Abstract: A substrate table for supporting a substrate includes a surface and coarse burls. Each of the coarse burls includes a burl-top surface and fine burls. The coarse burls are disposed on the surface of the substrate table. The fine burls are disposed on the burl-top surface. The fine burls contact the substrate when the substrate table supports the substrate.

Abstract: A method of correcting a holographic image, a processing device, a dark field digital holographic microscope, a metrology apparatus and an inspection apparatus. The method includes obtaining a holographic image; determining at least one attenuation function due to motion blur from the holographic image; and correcting the holographic image, or a portion thereof, using the at least one attenuation function.

Abstract: A patterning device for patterning product structures onto a substrate and an associated substrate patterned using such a patterning device. The patterning device includes target patterning elements for patterning at least one target from which a parameter of interest can be inferred. The patterning device includes product patterning elements for patterning the product structures. The target patterning elements and product patterning elements are configured such that the at least one target has at least one boundary which is neither parallel nor perpendicular with respect to the product structures on the substrate.

Abstract: A method includes detecting data associated with a patterning device and/or a lithographic apparatus, performing an action from a plurality of actions when a determination not to proceed is made, and performing the action on the patterning device and/or a lithographic apparatus.

Abstract: An optical filter apparatus including an optical divergence device, operable to receive optical pulses and spatially distribute the optical pulses over an optical plane in dependence with a pulse energy of each of the optical pulses; and a spatial filter, located at the optical plane, operable to apply spatial filtering to the optical pulses based on a location of each of the optical pulses at the optical plane resulting from the spatial distributing.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining a condition associated with a pellicle for use in a lithographic apparatus, the apparatus including a sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to measure a property associated with the pellicle, the property being indicative of the pellicle condition.

Abstract: The system includes a radiation source, a diffractive element, an optical system, a detector, and a processor. The radiation source generates radiation. The diffractive element diffracts the radiation to generate a first beam and a second beam. The first beam includes a first non-zero diffraction order and the second beam includes a second non-zero diffraction order that is different from the first non-zero diffraction order. The optical system receives a first scattered beam and a second scattered radiation beam from a target structure and directs the first scattered beam and the second scattered beam towards a detector. The detector generates a detection signal. The processor analyzes the detection signal to determine a target structure property based on at least the detection signal. The first beam is attenuated with respect to the second beam or the first scattered beam is purposely attenuated with respect to the second scattered beam.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for heating a plurality of optical components. An example method can include receiving an input radiation beam from a radiation source. The example method can further include generating a plurality of output radiation beams based on the input radiation beam. The example method can further include transmitting the plurality of output radiation beams towards a plurality of heater head optics configured to heat the plurality of optical components. Optionally, the example method can further include controlling a respective power value, and realizing a flat-top far-field profile, of each of the plurality of output radiation beams.

Abstract: A method is used to estimate a value representative for a level of alignment mark deformation on a processed substrate using an alignment system. The alignment sensor system is able to emit light at different measuring frequencies to reflect from an alignment mark on the substrate and to detect a diffraction pattern in the reflected light in order to measure an alignment position of the alignment mark. The two or more measuring frequencies are used to measure an alignment position deviation per alignment mark associated with each of the two or more measuring frequencies relative to an expected predetermined alignment position of the alignment mark. A value is determined representative for the spread in the determined alignment position deviations per alignment mark in order to estimate the level of alignment mark deformation.