Disclosed is an inspection apparatus for use in lithography. It comprises a support for a substrate carrying a plurality of metrology targets; an optical system for illuminating the targets under predetermined illumination conditions and for detecting predetermined portions of radiation diffracted by the targets under the illumination conditions; a processor arranged to calculate from said detected portions of diffracted radiation a measurement of asymmetry for a specific target; and a controller for causing the optical system and processor to measure asymmetry in at least two of said targets which have different known components of positional offset between structures and smaller sub-structures within a layer on the substrate and calculate from the results of said asymmetry measurements a measurement of a performance parameter of the lithographic process for structures of said smaller size. Also disclosed are substrates provided with a plurality of novel metrology targets formed by a lithographic process.

A movable body apparatus that moves a substrate equipped with: a substrate holder which can move in the X-axis and the Y-axis directions; a Y coarse movement stage can move in the Y-axis direction, a first measurement system acquiring position information on the substrate holder with heads provided at the substrate holder and a scale provided at the Y coarse movement stage; a second measurement system acquiring position information on the Y coarse movement stage with heads at the Y coarse movement stage and a scale; and a control system controlling the position of the substrate holder based on position information acquired by the first and the second measurement systems, and the first measurement system irradiates a measurement beam on the scale while moving the heads in the X-axis direction, and the second measurement system irradiates a measurement beam on the scale while moving the heads in the Y-axis direction.

A movable body apparatus that moves a substrate equipped with: a substrate holder which can move in the X-axis and the Y-axis directions; a Y coarse movement stage can move in the Y-axis direction, a first measurement system acquiring position information on the substrate holder with heads provided at the substrate holder and a scale provided at the Y coarse movement stage; a second measurement system acquiring position information on the Y coarse movement stage with heads at the Y coarse movement stage and a scale; and a control system controlling the position of the substrate holder based on position information acquired by the first and the second measurement systems, and the first measurement system irradiates a measurement beam on the scale while moving the heads in the X-axis direction, and the second measurement system irradiates a measurement beam on the scale while moving the heads in the Y-axis direction.

In an exposure apparatus, on a substrate holder, a plurality of grating areas is arranged mutually apart in the X-axis direction, and a plurality of heads that irradiates a measurement beam with respect to the grating area and can move in the Y-axis direction is arranged outside of the substrate holder. A control system controls movement of the substrate holder in at least directions of three degrees of freedom within an XY plane, based on measurement information of at least three heads of the plurality of heads facing the grating area and measurement information of a measurement device that measures position information of the plurality of heads. The measurement beam of each of the plurality of heads, during the movement of substrate holder in the X-axis direction, moves off of one of the plurality of grating areas and switches to another adjacent grating area.

In an exposure apparatus, on a substrate holder, a plurality of grating areas is arranged mutually apart in the X-axis direction, and a plurality of heads that irradiates a measurement beam with respect to the grating area and can move in the Y-axis direction is arranged outside of the substrate holder. A control system controls movement of the substrate holder in at least directions of three degrees of freedom within an XY plane, based on measurement information of at least three heads of the plurality of heads facing the grating area and measurement information of a measurement device that measures position information of the plurality of heads. The measurement beam of each of the plurality of heads, during the movement of substrate holder in the X-axis direction, moves off of one of the plurality of grating areas and switches to another adjacent grating area.

The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to a method of performing a photolithography process. The method includes forming a photosensitive material over a substantially flat upper surface of a substrate. The substantially flat upper surface of the substrate extends between opposing sides of the substrate. The photosensitive material is exposed to electromagnetic radiation at a plurality of depths of focus that are centered at different heights over the substrate. The photosensitive material is developed to remove a part of the photosensitive material.

The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to a method of performing a photolithography process. The method includes forming a photosensitive material over a substantially flat upper surface of a substrate. The substantially flat upper surface of the substrate extends between opposing sides of the substrate. The photosensitive material is exposed to electromagnetic radiation at a plurality of depths of focus that are centered at different heights over the substrate. The photosensitive material is developed to remove a part of the photosensitive material.

A reticle used for collecting information for image-error compensation is provided. The reticle includes a first black border structure and a second black border structure formed over a substrate. The first and second black borders are concentric with a center of the substrate. The reticle further includes a first image structure and a second image structure formed over the substrate. The first and second image structures each has patterns representing features to be patterned on a semiconductor wafer. In a direction away from the center of the substrate, the second image structure, the second black border structure, the first image structure and the first black border structure are arranged in order.

A movable body apparatus that moves a substrate equipped with: a substrate holder which can move in the X-axis and the Y-axis directions; a Y coarse movement stage can move in the Y-axis direction, a first measurement system acquiring position information on the substrate holder with heads provided at the substrate holder and a scale provided at the Y coarse movement stage; a second measurement system acquiring position information on the Y coarse movement stage with heads at the Y coarse movement stage and a scale; and a control system controlling the position of the substrate holder based on position information acquired by the first and the second measurement systems, and the first measurement system irradiates a measurement beam on the scale while moving the heads in the X-axis direction, and the second measurement system irradiates a measurement beam on the scale while moving the heads in the Y-axis direction.

A movable body apparatus that moves a substrate equipped with: a substrate holder which can move in the X-axis and the Y-axis directions; a Y coarse movement stage can move in the Y-axis direction, a first measurement system acquiring position information on the substrate holder with heads provided at the substrate holder and a scale provided at the Y coarse movement stage; a second measurement system acquiring position information on the Y coarse movement stage with heads at the Y coarse movement stage and a scale; and a control system controlling the position of the substrate holder based on position information acquired by the first and the second measurement systems, and the first measurement system irradiates a measurement beam on the scale while moving the heads in the X-axis direction, and the second measurement system irradiates a measurement beam on the scale while moving the heads in the Y-axis direction.