Abstract: A substrate has first and second target structures formed by a lithographic process. Each target structure has a two-dimensional periodic structure formed in a single layer using first and second lithographic steps. The first target structure has features defined in the second lithographic step displaced relative to features defined in the first lithographic step by a first bias amount. The second target structure has features defined in the second lithographic step displaced relative to features defined in the first lithographic step by a second bias amount. An angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the first target structure and an angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the second target structure is obtained. A measurement of a parameter of a lithographic process is derived from the measurements using asymmetry found in the scatter spectra of the first and second target structures.

Abstract: A method of determining a parameter of a patterning process, the method including: obtaining a detected representation of radiation redirected by a structure having geometric symmetry at a nominal physical configuration, wherein the detected representation of the radiation was obtained by illuminating a substrate with a radiation beam such that a beam spot on the substrate was filled with the structure; and determining, by a hardware computer system, a value of the patterning process parameter based on optical characteristic values from an asymmetric optical characteristic distribution portion of the detected radiation representation with higher weight than another portion of the detected radiation representation, the asymmetric optical characteristic distribution arising from a different physical configuration of the structure than the nominal physical configuration.

Abstract: This disclosure includes a variety of methods of describing a shape in a hierarchical manner, and uses of such a hierarchical description. In particular, this disclosure includes a method comprising: fitting one or more sub-shapes of a first order against a shape; determining an error of the fitting; and fitting one or more sub-shapes of a second order against the error.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method, computer program and associated apparatuses for metrology. The method includes acquiring inspection data comprising a plurality of inspection data elements, each inspection data element having been obtained by inspection of a corresponding target structure formed using a lithographic process; and performing an unsupervised cluster analysis on said inspection data, thereby partitioning said inspection data into a plurality of clusters in accordance with a metric. In an embodiment, a cluster representative can be identified for each cluster. The cluster representative may be reconstructed and the reconstruction used to approximate the other members of the cluster.

Abstract: Methods and inspection apparatus and computer program products for assessing a quality of reconstruction of a value of a parameter of interest of a structure, which may be applied for example in metrology of microscopic structures. It is important the reconstruction provides a value of a parameter of interest (e.g. a CD) of the structure which is accurate as the reconstructed value is used to monitor and/or control a lithographic process. This is a way of assessing a quality of reconstruction (803) of a value of a parameter of interest of a structure which does not require the use of a scanning electron microscope, by predicting (804) values of the parameter of interest of structures using reconstructed values of parameters of structures, and by comparing (805) the predicted values of the parameter of interest and the reconstructed values of the parameter of interest.

Abstract: A method of configuring a parameter determination process, the method including: obtaining a mathematical model of a structure, the mathematical model configured to predict an optical response when illuminating the structure with a radiation beam and the structure having geometric symmetry at a nominal physical configuration; using, by a hardware computer system, the mathematical model to simulate a perturbation in the physical configuration of the structure of a certain amount to determine a corresponding change of the optical response in each of a plurality of pixels to obtain a plurality of pixel sensitivities; and based on the pixel sensitivities, determining a plurality of weights for combination with measured pixel optical characteristic values of the structure on a substrate to yield a value of a parameter associated with change in the physical configuration, each weight corresponding to a pixel.

Abstract: A method of determining overlay of a patterning process, the method including: obtaining a detected representation of radiation redirected by one or more physical instances of a unit cell, wherein the unit cell has geometric symmetry at a nominal value of overlay and wherein the detected representation of the radiation was obtained by illuminating a substrate with a radiation beam such that a beam spot on the substrate was filled with the one or more physical instances of the unit cell; and determining, from optical characteristic values from the detected radiation representation, a value of a first overlay for the unit cell separately from a second overlay for the unit cell that is also obtainable from the same optical characteristic values, wherein the first overlay is in a different direction than the second overlay or between a different combination of parts of the unit cell than the second overlay.

Abstract: A method of determining a parameter of a patterning process, the method including: obtaining a detected representation of radiation redirected by a structure having geometric symmetry at a nominal physical configuration, wherein the detected representation of the radiation was obtained by illuminating a substrate with a radiation beam such that a beam spot on the substrate was filled with the structure; and determining, by a hardware computer system, a value of the patterning process parameter based on optical characteristic values from an asymmetric optical characteristic distribution portion of the detected radiation representation with higher weight than another portion of the detected radiation representation, the asymmetric optical characteristic distribution arising from a different physical configuration of the structure than the nominal physical configuration.

Abstract: A metrology target includes: a first structure arranged to be created by a first patterning process; and a second structure arranged to be created by a second patterning process, wherein the first structure and/or second structure is not used to create a functional aspect of a device pattern, and wherein the first and second structures together form one or more instances of a unit cell, the unit cell having geometric symmetry at a nominal physical configuration and wherein the unit cell has a feature that causes, at a different physical configuration than the nominal physical configuration due to a relative shift in pattern placement in the first patterning process, the second patterning process and/or another patterning process, an asymmetry in the unit cell.

Abstract: A method of determining overlay of a patterning process, the method including: illuminating a substrate with a radiation beam such that a beam spot on the substrate is filled with one or more physical instances of a unit cell, the unit cell having geometric symmetry at a nominal value of overlay; detecting primarily zeroth order radiation redirected by the one or more physical instances of the unit cell using a detector; and determining, by a hardware computer system, a non-nominal value of overlay of the unit cell from values of an optical characteristic of the detected radiation.

Abstract: This disclosure includes a variety of methods of describing a shape in a hierarchical manner, and uses of such a hierarchical description. In particular, this disclosure includes a method comprising: fitting one or more sub-shapes of a first order against a shape; determining an error of the fitting; and fitting one or more sub-shapes of a second order against the error.

