Abstract: A metrology tool for determining a parameter of interest of a structure fabricated on a substrate, the metrology tool comprising: an illumination optical system for illuminating the structure with illumination radiation under a non-zero angle of incidence; a detection optical system comprising a detection optical sensor and at least one lens for capturing a portion of illumination radiation scattered by the structure and transmitting the captured radiation towards the detection optical sensor, wherein the illumination optical system and the detection optical system do not share an optical element.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tubular linear actuator, comprising: a tubular coil assembly comprising multiple tubular coils arranged next to each other in longitudinal direction of the tubular linear actuator and concentric with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tubular linear actuator, and a magnet assembly comprising a series of permanent magnets with alternating polarization direction extending in the longitudinal direction, wherein the magnet assembly is at least partially arranged in the coil assembly and movably with respect to the coil assembly, wherein the tubular coils comprise edge windings.

Abstract: An apparatus (100) for receiving input radiation (108) and broadening a frequency range of the input radiation so as to provide broadband output radiation (110). The apparatus comprises a fiber (102), wherein the fiber (102) may comprise a hollow core (104) for guiding radiation propagating through the fiber (102). The apparatus (100) further comprises an apparatus for providing a gas mixture (106) within the hollow core (104). The gas mixture (106) comprises a hydrogen component, and a working component, wherein the working component is for broadening a frequency range of a received input radiation (108) so as to provide the broadband output radiation (110). The apparatus may be included in a radiation source.

Abstract: An amplified optical beam is provided to a region that receives a target including target material, an interaction between the amplified optical beam and the target converting at least some of the target material from a first form to a second form to form a light-emitting plasma; first data comprising information related to the amplified optical beam is accessed; second data comprising information related to the light-emitting plasma is accessed; and an amount of the target material converted from the first form to the second form is determined. The determination is based on at least the first data and the second data, and the second form of the target material is less dense than the first form of the target material.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a membrane assembly for EUV lithography, wherein a layer which forms at least part of a pellicle membrane is provided after one or more etching steps which define a pellicle border holding the pellicle membrane. Also provided is a pellicle substrate, the substrate including: a stack having a front face and back face, wherein one or more layers on the back face of the stack have been selectively removed to define a pellicle border region for holding the pellicle membrane before the layer which forms at least part of a pellicle membrane has been provided.

Abstract: A diffraction measurement target that has at least a first sub-target and at least a second sub-target, and wherein (1) the first and second sub-targets each include a pair of periodic structures and the first sub-target has a different design than the second sub-target, the different design including the first sub-target periodic structures having a different pitch, feature width, space width, and/or segmentation than the second sub-target periodic structure or (2) the first and second sub-targets respectively include a first and second periodic structure in a first layer, and a third periodic structure is located at least partly underneath the first periodic structure in a second layer under the first layer and there being no periodic structure underneath the second periodic structure in the second layer, and a fourth periodic structure is located at least partly underneath the second periodic structure in a third layer under the second layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is an illumination system for delivering incoherent radiation to a metrology sensor system. Also disclosed is an associated metrology system and method. The illumination system comprises a spatial filter system for selective spatial filtering of a beam of said incoherent radiation outside of a module housing of the metrology sensor system. At least one optical guide is provided for guiding the spatially filtered beam of incoherent radiation to the metrology sensor system, the at least one optical guide being such that the radiation guided has a substantially similar output angle as input angle.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus and associated method of controlling a lithographic process. The lithographic apparatus has a controller configured to define a control grid associated with positioning of a substrate within the lithographic apparatus. The control grid is based on a device layout, associated with a patterning device, defining a device pattern which is to be, and/or has been, applied to the substrate in a lithographic process.

Abstract: A method for sample scheme generation includes obtaining measurement data associated with a set of locations; analyzing the measurement data to determine statistically different groups of the locations; and configuring a sample scheme generation algorithm based on the statistically different groups. A method includes obtaining a constraint and/or a plurality of key performance indicators associated with a sample scheme across one or more substrates; and using the constraint and/or plurality of key performance indicators in a sample scheme generation algorithm including a multi-objective genetic algorithm. The locations may define one or more regions spanning a plurality of fields across one or more substrates and the analyzing the measurement data may include stacking across the spanned plurality of fields using different respective sub-sampling.

Abstract: A method of unloading an object from a support table, the object clamped to the support table during an exposure process by: applying a first pressure to a central region of the support table under a central portion of the object; and applying a second pressure to a peripheral region of the support table under a peripheral portion of the object, wherein during clamping the first pressure and the second pressure are controlled such that liquid is retained between the object and a seal member that is positioned radially between the central region and the peripheral region at an upper surface of the support table and protrudes towards the object, the method including: increasing the first pressure towards ambient pressure; removing at least some of the liquid retained between the object and the seal member by decreasing the second pressure; and increasing the second pressure towards the ambient pressure.

