Abstract: A radiation system comprising a radiation source and a radiation conditioning apparatus, wherein the radiation source is configured to provide a radiation beam with wavelengths which extend from ultraviolet to infrared, and wherein the radiation conditioning apparatus is configured to separate the radiation beam into at least two beam portions and is further configured to condition the at least two beam portions differently.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus (LA) applies a pattern to a substrate (W). The lithographic apparatus includes a height sensor (LS), a substrate positioning subsystem, and a controller configured for causing the height sensor to measure the height (h) of the substrate surface at locations across the substrate. The measured heights are used to control the focusing of one or more patterns applied to the substrate. The height h is measured relative to a reference height (zref). The height sensor is operable to vary the reference height (zref), which allows a wider effective range of operation. Specifications for control of the substrate height during measurement can be relaxed. The reference height can be varied by moving one or more optical elements (566, 572, 576, 504 and/or 512) within the height sensor, or moving the height sensor. An embodiment without moving parts includes a multi-element photodetector (1212).

Abstract: The invention provides a substrate support arranged to support a substrate, comprising piezo a actuator, further comprising a first pair of electrodes, a second pair of electrodes and a piezo material having a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is arranged along a first direction and second direction. The first pair of electrodes comprises a first electrode arranged on the first surface and a second electrode arranged on the second surface. The second pair of electrodes is arranged to shear the piezo material. The first pair of electrodes is arranged to elongate the piezo material in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and second direction. The first electrode is divided into at least two parts and is arranged to rotate the first surface and the second surface relatively to each other about the first direction wherein the piezo actuator is arranged to support the substrate.

Abstract: Systems and methods of enhancing imaging resolution by reducing crosstalk between detection elements of a secondary charged-particle detector in a multi-beam apparatus are disclosed. The multi-beam apparatus may comprise an electro-optical system comprising a beam-limit aperture plate having a surface substantially perpendicular to an optical axis, the beam-limit aperture plate comprising a first aperture at a first distance relative to the surface of the beam-limit aperture plate, and a second aperture at a second distance relative to the surface of the beam-limit aperture plate, the second distance being different from the first distance. The first aperture may be a part of a first set of apertures of the beam-limit aperture plate at the first distance, and the second aperture may be a part of a second set of apertures of the beam-limit aperture plate at the second distance.

Abstract: Systems and methods for image enhancement are disclosed. A method for enhancing an image may include receiving records of a performance metric for beams of the multi-beam system in an imaging process, each record associated with a beam. The method may also include determining whether an abnormality of a beam occurs based on a baseline value determined using a portion of the records. The method may further include providing an abnormality indication in response to the determination that the abnormality has occurred.

Abstract: The present disclosure proposes a crossover-forming deflector array of an electro-optical system for directing a plurality of electron beams onto an electron detection device. The crossover-forming deflector array includes a plurality of crossover-forming deflectors positioned at or at least near an image plane of a set of one or more electro-optical lenses of the electro-optical system, wherein each crossover-forming deflector is aligned with a corresponding electron beam of the plurality of electron beams.

Abstract: A method for reducing apparatus performance variation. The method includes obtaining (i) a reference performance (e.g., CD) of a reference apparatus (e.g., a reference scanner), (ii) a set of initial leading degrees of freedom selected from a plurality of degrees of freedom of a plurality of pupil facet mirrors of an apparatus (e.g., to be matched scanner) that is selected to reproduce the reference performance, and (iii) exposure data related to one or more parameters (e.g., CD, overlay, focus, etc.) of the patterning process indicating a performance of the apparatus based on the set of initial leading degrees of freedom; and determining a matching pupil of the apparatus based on the set of initial leading degrees of freedom and the exposure data such that the matching pupil reduces a difference between the performance of the apparatus and the reference performance.

Abstract: A method for positioning a substage (9), supported by a main stage (5), relative to a reference object, the substage moveable in a direction (7) between a first and second position relative to the main stage. The method includes positioning the first stage using a passive force system that is activated by positioning the main stage. The passive force system includes two magnet systems (119, 121), each magnet system being configured to apply a force in the direction to the first stage with respect to the second stage in a non-contact manner, the forces resulting in a resultant force applied to the first stage in the direction by the passive force system. A magnitude and/or a direction of the resultant force depends on the position of the first stage relative to the second stage, and the first stage has a zero-force position between the first and second position in which the resultant force is zero.

Abstract: A method of determining candidate patterns from a set of patterns of a patterning process. The method includes obtaining (i) a set of patterns of a patterning process, (ii) a search pattern having a first feature and a second feature, and (iii) a search condition comprising a relative position between the first feature and the second feature of the search pattern; and determining a set of candidate patterns from the set of patterns that satisfies the search condition associated with the first feature and the second feature of the search pattern.

