Abstract: In a method and system for measuring a height map of a surface of an object, the following steps are carried out. Height maps of different sections of the surface of the object are measured, using an optical profilometer having a field of view covering an individual section, wherein each height map comprises height data. The measured height maps are grouped into different sets of height maps, wherein within each set each one of the height maps of the set has a valid overlap to at least one other height map of the set, and wherein each height map belongs to one set and does not have a valid overlap with any height map of another set. Within each set, the measured height maps are stitched to a sub-composite stitched height map. The sub-composite stitched height maps are combined to a composite height map.

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: 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: 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: An interferometric optical device that measures the curved wall shape of a cylindrical object and includes: an interferometric optical system that emits measurement light at the curved wall of the object, collects the light reflected by the object, and creates a composite wave that combines the reflected light and a reference light; a rotation drive assembly that is connected to the interferometric optical system and rotationally displaces the interferometric optical system centered about a rotation axis that coincides with a center axis of the cylindrical shape of the object; a sensor that acquires a two-dimensional distribution of the intensity of the composite wave using a plurality of photoreceptor elements arrayed two-dimensionally; and a computation device that computes the internal wall shape of the object based on the plurality of two-dimensional distributions acquired in a state where a rotation angle for the rotation drive mechanism varies.

Abstract: Method and system for calculating a height map of a surface of an object from an image stack in scanning optical 2.5D profiling of the surface by an optical system, a focal plane is scanned at different height positions with respect to the object surface. An image is captured at each height position of the focal plane to form the image stack. The scanning of the focal plane comprises long range sensing and short range sensing a displacement of the focal plane for sensing low and high spatial frequency components. The height position of the focal plane is estimated by combining the low and high spatial frequency components. A height position of each image in the image stack is calculated, based on the estimated height position of each respective focal plane. The images of the image stack are interpolated to equidistant height positions for obtaining a corrected image stack.

Abstract: A method for measuring a height map of multiple fields of view on a surface of a substrate with an optical profilometer and combining them to a composite height map, the method includes: moving the profilometer relative to the surface from field to field along a route; measuring height maps of fields on the surface along the route with the profilometer; and, combining a plurality of height maps of measured fields by normalizing said height maps to each other to produce a composite height map of the surface; wherein the route is configured to minimize sensitivity to height drifting of the profilometer during combining a plurality of the height maps.

Abstract: An interferometric optical device that measures the curved wall shape of a cylindrical object and includes: an interferometric optical system that emits measurement light at the curved wall of the object, collects the light reflected by the object, and creates a composite wave that combines the reflected light and a reference light; a rotation drive assembly that is connected to the interferometric optical system and rotationally displaces the interferometric optical system centered about a rotation axis that coincides with a center axis of the cylindrical shape of the object; a sensor that acquires a two-dimensional distribution of the intensity of the composite wave using a plurality of photoreceptor elements arrayed two-dimensionally; and a computation device that computes the internal wall shape of the object based on the plurality of two-dimensional distributions acquired in a state where a rotation angle for the rotation drive mechanism varies.

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: In a method and system for measuring a height map of a surface of an object, the following steps are carried out. Height maps of different sections of the surface of the object are measured, using an optical profilometer having a field of view covering an individual section, wherein each height map comprises height data. The measured height maps are grouped into different sets of height maps, wherein within each set each one of the height maps of the set has a valid overlap to at least one other height map of the set, and wherein each height map belongs to one set and does not have a valid overlap with any height map of another set. Within each set, the measured height maps are stitched to a sub-composite stitched height map. The sub-composite stitched height maps are combined to a composite height map.

Abstract: Provided is a method for calculating a height map of a sample comprising a body of a transparent material having a refractive index with an inclined or curved surface, the body being provided on an underlying surface extending laterally from underneath the body. The method may include positioning a first area of a body of a transparent material with an inclined or curved surface and a second area of the underlying surface extending laterally from underneath the body under an optical profiler, measuring a height map of the first area and the second area with the optical profiler; and calculating a height map of the inclined or curved surface by using the refractive index, the measured height map of the first area and the second area.

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 substrate temperature control system configured to provide a control signal to control a substrate temperature conditioning system based on a determined temperature; and a parameter control system configured to adjust a lithographic apparatus parameter, that is other than, or in addition to, the control signal, based on temperature information of the substrate and/or substrate table or on a measure derived from the temperature information.

