A lithographic apparatus configured to project a patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of a substrate is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first radiation dose detector and a second radiation dose detector, each detector comprising a secondary electron emission surface configured to receive a radiation flux and to emit secondary electrons due to the receipt of the radiation flux, the first radiation dose detector located upstream with respect to the second radiation dose detector viewed with respect to a direction of radiation transmission, and a meter, connected to each detector, to detect a current or voltage resulting from the secondary electron emission from the respective electron emission surface.

Lithographic apparatus, and device manufacturing method

Methods are disclosed for measuring target structures formed by a lithographic process on a substrate. A grating or other structure within the target is smaller than an illumination spot and field of view of a measurement optical system. The position of an image of the component structure varies between measurements, and a first type of correction is applied to reduce the influence on the measured intensities, caused by differences in the optical path to and from different positions. A plurality of structures may be imaged simultaneously within the field of view of the optical system, and each corrected for its respective position. The measurements may comprise first and second images of the same target under different modes of illumination and/or imaging, for example in a dark field metrology application. A second type of correction may be applied to reduce the influence of asymmetry between the first and second modes of illumination or imaging, for example to permit a more accurate overly measurement in a semiconductor device manufacturing process.

Metrology method and apparatus, and device manufacturing method

A lithographic apparatus includes a patterning subsystem for transferring a pattern from a patterning device onto a substrate controlled in accordance with recorded measurements of level variations across a surface of the substrate. A level sensor is provided for projecting a level sensing beam of radiation to reflect from a location on the substrate surface and for detecting the reflected sensing beam to record the surface level at said location. The level sensor incorporates at least one moving optical element to scan the substrate surface by optical movement in at least one dimension to obtain measurements of surface level at different locations without mechanical movement between the level sensor and the substrate. Optical path length equalization measures may be employed, using shaped reflectors and/or additional moving mirrors, to avoid focus variation during the scan.

Lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method, and method of applying a pattern to a substrate

In one aspect, a method of polishing includes polishing a substrate, and receiving an identification of a selected spectral feature and a characteristic of the selected spectral feature to monitor during polishing. The method includes measuring a sequence of spectra of light reflected from the substrate while the substrate is being polished, where at least some of the spectra of the sequence differ due to material being removed during the polishing. The method of polishing includes determining a value of a characteristic of the selected spectral feature for each of the spectra in the sequence of spectra to generate a sequence of values for the characteristic, fitting a function to the sequence of values, and determining either a polishing endpoint or an adjustment for a polishing rate based on the function.

Endpoint method using peak location of spectra contour plots versus time

A device for transmission image sensing for sensing an aerial image in a lithographic exposure apparatus comprises a projection system arranged to form, at an image side of the projection system, an aerial image of an object mark. The device further comprises a detector comprising a slit pattern having features corresponding to at least a part of the aerial image. The slit pattern is arranged to be exposed to the aerial image. The detector is further being arranged to detect detection radiation transmitted by the slit pattern; wherein d<0.85 λ/NA, where d represents the dimension of the smallest feature of the slit pattern, λ represents the intended wavelength of the detection radiation, and NA, which is larger than 1, represents the numerical aperture of the image side.

Device and Method for Transmission Image Sensing

The invention provides a method for determining vibration-related information by projecting an aerial image at an image position in a projection plane, mapping an intensity of the aerial image into an image map, the image map arranged for comprising values of coordinates of sampling locations and of the intensity sampled at each sampling location, and measuring intensity of the aerial image received through a slot pattern. The method further includes determining from the image map a detection position of a slope portion of the image map, at the detection position of the slope portion, measuring of a temporal intensity of the aerial image and measuring of relative positions of the slot pattern and the image position, the relative positions of the slot being measured as position-related data of the slot pattern and determining from the temporal intensity of the aerial image vibration-related information for said aerial image.

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Method and apparatus for vibration detection and vibration analysis, and lithographic apparatus equipped with such an apparatus

Method for vibration-related information determination by means of
 projecting an aerial image at an image position in a projection plane; mapping an intensity of the aerial image into an image map, the image map arranged for comprising values of coordinates of sampling locations and of the intensity sampled at each sampling location; measuring intensity of the aerial image received through a slot pattern. Further, the method includes:
 determining from the image map a detection position of a slope portion of the image map; at the detection position of the slope portion, measuring of a temporal intensity of the aerial image and measuring of relative positions of the slot pattern and the image position, the relative positions of the slot being measured as position-related data of the slot pattern; and determining from the temporal intensity of the aerial image vibration-related information for said aerial image.

Method and apparatus for vibration detection and analysis, and lithographic apparatus equipped therewith

Method of measuring a position of an obj ect by performing a first position measurement on the object (WT) by a first sensor (AS) while the object is stationary and a second position measurement on the object by a second sensor (IF) while the object is stationary. The first and second position measurement are differing from one another. Both the first position measurement and the second position measurement comprise taking a plurality of samples in time and presenting the first measurement and the second measurement, 
wherein the method comprises: generating an alignment beam, directing the alignment beam to an alignment mark (AM) positioned on the object, receiving a reflected beam from the alignment mark by said first sensor, and measuring the reflected beam from the alignment mark with the first sensor. The measured intensity varies with the position of the object. The intensity as measured by the first sensor which varies with the position of the object has at least one of: a low intensity having a slope of substantially zero as function of the position at a first position, a high intensity having a slope of substantially zero as function of the position at a second position, and an intensity which is in between the intensities of the first and second position having a slope different from zero at a third position, wherein the first, second and third positions are determined by an alignment scan prior to the first and second position measurements

Gerbrand Van Der Zouw

Papers

Method and apparatus for vibration detection and vibration analysis, and lithographic apparatus equipped with such an apparatus

Method and apparatus for vibration detection and analysis, and lithographic apparatus equipped therewith

Method and system for measuring a position of an object.