Abstract: Dynamic aberration control in a semiconductor manufacturing process is described. In some embodiments, wavefront data representing a wavefront provided by an optical projection system of a semiconductor processing apparatus may be received. Wavefront drift may be determined based on a comparison of the wavefront data and target wavefront data. Based on the wavefront drift, one or more process parameters may be determined. The one or more process parameters include parameters associated with a thermal device, where the thermal device is configured to provide thermal energy to the optical projection system during operation.

Abstract: A fault in a subject production apparatus which is suspected of being a deviating machine, is identified based on whether it is possible to train a machine learning model to distinguish between first sensor data derived from the subject production apparatus, and second sensor data derived from one or more other production apparatuses which are assumed to be behaving normally. Thus, the discriminative ability of the machine learning model is used as an indicator to discriminate between a faulty machine and the population of healthy machines.

Abstract: The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a sensor substrate for a charged particle optical device and/or a charged particle assessment apparatus, the sensor substrate comprising: at least one distance sensor configured to generate a measurement signal representative of a distance between the distance sensor and a facing surface of a target; and at least one charged particle optical component.

Abstract: An aperture for detecting a laser beam misalignment, the aperture comprising: a body including a first opening and defining a first axis; a beam dump; an optical element including a second opening wherein the first opening and the second opening are coaxial with the first axis, the optical element being configured to redirect a misaligned laser beam to a detector or to split a misaligned laser beam into at least two sub-beams; a laser beam detection system configured to detect laser light, wherein the optical element is configured to direct a first sub-beam to the beam dump, and to direct a second sub-beam to the laser beam detection system. Also described is an aperture including an enclosure, a method of detecting misalignment of a laser beam, a radiation source comprising such an aperture, a lithographic apparatus comprising such a radiation source or aperture, and the use of the same in a lithographic apparatus or method.

Abstract: A method for determining a mechanical property of a layer applied to a substrate. The method includes obtaining input data including metrology data relating to the layer and layout data relating to a layout of a pattern to be applied in the layer. A first model or first model term is used to determine a global mechanical property related to the layer based on at least the input data; and at least one second model or at least one second model term is used to predict a mechanical property distribution or associated overlay map based on the first mechanical property and the layout data, the mechanical property distribution describing the mechanical property variation over the layer.

Abstract: A method for determining values of design variables of a lithographic process based on a predicted failure rate for printing a target pattern on a substrate using a lithographic apparatus. The method includes obtaining an image corresponding to a target pattern to be printed on a substrate using a lithographic apparatus, wherein the image is generated based on a set of values of design variables of the lithographic apparatus or a lithographic process; determining image properties, the image properties representative of a pattern printed on the substrate, the pattern corresponding to the target pattern; predicting a failure rate in printing the pattern on the substrate based on the image properties; and determining a specified value of a specified design variable based on the failure rate, the specified value to be used in the lithographic process to print the target pattern on the substrate.

Abstract: Systems and methods of inspecting a sample using a charged-particle beam apparatus with enhanced probe current and high current density of the primary charged-particle beam are disclosed. The apparatus includes a charged-particle source, a first condenser lens configured to condense the primary charged-particle beam and operable in a first mode and a second mode, wherein: in the first mode, the first condenser lens is configured to condense the primary charged-particle beam, and in the second mode, the first condenser lens is configured to condense the primary charged-particle beam sufficiently to form a crossover along the primary optical axis. The apparatus further includes a second condenser lens configured to adjust a first beam current of the primary charged-particle beam in the first mode and adjust a second beam current of the primary charged-particle beam in the second mode, the second beam current being larger than the first beam current.

Abstract: A system includes a radiation source, an optical system, an optical element, a detection system, and a processor. The radiation source is configured to generate a radiation beam. The optical system is configured to direct the radiation beam toward a target structure and to receive the scattered radiation. The target structure is configured to produce scattered radiation comprising one or more scattered beams. The optical element is configured to control a position of the one or more scattered beams. The detection system is configured to receive a portion of the position-controlled scattered radiation and to generate a detection signal. The processor is configured to determine a property of the target structure based on at least the detection signal.

Abstract: A method of operating a lithographic apparatus that comprises: a projection system configured to provide exposure radiation for patterning a substrate underneath the projection system; a first stage configured to support a first substrate; a second stage configured to support a second substrate; and a third stage accommodating a component that includes at least one of a sensor and a cleaning device; wherein the method comprises starting a pre-exposure scrum sweep operation after starting a substrate exchange operation; wherein during the pre-exposure scrum sweep operation, the third stage moves away from underneath the projection system while the second stage moves to underneath the projection system; wherein during the substrate exchange operation, the first substrate is unloaded from the first stage.