Abstract: Method and system for calculating a height map of a surface of an object from an image stack in scanning optical 2.5D profiling of the surface by an optical system, a focal plane is scanned at different height positions with respect to the object surface. An image is captured at each height position of the focal plane to form the image stack. The scanning of the focal plane comprises long range sensing and short range sensing a displacement of the focal plane for sensing low and high spatial frequency components. The height position of the focal plane is estimated by combining the low and high spatial frequency components. A height position of each image in the image stack is calculated, based on the estimated height position of each respective focal plane. The images of the image stack are interpolated to equidistant height positions for obtaining a corrected image stack.

Abstract: The present invention provides an interference measuring device with an optical system that can receive light reflected from a measurement object of a surface profile that is not perpendicular to an optical axis. An interference measuring device includes a light source for emitting light and an interferometric objective lens. The interferometric objective lens includes a reference mirror disposed in a reference beam path and a beam splitter that splits the incident light into a beam traveling along the reference beam path and a beam traveling along a measurement beam path. The beam splitter also combines the beam reflected off the reference mirror with the beam reflected off a measurement object disposed in the measurement beam path before emitting the combined beams.

Abstract: An interferometer system to generate an interference signal of a surface of a sample includes a broadband illuminator to provide a broadband illumination beam, a beam splitter to split the broadband illumination beam in a reference beam for reflection on a reference reflector and a measurement beam for reflection on the surface of the sample, and a detector to receive an interference radiation intensity created between the reference beam reflected from the reference reflector and the reflected measurement beam from the surface of the sample to generate an interference signal. The interferometer system having a continuous variable broadband reflector in the beam splitter and/or the reference reflector to adjust the broadband radiation intensity balance between the measurement beam and the reference beam.

Abstract: Method for measuring a height map of a test, including measuring a coarse height map of the test surface with a pre-map sensor provided to an optical profiler with a relatively long working distance and/or a large field of view, storing the coarse height map in a memory, subdividing the coarse height map into sections appropriate for the field of view of a high resolution optical profiler sensor provided to the optical profiler, calculating corresponding X, Y and Z positions for the optical profiler sensor with respect to the test surface, calculating a trajectory in the X, Y, Z-direction for the optical profiler sensor with respect to the test surface using the calculated X, Y, Z-positions, moving the optical profiler in the X, Y, Z-direction with respect to the test surface according to the trajectory, and measuring a high accuracy height map with the high resolution optical profiler sensor.

Abstract: The present invention provides an interference measuring device with an optical system that can receive light reflected from a measurement object of a surface profile that is not perpendicular to an optical axis. An interference measuring device includes a light source for emitting light and an interferometric objective lens. The interferometric objective lens includes a reference mirror disposed in a reference beam path and a beam splitter that splits the incident light into a beam traveling along the reference beam path and a beam traveling along a measurement beam path. The beam splitter also combines the beam reflected off the reference mirror with the beam reflected off a measurement object disposed in the measurement beam path before emitting the combined beams.

Abstract: A method for measuring a height map of multiple fields of view on a surface of a substrate with an optical profilometer and combining them to a composite height map, the method includes: moving the profilometer relative to the surface from field to field along a route; measuring height maps of fields on the surface along the route with the profilometer; and, combining a plurality of height maps of measured fields by normalizing said height maps to each other to produce a composite height map of the surface; wherein the route is configured to minimize sensitivity to height drifting of the profilometer during combining a plurality of the height maps.

Abstract: In order to determine whether an exposure apparatus is outputting the correct dose of radiation and its projection system is focusing the radiation correctly, a test pattern is used on a mask for printing a specific marker onto a substrate. This marker is then measured by an inspection apparatus, such as a scatterometer, to determine whether there are errors in focus and dose and other related properties. The test pattern is configured such that changes in focus and dose may be easily determined by measuring the properties of a pattern that is exposed using the mask. The test pattern may be a 2D pattern where physical or geometric properties, e.g., pitch, are different in each of the two dimensions. The test pattern may also be a one-dimensional pattern made up of an array of structures in one dimension, the structures being made up of at least one substructure, the substructures reacting differently to focus and dose and giving rise to an exposed pattern from which focus and dose may be determined.

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.