Abstract: A method including directing, by an optical system, an illumination beam to a surface of a substrate, providing relative motion between the directed illumination beam and the substrate until the directed illumination beam is illuminated on a grating underneath an edge or a notch of the substrate, diffracting, by the grating, at least a portion of the illumination beam, and detecting, by the detector, the diffracted illumination.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus has a substrate table on which a substrate is positioned, and an alignment sensor used to measure the alignment of the substrate. In an exemplary processing method, the alignment sensor is used to perform one or more edge measurements in a first step. In a second step, one or more edge measurements are performed on the notch of the substrate. The edge measurements are then used to align the substrate in the lithographic apparatus. In a particular example, the substrate is arranged relative to the alignment sensor such that a portion of the edge surface is positioned at the focal length of the lens. When the alignment sensor detects radiation scattered by the edge surface at the focal length of the lens, the presence of the edge of the substrate is detected.

Abstract: A method for recovering alignment marks in a mark layer of a substrate, the method including providing a substrate with a mark layer covered by a resist layer; forming alignment marks in the mark layer, wherein an alignment mark is formed by: exposing the resist layer to a patterned radiation beam thereby forming an alignment pattern in the resist; forming one or more recovery marks in the mark layer, wherein a recovery mark is formed by exposing the resist layer to at least a portion of the patterned radiation beam thereby forming an alignment pattern in a mark area of the resist and subsequently exposing the mark area of the resist, each time with a shifted patterned radiation beam until a substantial part of the mark area has been exposed.

Abstract: A method for recovering alignment marks in a mark layer of a substrate, the method including providing a substrate with a mark layer covered by a resist layer; forming alignment marks in the mark layer, wherein an alignment mark is formed by: exposing the resist layer to a patterned radiation beam thereby forming an alignment pattern in the resist; forming one or more recovery marks in the mark layer, wherein a recovery mark is formed by exposing the resist layer to at least a portion of the patterned radiation beam thereby forming an alignment pattern in a mark area of the resist and subsequently exposing the mark area of the resist, each time with a shifted patterned radiation beam until a substantial part of the mark area has been exposed.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus has a substrate table on which a substrate is positioned, and an alignment sensor used to measure the alignment of the substrate. In an exemplary processing method, the alignment sensor is used to perform one or more edge measurements in a first step. In a second step, one or more edge measurements are performed on the notch of the substrate. The edge measurements are then used to align the substrate in the lithographic apparatus. In a particular example, the substrate is arranged relative to the alignment sensor such that a portion of the edge surface is positioned at the focal length of the lens. When the alignment sensor detects radiation scattered by the edge surface at the focal length of the lens, the presence of the edge of the substrate is detected.