Abstract: A method for determining a causal relationship between events in a plurality of parameter time series, the method including: identifying a first event associated with a parameter excursion event; identifying a second event associated with a failure event, wherein there are a plurality of events including the first events and second events; determining values of transfer entropy for pairs of the events to establish a causal relationship for each of the pairs of events; using the determined values of transfer entropy and identified causal relationships to determine a process network, wherein each of the events is a node in the process network, the edges between nodes being dependent upon the values of transfer entropy; identifying a directed cycle within the plurality of events and the causal relationships; classifying a directed cycle; and classifying one or more events having a causal relation to the classified directed cycle.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of determining a complex-valued field relating to a structure, comprising: obtaining image data relating to a series of images of the structure, for which at least one measurement parameter is varied over the series and obtaining a trained network operable to map a series of images to a corresponding complex-valued field. The method comprises inputting the image data into said trained network and non-iteratively determining the complex-valued field relating to the structure as the output of the trained network. A method of training the trained network is also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and associated inspection apparatus for measuring a characteristic of interest relating to a structure on a substrate. The inspection apparatus uses measurement radiation comprising a plurality of wavelengths. The method comprises performing a plurality of measurement acquisitions of said structure, each measurement acquisition being performed using measurement radiation comprising a different subset of the plurality of wavelengths, to obtain a plurality of multiplexed measurement signals. The plurality of multiplexed measurement signals are subsequently de-multiplexed into signal components according to each of said plurality of wavelengths, to obtain a plurality of de-multiplexed measurement signals which are separated according to wavelength.

Abstract: The invention relates to a control system comprising a controller arranged to provide an output signal on the basis of an input signal. The controller comprises a linear integrator, a linear gain and a selector. The linear integrator is arranged to provide a first control signal. The linear gain is in parallel to the linear integrator and is arranged to provide a second control signal. The selector is arranged to switch between an integrator mode in which the first control signal is used as the output signal of the controller and a gain mode in which the second control signal is used as the output signal of the controller. The selector is arranged to switch to the integrator mode when the value of the second control signal passes zero, and to switch to the gain mode when: eu<kh?1u2, wherein e is the input signal of the controller, u is the output signal of the controller, and kh is the gain of the linear gain.

Abstract: Disclosed is a wavelength selection module for a metrology apparatus. The wavelength selection module comprises one or more filter elements being operable to receive an input radiation beam comprising multiple wavelengths to provide selective control of a wavelength characteristic of a corresponding output radiation beam. At least one of said one or more filter elements comprises at least two linear variable filters.

Abstract: Disclosed is a phase modulator apparatus comprises at least a first phase modulator for modulating input radiation, and a metrology device comprising such a phase modulator apparatus. The first phase modulator comprises a first moving grating in at least an operational state for diffracting the input radiation and Doppler shifting the frequency of the diffracted radiation; and a first compensatory grating element comprising a pitch configured to compensate for wavelength dependent dispersion of at least one diffraction order of said diffracted radiation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of determining a complex-valued field relating to a sample measured using an imaging system. The method comprises obtaining image data relating to a series of images of the sample, imaged at an image plane of the imaging system, and for which at least two different modulation functions are imposed in a Fourier plane of the imaging system; and determining the complex-valued field from the imaging data based on the imposed modulation functions.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of measuring a structure, and associated metrology device and computer program. The method comprises obtaining an amplitude profile of scattered radiation relating to a measurement of a first structure on a first substrate and obtaining a reference phase profile relating to a reference measurement of at least one reference structure on a reference substrate. The at least one reference structure is not the same structure as said first structure but is nominally identical in terms of at least a plurality of key parameters. The method further comprises determining a complex-valued field to describe the first structure from the amplitude profile and reference phase profile.

Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting defects are disclosed. According to certain embodiments, a method of performing image processing includes acquiring one or more images of a sample, performing first image analysis on the one or more images, identifying a plurality of first features in the one or more images, determining pattern data corresponding to the plurality of first features, selecting at least one of the plurality of first features based on the pattern data, and performing second image analysis of the at least one of the plurality of first features. Methods may also include determining defect probability of the plurality of first features based on the pattern data. Selecting the at least one of the plurality of first features may be based on the defect probability.

Abstract: A method for determining a correction to a patterning process. The method includes obtaining a plurality of qualities of the patterning process (e.g., a plurality of parameter maps, or one or more corrections) derived from metrology data and data of an apparatus used in the patterning process, selecting, by a hardware computer system, a representative quality from the plurality of qualities, and determining, by the hardware computer system, a correction to the patterning process based on the representative quality.

Abstract: A method for operating a target processing system for processing a target (23) on a chuck (13), the method comprising providing at least a first chuck position mark (27) and a second chuck position mark (28) on the chuck (13); providing an alignment sensing system (17) arranged for detecting the first and second chuck position marks (27, 28), the alignment sensing system (17) comprising at least a first alignment sensor (61) and a second alignment sensor (62); moving the chuck (13) to a first position based on at least one measurement of the alignment sensing system (17); and measuring at least one value related to the first position of the chuck.