Abstract: Disclosed is a method for performing a measurement of an exposed pattern in photoresist on a substrate and an associated metrology device. The method comprises imparting a beam of measurement radiation on said exposed pattern over a measurement area of a size which prevents or mitigates photoresist damage from the measurement radiation; capturing scattered radiation comprising said measurement radiation subsequent to it having been scattered from said exposed pattern and detecting the scattered radiation on at least one detector. A value for a parameter of interest is determined from the scattered radiation.

Abstract: A method of determining a control setting for a lithographic apparatus. The method includes obtaining a first correction for a current layer on a current substrate based on first metrology data associated with one or more previous substrates, and obtaining a second correction for the current layer on the current substrate. The second correction is based on a residual determined based on second metrology data associated with a previous layer on the current substrate. The method further includes determining the control setting for the lithographic apparatus for patterning the current layer on the current substrate by combining the first correction and the second correction.

Abstract: Three-dimensional master equation modeling for disordered semiconductor devices is provided. Charge transport is modeled as incoherent hopping between localized molecular states, and recombination is modeled as a nearest-neighbor process where an electron at a first location and a hole at a second location can recombine at either the first location or the second location. Here the first and second locations are any pair of nearest neighbor locations. We have found that this nearest neighbor recombination model performs substantially better than the conventional local recombination model where an electron and a hole must be at the same location to recombine. The recombination rate is modeled as a product of a prefactor ?, hopping rates and state occupancies. Importantly, we have found that sufficient simulation accuracy can be obtained by taking ? to be given by an empirically derived analytic expression.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of metrology. The method comprises illuminating a radiation onto a substrate; obtaining measurement data relating to at least one measurement of each of one or more structures on the substrate; using a Fourier-related transform to transform the measurement data into a transformed measurement data; and extracting a feature of the substrate from the transformed measurement data, or eliminating an impact of a nuisance parameter.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for measuring one or more parameters of a substrate (300) using source radiation emitted from a radiation source (100) and directed onto the substrate. The apparatus comprises at least one reflecting element (710a) and at least one detector (720, 721). The at least one reflecting element is configured to receive a reflected radiation resulting from reflection of the source radiation from the substrate and further reflect the reflected radiation into a further reflected radiation.

Abstract: A method of determining a control setting for a lithographic apparatus. The method includes obtaining a first correction for a current layer on a current substrate based on first metrology data associated with one or more previous substrates, and obtaining a second correction for the current layer on the current substrate. The second correction is based on a residual determined based on second metrology data associated with a previous layer on the current substrate. The method further includes determining the control setting for the lithographic apparatus for patterning the current layer on the current substrate by combining the first correction and the second correction.

Abstract: A patterning device for patterning product structures onto a substrate and an associated substrate patterned using such a patterning device. The patterning device includes target patterning elements for patterning at least one target from which a parameter of interest can be inferred. The patterning device includes product patterning elements for patterning the product structures. The target patterning elements and product patterning elements are configured such that the at least one target has at least one boundary which is neither parallel nor perpendicular with respect to the product structures on the substrate.

Abstract: A method of configuring a step of scanning a beam of photons or particles across a patterning device for exposing a pattern onto a substrate, wherein the method includes determining a spatial resolution of a patterning correction configured to improve quality of the exposing, and determining a spatial dimension of the beam based on the determined spatial resolution of the patterning correction.

Abstract: Method of measuring a height profile of one or more substrates is provided comprising measuring a first height profile of one or more fields on a substrate using a first sensor arrangement, the first height profile being the sum of a first interfield part and a first intrafield part, measuring a second height profile of one or more further fields on the substrate or on a further substrate using a second sensor arrangement, the second height profile being the sum of a second interfield part and a second intrafield part, determining from the measurements with the first sensor arrangement an average first intrafield part, and determining the height profile of the further fields from the second interfield part and the average first intrafield part thereby correcting the measurements of the second sensor arrangement.

Abstract: A method of configuring a step of scanning a beam of photons or particles across a patterning device for exposing a pattern onto a substrate, wherein the method includes determining a spatial resolution of a patterning correction configured to improve quality of the exposing, and determining a spatial dimension of the beam based on the determined spatial resolution of the patterning correction.

Abstract: Three-dimensional master equation modeling for disordered semiconductor devices is provided. Charge transport is modeled as incoherent hopping between localized molecular states, and recombination is modeled as a nearest-neighbor process where an electron at a first location and a hole at a second location can recombine at either the first location or the second location. Here the first and second locations are any pair of nearest neighbor locations. We have found that this nearest neighbor recombination model performs substantially better than the conventional local recombination model where an electron and a hole must be at the same location to recombine. The recombination rate is modeled as a product of a prefactor ?, hopping rates and state occupancies. Importantly, we have found that sufficient simulation accuracy can be obtained by taking ? to be given by an empirically derived analytic expression.

Abstract: Combination of a stage and a level sensor configured to sense a height level at a target location on an object is described, the stage comprising an object table configured to hold the object and a positioning device for displacing the object table relative to the level sensor in a first direction, the level sensor comprising a projection system configured to project a measurement beam onto a measurement area of the object, the measurement area having a measurement area length in the first direction, a detector system configured to receive different portions of the measurement beam after being reflected off different sub-areas within the measurement area, the different sub-areas being arranged in the first direction, and to supply output signals representative of the different portions received, a signal processing system configured to process the output signals from the detector system.

Abstract: A method of controlling a lithographic apparatus to manufacture a plurality of devices, the method including: obtaining a parameter map representing a parameter variation across a substrate by measuring the parameter at a plurality of points on the substrate; decomposing the parameter map into a plurality of components, including a first parameter map component representing parameter variations associated with the device pattern and one or more further parameter map components representing other parameter variations; deriving a scale factor, configured to correct for errors in measurement of the parameter variation, from measurements of a second parameter of a substrate; and controlling the lithographic apparatus using the parameter map and scale factor to apply a device pattern at multiple locations across the substrate.

Abstract: Combination of a stage and a level sensor configured to sense a height level at a target location on an object is described, the stage comprising an object table configured to hold the object and a positioning device for displacing the object table relative to the level sensor in a first direction, the level sensor comprising a projection system configured to project a measurement beam onto a measurement area of the object, the measurement area having a measurement area length in the first direction, a detector system configured to receive different portions of the measurement beam after being reflected off different sub-areas within the measurement area, the different sub-areas being arranged in the first direction, and to supply output signals representative of the different portions received, a signal processing system configured to process the output signals from the detector system.

Abstract: A method of controlling a lithographic apparatus to manufacture a plurality of devices, the method including: obtaining a parameter map representing a parameter variation across a substrate by measuring the parameter at a plurality of points on the substrate; decomposing the parameter map into a plurality of components, including a first parameter map component representing parameter variations associated with the device pattern and one or more further parameter map components representing other parameter variations; deriving a scale factor, configured to correct for errors in measurement of the parameter variation, from measurements of a second parameter of a substrate; and controlling the lithographic apparatus using the parameter map and scale factor to apply a device pattern at multiple locations across the substrate.

Abstract: Method of measuring a height profile of one or more substrates is provided comprising measuring a first height profile of one or more fields on a substrate using a first sensor arrangement, the first height profile being the sum of a first interfield part and a first intrafield part, measuring a second height profile of one or more further fields on the substrate or on a further substrate using a second sensor arrangement, the second height profile being the sum of a second interfield part and a second intrafield part, determining from the measurements with the first sensor arrangement an average first intrafield part, and determining the height profile of the further fields from the second interfield part and the average first intrafield part thereby correcting the measurements of the second sensor arrangement.