A difficulty of contamination interfering with a grid plate positional measurement system is addressed. In one embodiment contamination is prevented from coming into contact with the grating or the sensor. In an embodiment, surface acoustic waves are used to detach contamination from a surface of the grating or sensor.

An EUV stocker and an EUV pod device is disclosed. The EUV stocker includes an AI driven dynamic control circuitry, an AI controlled safety interlock, and an independent air return control device. The EUV stocker includes a Mass Flow Control (MFC) that operates in conjunction with one or more valves. The EUV stocker further includes a hydrocarbon detecting assembly, oxygen detecting assembly, pressure detecting assembly, and temperature detecting assembly and more to maintain the required condition within the EUV stocker. The EUV stocker also includes automated transportation devices such as AMHS, OHT, MR, AGV, RGV, or the like to provide a safe EUV mask storage environment for operators.

A residual gas analyser (40) for analysis of a residual gas (30), in particular a residual gas in an EUV lithography system (1), includes an inlet system (41) for admission of the residual gas from a vacuum environment (27a) into the residual gas analyser, and a mass analyser (43) having a detector (44) for detecting ionized constituents (30a) of the residual gas. The residual gas analyser includes an ion transfer device (42) for transferring the ionized constituents of the residual gas to the mass analyser, the ion transfer device having an ion filtering device (45) configured for filtering at least one ionic constituent (30a) of the residual gas. Also disclosed is an EUV lithography system, in particular an EUV lithography apparatus, which includes at least one residual gas analyser configured as indicated above for analysing a residual gas in a vacuum environment of the EUV lithography system.

A photoresist supplying system includes a pump that includes a first tube phragm that stores a photoresist and a filter that filters the photoresist, a second tube phragm that stores the photoresist and is disposed outside the pump, where the second tube phragm transfers the photoresist to the first tube phragm, a storage unit that stores the photoresist, where the storage unit provides the photoresist to the second tube phragm, and a tube phragm drive unit that is connected to the first tube phragm. The tube phragm drive unit adjusts an interior volume of the first tube phragm and applies a pressure to a flexible outer wall of the first tube phragm to transfer the photoresist from the first tube phragm to a nozzle installed in the chamber. At least a part of the photoresist stored in the first tube phragm is transferred to the second tube phragm.

An inspection system, a lithography apparatus, and an inspection method are provided. The inspection system includes an illumination system, a detection system, and processing circuitry. The illumination system generates a broadband beam and illuminates surface of an object with the broadband illumination beam. The broadband beam has a continuous spectral range. The detection system receives radiation scattered at the surface and by a structure near the surface. The detection system generates a detection signal based on an optical response to the broadband illumination beam. The processing circuitry analyzes the detection signal. The processing circuitry distinguishes between a spurious signal and a signal corresponding to a defect on the surface based on the analyzing The spurious signal is diminished for at least a portion of the continuous spectral range.

A substrate holder, for a lithographic apparatus, having a main body, a plurality of support elements to support a substrate and a seal unit. The seal unit may include a first seal positioned outward of and surrounding the plurality of support elements. A position of a substrate contact region of an upper surface of the first seal may be arranged at a distance from the plurality of support elements sufficient enough such that during the loading/unloading of the substrate, a force applied to the first seal by the substrate is greater than a force applied to the plurality of support elements by the substrate. A profile of the contact region, in a cross section through the seal, may have a shape which is configured such that during the loading/unloading of the substrate, the substrate contacts the seal via at least two different points of the profile.

A system for mitigating damage to optical elements caused by vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light exposure is disclosed. The system includes a light source configured to generate VUV and a chamber containing one or more gaseous fluorine-based compounds of a selected partial pressure. The system includes one or more optical elements. The one or more optical elements are located within the chamber and are exposed to the one or more gaseous fluorine-based compounds. The VUV light generated by the light source is of sufficient energy to dissociate the fluorine-based compound within the chamber into a primary product.

In accordance with some embodiments, a semiconductor fabricating system is provided. The semiconductor fabricating system includes a wafer stage and a brush assembly moveable located below the wafer stage. The brush assembly includes a base plate, an inner brush member and an outer brush member. The inner brush member is positioned on the base plate, and the outer brush member surrounds the inner brush member. Inner grooves in the inner brush member are shallower than outer grooves in the outer brush member. The semiconductor fabricating system also includes a shaft and an actuator. The shaft is connected to the base plate, and the actuator is connected to shaft. The semiconductor fabricating system further include a controller programmed to send electric signals to the actuator to drive the base plate to rotate around a rotation axis.

Capacitive measurements for monitoring vapor or deposits from a vapor in a radiation source for a lithography apparatus. The measurements may be used to control operation of the radiation source. In one particular arrangement measurements from a plurality of capacitors are used to distinguish between changes in capacitance caused by the vapor and changes in capacitance caused by deposits from the vapor.

A mirror device includes at least one electrically conductive shielding element, which forms a mechanism for producing an electric field in a region adjacent to at least one side surface and/or a rear side of a mirror body.