Abstract: A method of tuning a prediction model relating to at least one particular configuration of a manufacturing device. The method includes obtaining a function including at least a first function of first prediction model parameters associated with the at least one particular configuration, and a second function of the first prediction model parameters and second prediction model parameters associated with configurations of the manufacturing device and/or related devices other than the at least one particular configuration. Values of the first prediction model parameters are obtained based on an optimization of the function, and a prediction model is tuned according to these values of the first prediction model parameters to obtain a tuned prediction mode.

Abstract: A method including performing a simulation to evaluate a plurality of metrology targets and/or a plurality of metrology recipes used to measure a metrology target, identifying one or more metrology targets and/or metrology recipes from the evaluated plurality of metrology targets and/or metrology recipes, receiving measurement data of the one or more identified metrology targets and/or metrology recipes, and using the measurement data to tune a metrology target parameter or metrology recipe parameter.

Abstract: A charged particle beam system is disclosed, comprising: a charged particle beam generator for generating a beam of charged particles; a charged particle optical column arranged in a vacuum chamber, wherein the charged particle optical column is arranged for projecting the beam of charged particles onto a target, and wherein the charged particle optical column comprises a charged particle optical element for influencing the beam of charged particles; a source for providing a cleaning agent; a conduit connected to the source and arranged for introducing the cleaning agent towards the charged particle optical element; wherein the charged particle optical element comprises: a charged particle transmitting aperture for transmitting and/or influencing the beam of charged particles, and at least one vent hole for providing a flow path between a first side and a second side of the charged particle optical element, wherein the vent hole has a cross section which is larger than a cross section of the charg

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes a substrate table configured to support a substrate on a substrate supporting area and a heater and/or temperature sensor on a surface adjacent the substrate supporting area.

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.

Abstract: A supercontinuum radiation source including a modulator being operable to modulate pump laser radiation including a train of radiation pulses to provide modulated pump laser radiation, the modulation being such to selectively provide a burst of the pulses; and a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber being operable to receive the modulated pump laser radiation and excite a working medium contained within the hollow-core photonic crystal fiber so as to generate supercontinuum radiation.

Abstract: A method for categorizing a substrate subject to a semiconductor manufacturing process including multiple operations, the method including: obtaining values of functional indicators derived from data generated during one or more of the multiple operations on the substrate, the functional indicators characterizing at least one operation; applying a decision model including one or more threshold values to the values of the functional indicators to obtain one or more categorical indicators; and assigning a category to the substrate based on the one or more categorical indicators.

Abstract: A detector may be provided with an array of sensing elements. The detector may include a semiconductor substrate including the array, and a circuit configured to count a number of charged particles incident on the detector. The circuit of the detector may be configured to process outputs from the plurality of sensing elements and increment a counter in response to a charged particle arrival event on a sensing element of the array. Various counting modes may be used. Counting may be based on energy ranges. Numbers of charged particles may be counted at a certain energy range and an overflow flag may be set when overflow is encountered in a sensing element. The circuit may be configured to determine a time stamp of respective charged particle arrival events occurring at each sensing element. Size of the sensing element may be determined based on criteria for enabling charged particle counting.

Abstract: A method for improving imaging of a feature on a mask to a substrate during scanning operation of a lithographic apparatus. The method includes obtaining a dynamic pupil representing evolution of an angular distribution of radiation exposing a mask during a scanning operation of a lithographic apparatus and determining a variation of shift of a feature at a substrate during the scanning operation due to interaction of the dynamic pupil with the mask. The method includes configuring a mask parameter and/or or a control parameter of the lithographic apparatus to reduce the variation of shift of the feature.

Abstract: A measurement process is performed for each of a plurality of locations on a product of a fabrication process at which a parameter of interest characterizing the fabrication process is believed to be nominally the same, to derive measured signals for each location including at least one image. A dimensional reduction method is applied to a dataset of the measured signals, to obtain components of the dataset, including components indicative of variation between the images. For at least one of these components, one or more associated ones of the measured signals are identified, comprising at least one set of corresponding pixels in the respective images for the plurality of locations. The contribution of the identified measured signals in the dataset is reduced or eliminated to obtain a processed signal, and the parameter of interest is obtained from the processed signal.

Abstract: A method of reducing effects of heating and/or cooling a reticle in a lithographic process includes conditioning the reticle to adjust an initial temperature of the reticle to a predetermined temperature, reducing stress in the reticle to reduce parasitic thermal effects, calibrating a reticle heating model by exposing the reticle and a non-production substrate to a dose of radiation, and processing a production substrate by exposing the reticle and a production substrate to a dose of radiation based on the reticle heating model. The method can increase calibration accuracy and speed of the reticle heating model, reduce conditioning times of the reticle, reduce stress in the reticle, avoid rework of production substrates, and increase throughput, yield, and accuracy.