Abstract: An overlay error measurement method includes disposing a lower-layer pattern over a substrate that includes disposing a first pattern having a first plurality of first sub-patterns extending in a first interval along a first direction and being arranged with a first pitch in a second direction crossing the first direction. The method includes disposing a second pattern having a second plurality of second sub-patterns extending in a second interval along the first direction and being arranged with a second pitch, smaller than the first pitch, in the second direction crossing the first direction. The second sub-patterns are disposed interleaved between the first sub-patterns. The method includes disposing an upper-layer pattern including a third pattern having the first pitch and at least partially overlapping with the lower-layer pattern over the lower-layer pattern and determining an overlay error between the lower-layer pattern and the upper-layer pattern.

Abstract: An apparatus for and method of sensing multiple alignment marks in which the optical axis of a detector is divided into multiple axes each of which can essentially simultaneously detect a separate alignment mark to generate a signal which can then be multiplexed and presented to a single detector or multiple detectors thus permitting more rapid detection of multiple marks.

Abstract: The present application provides an overlay measuring apparatus, adapted to determine relative positions of two or more successive patterned layers of a device. The overlay measuring apparatus includes a stage and an imaging assembly. The device is placed on the stage. The imaging assembly includes a plurality of optical heads and a plurality of overlay marks assembled on the optical heads. The relative positions of the two or more successive patterned layers of the device are determined using light reflected from the device and passing through the overlay mark mounted on the respective optical head.

Abstract: A method of treating a surface of a reticle includes retrieving a reticle from a reticle library and transferring the reticle to a treatment device. The surface of the reticle is treated in the treatment device by irradiating the surface of the reticle UV radiation while ozone fluid is over the surface of the reticle for a predetermined irradiation time. After the treatment, the reticle is transferred to an exposure device for lithography operation to generate a photo resist pattern on a wafer. A surface of the wafer is imaged to generate an image of the photo resist pattern on the wafer. The generated image of the photo resist pattern is analyzed to determine critical dimension uniformity (CDU) of the photo resist pattern. The predetermined irradiation time is increased if the CDU does not satisfy a threshold CDU.

Abstract: A method for aligning a substrate for fabrication of an optical device is disclosed that includes receiving a substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side of the substrate being oriented towards a scanner, the substrate having an alignment mark formed on the first side of the substrate, scanning the alignment mark with the scanner, and fabricating a first pattern for a first optical device on the first side of the substrate. The method includes positioning the substrate such that the second side is oriented toward the scanner, scanning the alignment mark on the first side with the scanner, through the second side, and fabricating a second pattern for a fourth optical device on the second side of the substrate.

Abstract: A component with a reflective substrate, a photoresist layer disposed on the reflective substrate, and a light diffusing layer sandwiched between the reflective substrate and the photoresist layer is provided. The light diffusing layer includes an outer metal oxide layer with an outer rough surface configured to diffuse laser light during laser interference lithography of the photoresist layer. The outer metal oxide is also configured to be reduced to a conductive metallic layer during electroplating of the substrate. The outer metal oxide layer includes a plurality of elongated light diffusing elements extending in an outward direction from the substrate such that the outer rough surface diffuses at least 90% of laser light during the laser interference lithography of the photoresist layer.

Abstract: An inspection device includes: an illumination device that irradiates an object with near-infrared light; a spectroscope that disperses reflected light from the object irradiated with the near-infrared light; an imaging device that takes a spectroscopic image of the reflected light dispersed by the spectroscope; and a processor. The processor obtains spectral data at a plurality of points on the object based on the spectroscopic image obtained by the imaging device, selects, from among the spectral data at the plurality of points, a group having a highest density of luminance values of a predetermined wavelength component as a dense spectral data group, and performs a predetermined analysis for the object based on the dense spectral data group and detects a different type of object.

Abstract: An alignment apparatus includes an illumination system configured to direct one or more illumination beams towards an alignment target and receive the diffracted beams from the alignment target. The alignment apparatus also includes a self-referencing Interferometer configured to generate two diffraction sub-beams, wherein the two diffraction sub-beams are orthogonally polarized, rotated 180 degrees with respect to each other around an alignment axis, and spatially overlapped. The alignment apparatus further includes a beam analyzer configured to generate interference between the overlapped components of the diffraction sub-beams and produce two orthogonally polarized optical branches, and a detection system configured to determine a position of the alignment target based on light intensity measurement of the optical branches, wherein the measured light intensity is temporally modulated by a phase modulator.