Abstract: A substrate has first and second target structures formed thereon by a lithographic process. Each target structure has two-dimensional periodic structure formed in a single material layer on a substrate using first and second lithographic steps, wherein, in the first target structure, features defined in the second lithographic step are displaced relative to features defined in the first lithographic step by a first bias amount that is close to one half of a spatial period of the features formed in the first lithographic step, and, in the second target structure, features defined in the second lithographic step are displaced relative to features defined in the first lithographic step by a second bias amount close to one half of said spatial period and different to the first bias amount.

Abstract: A method of facilitating obtaining a first signal, for analysis to characterize at least one periodic component, includes obtaining two second signals representative of intensities of electromagnetic radiation. The first signal is at least derivable from an output signal obtainable by applying a transformation to the second signals such that any value of the output signal is based on values from each respective second signal at corresponding points in time. The method further includes obtaining a value of a variable determining influences of components of respective second signals on the output signal when the signals corresponding to the second signals are captured and the transformation is applied, by (i) analyzing the first, second and/or the output signals to select a value of a parameter corresponding to a respective one of the variables; or (ii) calculating values of at least one time-varying factor corresponding to a respective one of the variables.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method, computer program and associated apparatuses for metrology. The method includes acquiring inspection data comprising a plurality of inspection data elements, each inspection data element having been obtained by inspection of a corresponding target structure formed using a lithographic process; and performing an unsupervised cluster analysis on said inspection data, thereby partitioning said inspection data into a plurality of clusters in accordance with a metric. In an embodiment, a cluster representative can be identified for each cluster. The cluster representative may be reconstructed and the reconstruction used to approximate the other members of the cluster.

Abstract: The present invention refers to an active sound reduction system and method for attenuation of sound emitted by a primary sound source, especially for attenuation of snoring sounds emitted by a human being. This system comprises a primary sound source, at least one speaker as a secondary sound source for producing an attenuating sound to be superposed with the sound emitted by said primary sound source, a reference microphone for receiving sound from said primary sound source, and at least one error microphone being allocated to each speaker to form a speaker/microphone pair. The at least one error microphone is provided as a directional microphone pointing at its allocated speaker to receive residual sound resulting from the superposition of the sounds from the primary sound source and the corresponding speaker. The error microphone and speaker of at least one speaker/microphone pair and the primary sound source are arranged substantially collinear.

Abstract: Methods and inspection apparatus and computer program products for assessing a quality of reconstruction of a value of a parameter of interest of a structure, which may be applied for example in metrology of microscopic structures. It is important the reconstruction provides a value of a parameter of interest (e.g. a CD) of the structure which is accurate as the reconstructed value is used to monitor and/or control a lithographic process. This is a way of assessing a quality of reconstruction (803) of a value of a parameter of interest of a structure which does not require the use of a scanning electron microscope, by predicting (804) values of the parameter of interest of structures using reconstructed values of parameters of structures, and by comparing (805) the predicted values of the parameter of interest and the reconstructed values of the parameter of interest.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and a method for extracting information from detected characteristic signals. A data stream (26) derivable from electromagnetic radiation (14) emitted or reflected by an object (12) is received. The data stream (26) comprises a continuous or discrete time-based characteristic signal ( ; 98) comprising at least two main components (92a, 92b, 92c) related to respective complementary channels (90a, 90b, 90c) of a signal space (88). The characteristic signal ( ; 98) is mapped to a defined component representation ( , , , ; , ) under consideration of a substantially linear algebraic signal composition model so as to specify a linear algebraic equation. The linear algebraic equation is at least partially solved under consideration of an at least approximate estimation of specified signal portions ( , , ). Consequently, an expression highly indicative of the at least one at least partially periodic vital signal (20) can be derived from the linear algebraic equation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device (1) and method for monitoring vital signs of a subject. In particular, the device for monitoring vital signs (1) comprises an imaging unit (2) for obtaining image data (3) of said subject, an interface (7) for receiving motion data (8) of said subject and/or said imaging unit (2), a processing unit (4) for extracting vital signs (9) of said subject from said image data (3), and a control unit (5) for adapting parameters (6a, 6b) of said imaging unit (2) and/or said processing unit (4) based on the received motion data (8). A further aspect of the invention relates to a fitness device (10) comprising a device for monitoring vital signs (1) and a motion detection unit (13, 14, 15) for providing said device for monitoring vital signs (1) with motion data (8).

Abstract: A noise canceling system comprises a microphone (103) for generating a captured signal representing sound in an audio environment and a sound transducer (101) for radiating a sound canceling audio signal in the audio environment. A feedback path (105, 107, 109, 111, 113) exists from the microphone (103) to the sound transducer (101) and comprises a feedback filter (109). A tone processor (119) determines a tone component characteristic for a tone component of a feedback signal of the feedback path (105, 107, 109, 111, 113) and an adaptation processor (121) adapts the feedback path in response to the tone component characteristic. The invention allows detection of the onset of instability and dynamic compensation to mitigate or prevent such instability. Accordingly increased design freedom for the feedback filter is achieved resulting in improved noise cancellation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and a method for extracting information from detected characteristic signals. A data stream (76, 78, 80, 82) derivable from electromagnetic radiation (14) emitted or reflected by an object (11) is received and a plurality of characteristic index elements (50) varying over time can be extracted therefrom. The index elements (50) comprise physiological information (48) indicative of at least one at least partially periodic vital signal (12), and a disturbing signal component (58). For eliminating the disturbing signal component (58) to a great extent, the characteristic index elements (50) can be projected to a disturbance-reduced index element (64) having a distinct orientation in relation to a presumed orientation of the disturbing signal component (58). The disturbance-reduced index element (64) is chosen so as to reflect a dominant main orientation and length of the disturbing signal component (58) over time.