step, in which simultaneously heated air is admitted into a component interior through an inlet, and the heated air is sucked out of the component interior through an outlet. The method also includes a succeeding second drying step, in which the inlet for the heated air is closed and the air is sucked out of the component interior, resulting in a reduced pressure is generated in the component interior.

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.

The present invention is an immersion liquid supply and recovery device (2) with new-type pumping and drainage cavities. The device includes pumping and drainage openings (24), pumping and drainage cavities (25A, 25B), and sealed pumping and drainage channels (26A, 26B), wherein the pumping and drainage cavities (25A, 25B) are in communication with an immersion flow field by means of the multiple pumping and drainage openings (24), and the pumping and drainage openings (24) in communication with the different pumping and drainage cavities (25A, 25B) are circumferentially distributed in a crossed manner; at least two pumping and drainage cavities (25A, 25B) are provided, and each of the pumping and drainage cavities (25A, 25B) is in communication with an immersion liquid recovery system by means of one sealed pumping and drainage channel (26A, 26B) respectively; and the communication points of the pumping and drainage cavities (25A, 25B) and the sealed pumping and drainage channels (26A, 26B) are evenly arranged in the circumferential direction of the pumping and drainage cavities (25A, 25B). By means of a method in which an immersion liquid is introduced into the multiple pumping and drainage cavities (25A, 25B) in a crossed manner from the pumping and drainage openings (24) and is then pumped and drained by the sealed pumping and drainage channels (26A, 26B), the different pumping and drainage cavities (25A, 25B) and the sealed pumping and drainage channels (26A, 26B) always simultaneously process high-flow loads and low-flow loads, thus improves the load balancing capacity of immersion liquid recovery channels, improves the stability of maintaining the sealing of the immersion flow field, and suppresses the problem of the fluctuation of vibration characteristics and heat conduction characteristics caused by the change in a gas-liquid two-phase flow pattern, thereby improving the exposure quality.

A method includes receiving, in a first vessel, a flow of fluid from a second vessel, wherein the flow of fluid is generated by pressurizing a head space over the fluid in the second vessel; capturing the flow of fluid from the second vessel at an upper end of a de-bubbling slide in the first vessel; and directing the flow of fluid along a flow surface of de-bubbling slide to a lower portion of the first vessel, such that bubbles and dissolved gases in the fluid exit the fluid on the flow surface of the de-bubbling slide.

A chamber device may include a concentrating mirror, a central gas supply port, an inner wall, an exhaust port, a recessed portion, and a lateral gas supply port. The recessed portion may be on a side lateral to the focal line and recessed outward from the inner wall when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the focal line. The lateral gas supply port is formed at the recessed portion and may supply gas toward gas supplied from the central gas supply port so that a flow direction of the gas supplied from the central gas supply port is bent from a direction along the focal line toward the exhaust port and an internal space of the recessed portion.