Abstract: A system including: a substrate support configured to hold a substrate; a conductive or semi-conductive element contacting the substrate support and covering at least part of the substrate support; and a charging device configured to apply a positive potential to the conductive or semi-conductive element with respect to the part of the substrate support that is covered by the conductive or semi-conductive element.

Abstract: A method for optimization to increase lithographic apparatus throughput for a patterning process is described. The method includes providing a baseline dose for an EUV illumination and an initial pupil configuration, associated with a lithographic apparatus. The baseline dose and the initial pupil configuration are configured for use with a dose anchor mask pattern and a corresponding dose anchor target pattern for setting an illumination dose for corresponding device patterns of interest. The method includes biasing the dose anchor mask pattern relative to the dose anchor target pattern; determining an acceptable lower dose for the biased dose anchor mask pattern and the initial pupil configuration; unbiasing the dose anchor mask pattern relative to the dose anchor target pattern; and determining a changed pupil configuration and a mask bias for the device patterns of interest based on the acceptable lower dose and the unbiased dose anchor mask pattern.

Abstract: A wafer inspection system includes a controller in communication with an electron-beam inspection tool. The controller includes circuitry to: acquire, via an optical imaging tool, coordinates of defects on a sample; set a Field of View (FoV) of the electron-beam inspection tool to a first size to locate a subset of the defects; determine a position of each defect of the subset of the defects based on inspection data generated by the electron-beam inspection tool during a scanning of the sample; adjust the coordinates of the defects based on the determined positions of the subset of the defects; and set the FoV of the electron-beam inspection tool to a second size to locate additional defects based on the adjusted coordinates.

Abstract: A substrate holder, a method of manufacturing of the substrate holder and a lithographic apparatus having the substrate holder. In one arrangement, a substrate holder is for use in a lithographic apparatus. The substrate holder is configured to support a lower surface of a substrate. The substrate holder has a main body, a plurality of burls and a coating. The main body has a substrate-facing face. The plurality of burls protrudes from the substrate-facing face. Each burl has a distal end configured to engage with the substrate. The distal ends are configured for supporting the substrate. The coating is on the substrate-facing face between the burls. Between the burls the substrate-facing face has an arrangement of areas. Adjacent areas are separated by a step-change in distance below the support plane. Each step-change is greater than a thickness of the coating.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus or frame assembly, comprising: a first and second pneumatic support, being arranged to control position of a frame, each of said pneumatic supports accommodating a pressure chamber; a frame position control system, comprising; a first position sensor device, configured to generate measurement data relating to the position of the frame; a first pressure controller, configured to control the pressure in the pressure chamber of the first pneumatic support on the basis of the measurement data generated by the first position sensor device; a pressure differential sensor device, configured to generate data relating to the difference between the pressure in the pressure chambers of the first and the second pneumatic support; a second pressure controller, configured to control the pressure in the pressure chamber of the second pneumatic support on the basis of the measurement data from the pressure differential sensor device.

Abstract: A method of determining a position of a feature (for example an alignment mark) on an object (for example a silicon wafer) is disclosed. The method comprises determining an offset parameter, determining the second position; and determining a first position from the second position and the offset parameter, the position of the mark being the first position. The offset parameter is a measure of a difference in: a first position that is indicative of the position of the feature; and a second position that is indicative of the position of the feature. The offset parameter may be determined using a first measurement apparatus and the second position may be determined using a second, different measurement apparatus.

Abstract: A sensor apparatus comprising an acoustic assembly arranged to transmit an acoustic signal to a substrate and receive at least part of the acoustic signal after the acoustic signal has interacted with the substrate, a transducer arranged to convert the at least part of the acoustic signal to an electronic signal, and, a processor configured to receive the electronic signal and determine both a topography of at least part of the substrate and a position of a target of the substrate based on the electronic signal. The sensor apparatus may for part of a lithographic apparatus or a metrology apparatus.

Abstract: Disclosed is a metrology apparatus for use in a lithographic manufacturing process. The metrology apparatus comprises a radiation source comprising a drive laser having an output split into a plurality of optical paths, each comprising a respective broadband light generator. The metrology apparatus further comprises illumination optics for illuminating a structure, at least one detection system for detecting scattered radiation, having been scattered by the structure and a processor for determining a parameter of interest of the structure from the scattered radiation.

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 method including obtaining (i) measurements of a parameter of the feature, (ii) data related to a process variable of a patterning process, (iii) a functional behavior of the parameter defined as a function of the process variable based on the measurements of the parameter and the data related to the process variable, (iv) measurements of a failure rate of the feature, and (v) a probability density function of the process variable for a setting of the process variable, converting the probability density function of the process variable to a probability density function of the parameter based on a conversion function, where the conversion function is determined based on the function of the process variable, and determining a parameter limit of the parameter based on the probability density function of the parameter and the measurements of the failure rate.

