Abstract: A method for configuring a semiconductor manufacturing process, the method including: obtaining a first value of a first parameter based on measurements associated with a first operation of a process step in the semiconductor manufacturing process and a first sampling scheme; using a recurrent neural network to determine a predicted value of the first parameter based on the first value; and using the predicted value of the first parameter in configuring a subsequent operation of the process step in the semiconductor manufacturing process.

Abstract: A method of determining a parameter of a patterning process, the method including: obtaining a detected representation of radiation redirected by a structure having geometric symmetry at a nominal physical configuration, wherein the detected representation of the radiation was obtained by illuminating a substrate with a radiation beam such that a beam spot on the substrate was filled with the structure; and determining, by a hardware computer system, a value of the patterning process parameter based on optical characteristic values from an asymmetric optical characteristic distribution portion of the detected radiation representation with higher weight than another portion of the detected radiation representation, the asymmetric optical characteristic distribution arising from a different physical configuration of the structure than the nominal physical configuration.

Abstract: A method includes exposing number of fields on a substrate, obtaining data about a field and correcting exposure of the field in subsequent exposures. The method includes defining one or more sub-fields of the field based on the obtained data. Data relating to each sub-field is processed to produce sub-field correction information. A subsequent exposure of the one or more sub-fields is corrected using the sub-field correction information. By controlling a lithographic apparatus by reference to data of a particular sub-field within a field, overlay error can be reduced or minimized for a critical feature, rather than being averaged over the whole field. By controlling a lithographic apparatus with reference to a sub-field rather than only the whole field, a residual error can be reduced in each sub-field.

Abstract: A fluid handling structure configured to confine immersion fluid to a region of a lithographic apparatus, the fluid handling structure having an aperture formed therein for the passage therethrough of a radiation beam through the immersion fluid, the aperture defining an immersion space to be filled with the immersion fluid, and having an inner part and an outer part, wherein the inner part and the outer part are arranged so as to form therebetween a variable space and a connecting space that connects the variable space to the immersion space, wherein the outer part is movable relative to the inner part in a first plane so as to change in shape the variable space but not the connecting space, and wherein the fluid handling structure is configured to contain the immersion fluid in the variable space.

Abstract: The invention provides a substrate support for supporting a substrate, comprising: a support body, which support body comprises a support surface for supporting the substrate, a rotary dither device, which is configured to induce a relative rotary dither motion between the substrate and the support surface of the support body around a rotation axis which is perpendicular to the support surface.

Abstract: A positioning system to position a structure comprises an actuator and a control unit to control the actuator in response to a position setpoint received by the control unit. The actuator comprises a magnet assembly comprises a magnet configured to provide a magnetic flux, and a coil assembly, wherein the coil assembly and the magnet assembly are movable relative to each other, the coil assembly comprising a coil, an actuation of the coil by a drive current providing for a force between the magnet assembly and the coil assembly. The magnet assembly comprises a further electric conductor, the further electric conductor comprising a non-ferromagnetic electrically conductive material, wherein the further electric conductor is magnetically coupled to the coil of the coil assembly and forms a short circuit path for an inductive electrical current induced in the further electric conductor as a result of an actuator current in the coil.

Abstract: An e-beam inspection tool is disclosed, the tool comprising, an electron optics system configured to generate an electron beam, an object table configured to hold a specimen, a positioning device configured to position the object table, the positioning device comprising an actuator, wherein the positioning device further comprises a heating device configured to generate a heat load and a heat load controller to control the generated heat load at least partly based on an actuator heat load generated in the actuator.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and associated apparatus for measuring a characteristic of interest relating to a structure on a substrate. The method comprises calculating a value for the characteristic of interest directly from the effect of the characteristic of interest on at least the phase of illuminating radiation when scattered by the structure, subsequent to illuminating said structure with said illuminating radiation.

