Abstract: Methods and apparatus for forming a patterned layer of carbon are disclosed. In one arrangement, a selected portion of a surface of a solid structure is irradiated with extreme ultraviolet radiation in the presence of a carbon-containing precursor. The radiation interacts with the solid structure in the selected portion to cause formation of a layer of carbon in the selected portion from the carbon-containing precursor. The layer of carbon is formed in a pattern defined by the selected portion.

Abstract: A load-lock system may include a chamber enclosing a supporting structure configured to support a wafer; a gas vent arranged at a ceiling of the chamber and configured to vent gas into the chamber with a flow rate of at least twenty normal liters per minute; and a plate fixed to the ceiling between the gas vent and the wafer.

Abstract: A radiation source arrangement including: a radiation source operable to generate source radiation including source energy pulses; and at least one non-linear energy-filter operable to filter the source radiation to obtain filtered radiation including filtered energy pulses. The at least one non-linear energy-filter is operable to mitigate variation in energy in the filtered radiation by reducing the energy level of the source energy pulses which have an energy level corresponding to one of both extremities of an energy distribution of the source energy pulses by a greater amount than the source energy pulses which have an energy level corresponding to a peak of the energy distribution.

Abstract: A method of monitoring a semiconductor manufacturing process. The method includes obtaining at least one first trained model being operable to derive local performance parameter data from high resolution metrology data, wherein the local performance parameter data describes a local component, or one or more local contributors thereto, of a performance metric and high resolution metrology data relating to at least one substrate having been subject to at least a part of the semiconductor manufacturing process. Local performance parameter data is determined from the high resolution metrology data using the first trained model. The first trained model is operable to determine the local performance parameter data as if it had been subject to an etch step on at least the immediately prior exposed layer, based on the high resolution metrology data including only metrology data performed prior to any such etch step.

Abstract: A method for determining a mask pattern and a method for training a machine learning model. The method for generating data for a mask pattern associated with a patterning process includes obtaining (i) a first mask image (e.g., CTM) associated with a design pattern, (ii) a contour (e.g., a resist contour) based on the first mask image, (iii) a reference contour (e.g., an ideal resist contour) based on the design pattern; and (iv) a contour difference between the contour and the reference contour. The contour difference and the first mask image are inputted to a model to generate mask image modification data. Based on the first mask image and the mask image modification data, a second mask image is generated for determining a mask pattern to be employed in the patterning process.

Abstract: Disclosed is a metrology apparatus for measurement of a target formed on a substrate by a lithographic process and associated method. The metrology apparatus comprises a radiation source operable to provide first radiation; a configured solid high harmonic generation medium being configured to receive and be excited by said first radiation to generate high harmonic second radiation from an output surface of the configured solid high harmonic generation medium; and a detection arrangement operable to detect said second radiation, at least a portion of which having been scattered by said target. The configured solid high harmonic generation medium is configured to shape the beam of said second radiation and/or separate said first and second radiation.

Abstract: A radiation source for generating broadband radiation, the source including: a pump source having only one single fiber amplifier configured to generate pump radiation including a plurality of radiation pulses having a pulse energy of 2.5 ?J or less; and a hollow core fiber having a hollow core region and a cladding surrounding the hollow core region, the hollow core region having a pressurized gas therein, and the hollow core fiber being arranged to receive, at an input end, the pump radiation, wherein the hollow core region is dimensioned such that the radiation pulses have a soliton order higher than 16 so as to broaden a spectrum of the pump radiation using modulation instability as the pump radiation propagates along the hollow-core fiber, for providing output broadband radiation from an output end of the hollow core fiber.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of reducing a sample charging effect in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image, the method comprising: obtaining a first SEM image from a first electron beam scan with a parameter being a first quantity; obtaining a second SEM image from a second electron beam scan with the parameter being a second quantity different from the first quantity; and generating a reduced sample charging effect image based on convolution equations comprising a representation of the first SEM image, a representation of the second SEM image, a first point spread function corresponding to the first SEM image and a second point spread function corresponding to the second SEM image.

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.

Abstract: Described herein is a method, and system for training a deblurring model and deblurring an image (e.g., SEM image) of a patterned substrate using the deblurring model and depth data associated with multiple layers of the patterned substrate. The method includes obtaining, via a simulator using a target pattern as input, a simulated image of the substrate, the target pattern comprising a first target feature to be formed on a first layer, and a second target feature to be formed on a second layer located below the first layer; determining, based on depth data associated with multiple layers of the substrate, edge range data for features of the substrate; and adjusting, using the simulated image and the edge range data associated with the target pattern as training data, parameters of a base model to generate the deblurring model to a deblur image of a captured image.