Abstract: A measurement apparatus and method for determining a substrate grid describing a deformation of a substrate prior to exposure of the substrate in a lithographic apparatus configured to fabricate one or more features on the substrate. Position data for a plurality of first features and/or a plurality of second features on the substrate is obtained. Asymmetry data for at least a feature of the plurality of first features and/or the plurality of second features is obtained. The substrate grid based on the position data and the asymmetry data is determined. The substrate grid and asymmetry data are passed to the lithographic apparatus for controlling at least part of an exposure process to fabricate one or more features on the substrate.

Abstract: A method for optimizing a patterning device pattern, the method including obtaining an initial design pattern having a plurality of polygons, causing at least some of the polygons to be effectively connected with each other, placing evaluation features outside the boundaries of the polygons, and creating a patterning device pattern spanning across the connected polygons based on the evaluation features.

Abstract: This invention provides a charged particle source, which comprises an emitter and means for generating a magnetic field distribution. The magnetic field distribution is minimum, about zero, or preferred zero at the tip of the emitter, and along the optical axis is maximum away from the tip immediately. In a preferred embodiment, the magnetic field distribution is provided by dual magnetic lens which provides an anti-symmetric magnetic field at the tip, such that magnetic field at the tip is zero.

Abstract: The invention provides an assembly comprising a cryostat (6, 7, 8, 9) and a flat coil layer (3) of superconducting coils (2) for use with a magnetic levitation and/or acceleration motor system (1) of a lithographic apparatus. The cryostat comprises two insulation coverings (8, 9). The coil layer is arranged between the two coverings. The coverings each comprise an inner plate (10) configured to be cryocooled and an outer plate (11) parallel to the inner plate, and an insulation system with a vacuum layer (13) between the inner and outer plate. The insulation system of said covering comprises a layer of circular bodies (101), the central axes of these bodies extending perpendicular to the inner and outer plate, and is configured to provide a layer of point contacts between two layers of circular bodies or between a layer of circular bodies and the inner and/or outer plate.

Abstract: A method including: obtaining a logistic mathematical model predicting the formation of a physical structure created using a patterning process; evaluating the logistic mathematical model to predict formation of a part of the physical structure and generate an output; and adapting, based on the output, an aspect of the patterning process.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining, for each particular feature of a plurality of features of a device pattern of a substrate being created using a patterning process, a modelled or simulated relation of a parameter of the patterning process between a measurement target for the substrate and the particular feature; and based on the relation and measured values of the parameter from the metrology target, generating a distribution of the parameter across at least part of the substrate for each of the features, the distribution for use in design, control or modification of the patterning process.

Abstract: In the measurement of properties of a wafer substrate, such as Critical Dimension or overlay a sampling plan is produced defined for measuring a property of a substrate, wherein the sampling plan comprises a plurality of sub-sampling plans. The sampling plan may be constrained to a predetermined fixed number of measurement points and is used to control an inspection apparatus to perform a plurality of measurements of the property of a plurality of substrates using different sub-sampling plans for respective substrates, optionally, the results are stacked to at least partially recompose the measurement results according to the sample plan.

Abstract: A device manufacturing method includes: exposing a first substrate using a lithographic apparatus to form a patterned layer having first features; processing the first substrate to transfer the first features into the first substrate; determining displacements of the first features from their nominal positions in the first substrate; determining a correction to at least partly compensate for the displacements; and exposing a second substrate using a lithographic apparatus to form a patterned layer having the first features, wherein the correction is applied for or during the exposing the second substrate.

Abstract: A multi-beam apparatus for observing a sample with high resolution and high throughput and in flexibly varying observing conditions is proposed. The apparatus uses a movable collimating lens to flexibly vary the currents of the plural probe spots without influencing the intervals thereof, a new source-conversion unit to form the plural images of the single electron source and compensate off-axis aberrations of the plural probe spots with respect to observing conditions, and a pre-beamlet-forming means to reduce the strong Coulomb effect due to the primary-electron beam.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a membrane assembly for EUV lithography, the method including: providing a stack having a planar substrate and at least one membrane layer, wherein the planar substrate includes an inner region and a border region around the inner region; and selectively removing the inner region of the planar substrate. The membrane assembly includes: a membrane formed from the at least one membrane layer; and a border holding the membrane, the border formed from the border region of the planar substrate. The stack is provided with a mechanical protection material configured to mechanically protect the border region during the selectively removing the inner region of the planar substrate.