Abstract: Electron-optical systems comprising a particle trap and methods of operating electron-optical systems using a particle trap are disclosed. In one arrangement, a stage supports a sample. An objective lens arrangement projects electrons towards the sample along an electron-beam path. A particle trap comprises an electrode assembly radially outside of the objective lens arrangement and facing the sample. The electrode assembly draws a particle away from a surface of the sample and/or stage as the sample moves relative to the electron-beam path.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of improving a measurement of a parameter of interest. The method comprises obtaining metrology data comprising a plurality of measured values of the parameter of interest, relating to one or more targets on a substrate, each measured value relating to a different measurement combination of a target of said one or more targets and a measurement condition used to measure that target and asymmetry metric data relating to asymmetry for said one or more targets. A respective relationship is determined for each of said measurement combinations relating a true value for the parameter of interest to the asymmetry metric data, based on an assumption that there is a common true value for the parameter of interest over said measurement combinations. These relationships are used to improve a measurement of the parameter of interest.

Abstract: A pellicle assembly includes a pellicle frame defining a surface onto which a pellicle is, or to be, attached. The pellicle assembly includes one or more three-dimensional expansion structures that allow the pellicle to expand under stress. A pellicle assembly for a patterning device, the pellicle assembly includes one or more actuators for moving the pellicle assembly towards and way from the patterning device.

Abstract: A method of protecting a component of a lithographic apparatus, the method including the steps of: providing a protective cover which is shaped to protect at least part of said component, the protective cover having a contact surface which is arranged to adhere to a first surface of at least part of said lithographic apparatus or said component; and bringing the protective cover into proximity with the component so as to cause the contact surface to adhere to the lithographic apparatus or said component and remain adhered without the application of external force. It is also provided a patterning device for use in a lithographic apparatus and a lithographic apparatus.

Abstract: A method involving obtaining a resist deformation model for simulating a deformation process of a pattern in resist, the resist deformation model being a fluid dynamics model configured to simulate an intrafluid force acting on the resist, performing, using the resist deformation model, a computer simulation of the deformation process to obtain a deformation of the developed resist pattern for an input pattern to the resist deformation model, and producing electronic data representing the deformation of the developed resist pattern for the input pattern.

Abstract: An inspection method includes the following steps: identifying a plurality of patterns within an image; and comparing the plurality of patterns with each other for measurement values thereof. The above-mentioned inspection method uses the pattern within the image as a basis for comparison; therefore, measurement values of the plurality of pixels constructing the pattern can be processed with statistical methods and then compared, and the false rate caused by variation of a few pixels is decreased significantly. An inspection system implementing the above-mentioned method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An object table configured to hold an object on a holding surface, the object table including: a main body; a plurality of burls extending from the main body, end surfaces of the burls defining the holding surface; an actuator assembly; and a further actuator assembly, wherein the actuator assembly is configured to deform the main body to generate a long stroke out-of-plane deformation of the holding surface based on shape information of the object that is to be held and the further actuator assembly is configured to generate a short stroke out-of-plane deformation of the holding surface.

Abstract: Disclosed among other aspects is a charged particle inspection system including an absorbing component and a programmable charged-particle mirror plate arranged to modify the energy distribution of electrons in a beam and shape the beam to reduce the energy spread of the electrons and aberrations of the beam, with the absorbing component including a set of absorbing structures configured as absorbing structures provided on a transparent conductive layer and a method using such an absorbing component and with the programmable charged-particle mirror plate including a set of pixels configured to generate a customized electric field to shape the beam and using such a programmable charged-particle mirror plate.

Abstract: A gripper configured to transport a substrate in a lithographic apparatus, the gripper including: a main body with one or more engagement portions for engaging with a surface of the substrate, wherein a part of the main body, that is overlapped by a region of a substrate when the one or more engagement portions are engaged with the substrate, has a plurality of openings that extend through the main body in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A method for training a machine learning model includes obtaining a set of unpaired after-development (AD) images and after-etch (AE) images associated with a substrate. Each AD image in the set is obtained at a location on the substrate that is different from the location at which any of the AE images is obtained. The method further includes training the machine learning model to generate a predicted AE image based on the AD images and the AE images, wherein the predicted AE image corresponds to a location from which an input AD image of the AD images is obtained.