Abstract: Membranes for EUV lithography are disclosed. In one arrangement, a membrane has a stack having layers in the following order: a first capping layer including an oxide of a first metal; a base layer including a compound having a second metal and an additional element selected from the group consisting of Si, B, C and N; and a second capping layer including an oxide of a third metal, wherein the first metal is different from the second metal and the third metal is the same as or different from the first metal.

Abstract: Optical components and methods of manufacture thereof. A first optical component has a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber includes internal capillaries for guiding radiation and an outer capillary sheathing the internal capillaries; and at least an output end section having a larger inner cross-sectional dimension over at least a portion of the output end section than an inner cross-sectional dimension of the outer capillary along a central portion of the hollow-core photonic crystal fiber prior to the output end section. A second optical component includes a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber and a sleeve arrangement.

Abstract: A method of forming a pattern on a substrate using a lithographic apparatus provided with a patterning device and a projection system having chromatic aberrations, the method including: providing a radiation beam having a plurality of wavelength components to the patterning device; forming an image of the patterning device on the substrate using the projection system to form the pattern, wherein a position of the pattern is dependent on a wavelength of the radiation beam due to the chromatic aberrations; and controlling a spectrum of the radiation beam to control the position of the pattern.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical imaging system, and associated method, comprising a stage module configured to support an object such that an area of the object is illuminated by an illumination beam; an objective lens configured to collect at least one signal beam, the at least one signal beam originating from the illuminated area of the object; an image sensor configured to capture an image formed by the at least one signal beam collected by the objective lens; and a motion compensatory mechanism operable to compensate for relative motion of the stage module with respect to the objective lens during an image acquisition. The motion compensatory mechanism causes a compensatory motion of one or more of: said objective lens or at least one optical element thereof; said image sensor; and/or an optical element comprised within a detection branch and/or illumination branch of the optical imaging system.

Abstract: Disclosed is a metrology apparatus and method for measurement of a diffractive structure on a substrate. The metrology apparatus comprises a radiation source operable to provide first radiation for excitation of the diffractive structure such that high harmonic second radiation is generated from said diffractive structure and/or substrate; and a detection arrangement operable to detect said second radiation, at least a portion of which having been diffracted by said diffractive structure.

Abstract: A micromirror array comprises a substrate, a plurality of mirrors for reflecting incident light and, for each mirror of the plurality of mirrors, at least one piezoelectric actuator for displacing the mirror, wherein the at least one piezoelectric actuator is connected to the substrate. The micromirror array further comprises one or more pillars connecting the mirror to the at least one piezoelectric actuator. Also disclosed is a method of forming such a micromirror array. The micromirror array may be used in a programmable illuminator. The programmable illuminator may be used in a lithographic apparatus and/or in an inspection and/or metrology apparatus.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a flood column for projecting a charged particle flooding beam along a beam path towards a sample to flood the sample with charged particles prior to assessment of the flooded sample using an assessment column, the flood column comprising: an anchor body arranged along the beam path; a lens arrangement arranged in a down-beam part of the flood column; and a lens support arranged between the anchor body and the lens arrangement; wherein the lens support is configured to position the lens arrangement and the anchor body relative to each other; the lens support comprises an electrical insulator; and the lens support is in the direct line of sight of at least a portion of the beam path in the down-beam part.

Abstract: A fluid handling structure for a lithographic apparatus, the structure having: an aperture for the passage therethrough of a beam; a first part; and a second part, wherein the first and/or second part define a surface for the extraction of immersion fluid, relative movement between the first and second parts is effective to change a position of fluid flow into or out of the surface relative to the aperture, and the first or second part has at least one through-hole for the fluid flow and the other of the first or second part has at least one opening for the fluid flow, the at least one through-hole and at least one opening being in fluid communication when aligned, the relative movement allowing alignment of the at least one opening with different ones of the through-hole to change the position of the fluid flow into or out of the surface.

Abstract: A method of determining a characteristic of one or more processes for manufacturing features on a substrate, the method including: obtaining image data of a plurality of features on a least part of at least one region on a substrate; using the image data to obtain measured data of one or more dimensions of each of at least some of the plurality of features; determining a statistical parameter that is dependent on the variation of the measured data of one or more dimensions of each of at least some of the plurality of features; determining a probability of defective manufacture of features in dependence on a determined number of defective features in the image data; and determining the characteristic of the one or more processes to have the probability of defective manufacture of features and the statistical parameter.

Abstract: The invention provides an object positioner comprising:—an object support having an object support surface which is configured to engage at least a part of an object, said object support surface having a support surface temperature,—a thermal device, which thermal device is configured to provide at least a part of the object with a first object temperature, which first object temperature differs from the support surface temperature by a first predetermined temperature difference.