Abstract: A method of dislodging contamination from a part of an apparatus used in a patterning process, the method including: providing a cleaning substrate into contact with the part of the apparatus while the part is attached to the apparatus, the cleaning substrate comprising a material configured to chemically react with the contamination; and dislodging contamination on the part of the apparatus by chemical reaction between the material and the contamination.

Abstract: A metrology apparatus for determining a characteristic of interest of a structure on a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a radiation source for generating illumination radiation; at least two illumination branches for illuminating the structure on the substrate, the illumination branches being configured to illuminate the structure from different angles; and a radiation switch configured to receive the illumination radiation and transfer at least part of the radiation to a selectable one of the at least two illumination branches.

Abstract: A method including: obtaining a thin-mask transmission function of a patterning device and a M3D model for a lithographic process, wherein the thin-mask transmission function represents a continuous transmission mask and the M3D model at least represents a portion of M3D attributable to multiple edges of structures on the patterning device; determining a M3D mask transmission function of the patterning device by using the thin-mask transmission function and the M3D model; and determining an aerial image produced by the patterning device and the lithographic process, by using the M3D mask transmission function.

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: An immersion lithography apparatus having a controller configured to control a positioner to move a support table relative to an immersion space between the support table and a projection system to follow a route having a series of motions, the controller adapted to: predict a speed of an edge of the immersion space relative to an edge of an object on the support table when the edge of the immersion space passes over the edge of the object during at least one motion of the series of motions of the route; compare the speed to a predetermined parameter and to predict liquid loss from the immersion space during the at least one motion if the speed is greater than the predetermined parameter; and if liquid loss from the immersion space is predicted, modify one or more parameters of the route during the at least one motion accordingly.

Abstract: A support apparatus for a lithographic apparatus has an object holder and an extraction body radially outward of the object holder. The object holder is configured to support an object. The extraction body includes an extraction opening configured to extract fluid from a top surface of the support apparatus. The extraction body is spaced from the object holder such that the extraction body is substantially decoupled from the object holder. The extraction body includes a projection configured such that it surrounds the object holder and such that, in use, a layer of immersion liquid is retained on the projection and in contact with an object supported on the object holder.

Abstract: A method, system and program for determining a position of a feature referenced to a substrate. The method includes measuring a position of the feature, receiving an intended placement of the feature and determining an estimate of a placement error based on knowledge of a relative position of a first reference feature referenced to a first layer on a substrate with respect to a second reference feature referenced to a second layer on a substrate. The updated position may be used to position the layer of the substrate having the feature, or another layer of the substrate, or another layer of another substrate.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus comprises a base frame constructed to form a supporting structure of the lithographic apparatus, an active base frame support arranged between the base frame and a ground floor. The active base frame support is configured to support the base frame on the ground floor. The active base frame support comprises an actuator configured to exert a force in a horizontal direction between the base frame and the ground plane. The lithographic apparatus further comprises a control device configured to drive the actuator, a signal representative of a disturbance force on the base frame being provided to the control device, the control device being configured to drive the actuator using the force sensor signal.

Abstract: A computer-implemented defect prediction method for a device manufacturing process involving processing a portion of a design layout onto a substrate, the method including: identifying a hot spot from the portion of the design layout; determining a range of values of a processing parameter of the device manufacturing process for the hot spot, wherein when the processing parameter has a value outside the range, a defect is produced from the hot spot with the device manufacturing process; determining an actual value of the processing parameter; determining or predicting, using the actual value, existence, probability of existence, a characteristic, or a combination thereof, of a defect produced from the hot spot with the device manufacturing process.

Abstract: A radiation alteration device includes a continuously undulating reflective surface, wherein the shape of the continuously undulating reflective surface follows a substantially periodic pattern.

Abstract: A method involving a radiation intensity distribution for a target measured using an optical component at a gap from the target, the method including: determining a value of a parameter of interest using the measured radiation intensity distribution and a mathematical model describing the target, the model including an effective medium approximation for roughness of a surface of the optical component or a part thereof.

