An alignment optical measurement element includes a grating coupler, and a reflector coupled to the grating coupler. The alignment optical measurement element is arranged so that: the grating coupler diffracts an incident light in a first direction into a first diffracted light to propagate the first diffracted light as a first propagating light in a second direction, the reflector reflects the first propagating light into a second propagating light in a third direction opposite to the second direction; and the grating coupler diffracts the second propagating light into a second diffracted light to emit the second diffracted light as an emitted light in a fourth direction opposite to the first direction.

A method of forming patterned features on a substrate is provided. The method includes positioning a plurality of masks arranged in a mask layout over a substrate. The substrate is positioned in a first plane and the plurality of masks are positioned in a second plane, the plurality of masks in the mask layout have edges that each extend parallel to the first plane and parallel or perpendicular to an alignment feature on the substrate, the substrate includes a plurality of areas configured to be patterned by energy directed through the masks arranged in the mask layout. The method further includes directing energy towards the plurality of areas through the plurality of masks arranged in the mask layout over the substrate to form a plurality of patterned features in each of the plurality of areas.

A lithographic apparatus having a substrate table, a projection system, an encoder system, a measurement frame and a measurement system. The substrate table has a holding surface for holding a substrate. The projection system is for projecting an image on the substrate. The encoder system is for providing a signal representative of a position of the substrate table. The measurement system is for measuring a property of the lithographic apparatus. The holding surface is along a plane. The projection system is at a first side of the plane. The measurement frame is arranged to support at least part of the encoder system and at least part of the measurement system at a second side of the plane different from the first side.

The present invention provides a control apparatus for performing synchronous control to synchronize driving of a second moving member so as to follow driving of a first moving member, including a feedforward control system that includes a calculator configured to obtain an input/output response of the second moving member and position deviations of the first moving member and the second moving member while driving the first moving member and the second moving member in synchronism with each other, and calculate a feedforward manipulated variable based on the input/output response of the second moving member and the synchronous error between the first moving member and the second moving member obtained from the position deviations of the first moving member and the second moving member.

A method of forming patterned features on a substrate is provided. The method includes positioning a plurality of masks arranged in a mask layout over a substrate. The substrate is positioned in a first plane and the plurality of masks are positioned in a second plane, the plurality of masks in the mask layout have edges that each extend parallel to the first plane and parallel or perpendicular to an alignment feature on the substrate, the substrate includes a plurality of areas configured to be patterned by energy directed through the masks arranged in the mask layout. The method further includes directing energy towards the plurality of areas through the plurality of masks arranged in the mask layout over the substrate to form a plurality of patterned features in each of the plurality of areas.

An alignment method and an alignment system are provided. The alignment method includes: providing a wafer including an exposed surface, wherein an alignment mark and a reference point with a reference distance are provided on the exposed surface; placing the wafer on a reference plane; performing an alignment measurement on the exposed surface to obtain a projection distance, configured as a measurement distance, between the alignment mark and the reference point on the reference plane; performing a levelling measurement between the exposed surface and the reference plane to obtain levelling data of the exposed surface; obtaining a distance, configured as an expansion reference value, between the alignment mark and the reference point in the exposed surface; obtaining an expansion compensation value based on a difference between the expansion reference value and the reference distance; and adjusting parameters of a photolithography process based on the expansion compensation value for an alignment.

An alignment system includes: a light emitting device located on one side of an object to be aligned for emitting light towards the object to be aligned; a light receiving device located on the other side of the object to be aligned and at a standard position corresponding to an alignment mark disposed on the object to be aligned, the light receiving device being provided with a plurality of light sensors for sensing light emitting from the light emitting device on an end surface facing the object to be aligned; a processor configured to receive sensing signals transmitted from each of the light sensors and determine whether the object to be aligned is aligned accurately according to whether each of the light sensors sense the light emitted from the light emitting device. This alignment system shortens the processing time and enhances the processing efficiency.

A projection exposure method for exposing a radiation-sensitive substrate with at least one image of a pattern of a mask in a projection exposure apparatus includes using an anamorphic projection lens

A method of transferring a flexible layer to a substrate makes use of a partial bulge in the flexible layer, which does not make contact with the substrate. The partial bulge advances to the location of an alignment marker on the substrate. When alignment adjustments are needed, they are made with the partial bulge in place so that more reproducible positioning is possible when fully advancing the flexible layer against the substrate.

In an exposure apparatus and a method for defocus and tilt error compensation, each of alignment sensors (500a, 500b, 500c, 500d, 500e, 500f) corresponds to and has the same coordinate in the first direction as a respective one of focusing sensors (600a, 600b, 600c, 600d, 600e, 600f), so that each of the alignment sensors (500a, 500b, 500c, 500d, 500e, 500f) is arranged on the same straight line as a respective one of the focusing sensors (600a, 600b, 600c, 600d, 600e, 600f). As such, alignment marks can be characterized with both focusing information and alignment information. This enables the correction of errors in the alignment information and thus achieves defocus and tilt error compensation, resulting in significant improvements in alignment accuracy and the production yield.