Abstract: A method for determining an inspection strategy for at least one substrate, the method including: quantifying, using a prediction model, a compliance metric value for a compliance metric relating to a prediction of compliance with a quality requirement based on one or both of pre-processing data associated with the substrate and any available post-processing data associated with the at least one substrate; and deciding on an inspection strategy for the at least one substrate, based on the compliance metric value, an expected cost associated with the inspection strategy and at least one objective value describing an expected value of the inspection strategy in terms of at least one objective relating to the prediction model.

Abstract: A lithography system includes a first load lock chamber configured to receive a mask, a cleaning module configured to clean the mask, a second load lock chamber configured to receive a wafer, an exposure module configured to expose the wafer to a light source through use of the cleaned mask. A direct path is provided between the first load lock chamber and the exposure module allowing the first load lock chamber to directly couple to the exposure module without through the cleaning module.

Abstract: A substrate with a backside surface configured to provide a friction switch when the substrate is loaded onto a substrate holder in a substrate-loading cycle, wherein the substrate backside surface has a molecular assembly including at least one high-interaction region and at least one low-interaction region. Further, there is provided methods using such a substrate and methods for creating such a substrate.

Abstract: An EUV lighting device for metrology and inspection of an EUV mask in an EUV exposure process of a semiconductor device manufacturing process includes: an EUV light source for outputting EUV light with a wavelength ranging from 5 nm to 15 nm; and a multilayer reflection zone plate having an EUV reflection multilayer film, which is a planar substrate, and a zone plate pattern. The EUV lighting device radiates EUV light output from the EUV light source to the multilayer reflection zone plate, acquires 1st diffraction light reflected, and creates EUV illumination light.

Abstract: A method involving determining a contribution that one or more process apparatuses make to a characteristic of a substrate after the substrate has been processed according to a patterning process by the one or more process apparatuses by removing from values of the characteristic of the substrate a contribution of a lithography apparatus to the characteristic and a contribution of one or more pre-lithography process apparatuses to the characteristic.

Abstract: A proximity correction method for a semiconductor manufacturing process includes: generating a plurality of pieces of original image data from a plurality of sample regions, with the sample regions selected from layout data used in the semiconductor manufacturing process; removing some pieces of original image data that overlap with each other from the plurality of pieces of original image data, resulting in a plurality of pieces of input image data; inputting the plurality of pieces of input image data to a machine learning model; obtaining a prediction value of critical dimensions of target patterns included in the plurality of pieces of input image data from the machine learning model; measuring a result value for critical dimensions of actual patterns corresponding to the target patterns on a semiconductor substrate on which the semiconductor manufacturing process is performed; and performing learning of the machine learning model using the prediction value and the result value.

Abstract: A substrate shape measuring device, including: a substrate support to support a substrate having a main surface, the main surface of the substrate when supported by the substrate support substantially extending in a first plane; one or more sensor assemblies, each including a light emitter to emit light along a light axis substantially parallel to the first plane and a light sensor arranged to receive the light; and a processing device arranged to determine a shape of the substrate, wherein the substrate shape measuring device is constructed to measure with the one or more sensor assemblies in at least a first measurement direction with respect to the substrate substantially parallel to the first plane and a second measurement direction with respect to the substrate substantially parallel to the first plane.

Abstract: Provided are an integrated super-resolution laser direct-writing device and a direct-writing method. The integrated super-resolution laser direct-writing device includes a first continuous laser, a first optical fiber coupler, a mono-mode optical fiber, a second continuous laser, a second optical fiber coupler, a first annular photonic crystal fiber, a bifurcated optical fiber, a lens group, a first dichroic mirror, an LED light source, a lens, a second dichroic mirror, an auto-focusing module, a third dichroic mirror, a third optical fiber coupler, a square-law graded index fiber, a nanometer displacement table, a second lens, a CMOS camera and a control system. According to the present invention, an original large direct-writing device based on a free optical path can achieve optical fibers of key devices and integration of systems and can be better applied to the field of laser direct-writing.

Abstract: An article manufacturing method includes a first formation step of forming a focus compensation film on a substrate, a second formation step of forming a resist layer on the focus compensation film, and a transfer step of transferring a pattern of an original to the resist layer using an exposure apparatus. In the first formation step, the focus compensation film is formed such that the focus compensation film has a top surface shape corresponding to an image surface shape of the exposure apparatus.