Abstract: A particle beam apparatus includes an object table configured to hold a semiconductor substrate; a particle beam source configured to generate a particle beam; a detector configured to detect a response of the substrate caused by interaction of the particle beam with the substrate and to output a detector signal representative of the response; and a processing unit configured to: receive or determine a location of one or more defect target areas on the substrate; control the particle beam source to inspect the one or more defect target areas; identify one or more defects within the one or more defect target areas, based on the detector signal obtained during the inspection of the one or more defect target areas; control the particle beam source to repair the one or more defects.

Abstract: A method and associated computer program for predicting an electrical characteristic of a substrate subject to a process. The method includes determining a sensitivity of the electrical characteristic to a process characteristic, based on analysis of electrical metrology data including electrical characteristic measurements from previously processed substrates and of process metrology data including measurements of at least one parameter related to the process characteristic measured from the previously processed substrates; obtaining process metrology data related to the substrate describing the at least one parameter; and predicting the electrical characteristic of the substrate based on the sensitivity and the process metrology data.

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: 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: A technique of measuring a parameter of a patterning process is disclosed. In one arrangement, a target, formed by the patterning process, is illuminated. A sub-order diffraction component of radiation scattered from the target is detected and used to determine the parameter of the patterning process.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system configured to project a beam of radiation onto a target portion of a substrate within a lithographic apparatus. The system includes a radiation source. The radiation source includes a grating structure operable to suppress the zeroth order of reflected radiation for at least a first component wavelength. The grating structure has a periodic profile including regularly spaced structures providing three surface levels, such that radiation diffracted by the grating structure includes radiation of three phases which destructively interfere for at least the zeroth order of the reflected radiation for the first component wavelength. The grating structure is on a radiation collector within the source.

Abstract: A charged particle system may include a first charged particle beam source provided on a first axis, and a second charged particle beam source provided on a second axis. There may also be provided a deflector arranged on the first axis. The deflector may be configured to deflect a beam generated from the second charged particle beam source toward a sample. A method of operating a charged particle beam system may include switching between a first state and a second state of operating a deflector. In the first state, a first charged particle beam generated from a first charged particle beam source may be blanked and a second charged particle beam generated from a second charged particle beam source may be directed toward a sample. In the second state, the second charged particle beam may be blanked and the first charged particle beam may be directed toward the sample.

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: Method of manufacturing electronic devices using a maskless lithographic exposure system using a maskless pattern writer. The method comprises generating beamlet control data for controlling the maskless pattern writer to expose a wafer for creation of the electronic devices, wherein the beamlet control data is generated based on a feature data set defining features selectable for individualizing the electronic devices, wherein exposure of the wafer according to the beamlet control data results in exposing a pattern having a different selection of the features from the feature data set for different subsets of the electronic devices.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is used to manufacture a plurality of devices on a substrate. A height map is obtained representing a topographical variation across the substrate. Using the height map the apparatus controls imaging of a field pattern at multiple field locations across the substrate. The field pattern includes a plurality of individual device areas. For field locations near the substrate's edge, the height map data is used selectively so as to ignore topographical variations in one or more individual device areas. Whether a device area is to be ignored is determined at least partly based on the height map data obtained for the current exposure. Alternatively or in addition, the selection can be based on measurements made at the corresponding device area and field location on one or more prior substrates, and/or on the same substrate in a previous layer.

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: A method and apparatus of detection, registration and quantification of an image is described. The method may include obtaining an image of a lithographically created structure, and applying a level set method to an object, representing the structure, of the image to create a mathematical representation of the structure. The method may include obtaining a first dataset representative of a reference image object of a structure at a nominal condition of a parameter, and obtaining second dataset representative of a template image object of the structure at a non-nominal condition of the parameter. The method may further include obtaining a deformation field representative of changes between the first dataset and the second dataset. The deformation field may be generated by transforming the second dataset to project the template image object onto the reference image object. A dependence relationship between the deformation field and change in the parameter may be obtained.