Abstract: A system, comprising an optical component that, in operational use of the optical component, optically interacts with a laser beam, an electrically conductive element disposed on or within the optical component that, in operational use of the optical component, is exposed to the laser beam, and a monitoring system operative to monitor a physical quantity representative of an electrical resistance of the electrically conductive element and to determine based on the physical quantity, a position of the laser beam relative to the optical component.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for estimating at least part of a shape of a surface of a substrate usable in fabrication of semiconductor devices. Such a method includes: obtaining at least one focal position of the surface of the substrate measured by an inspection apparatus, the at least one focal position for bringing targets on or in the substrate within a focal range of optics of the inspection apparatus; and determining the at least part of the shape of the surface of the substrate based on the at least one focal position.

Abstract: A substrate holder for use in a lithographic apparatus and configured to support a substrate, the substrate holder having a main body having a main body surface, a plurality of main burls projecting from the main body surface, wherein each main burl has a distal end surface configured to support the substrate, a first seal member projecting from the main body surface and having an upper surface, the first seal member surrounding the plurality of main burls and configured to restrict the passage of liquid between the substrate and the main body surface radially inward past the first seal member, and a plurality of minor burls projecting from the upper surface of the first seal member, wherein each minor burl has a distal end surface configured to support the substrate.

Abstract: A method for source mask optimization with a lithographic projection apparatus. The method includes determining a multi-variable source mask optimization function using a plurality of tunable design variables for an illumination system of the lithographic projection apparatus, a projection optics of the lithographic projection apparatus to image a mask design layout onto a substrate, and the mask design layout. The multi-variable source mask optimization function may account for imaging variation across different positions in an exposure slit corresponding to different stripes of the mask design layout exposed by a same slit position of the exposure apparatus. The method includes iteratively adjusting the plurality of tunable design variables in the multi-variable source mask optimization function until a termination condition is satisfied.

Abstract: A method for determining a target feature in a model of a patterning process based on local electric fields estimated for the patterning process is described. The method includes obtaining a mask stack region of interest. The mask stack region of interest has one or more characteristics associated with propagation of electromagnetic waves through the mask stack region of interest. The mask stack region of interest includes the target feature. The method includes estimating a local electric field based on the one or more characteristics associated with the propagation of electromagnetic waves through the mask stack region of interest. The local electric field is estimated for a portion of the mask stack region of interest in proximity to the target feature. The method includes determining the target feature based on the estimated local electric field.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus comprising a projection system comprising at least one optical component and configured to project a pattern onto a substrate. The lithographic apparatus further comprises a control system arranged to reduce the effects of heating and/or cooling of an optical component in a lithographic process. The control system is configured at least: to select at least one of a plurality of mode shapes to represent a relationship between at least one input in the lithographic process and an aberration resulting from the input and to generate and apply a correction to the lithographic apparatus based on the mode shape.

Abstract: A method for determining a patterning device pattern. The method includes obtaining (i) an initial patterning device pattern having at least one feature, and (ii) a desired feature size of the at least one feature, obtaining, based on a patterning process model, the initial patterning device pattern and a target pattern for a substrate, a difference value between a predicted pattern of the substrate image by the initial patterning device and the target pattern for the substrate, determining a penalty value related the manufacturability of the at least one feature, wherein the penalty value varies as a function of the size of the at least one feature, and determining the patterning device pattern based on the initial patterning device pattern and the desired feature size such that a sum of the difference value and the penalty value is reduced.

Abstract: An inspection method includes the following steps: identifying a plurality of patterns within an image; and comparing the plurality of patterns with each other for measurement values thereof. The above-mentioned inspection method uses the pattern within the image as a basis for comparison; therefore, measurement values of the plurality of pixels constructing the pattern can be processed with statistical methods and then compared, and the false rate caused by variation of a few pixels is decreased significantly. An inspection system implementing the above-mentioned method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of determining a distortion of a field of view of a scanning electron microscope is described. The method may include: providing a sample including substantially parallel lines extending in a first direction; performing scans across the field of view of the sample along respective scan-trajectories extending in a scan direction; the scan direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction; detecting a response signal of the sample caused by the scanning of the sample; determining a distance between a first line segment of a line and a second line segment of the line, whereby each of the first line segment and the second line segment are crossed by scan trajectories, based on the response signal; performing the previous step for multiple locations within the field of view; and determining the distortion across the field of view, based on the determined distances at the multiple locations.

Abstract: A system comprises a topography measurement system configured to determine a respective height for each of a plurality of locations on a substrate; and a processor configured to: determine a height map for the substrate based on the determined heights for the plurality of locations; and determine at least one alignment parameter for the substrate by comparing the height map and a reference height map, wherein the reference height map comprises or represents heights for a plurality of locations on a reference substrate portion.