Abstract: Disclosed herein is a non-transitory computer readable medium that has stored therein a computer program, wherein the computer program comprises code that, when executed by a computer system, instructs the computer system to perform a method of determining the charging induced distortion of a SEM image, the method comprising: determining, at each of a plurality of locations in a SEM image of at least part of a sample, a deflection of an illuminating charged particle beam caused by a charging of the sample at the location; and determining the charging induced distortion of the SEM image in dependence on the determined deflections at each of the plurality of locations in the SEM image.

Abstract: A device manufacturing method, the method comprising: obtaining a measurement data time series of a plurality of substrates on which an exposure step and a process step have been performed; obtaining a status data time series relating to conditions prevailing when the process step was performed on at least some of the plurality of substrates; applying a filter to the measurement data time series and the status data time series to obtain filtered data; and determining, using the filtered data, a correction to be applied in an exposure step performed on a subsequent substrate.

Abstract: Systems and methods for observing a sample in a multi-beam apparatus are disclosed. A charged particle optical system may include a deflector configured to form a virtual image of a charged particle source and a transfer lens configured to form a real image of the charged particle source on an image plane. The image plane may be formed at least near a beam separator that is configured to separate primary charged particles generated by the source and secondary charged particles generated by interaction of the primary charged particles with a sample. The image plane may be formed at a deflection plane of the beam separator. The multi-beam apparatus may include a charged-particle dispersion compensator to compensate dispersion of the beam separator. The image plane may be formed closer to the transfer lens than the beam separator, between the transfer lens and the charged-particle dispersion compensator.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for generating EUV radiation in which a laser is used in a multistage process to illuminate without altering a target material and then irradiate the target material to alter a target material with the illumination stage being used to determine the timing for firing during the irradiation stage or stages.

Abstract: A method of predicting thermally induced aberrations of a projection system for projecting a radiation beam, the method comprising: calculating a change in temperature of the projection system from a power of the radiation beam output from the projection system using a dynamic linear function; and calculating the thermally induced aberrations from the calculated change in temperature using a static non-linear function.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for enhancing an image, and more particularly an apparatus and method for enhancing an image through cross-talk cancellation in a multiple charged-particle beam inspection are disclosed. An improved method for enhancing an image includes acquiring a first image signal of a plurality of image signals from a detector of a multi-beam inspection system. The first image signal corresponds to a detected signal from a first region of the detector on which electrons of a first secondary electron beam and of a second secondary electron beam are incident. The method includes reducing, from the first image signal, cross-talk contamination originating from the second secondary electron beam using a relationship between the first image signal and beam intensities associated with the first secondary electron beam and the second secondary electron beam. The method further includes generating a first image corresponding to first secondary electron beam after reduction.

Abstract: Radiation source assembly and method for generating broadband radiation by spectral broadening. The radiation source assembly includes a pump assembly configured to provide broadband input radiation. The pump assembly includes a pump source configured to provide first radiation at a pump wavelength, and a broadband assembly configured to provide second radiation including a continuous wavelength range, wherein the first radiation and the second radiation form the broadband input radiation. The radiation source assembly further includes an optical fibre configured to receive the broadband input radiation. The optical fibre includes a core configured along at least a part of the length of the fibre to guide the received broadband input radiation during propagation through the fibre, so as to generate broadband radiation by spectral broadening to be output by the fibre.

Abstract: The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a charged particle assessment system for projecting a beam of charged particles towards a sample. The system comprises a sample holder configured to hold a sample; a charged particle optical system configured to project a beam of charged particles from a charged particle source downbeam towards the sample and comprising a cleaning target; and a cleaning device. The cleaning device is configured to supply cleaning medium in a cleaning flow towards the cleaning target incident on the cleaning target so that the cleaning flow approaches the cleaning target from downbeam of the cleaning target, and to stimulate the cleaning medium at or near the cleaning target such that the cleaning medium cleans at least a portion of the surface of the cleaning target.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for removing heat from a reticle. An example method can include generating, by a cooling controller, a cooling control signal based on timing data for a projection of a patterned radiation beam formed by illuminating an exposed area on a reticle supported by a reticle table, absorption data for the exposed area, and a target heat transfer rate. The cooling control signal can instruct a reticle cooling apparatus to actuate actuators to modify a distance between the reticle and a roof of the reticle cooling apparatus. The method can further include modifying, by the actuators based on the cooling control signal, the distance between the reticle and the roof to modify a heat transfer rate associated with a removal of heat from the reticle towards the target heat transfer rate.

