Abstract: An apparatus and method for performing a measurement operation on a substrate in accordance with one or more substrate alignment models. The one or more substrate alignment models are selected from a plurality of candidate substrate alignment models. The apparatus, which may be a lithographic apparatus, includes an external interface which enables selection of the substrate alignment model(s) and/or alteration of the substrate alignment model(s) prior to the measurement operation.

Abstract: A method of determining an edge roughness parameter has the steps: (1010) controlling a radiation system to provide a spot of radiation at a measurement position for receiving a substrate; (1020) receiving a measurement signal from a sensor for measuring intensity of a forbidden diffraction order (such as a second order) being diffracted by a metrology target at the measurement position when the metrology target is illuminated by the spot of radiation, the metrology target comprising a repetitive pattern being configured by configuration of a linewidth/pitch ratio (of about 0.5) to control an amount of destructive interference that leads to forbidding of the diffraction order, the sensor being configured to provide the measurement signal based on the measured intensity; and (1040) determining an edge roughness parameter based on the measured intensity of the forbidden diffraction order.

Abstract: A method includes projecting an illumination beam of radiation onto a metrology target on a substrate, detecting radiation reflected from the metrology target on the substrate, and determining a characteristic of a feature on the substrate based on the detected radiation, wherein a polarization state of the detected radiation is controllably selected to optimize a quality of the detected radiation.

Abstract: A method of determining edge placement error within a structure produced using a lithographic process, the method including: receiving a substrate having a first structure produced using the lithographic process, the first structure having first and second layers, each of the layers having first areas of electrically conducting material and second areas of non-electrically conducting material; receiving a target signal indicative of a first target relative position which is indicative of target position of edges between the first areas and the second areas of the first layer relative to edges between the first areas and second areas of the second layer in the first structure during the lithographic process; detecting scattered radiation while illuminating the first structure with optical radiation to obtain a first signal; and ascertaining an edge placement error parameter on the basis of first signal and the first target relative position.

Abstract: A lithography method comprises: providing a substrate with a target region; determining a topology of the substrate within the target region; determining a correcting telecentricity profile based on the topology of the substrate within the target region; providing a radiation beam; and projecting the radiation beam onto the target region of the substrate so as to form an image on the substrate. The radiation beam is such that a net direction of the total radiation received by one or more points in the target region of the substrate is chosen in dependence on the determined correcting telecentricity. The correcting telecentricity profile is such that the net direction of the total radiation received by at least one point in the target region of the substrate is chosen so as to at least partially correct for an overlay error introduced by a curvature of a surface of the substrate at said point.

Abstract: A method to improve a lithographic process of imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic apparatus, the method including: computing a multi-variable cost function, the multi-variable cost function being a function a plurality of design variables that represent characteristics of the lithographic process; and reconfiguring one or more of the characteristics of the lithographic process by adjusting one or more of the design variables until a certain termination condition is satisfied; wherein a bandwidth of a radiation source of the lithographic apparatus is allowed to change during the reconfiguration.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling temperature of a patterning device in a lithographic apparatus, by flowing gas across the patterning device. A patterning apparatus includes: a patterning device support structure configured to support a patterning device; a patterning device conditioning system including a first gas outlet configured to provide a gas flow over a surface of the patterning device and a second gas outlet configured to provide a gas flow over a part of a surface of the patterning device support structure not supporting the patterning device; and a control system configured to separately control the temperature of the gas exiting the first and second gas outlets such that the gas exiting the second gas outlet is at a higher temperature than the gas exiting the first gas outlet and/or to separately control the temperature and gas flow rate of the gas exiting the first and second gas outlets.

Abstract: In an immersion lithography apparatus in which immersion liquid is supplied to a localized space, the space is substantially polygonal in plan substantially parallel to the substrate. In an embodiment, two corners of the space have a radius of curvature no greater than the width of a transition zone between the space configured to contain liquid and a surrounding configured not to contain liquid.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a movable support (1) configured to support an object, comprising: a support plane (2) to support the object, an actuator assembly to move the movable support in a first direction and in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction extend in a plane parallel to the support plane, wherein the actuator assembly comprises: a first actuator (3) configured to exert a first actuation force (F1) in a first actuation direction (A1), said first actuation direction being parallel to the support plane, a second actuator (4) configured to exert a second actuation force (F2) in a second actuation direction (A2), said second actuation direction being parallel to the support plane, wherein the first actuation direction and the second actuation direction are arranged non-parallel and non-perpendicular with respect to each other.

