Abstract: A fluid handling system that includes a liquid confinement structure configured to confine immersion liquid to a space between at least a part of the liquid confinement structure and a surface of a substrate. The fluid handling system also includes a mechanism configured to vibrate a vibration component in contact with the immersion liquid.

Abstract: Systems and methods for in-die metrology using target design patterns are provided. These systems and methods include selecting a target design pattern based on design data representing the design of an integrated circuit, providing design data indicative of the target design pattern to enable design data derived from the target design pattern to be added to second design data, wherein the second design data is based on the first design data. Systems and methods can further include causing structures derived from the second design data to be printed on a wafer, inspecting the structures on the wafer using a charged-particle beam tool, and identifying metrology data or process defects based on the inspection. In some embodiments the systems and methods further include causing the charged-particle beam tool, the second design data, a scanner, or photolithography equipment to be adjusted based on the identified metrology data or process defects.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to determine a property of a substrate by measuring, in the pupil plane of a high numerical aperture lens, an angle-resolved spectrum as a result of radiation being reflected off the substrate. The property may be angle and wavelength dependent and may include the intensity of TM- and TE-polarized radiation and their relative phase difference.

Abstract: The invention provides a wavelength tracking system comprising a wavelength tracking unit and an interferometer system. The wavelength tracking unit has reflection surfaces at stabile positions providing a first reflection path with a first path length and a second reflection path with a second path length. The first path length is substantially larger than the second path length.

Abstract: In a dark-field metrology method using a small target, a characteristic of an image of the target, obtained using a single diffraction order, is determined by fitting a combination fit function to the measured image. The combination fit function includes terms selected to represent aspects of the physical sensor and the target. Some coefficients of the combination fit function are determined based on parameters of the measurement process and/or target. In an embodiment the combination fit function includes jinc functions representing the point spread function of a pupil stop in the imaging system.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining a subset of a plurality of relationships between a plurality of parameters describing operation of a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising: determining a first set of data describing first relationships between a plurality of parameters of a reference apparatus; based on one or more measurements, determining a second set of data describing second relationships between the plurality of parameters of the reference or a further apparatus; comparing the first set of data and the second set of data; and selecting from the second set of data a subset of the second relationships based on differences between the first set of data and the second set of data.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an electron-optical assembly testing system for testing an electron-optical assembly, the system comprising: a source of charged particles configured to emit a beam of charged particles; an electron-optical assembly holder configured to hold an electron-optical assembly to be tested such that, when the system is in use with an electron-optical assembly held by the electron-optical assembly holder, the electron-optical assembly is illuminated by the beam; and a sub-beam detector for detecting sub-beams of charged particles that have been transmitted through the electron-optical assembly.

Abstract: A charged particle beam system may include a detector. A package for a detector may have a package body that includes two sets of pins, each of the sets of pins including two pins. Each pin of the sets of pins may be configured to be connected to one of two terminals of a sensing element. Pins of different sets may be configured to be connected to a different one of the two terminals of the diode. The sets of pins may be arranged with a symmetry such that magnetic fields generated when current passes through the sets of pins is reduced due to the symmetry.

Abstract: A method for source mask optimization or mask only optimization used to image a pattern onto a substrate. The method includes determining a non-uniform illumination intensity profile for illumination; and determining one or more adjustments for the pattern based on the non-uniform illumination intensity profile until a determination that features patterned onto a substrate substantially match a target design. The non-uniform illumination intensity profile may be determined based on an illumination optical system and projection optics of a lithographic apparatus. In some embodiments, the lithographic apparatus includes a slit, and the non-uniform illumination profile is a through slit non-uniform illumination intensity profile. Determining the one or more adjustments for the pattern may include performing optical proximity correction, for example.

Abstract: A charged-particle assessment tool comprising: a condenser lens array, a collimator, a plurality of objective lenses and an electric power source. The condenser lens array configured to divide a beam of charged particles into a plurality of sub-beams and to focus each of the sub-beams to a respective intermediate focus. The collimator being at each intermediate focus and configured to deflect a respective sub-beam so that it is incident on the sample substantially normally. The plurality of objective lenses, each configured to project one of the plurality of charged-particle beams onto a sample. Each objective lens comprises: a first electrode; and a second electrode that is between the first electrode and the sample. The electric power source configured to apply first and second potentials to the first and second electrodes respectively such that the respective charged-particle beam is decelerated to be incident on the sample with a desired landing energy.

Abstract: A substrate support is configured to support a substrate. The substrate support comprises a plurality of burls protruding from a base surface of the substrate support. The burls have distal ends in a plane for supporting a lower surface of the substrate with a gap between the base surface of the substrate support and the lower surface of the substrate. The substrate support comprises a liquid supply channel for supplying a conductive liquid to the gap so as to bridge the gap between the base surface of the substrate support and the lower surface of the substrate, thereby allowing charge to pass between the substrate support and the substrate. The substrate support has a controlled electrical potential such that charge distribution at the lower surface of the substrate can be manipulated.