Abstract: Identification of error clusters in an image predicted by a simulation model (e.g., a machine learning model), and training or adjusting the simulation model by feeding the error cluster information back to the simulation model to improve the prediction in regions of the image having the error clusters. Further, embodiments are disclosed for scoring the predicted images, or the simulation models generating those predicted images, based on a severity of errors in the error clusters. The score may be used in evaluating the simulation models to select a specific simulation model for generating a predicted image that may be used in manufacturing a mask to print a desired pattern on a substrate.

Abstract: A fluid handling system for wetting a substrate irradiated by radiation. The fluid handling system include a first device to confine a first liquid to a first space between the first device and the substrate. The first device includes a first liquid supply member to provide the first liquid to the first space and an extraction member to remove liquid. The fluid handling system further includes a second device including a second liquid supply member to provide a second liquid to a second space between the second device and the substrate, wherein there is a gap on the surface of the substrate between the first and second liquids. The fluid handling system is configured to provide the second liquid to the second space without removing any liquid from the second space to form a liquid layer, and is configured to provide the first and second liquids on the substrate simultaneously.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a membrane assembly for EUV lithography, the method including: providing a stack including: at least one membrane layer supported by a planar substrate, wherein the planar substrate has an inner region and a border region around the inner region; and a first sacrificial layer between the planar substrate and the membrane layer; selectively removing the inner region of the planar substrate such that the membrane assembly has: a membrane formed from the at least one membrane layer, and a border holding the membrane, the border having the border region of the planar substrate and the first sacrificial layer situated between the border region and the membrane layer, wherein the selectively removing the inner region of the planar substrate includes using an etchant which has a similar etch rate for the membrane layer and its oxide and a substantially different etch rate for the first sacrificial layer.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus for adjusting a working height for a substrate for multiple target heights is disclosed. The inspection apparatus includes a radiation source configured to provide a radiation beam and a beam splitter configured to split the radiation beam into multiple beamlets that each reflect off a substrate. Each beamlet contains light of multiple wavelengths. The inspection apparatus includes multiple light reflecting components, wherein each light reflecting component is associated with one of the beamlets reflecting off the substrate and is configured to support a different target height for the substrate by detecting a height or a levelness of the substrate based on the beamlet reflecting off the substrate.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus is disclosed that includes a table, a shutter member, a fluid handling structure, and a fluid extraction system. The fluid handling structure may be configured to supply and confine liquid between a projection system and (i) a substrate, or (ii) the table, or (iii) a surface of the shutter member, or (iv) a combination selected from (i)-(iii). The surface of the shutter member may adjoin and be co-planar with a surface of the table. The surfaces of the shutter member and the table may be spaced apart by a gap. The fluid extraction system may be configured to remove liquid from the gap.

Abstract: A method for determining thermally-induced deformation of a structure in a lithographic apparatus, the method including: obtaining timing data for a structure in a lithographic apparatus, wherein the timing data includes timing data for the current state of the structure and timing history data that includes timing data for at least one previous state of the structure; and using one or more models to determine thermally-induced deformation data for the structure in dependence on the timing history data and the timing data for the current state of the structure.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for obtaining a computationally determined interference electric field describing scattering of radiation by a pair of structures comprising a first structure and a second structure on a substrate. The method comprises determining a first electric field relating to first radiation scattered by the first structure; determining a second electric field relating to second radiation scattered by the second structure; and computationally determining the interference of the first electric field and second electric field, to obtain a computationally determined interference electric field.

Abstract: A sensor apparatus includes a sensor chip, an illumination system, a first optical system, a second optical system, and a detector system. The illumination system is coupled to the sensor chip and transmits an illumination beam along an illumination path. The first optical system is coupled to the sensor chip and includes a first integrated optic to configure and transmit the illumination beam toward a diffraction target on a substrate, disposed adjacent to the sensor chip, and generate a signal beam including diffraction order sub-beams generated from the diffraction target. The second optical system is coupled to the sensor chip and includes a second integrated optic to collect and transmit the signal beam from a first side to a second side of the sensor chip. The detector system is configured to measure a characteristic of the diffraction target based on the signal beam transmitted by the second optical system.

Abstract: A 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 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 methods and systems for determining rounded contours of target contours or other lithography related contour for mask design. The method includes converting a contour representation to (i) a first set of contour point locations in a first dimension (e.g., x) and (ii) a second set of contour point locations in a second dimension (e.g., y). A signal function is determined based on the first and second sets of contour point locations, the signal function indicative of different segments of the contour representation. The first set of contour point locations is updated based on a first filter function and the signal function, and the second set of contour point locations is updated based on a second filter function and the signal function. Based on the updated contour point locations, a rounded contour of the contour representation is generated.