Abstract: A method of forming a pattern on a substrate using a lithographic apparatus provided with a patterning device and a projection system having chromatic aberrations, the method including: providing a radiation beam having a plurality of wavelength components to the patterning device; forming an image of the patterning device on the substrate using the projection system to form the pattern, wherein a position of the pattern is dependent on a wavelength of the radiation beam due to the chromatic aberrations; and controlling a spectrum of the radiation beam to control the position of the pattern.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of determining a process window within a process space comprising obtaining contour data relating to features to be provided to a substrate across a plurality of layers, for each of a plurality of process conditions associated with providing the features across said plurality of layers and failure mode data describing constraints on the contour data across the plurality of layers. The failure mode data is applied to the contour data to determine a failure count for each process condition; and the process window is determined by associating each process condition to its corresponding failure count. Also disclosed is a method of determining an actuation constrained subspace of the process window based on actuation constraints imposed by the plurality of actuators.

Abstract: Systems and methods for predicting substrate geometry associated with a patterning process are described. Input information including geometry information and/or process information for a pattern is received and, using a machine learning prediction model, multi-dimensional output substrate geometry is predicted. The multi-dimensional output information may include pattern probability images. A stochastic edge placement error band and/or a stochastic failure rate may be predicted. The input information can include simulated aerial images, simulated resist images, target substrate dimensions, and/or data from a lithography apparatus associated with device manufacturing. Different aerial images may correspond to different heights in resist layers associated with the patterning process, for example.

Abstract: A lithographic method includes exposing a first layer of material to a radiation beam to form a first pattern feature in the first layer, the first pattern feature having sidewalls, and a focal property of the radiation beam being controlled to control a sidewall angle of the sidewalls; providing a second layer of material over the first pattern feature to provide a coating on sidewalls of the first pattern; removing a portion of the second layer, leaving a coating of the second layer of material on sidewalls of the first pattern; removing the first pattern formed from the first layer, leaving on the substrate at least a part of the second layer that formed a coating on sidewalls of that first pattern, the part of the second layer left forming second pattern features in locations adjacent to the locations of sidewalls of the removed first pattern feature.