Abstract: A method including computing, in accordance with one or more parameters of a substrate measurement recipe, measurement with a latent image of a target and measurement with a post-development image corresponding to the latent image, to evaluate a characteristic determined from the computed measurement with the latent image of the target and determined from the computed measurement with the post-development image corresponding to the latent image; and adjusting the one or more parameters of the substrate measurement recipe and re-performing the computing, until a certain termination condition is satisfied with respect to the characteristic.

Abstract: A delivery system for use within a lithographic system. The beam delivery system comprises optical elements arranged to receive a radiation beam from a radiation source and to reflect portions of radiation along one or more directions to form a one or more branch radiation beams for provision to one or more tools.

Abstract: Methods and corresponding apparatus operable to cause an interaction between a drive radiation beam and a medium for generation of emitted radiation by high harmonic generation, the arrangement comprising: an interaction region positioned at an interaction plane and configured to receive the medium; a beam block positioned upstream of the interaction plane at a beam block plane and configured to partially block the drive radiation beam; a beam shaper positioned upstream of the beam block plane at an object plane and configured to control a spatial distribution of the drive radiation beam; and at least one lens positioned upstream of the interaction plane and downstream of the beam block plane, wherein the lens being positioned such that an image of the spatial distribution of the drive radiation beam is formed at the interaction plane.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus (140) measures asymmetry or other property of target structures (T) formed by a lithographic process on a substrate. For a given set of illumination conditions, accuracy of said measurement is influenced strongly by process variations across the substrate and/or between substrates. The apparatus is arranged to collect radiation scattered by a plurality of structures under two or more variants of said illumination conditions (p1?, p1, p1+; ?1?, ?1, ?1+). A processing system (PU) is arranged to derive the measurement of said property using radiation collected under a different selection or combination of said variants for different ones of said structures. The variants may be for example in wavelength, or in angular distribution, or in any characteristic of the illumination conditions. Selection and/or combination of variants is made with reference to a signal quality (302, Q, A) observed in the different variants.

Abstract: A sensor mark including: a substrate having: a deep ultra violet (DUV) radiation absorbing layer including a first material which substantially absorbs DUV radiation; and a protecting layer including a second material, wherein: the DUV radiation absorbing layer has a through hole in it; the protecting layer is positioned, in plan, in the through hole and the protecting layer in the through hole has a patterned region having a plurality of through holes; and the second material is more noble than the first material.

Abstract: A pellicle suitable for use with a patterning device for a lithographic apparatus. The pellicle comprising at least one breakage region which is configured to preferentially break, during normal use in a lithographic apparatus, prior to breakage of remaining regions of the pellicle. At least one breakage region comprises a region of the pellicle which has a reduced thickness when compared to surrounding regions of the pellicle.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus having a substrate table, a projection system, an encoder system, a measurement frame and a measurement system. The substrate table has a holding surface for holding a substrate. The projection system is for projecting an image on the substrate. The encoder system is for providing a signal representative of a position of the substrate table. The measurement system is for measuring a property of the lithographic apparatus. The holding surface is along a plane. The projection system is at a first side of the plane. The measurement frame is arranged to support at least part of the encoder system and at least part of the measurement system at a second side of the plane different from the first side.

Abstract: Systems and methods for tuning photolithographic processes are described. A model of a target scanner is maintained defining sensitivity of the target scanner with reference to a set of tunable parameters. A differential model represents deviations of the target scanner from the reference. The target scanner may be tuned based on the settings of the reference scanner and the differential model. Performance of a family of related scanners may be characterized relative to the performance of a reference scanner. Differential models may include information such as parametric offsets and other differences that may be used to simulate the difference in imaging behavior.

Abstract: A method involving determining a contribution that one or more process apparatuses make to a characteristic of a substrate after the substrate has been processed according to a patterning process by the one or more process apparatuses by removing from values of the characteristic of the substrate a contribution of a lithography apparatus to the characteristic and a contribution of one or more pre-lithography process apparatuses to the characteristic.