Abstract: Disclosed herein is a computer system configured to perform, before performing a lithographic process on a first substrate in a lot of substrates, reticle alignment, RA, measurements with a first and second plurality of edge markers of the reticle. The reticle deformation model determines shape and/or deformation of the reticle in dependance on the RA measurements. A lithographic process performed on the first substrate is controlled in dependence on the determined shape and/or deformation. Before performing a lithographic process on a second substrate in the lot of substrates, further RA measurements are performed. The reticle deformation model determines the deformation of the reticle when performing a lithographic process on the second substrate in dependance on the further RA measurements and the previous RA measurements.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a computer system configured to use a reticle heating model to determine the shape and/or deformation of a reticle and control the operation of a lithographic process that uses the reticle in dependence on the modelled shape and/or deformation. The computer system is configured to determine, in dependence on generated reticle process data and known thermal properties of the reticle, that a long track hiccup has occurred and in response to determining that a long track hiccup has occurred, reconfigure the reticle heating model to the same state initialized states used at the start of performing lithographic processes on the lot of substrates.

Abstract: A charged particle detector including: an array of sensing elements configured to generate an electrical signal in response to charged particles and arranged in rows; an array of optical modulators each connected to a respective one of the sensing elements and configured to modulate a sensing light beam in response to the electrical signal; a plurality of waveguides configured to direct each of a plurality of sensing light beams through a row of the optical modulators; a beam combiner configured to combine the plurality of sensing light beams having passed through respective rows of the optical modulator into a combined beam; and a read out unit configured to measure the modulation of the combined beam to detect charged particles incident on the sensing elements.

Abstract: An inspection system includes a radiation source, a multimode optical fiber, an optical structure, a two-dimensional detector array, and a computing device. The radiation source irradiates a target to generate scattered radiation from the target. The scattered radiation includes a diffraction order pair. The multimode optical fiber receives the scattered radiation and outputs a mix of the diffraction order pair based on a propagation property of the multimode optical fiber. The optical structure combines the diffraction order pair at an input side of the multimode optical fiber. The two-dimensional detector array receives the mix of the diffraction order pair and generates a measurement signal corresponding to the mix of the diffraction order pair. The computing device analyzes the measurement signal based on the propagation property and discriminates intensities of the diffraction order pair based on the analyzing.

Abstract: A thermal conditioning system is configured to thermally condition an object. The thermal conditioning system comprises a fluid duct configured to be connected to the object and configured to provide a flow of a thermal conditioning fluid to the object The fluid duct comprises a supply duct configured to be connected to the object and to supply the thermal conditioning fluid to the object and a discharging duct 5 configured to be connected to the object and to discharge the thermal conditioning fluid from the object. The supply duct and/or the discharging duct are each provided with at least two silencers arranged in series along the supply duct and along the discharging duct respectively.

Abstract: A beam modifier and metrology system having such a beam modifier is described. Metasurfaces are used to replace (or to augment) an existing objective lens to focus radiation such as light, tune a focal length, and/or correct aberrations in the metrology system. A metasurface is configured to receive a diffracted incident radiation beam, with the diffracted incident radiation beam having a known wavelength range and transmit separate narrower band sub-beams of radiation having a modified amplitude, phase, and/or polarization in comparison to the diffracted incident radiation. The metasurface includes different sub-portions configured to transmit the separate narrower band sub-beams of radiation. The different sub-portions are configured for different non-overlapping radiation wavelength bandwidths within the known wavelength range.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a computer system configured to: control a lithographic process performed on a first substrate with a reticle that is in a cold state; determine one or more performance metrics of the lithographic process in dependence on an inspection of the first substrate; determine clamping-induced deformation modes of the reticle in dependence on the one or more performance metrics; and determine and control the application of process corrections to a lithographic process performed on a second substrate in dependence on the determined clamping-induced deformation modes.

Abstract: Embodiments herein describe systems, methods, and devices for determining reticle temperature based on reticle shape measurements. System can comprises an illumination path configured to direct radiation onto a patterning device and a detection path configured to direct a portion of the radiation, after interaction with the patterning device, onto a detector configured to output a signal representative of the portion of the radiation beam. A controller can to receive the signal, determine information about a physical characteristic or alignment of the patterning device, and use the information to estimate a load temperature of the patterning device. The controller or another controller can estimated load temperature to compensate for temperature-induced magnification of the patterning device. The controller or the another controller compensates by adjusting a positioning of a stage or lens of the system.

Abstract: Described herein is a method for training a denoising model. The method includes obtaining a first set of simulated images based on design patterns. The simulated images may be clean and can be added with noise to generate noisy simulated images. The simulated clean and noisy images are used as training data to generate a denoising model.

Abstract: A system for measuring deformation of a substrate includes an illuminator, a camera, a modulator system, and a controller. The illuminator directs two beams of radiation at each target of a plurality of targets disposed on the substrate to produce two beams of scattered radiation from each target. The camera detects interference patterns of the two beams of scattered radiation from the plurality of targets and generates an interferogram based on the interference pattern. The modulator system adjusts the interference patterns by adjusting a relative phase of the two beams of radiation. The controller analyzes the measurement signal to determine the deformation of the substrate based on the interferogram and the adjusting of the relative phase.

Abstract: A system includes a first container and a second container. The first container receives a patterning device and maintains a predetermined environment inside the first container. The second container receives the first container and maintains a vacuum inside the second container. The second container includes a flange, a first end, and a second end. The flange is located on an exterior of the second container. The second container can be gripped and transported via the flange. The first end includes a vacuum valve and a purge valve. The vacuum valve facilitates removal of gas from the second container. The purge valve facilitates introduction of gas into the second container. The vacuum valve and the purge valve interface with a first external vacuum environment. The second end opposite the first end and the second end has an opening. The opening allows the removal of the first container from the second container.