Abstract: A radiation source for an EUV lithography apparatus is disclosed. The radiation source comprises a chamber comprising a plasma formation region, a radiation collector arranged in the chamber and configured to collect radiation emitted at the plasma formation region and to direct the collected radiation towards an intermediate focus region, and a radiation conduit disposed between the radiation collector and the intermediate focus region. The radiation conduit comprises at least one outlet on an inner surface of a wall of the radiation conduit for directing a protective gas flow, and at least one guide portion extending from the inner surface of the wall of the radiation conduit and configured to redirect the protective gas flow. Also disclosed is a method of reducing debris and/or vapor deposition in the radiation conduit by providing a protective gas flow to the at least one outlet of the radiation conduit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of determining calibrated reference exposure and measure grids for referencing position of a substrate stage in a lithographic system. The method comprises obtaining calibration data relating to one or more calibration substrates; and determining an exposure grid for an exposure side of the lithographic system from said calibration data and a measure grid for a measure side of the lithographic system from said calibration data. The exposure grid and said measure grid are decomposed so as to remove a calibration substrate dependent component from said exposure grid and from said measure grid to obtain a substrate independent exposure grid and substrate independent measure grid.

Abstract: A high harmonic radiation source and associated method of generating high harmonic radiation is disclosed. The high harmonic radiation source is configured to condition a gas medium by irradiating the gas medium with a pre-pulse of radiation, thereby generating a plasma comprising a pre-pulse plasma distribution; and irradiate the gas medium with a main pulse of radiation to generate said high harmonic radiation. The conditioning step is such that the plasma comprising a pre-pulse plasma distribution acts to configure a wavefront of said main pulse to improve one or both of: the efficiency of the high harmonic generation process and the beam quality of the high harmonic radiation. The high harmonic radiation source further may comprise a beam shaping device configured to shape said customized pre-pulse prior to said conditioning.

Abstract: A charged-particle assessment tool comprising a plurality of beam columns. Each beam column comprises: a charged-particle beam source configured to emit charged particles; a plurality of condenser lenses configured to form charged particles emitted from the charged-particle beam source into a plurality of charged-particle beams; and a plurality of objective lenses, each configured to project one of the plurality of charged-particle beams onto a sample. The beam columns are arranged adjacent one-another so as to project the charged particle beams onto adjacent regions of the sample.

Abstract: A calibration system includes a plate, a fixed alignment mark, and a variable diffraction grating. The plate is adjacent to a wafer alignment mark disposed on a wafer. The fixed alignment mark is disposed on the plate and is configured to act as a reference mark for an initial calibration of the calibration system. The variable diffraction grating is disposed on the plate and includes a plurality of unit cells configured to form a plurality of variable alignment marks. The variable diffraction grating is configured to calibrate a shift-between-orders of one of the variable alignment marks and the fixed alignment mark.

Abstract: Systems and methods of profiling a charged-particle beam are disclosed. The method of profiling a charged-particle beam may comprise activating a charged-particle source to generate the charged-particle beam along a primary optical axis, modifying the charged-particle beam by adjusting an interaction between the charged-particle beam and a standing optical wave, detecting charged particles from the modified charged-particle beam after the interaction with the standing optical wave, and determining a profile of the charged-particle beam based on the detected charged particles. Alternatively, the method may include activating an optical source, modifying the optical beam by adjusting an interaction between the optical beam and a charged-particle beam, detecting an optical signal from the modified optical beam, and determining a characteristic of the charged-particle beam based on the detected optical signal.

Abstract: A method of optimizing an apparatus for multi-stage processing of product units such as wafers, the method includes: receiving object data representing one or more parameters measured across the product units and associated with different stages of processing of the product units; and determining fingerprints of variation of the object data across the product units, the fingerprints being associated with different respective stages of processing of the product units. The fingerprints may be determined by decomposing the object data into components using principal component analysis for each different respective stage; analyzing commonality of the fingerprints through the different stages to produce commonality results; and optimizing an apparatus for processing product units based on the commonality results.

Abstract: An optical height detection system in a charged particle beam inspection system. The optical height detection system includes a projection unit including a modulated illumination source, a projection grating mask including a projection grating pattern, and a projection optical unit for projecting the projection grating pattern to a sample; and a detection unit including a first detection grating mask including a first detection grating pattern, a second detection grating mask including a second detection grating pattern, and a detection optical system for forming a first grating image from the projection grating pattern onto the first detection grating mask and forming a second grating image from the projection grating pattern onto the second detection grating masks. The first and second detection grating patterns at least partially overlap the first and second grating images, respectively.

Abstract: A method including: computing a value of a first variable of a pattern of, or for, a substrate processed by a patterning process by combining a fingerprint of the first variable on the substrate and a certain value of the first variable; and determining a value of a second variable of the pattern based at least in part on the computed value of the first variable.