Abstract: A method of determining a measurement sequence for an inspection tool inspecting a structure generated by a lithographic process performed by a lithographic system is presented, the method including deriving a model for the lithographic process as performed by the lithographic system, the model including a relationship between a set of system variables describing the lithographic system and an output variable representing the structure resulting of the lithographic process, determining an observability of one or more system variables in the output variable, and determining the measurement sequence for the inspection tool, based on the observability.

Abstract: A method of determining a set of metrology point locations, the set including a subset of potential metrology point locations on a substrate, the method including: determining a relation between noise distributions associated with a plurality of the potential metrology point locations using existing knowledge; and using the determined relation and a model associated with the substrate to determine the set.

Abstract: The invention relates to elastic guiding device to support a mass with respect to a base in a support direction, wherein the stiffness in support direction compared to stiffness in other direction, for example the stiffness in vertical direction compared to the stiffness in horizontal directions is substantially increased. The invention further relates to a positioning device comprising at least one elastic guiding device, and a lithographic apparatus comprising such positioning device.

Abstract: A method for printing a periodic pattern of linear features into a photosensitive layer which includes providing a mask bearing a pattern of linear features, arranging the substrate parallel to the mask, generating an elongated beam for illuminating the mask with a range of angles of incidence in a plane parallel to the linear features and with a uniform power per incremental distance along the length of the beam except at its ends where the power per incremental distance falls to zero according to first and second profiles over a fall-off distance, and scanning the beam in first and second sub-exposures to print first and second parts of the desired pattern such that the first and second parts overlap by the fall-off distance. The first and second profiles are selected so that their summation across the fall-off distance produces a uniform power per incremental distance.

Abstract: A method of determining a position of a feature (for example an alignment mark) on an object (for example a silicon wafer) is disclosed. The method comprises determining an offset parameter, determining the second position; and determining a first position from the second position and the offset parameter, the position of the mark being the first position. The offset parameter is a measure of a difference in: a first position that is indicative of the position of the feature; and a second position that is indicative of the position of the feature. The offset parameter may be determined using a first measurement apparatus and the second position may be determined using a second, different measurement apparatus.

Abstract: A line narrowing module includes a prism including an entrance side surface that light enters, an exit side surface from which the light is emitted, and a bottom surface, and configured to wavelength-disperse the light having entered the entrance side surface and to emit the light from the exit side surface; a holder portion having a stationary surface on which the bottom surface of the prism is secured; a rotary mechanism portion including a rotary stage on which the holder portion is secured, the rotary stage being configured to rotate the prism around an axis perpendicular to a dispersion plane of the light emitted from the prism; a drive unit configured to rotate the rotary stage; and a grating configured to reflect the light emitted from the prism, centroids of the prism, the holder portion, and the rotary stage being located on the axis.

Abstract: Disclosed is a pin lifting device for moving and positioning a substrate in a process atmosphere region. The pin lifting device has a coupling part including a coupling configured to receive a support pin designed to contact and carry the substrate, and a drive unit configured to adjust the coupling linearly along an adjustment axis (A) from a lowered normal position into an extended support position and back. The coupling part has a sliding guide element movable along the adjustment axis (A), where the sliding guide element is coupled to the drive unit and where the sliding guide element has at least one sliding element. The sliding element interacts with a guide surface provided by the coupling part to guide the sliding guide element can be linearly along the adjustment axis (A) and in a sliding manner relative to the guide surface.

Abstract: A lithography system includes a radiation source and a photomask. The radiation source is configured to generate electromagnetic radiation traveling towards the photomask. The lithography system also includes an incident channel between the radiation source and the photomask for the electromagnetic radiation to travel through. There are a first injection nozzle configured to generate a first particle shield between the photomask and an exit port of the incident channel and a second injection nozzle configured to generate a second particle shield inside the incident channel.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a display device including: preparing a substrate having a display area and a non-display area; and forming an alignment mark disposed in the non-display area of the substrate. The alignment mark includes a quadrangular-shaped center portion and a plurality of measurement portions that surround the center portion, the plurality of measurement portions including four or more measurement portions, and each of the measurement portions including sides that are parallel with two sides of the quadrangular-shaped center portion.

Abstract: A reference substrate for calibrating high-energy inspection systems includes permanently affixed particle-emulating and/or integral void-type environmentally inert surface features that emulate particles/defects having sizes below about 18 nm. Particle-emulating surface features are fabricated directly onto the substrate's surface (or an intervening barrier film layer) using e-beam lithography or over-etch processing. Void-type defect features having sizes below 18 nm are etched into the substrate's surface using, for example, focused ion beam, reactive particle or pin-hole etching processes. Once formed, the actual size of each surface feature is measured (e.g., using SEM) and then recorded. During a subsequent inspection tool calibration session, the reference substrate is scanned and waveform data corresponding to light reflected/scattered from each surface feature is correlated with the scanned feature's actual size data.