Abstract: A computer system is configured to initialize a reticle heating model in dependence on reference data for a reticle in a cold state and a reticle alignment measurement of the reticle. States of the reticle heating model are updated as the lithographic processes are performed on the first lot of substrates. Current states of the reticle heating model are stored. Reticle handling data is generated. It is determined whether the reticle is in a hot state or a cold state in dependence on reticle handling data. If the reticle is determined to be in the hot state, the starting state for the reticle heating model is configured in dependence on the stored states. If the reticle is determined to be in the cold state, the reticle heating model is re-initialized in dependence on reference data for the reticle in a cold state and the reticle alignment measurement of the reticle.

Abstract: A computer system configured to: model, using boundary conditions that are dependent on a first state of a reticle during a first time period, the deformation of the reticle during the first time period; model, using boundary conditions that are dependent on a second state of the reticle during a second time period, the deformation of the reticle during the second time period; and control the operation of a lithographic process in dependence on the modelled deformation of the reticle, wherein: the first state of the reticle is different from the second state of the reticle; and the modelled deformation of the reticle at the start of the second time period is based on the modelled deformation of the reticle at the end of the first time period.

Abstract: A stage (500) for supporting and moving an object (502) includes an electromagnet (510), first and second support structures (504; 506), a target (508), and a target-side bumper structure. The electromagnet can comprise a core, a wire coil (512), and a core-side bumper affixed to the core. The core, disposed on the first support structure (506), is made from magnetically permeable material. The core is shaped to have poles facing a same direction. The wire coil generates a magnetic field. The second support structure (504) supports and moves the object relative to the first support structure. The target (508) is disposed on the second support structure (504) to actuate the second support structure in response to the magnetic field. The target-side bumper structure is affixed to the target and can collide with the core-side bumper structure to establish a collision avoidance gap between the core and the target. An uncertainty value of the collision avoidance gap is less than 20 microns.

Abstract: An apparatus for die placement including a first stage having a plurality of recesses, the plurality of recesses configured to accept a plurality of donor dies; a second stage including a support for one or more targets; and a measurement system, functionally coupled to the first stage, and configured to: obtain locations of the plurality of donor dies in the plurality of recesses of the first stage, and based at least on the obtained locations, provide output signals to adjust the locations of the plurality of donor dies supported by the first stage to correspond to locations of the one or more targets, and based at least in part on the adjusted locations, provide output signals to place the plurality of donor dies on the one or more targets supported by the second stage by relative movement between the first stage and the second stage.

Abstract: A EUV utilization system comprising a radiation source comprising a drive laser configured to generate drive laser radiation for irradiating a fuel and thereby generating extreme ultraviolet radiation. The EUV utilization system comprises a EUV utilization apparatus configured to receive extreme ultraviolet radiation directed through an optical aperture located between the radiation source and the EUV utilization apparatus. The EUV utilization apparatus comprises a radiation shield configured to block at least a portion of the drive laser radiation that propagates through the optical aperture.

Abstract: Disclosed is a stage system, which comprises a pre-exposure element, and to a method employing the pre-exposure element for conditioning an optical system. The pre-exposure element comprises a radiation receiving area at a surface of the stage system, wherein the radiation receiving area comprises at least one pre-exposure plate configured to receive radiation. The stage system comprises further a controller, wherein the controller is capable to control an optical parameter of the pre-exposure element, herewith controlling a portion of received radiation reflected by the pre-exposure element.

Abstract: A dark field digital holographic microscope is disclosed which is configured to determine a characteristic of interest of a structure. The dark field digital holographic microscope comprises an illumination device configured to provide at least: a first beam pair comprising a first illumination beam of radiation (1010) and a first reference beam of radiation (1030) and a second beam pair comprising a second illumination beam of radiation (1020) and a second reference beam of radiation (1040); and one or more optical elements (1070) operable to capture a first scattered radiation and to capture a second scattered radiation scattered by the structure resultant from the first and second illumination beams respectively. The beams of the first beam pair are mutually coherent and the beams of the second beam pair are mutually coherent. The illumination device is configured to impose incoherence (ADI) between the first beam pair and second beam pair.

Abstract: An inspection system includes a radiation source, an integrated optical system, and first and second detectors. The radiation source generates radiation to irradiate a target. The integrated optical system includes: a substrate; first, second, third, and fourth waveguides; first and second grating couplers; a first combiner coupled to the first and second waveguides; and a second combiner coupled to the third and fourth waveguides. The first grating coupler couples first and third portions of radiation scattered by the target respectively into the first and third waveguides. The second grating coupler couples second and fourth portions of radiation scattered by the target respectively into the second and fourth waveguides. The first combiner can combine the first and second portions of radiation. The second combiner can combine the third and fourth portions of radiation. The first and second detectors generate measurement signals based on the corresponding combined portions of radiation.

Abstract: A charged particle device for projecting a multi-beam of charged particles towards a sample. The device includes a plurality of sources configured to emit a respective source beam of charged particles along a respective path of a beam grid, including a plurality of charged particle beams, toward the sample. The device further includes one or more elements in which an array of apertures is defined. The one or more elements respectively including a plurality of beam areas assigned to an individual source beam. The one or more elements is configured to operate on the charged particle beams in the beam grids of the individual source beam. Each element is separated from an adjoining element by a spacer, the spacer having at least one aperture positioned to correspond to the position of at least two beam areas.