Abstract: A method and device for enhancing alignment performance of a lithographic device can provide an optimal alignment light source type to perform alignment according to product features. Overlay performance of the product can be improved, wafer reject can be reduced, and production efficiency can be enhanced.

Abstract: A method for removing particles from a mask system for a projection exposure apparatus, including the following method steps: detecting the particle in the mask system, providing laser radiation, and removing the particle by irradiating the particle with laser radiation. The wavelength of the laser radiation corresponds to that of used radiation used by the projection exposure apparatus.

Abstract: A method including: obtaining data based an optical proximity correction for a spatially shifted version of a training design pattern; and training a machine learning model configured to predict optical proximity corrections for design patterns using data regarding the training design pattern and the data based on the optical proximity correction for the spatially shifted version of the training design pattern.

Abstract: A formable material in contact with a template is irradiated to form a reference film using a predefined registration pattern associated with a spatial light modulator (SLM). The reference film is inspected to generate positional information of elements of the SLM relative to an imprint field edge. Positional offset of the elements of the SLM with respect to a holder of the template based on the positional information is determined. Control parameters for the SLM are determined based on the positional offset.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining a stage position or correction therefor in a lithographic process. The method comprises obtaining transmission data describing the transmission of alignment radiation onto the substrate; obtaining position data relating to a stage position of said stage and/or a sensor position of said sensor. A weighting is determined for the position data based on said transmission data. The position based on said transmission data, position data and weighting.

Abstract: A substrate holder for use in a lithographic apparatus, the substrate holder including: a main body; a plurality of first burls provided on a first side of the main body and having end surfaces to support a substrate, wherein the first burls each include CrN; and a plurality of second burls provided on a second side of the main body.

Abstract: The present invention provides a control method of a driving apparatus that repeatedly performs a process of driving a target object in a predetermined range by a linear motor, wherein the linear motor includes a stator in which a plurality of coils are arrayed, and a mover provided with the target object, the control method comprising: changing a position of the stator with respect to the predetermined range at an arbitrary timing; and determining, in accordance with the changed position of the stator, output ratios of the plurality of coils in the process.

Abstract: A patterning device alignment system including a multipath sensory array including a first collimating light path and one or more other light paths, a first detector positioned at a first end of the first collimating light path, and a second detector positioned at a first end of the one or more other light paths, the first detector configured to receive a reflected illumination beam from an illuminated patterning device and calculate a tilt parameter of the patterning device, and the second detector configured to receive a second reflected illumination beam from a beam splitter and calculate an X-Y planar location position and a rotation position of the patterning device.

Abstract: In a method of inspection of a semiconductor substrate a first beam of light is split into two or more second beams of light. The two or more second beams of light are respectively transmitted onto a first set of two or more first locations on top of the semiconductor substrate. In response to the transmitted two or more second beams of light, two or more reflected beams of light from the first set of two or more first locations are received. The received two or more reflected beams of light are detected to generate two or more detected signals. The two or more detected signals are analyzed to determine whether a defect exists at the set of the two or more first locations.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an illumination optical system for illuminating an original including a periodic pattern, a projection optical system for forming an image of the original on a substrate, a controller configured to cause light from the illumination optical system to be obliquely incident on the original such that a light intensity distribution which is line-symmetric with respect to a line, passing through an origin of a pupil region of the projection optical system and orthogonal to a periodic direction of the periodic pattern, is formed in the pupil region by diffracted light beams including diffracted light of not lower than 2nd-order from the periodic pattern, and to control exposure of the substrate such that each point in a shot region of the substrate is exposed in not less than two focus states.

Abstract: In corner sections of first to fourth quadrants whose origin point is a center of an upper surface of a stage, three each of two-dimensional heads are provided. The three each of two-dimensional heads include one first head and two second heads. The stage is driven, while measuring a position of the stage using three first heads that face a two-dimensional grating of a scale plate provided above the stage from the four first heads, and during the driving, difference data of measurement values of the two second heads with respect to the first head in a measurement direction are taken in for head groups to which the three first heads belong, respectively, and using the difference data, grid errors are calibrated.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system to produce a beam of radiation, a support to support a patterning device to impart a pattern on the beam, a projection system to project the patterned beam onto a substrate, and a metrology system that includes a radiation source to generate radiation, an optical element to direct the radiation toward a target, a detector to receive a first and second radiation scattered by the target and produce a first and second measurement respectively based on the received first and second radiation, and a controller. The controller determines a correction for the first measurement, an error between the correction for the first measurement and the first measurement, and a correction for the second measurement based on the correction for the first measurement, the second measurement, and the error. The lithographic apparatus uses the correction to adjust a position of a substrate.