Abstract: Systems and methods of imaging a sample using a tilted charged-particle beam. The apparatus may comprise a first deflector located between the charged-particle source and an objective lens and configured to deflect the charged-particle beam away from the primary optical axis; a second deflector located substantially at a focal plane of the objective lens and configured to deflect the charged-particle beam back towards the primary optical axis; and a third deflector located substantially at a principal plane of the objective lens, wherein the third deflector is configured to shift a wobbling center of the objective lens to an off-axis wobbling location, and wherein the first and the second deflectors are configured to deflect the charged-particle beam to pass through the off-axis wobbling location to land on a surface of a sample at a first landing location and having a beam-tilt angle.

Abstract: In a lithographic process, product units such as semiconductor wafers are subjected to lithographic patterning operations and chemical and physical processing operations. Alignment data or other measurements are made at stages during the performance of the process to obtain object data representing positional deviation or other parameters measured at points spatially distributed across each unit. This object data is used to obtain diagnostic information by performing a multivariate analysis to decompose a set of vectors representing the units in the multidimensional space into one or more component vectors. Diagnostic information about the industrial process is extracted using the component vectors. The performance of the industrial process for subsequent product units can be controlled based on the extracted diagnostic information.

Abstract: A patterning process modeling method includes determining, with a front end of a process model, a function associated with process physics and/or chemistry of an operation within a patterning process flow; and determining, with a back end of the process model, a predicted wafer geometry. The back end includes a volumetric representation of a target area on the wafer. The predicted wafer geometry is determined by applying the function from the front end to manipulate the volumetric representation of the wafer. The volumetric representation of the wafer may be generated using volumetric dynamic B-trees. The volumetric representation of the wafer may be manipulated using a level set method. The function associated with the process physics and/or chemistry of the operation within the patterning process flow may be a velocity/speed function. Incoming flux on a modeled surface of the wafer may be determined using ray tracing.

Abstract: An electron beam inspection apparatus, the apparatus including a plurality of electron beam columns, each electron beam column configured to provide an electron beam and detect scattered or secondary electrons from an object, and an actuator system configured to move one or more of the electron beam columns relative to another one or more of the electron beam columns, the actuator system including a plurality of first movable structures at least partly overlapping a plurality of second movable structures, the first and second movable structures supporting the plurality of electron beam columns.

Abstract: Disclosed is a source for and method of generating extreme ultraviolet radiation in which spitting of molten target material is hindered through depletion of the number of hydrogen radicals available to enter deposits of molten target material and create hydrogen bubbles therein by introducing an active gas that reacts with the hydrogen radicals.

Abstract: In order to improve the throughput performance and/or economy of a measurement apparatus, the present disclosure provides a metrology apparatus including: a first measuring apparatus; a second measuring apparatus; a first substrate stage configured to hold a first substrate and/or a second substrate; a second substrate stage configured to hold the first substrate and/or the second substrate; a first substrate handler configured to handle the first substrate and/or the second substrate; and a second substrate handler configured to handle the first substrate and/or the second substrate, wherein the first substrate is loaded from a first, second or third FOUP, wherein the second substrate is loaded from the first, second or third FOUP, wherein the first measuring apparatus is an alignment measuring apparatus, and wherein the second measuring apparatus is a level sensor, a film thickness measuring apparatus or a spectral reflectance measuring apparatus.

Abstract: A method for providing a wear-resistant material on a body. A composite body that may be obtained by the method. The composite body may be a substrate holder or a reticle clamp for use in a lithographic apparatus. The method includes providing a body made of glass, ceramic or glass-ceramic; providing a wear-resistant material having a hardness of more than 20 GPa; and brazing or laser welding the wear-resistant material to the body.

Abstract: Disclosed is method of determining at least one homogeneity metric describing homogeneity of an etched trench on a substrate formed by a lithographic manufacturing process. The method comprises obtaining one or more images of the etched trench, wherein each of said one or more images comprises a spatial representation of one or more parameters of scattered radiation as detected by a detector or camera following scattering and/or diffraction from the etched trench; and measuring homogeneity along the length of the etched trench on said one or more images to determine said at least one homogeneity metric.

Abstract: A load-lock system may include a chamber enclosing a supporting structure configured to support a wafer; a gas vent arranged at a ceiling of the chamber and configured to vent gas into the chamber with a flow rate of at least twenty normal liters per minute; and a plate fixed to the ceiling between the gas vent and the wafer.

Abstract: A method including: obtaining data based an optical proximity correction for a spatially shifted version of a training design pattern; and training a machine learning model configured to predict optical proximity corrections for design patterns using data regarding the training design pattern and the data based on the optical proximity correction for the spatially shifted version of the training design pattern.