Abstract: An object holder for a lithographic apparatus has a main body having a surface. A plurality of burls to support an object is formed on the surface or in apertures of a thin-film stack. At least one of the burls is formed by laser-sintering. At least one of the burls formed by laser-sintering may be a repair of a damaged burl previously formed by laser-sintering or another method.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is described having a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a space between a projection system of the lithographic apparatus and a substrate with liquid, a barrier member arranged to substantially contain the liquid within the space, and a heater.

Abstract: Disclosed is a pin lifting device for moving and positioning a substrate. Also, a pneumatic drive cylinder is provided having a cylindrical housing enclosing a first internal volume and a first piston assembly, having a first piston and a first piston rod. The first piston assembly can be moved into a fitting position by pressurization of the first internal volume. The device has at least one supporting pin connected to the first piston rod. The drive cylinder has a second piston assembly, which has a second piston and a second piston rod. The second piston assembly is arranged for motion coaxial to the first piston assembly. An end surface of the second piston rod faces the first piston. The first and second piston assemblies are arranged so the first piston and the second piston rod have no contact in the fitting position.

Abstract: A method for determining a preferred control strategy relating to control of a manufacturing process for manufacturing an integrated circuit. The method includes: obtaining process data associated with a design of said integrated circuit; and obtaining a plurality of candidate control strategies configured to control the manufacturing process based on the process data, each candidate control strategy including an associated cost metric based on an associated requirement to implement the candidate control strategy. A quality metric related to an expected performance of the manufacturing process is determined for each candidate control strategies, and a preferred control strategy is selected based on the determined quality metrics and associated cost metrics for each candidate control strategy.

Abstract: A mode control system and method for controlling an output mode of a broadband radiation source including a photonic crystal fiber (PCF). The mode control system includes at least one detection unit configured to measure one or more parameters of radiation emitted from the broadband radiation source to generate measurement data, and a processing unit configured to evaluate mode purity of the radiation emitted from the broadband radiation source, from the measurement data. Based on the evaluation, the mode control system is configured to generate a control signal for optimization of one or more pump coupling conditions of the broadband radiation source. The one or more pump coupling conditions relate to the coupling of a pump laser beam with respect to a fiber core of the photonic crystal fiber.

Abstract: An information calculation method includes: calculating liquid information regarding a liquid on an object, which faces an optical member that emits exposure light, when moving the object; and calculating region information indicating a region, in which the liquid information satisfies predetermined conditions, on the object.

Abstract: Disclosed is a metrology device (1600) configured to produce measurement illumination comprising a plurality of illumination beams, each of said illumination beams being spatially incoherent or pseudo-spatially incoherent and comprising multiple pupil points in an illumination pupil of the metrology device. Each pupil point in each one of said plurality of illumination beams has a corresponding pupil point in at least one of the other illumination beams of said plurality of illumination beams thereby defining multiple sets of corresponding pupil points, and the pupil points of each set of corresponding pupil points are spatially coherent with respect to each other.

Abstract: A method of calculating electromagnetic scattering properties of a structure represented as a nominal structure and a structural perturbation, has the steps: 1008 numerically solving a volume integral equation comprising a nominal linear system 1004 to determine a nominal vector field being independent with respect to the structural perturbation; 1010 using a perturbed linear system 1006 to determine an approximation of a vector field perturbation arising from the structural perturbation, by solving a volume integral equation or an adjoint linear system. Matrix-vector multiplication of a nominal linear system matrix convolution operator may be restricted to sub-matrices; and 1012 calculating electromagnetic scattering properties of the structure using the determined nominal vector field and the determined approximation of the vector field perturbation.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for reducing particles in the vicinity of an electrostatic chuck (300) in which a cleaning reticle or substrate (320) is secured to the chuck, the cleaning reticle or substrate having surfaces partially devoid of conductive material so that an electric field from the chuck can pass through to a volume adjacent the substrate to draw particles (360) in the volume to the surface of the substrate. Voltage supplied to the chuck may have an alternating polarity to enhance the attraction of particles to the surface.

Abstract: A detection apparatus detects an orientation reference of an object to be detected which includes an edge including the orientation reference. The apparatus includes a first detection system configured to detect the edge such that the orientation reference is detected, and a second detection system configured to detect, by projecting a pattern to a surface of the object and detecting an image formed by reflected light from the surface, a position of the surface in a direction perpendicular to the surface. After a focusing operation of the first detection system is performed based on the position of the surface detected by the second detection system, the first detection system detects the orientation reference.