Abstract: Measurement data is obtained for calibration fields that have been exposed by a lithographic apparatus using different field layouts and exposure sequences. The measurement data is classified in subsets by scan direction, step direction, field size and other variables. The measurement data is indexed by a time value that varies through each exposure sequence. Time values within different exposure sequences can be related using a normalized time value based on the beginning and end of each exposure sequence. An inter-field performance model is calculated for each subset. An intra-field component of a performance model is calculated with time as a third dimension. The time-indexed performance model is used to determine intra-field corrections for a variety of product exposures having product layouts and product exposure sequences different to the calibration fields, based on time and other a variables of the product layout and product exposure sequence.

Abstract: An immersion lithography apparatus comprises a temperature controller configured to adjust a temperature of a projection system, a substrate and a liquid towards a common target temperature. Controlling the temperature of these elements and reducing temperature gradients may improve imaging consistency and general lithographic performance. Measures to control the temperature may include controlling the immersion liquid flow rate and liquid temperature, for example, via a feedback circuit.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes a projection system, and a liquid confinement structure configured to at least partly confine immersion liquid to an immersion space defined by the projection system, the liquid confinement structure and a substrate and/or substrate table. Measures are taken in the lithographic apparatus, for example, to reduce the effect of droplets on the final element of the projection system or to substantially avoid such droplet formation.

Abstract: A method including determining one or more statistical features from data obtained from a lithography process, a lithography apparatus, a substrate processed by the lithography process or the lithography apparatus, wherein determining the one or more statistical features does not include reconstructing a characteristic of the lithography process, of the lithography apparatus, or of the substrate.

Abstract: A component for a lithography tool, the component including a member having a primary surface; a conduit defined within the member and configured to receive a fluid under pressure; a compressible region within the member and located between the conduit and the primary surface; and a deformable region between the compressible region and the conduit, wherein the compressible region and the deformable region are configured to accommodate local deformation of the member resulting from the pressure of the fluid.

Abstract: A pattern formed on a substrate includes first and second sub-patterns positioned adjacent one another and having respective first and second periodicities. The pattern is observed to obtain a combined signal which includes a beat component having a third periodicity at a frequency lower than that of the first and second periodicities. A measurement of performance of the lithographic process is determined by reference to a phase of the beat component. Depending how the sub-patterns are formed, the performance parameter might be critical dimension (CD) or overlay, for example. For CD measurement, one of the sub-patterns may comprise marks each having of a portion sub-divided by product-like features. The measurement can be made using an existing alignment sensor of a lithographic apparatus. Sensitivity and accuracy of the measurement can be adjusted by selection of the first and second periodicities, and hence the third periodicity.

Abstract: A metrology apparatus is disclosed that measures a structure formed on a substrate to determine a parameter of interest. The apparatus comprises an optical system configured to focus radiation onto the structure and direct radiation after reflection from the structure onto a detector, wherein: the optical system is configured such that the detector detects a radiation intensity resulting from interference between radiation from at least two different points in a pupil plane field distribution, wherein the interference is such that a component of the detected radiation intensity containing information about the parameter of interest is enhanced relative to one or more other components of the detected radiation intensity.

Abstract: A metrology apparatus (302) includes a higher harmonic generation (HHG) radiation source for generating (310) EUV radiation. Operation of the HHG source is monitored using a wavefront sensor (420) which comprises an aperture array (424, 702) and an image sensor (426). A grating (706) disperses the radiation passing through each aperture so that the image detector captures positions and intensities of higher diffraction orders for different spectral components and different locations across the beam. In this way, the wavefront sensor can be arranged to measure a wavefront tilt for multiple harmonics at each location in said array. In one embodiment, the apertures are divided into two subsets (A) and (B), the gratings (706) of each subset having a different direction of dispersion. The spectrally resolved wavefront information (430) is used in feedback control (432) to stabilize operation of the HGG source, and/or to improve accuracy of metrology results.

Abstract: A method of characterizing a deformation of a plurality of substrates is described. The method comprising the steps of: —measuring, for a plurality of n different alignment measurement parameters ? and for a plurality of substrates, a position of the alignment marks; —determining a positional deviation as the difference between the n alignment mark position measurements and a nominal alignment mark position; —grouping the positional deviations into data sets; —determining an average data set; —subtracting the average data set from the data sets to obtain a plurality of variable data sets; —performing a blind source separation method on the variable data sets, thereby decomposing the variable data sets into a set of eigenwafers representing principal components of the variable data sets; —subdividing the set of eigenwafers into a set of mark deformation eigenwafers and a set of substrate deformation eigenwafers.

Abstract: A table for a lithographic apparatus, the table having a catchment opening formed in an upper surface of the table, the catchment opening in fluid communication through the table with the environment of the table at a drain opening in a surface of the table other than the upper surface.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus is disclosed for use with an immersion liquid positioned between the projection system and a substrate. Several methods and mechanism are disclosed to protect components of the projection system, substrate table and a liquid confinement system. These include providing a protective coating on a final element of the projection system as well as providing one or more sacrificial bodies upstream of the components. A two component final optical element of CaF2 is also disclosed.