A method for placing a resist film of a region having a small film thickness with good shape accuracy is provided. The method has processes of placing a photoresist film 15 on a substrate body 10, exposing the photoresist film 15 using a halftone mask 30 having light transmittances of three or more tones, and developing the photoresist film 15. The photoresist film 15 after the development has a first photoresist film 16 and a second photoresist film 17 that is thicker than the first photoresist film 16. On the substrate body 10 after the development, the second photoresist film 17 is placed at a location where the second photoresist film 17 can be placed without removing the photoresist film 15.

Methods and systems for performing overlay and edge placement errors of device structures based on x-ray diffraction measurement data are presented. Overlay error between different layers of a metrology target is estimated based on the intensity variation within each x-ray diffraction order measured at multiple, different angles of incidence and azimuth angles. The estimation of overlay involves a parameterization of the intensity modulations of common orders such that a low frequency shape modulation is described by a set of basis functions and a high frequency overlay modulation is described by an affine-circular function including a parameter indicative of overlay. In addition to overlay, a shape parameter of the metrology target is estimated based on a fitting analysis of a measurement model to the intensities of the measured diffraction orders. In some examples, the estimation of overlay and the estimation of one or more shape parameter values are performed simultaneously.

A preparation delivery assembly includes: a first substrate, a second substrate, and at least two needles of different lengths. Two side walls are provided between the first and second substrates to define a first chamber. At least one first channel that is in communication with the first chamber is provided in the second substrate in a direction perpendicular to the second substrate. And the needles are arranged on a surface of the second substrate, and each needle is in communication with the first chamber to deliver the preparation. A third channel is provided in the first substrate in a direction perpendicular to the first substrate, and one end of the third channel is in communication with the first chamber so as to guide the preparation introduced from the other end of the third channel into the first chamber.

Techniques related to multi-pass patterning lithography, device structures, and devices formed using such techniques are discussed. Such techniques include exposing a resist layer disposed over a grating pattern with non-reflecting radiation to generate an enhanced exposure portion within a trench of the grating pattern and developing the resist layer to form a pattern layer having a pattern structure within the trench of the grating pattern.

Systems and methods for shaping a film. Formable material in an imprint field on the substrate may be contacted with a shaping surface of a template. Outer boundaries of the imprint field correspond to outer boundaries of the shaping surface. Shaping the film includes forming a cured layer within the imprint field while the shaping surface is in contact with the formable material. Shaping the film may include separating the shaping surface from the cured layer. Shaping the film may include moving the template away from the imprint field to a first offset location wherein the outer boundaries of the shaping surface are offset relative to the outer boundaries of the imprint field. Shaping the film may include curing a second portion of the formable material while the template is at the first offset location so as to form the shaped film.

A method of patterning a device is disclosed using a resist precursor structure having at least two fluoropolymer layers. A first fluoropolymer layer includes a first fluoropolymer material having a fluorine content of at least 50% by weight and is substantially soluble in a first hydrofluoroether solvent or in a first perfluorinated solvent, but substantially less soluble in a second hydrofluoroether solvent relative to both the first hydrofluoroether and the first perfluorinated solvent. The second fluoropolymer layer includes a second fluoropolymer material having a fluorine content less than that of the first fluoropolymer material and is substantially soluble in the first or second hydrofluoroether solvents, but substantially less soluble in the first perfluorinated solvent relative to both the first and second hydrofluoroether solvents.

Disclosed is a method and associated inspection apparatus for measuring a characteristic of interest relating to a structure on a substrate. The inspection apparatus uses measurement radiation comprising a plurality of wavelengths. The method comprises performing a plurality of measurement acquisitions of said structure, each measurement acquisition being performed using measurement radiation comprising a different subset of the plurality of wavelengths, to obtain a plurality of multiplexed measurement signals. The plurality of multiplexed measurement signals are subsequently de-multiplexed into signal components according to each of said plurality of wavelengths, to obtain a plurality of de-multiplexed measurement signals which are separated according to wavelength.

A method for manufacturing metallic horological components includes the steps of forming a LIGA-UV type method a multi-level photosensitive resin mould and of galvanically depositing a layer of at least one metal using at least two conductive layers to form a block substantially reaching the top surface of the photosensitive resin.

A lithography method is provided in accordance with some embodiments. The lithography method includes forming a patterned photoresist on a material layer, applying a first bonding material to a side surface of the patterned photoresist, performing a treatment on the first bonding material to bond the first bonding material to the side surface of the patterned photoresist, wherein the treatment creates a bonding site on the first bonding material configured to bond to a second bonding material, applying the second bonding material to a side surface of the first bonding material, and patterning the material layer by selectively processing a portion of the material layer exposed by the patterned photoresist, the first bonding material, and the second bonding material.

The metal plate includes a plurality of pits located on the surface of the metal plate. The manufacturing method for a metal plate for use in manufacturing of a deposition mask includes an inspection step of determining a quality of the metal plate based on a sum of volumes of a plurality of pits located at a portion of the surface of the metal plate.