Abstract: A method of imprinting a pattern on a substrate is provided. The method includes forming a first pattern on a plurality of masters using a method other than imprinting, the first pattern including a plurality of patterned features of varying sizes; measuring the patterned features at a plurality of locations on each of the masters; selecting a first master of the plurality of masters based on the measurements of the patterned features on each of the masters; using the first master to form a second pattern on an imprint template; and imprinting the first pattern on a first device with the imprint template.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a plurality of mechanical resonators (100) in a manufacturing wafer (10), the resonators being intended to be fitted to an adjusting member of a timepiece, the method comprising the following steps: (a) manufacturing a plurality of resonators in at least one reference wafer according to reference specifications, such manufacture comprising at least one lithography step to form patterns of the resonators on or above the reference wafer and a step of machining in the reference plate using the patterns; (b) for the at least one reference plate, establishing a map indicative of the dispersion of stiffnesses of the resonators relative to an average stiffness value; (c) dividing the map into fields and determining a correction to be made to the dimensions of the resonators for at least one of the fields in order to reduce the dispersion; (d) modifying the reference specifications for the lithography step so as to make the corrections to the dimensions for the at least one field in the lit

Abstract: A light source for EUV radiation is provided. The light source includes a target droplet generator, a laser generator, and a controller. The target droplet generator is configured to provide target droplets to a source vessel. The laser generator is configured to provide a plurality of first laser pulses according to a control signal to irradiate the target droplets in the source vessel to generate plasma as the EUV radiation. The controller is configured to provide the control signal according to the temperature of the source vessel and droplet positions of the target droplets. When the temperature of the source vessel exceeds a temperature threshold value and a standard deviation of the droplet positions of the target droplets exceeds a first standard deviation threshold value, the controller is configured to provide the control signal to the laser generator, so as to stop providing the first laser pulses.

Abstract: The present invention provides an imprint method of forming a pattern of an imprint material on a substrate using a mold, the method including obtaining a state of a light blocking member provided outside a pattern region of the mold, the light blocking member being configured to block light, determining, based on the state of the light blocking member obtained in the obtaining, whether the mold is usable, and curing the imprint material by irradiating the imprint material with the light in a state in which the mold determined to be usable in the determining is in contact with the imprint material on the substrate.

Abstract: A three-dimensional printing apparatus includes a tank, a transparent plate, a printing platform, a projector and a heat dissipation assembly. The tank accommodates a photocurable material, and the transparent plate is disposed adjacent to the tank. The printing platform and the projector are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the transparent plate. The heat dissipation assembly is disposed adjacent to the tank.

Abstract: A method for determining a plurality of corrections for control of at least one manufacturing apparatus used in a manufacturing process for providing product structures to a substrate in a plurality of layers, the method including: determining the plurality of corrections including a correction for each layer, based on an actuation potential of the applicable manufacturing apparatus used in the formation of each layer, wherein the determining includes determining corrections for each layer simultaneously in terms of a matching parameter.

Abstract: A template includes: a base material having a surface including a first pattern, a second pattern and a third pattern, the first pattern including a first recess, the second pattern including a second recess. The base material containing a first material having a first refractive index; a first layer disposed in the first recess and containing a second material, the second material having a second refractive index different from the first refractive index; and a second layer disposed in the second recess, containing the second material, and being thicker than the first layer.

Abstract: A method for determining stochastic edge placement error associated with a pattern. The method includes acquiring, via a metrology tool, a plurality of images of the pattern at a defined location on the substrate without performing a substrate alignment therebetween; and generating at least two data: (i) first data associated with the pattern using a first set of images of the plurality of images, and (ii) second data associated with the pattern using a second set of images of the plurality of images. The first set of images and the second set of images include at least one different image. The method further includes determining (e.g., via a decomposition algorithm), using the first data and the second data associated with the pattern at the defined location, the stochastic edge placement error associated with the pattern.

Abstract: A lithography method using a multiscale simulation includes estimating a shape of a virtual resist pattern for a selected resist based on a multiscale simulation; forming a test resist pattern by performing an exposure process on a layer formed of the selected resist; determining whether an error range between the test resist pattern and the virtual resist pattern is in an allowable range; and forming a resist pattern on a patterning object using the selected resist when the error range is in the allowable range. The multiscale simulation may use molecular scale simulation, quantum scale simulation, and a continuum scale simulation, and may model a unit lattice cell of the resist by mixing polymer chains, a photo-acid generator (PAG), and a quencher.

Abstract: A system for detecting specular surfaces, the system including an image sensor that captures image data from an area, a first light emitter that emits a first light into the area from a first position, a second light emitter that emits a second light into the area from a second position, and control circuitry. The control circuitry operates to acquire first image data from the image sensor while the first light emitter is active and the second light emitter is inactive, acquire second image data from the image sensor while the second light emitter is active and the first light emitter is inactive, and process the first image data with the second image data to identify non-overlapping image data between the first image data and the second image data as a specular surface.

Abstract: A projection optical unit for microlithography includes a plurality of mirrors and has a numerical aperture having a value larger than 0.5. The plurality of mirrors includes at least three grazing incidence mirrors, which deflect a chief ray of a central object field point with an angle of incidence of greater than 45°. Different polarized light beams passing the projection optical unit are rotated in their polarization direction by different angles of rotation. The projection optical unit includes first and second groups of mirrors. The second group of mirrors includes the final two mirrors of the plurality of mirrors at the image side. A linear portion in the pupil dependence of the total geometrical polarization rotation of the projection optical unit is less than 20% of a linear portion in the pupil dependence of the geometrical polarization rotation of the second group of mirrors.