A processing method in one embodiment includes: a step that takes an image of the end face of a reference substrate, whose warp amount is known, over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the reference substrate over the whole periphery of the reference substrate; a step that takes an image of the end face of a substrate over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the substrate over the whole periphery of the substrate; a step that calculates warp amount of the substrate based on the obtained shape data; a step that forms a resist film on a surface of the substrate; a step that determines the supply position from which an organic solvent is to be supplied to a peripheral portion of the resist film and dissolves the peripheral portion by the solvent supplied from the supply position to remove the same from the substrate.

A photomask manufacturing method relating to semiconductor technology is presented. The manufacturing method involves providing a substrate structure comprising an etch material layer, a first sacrificial layer on a portion of the etch material layer, and a photomask layer on an upper surface of the etch material layer and on an upper surface and a side surface of the first sacrificial layer; forming a second sacrificial layer covering the photomask layer on the etch material layer and on the side surface of the first sacrificial layer; etching the photomask layer not covered by the second sacrificial layer to expose the first sacrificial layer; removing the first sacrificial layer and the second sacrificial layer; and removing the photomask layer on the etch material layer. This photomask manufacturing method offers a photomask of better symmetricity than those from conventional methods.

A measurement apparatus and method for determining a substrate grid describing a deformation of a substrate prior to exposure of the substrate in a lithographic apparatus configured to fabricate one or more features on the substrate. Position data for a plurality of first features and/or a plurality of second features on the substrate is obtained. Asymmetry data for at least a feature of the plurality of first features and/or the plurality of second features is obtained. The substrate grid based on the position data and the asymmetry data is determined. The substrate grid and asymmetry data are passed to the lithographic apparatus for controlling at least part of an exposure process to fabricate one or more features on the substrate.

The present invention provides an imprint apparatus which performs an imprint process of forming a pattern on a substrate by using a mold, the apparatus comprising a heating unit configured to heat a region to be imprinted on the substrate, thereby deforming the region, and a processing unit configured to determine, as a region to be imprinted first, one region out of a first region and second region to be imprinted, and determine the other region as a region to be imprinted subsequently, wherein an influence on the other region in a case where the heating unit deforms the one region is smaller than an influence on the one region in a case where the heating unit deforms the other region.

Method and system configured to reduce or even nullify the degradation of images created by the projector tool turns on the optimization of the pattern-imaging by adjusting parameters and hardware of the projector to judiciously impact the placement of various image edges at different locations in the image field. Adjustments to the projector (exposure tool) include a change of a setup parameter of the exposure tool and/or scanning synchronization and/or a change of a signature of the optical system of the exposure tool determined as a result of minimizing the pre-determined cost function(s) that are parts of a comprehensive edge-placement error model.

A method of fabricating a circuit element, such as a quantum computing circuit element, including obtaining a lithography mask write file that includes mask information characterizing one or more mask features, obtaining a uniformity function that is configured to modify the mask information to compensate for a non-uniform deposition process, applying the uniformity function to the lithography mask write to obtain a modified lithography mask write file, and performing lithography as directed by the modified lithography mask write file.

A method of driving a spatial light modulator includes: setting, in an array of mirror elements, mirror elements in a first state for turning incident light into reflected light with the same phase as that of the incident light or with a phase different by a first phase from that of the incident light and mirror elements in a second state for turning incident light into reflected light with a phase different approximately 180 from the first phase to an arrangement with a first phase distribution; and setting, in the array of mirror elements, the first mirror elements and the second mirror elements to an arrangement with a second phase distribution which is an inversion of the first phase distribution.

A method for inspecting a spatial light modulator includes: performing such control that in an inspection target area in an array of mirror elements, the mirror elements in a first state in which incident light is given a phase change amount of 0 and the mirror elements in a second state in which incident light is given a phase change amount of 180 () become arrayed in a checkered pattern; guiding light having passed the inspection target area to a projection optical system with a resolution limit coarser than a width of an image of one mirror element, to form a spatial image; and inspecting a characteristic of the spatial light modulator from the spatial image. This method allows us to readily perform the inspection of the characteristic of the spatial light modulator having the array of optical elements.

While a wafer stage moves linearly in a Y-axis direction, surface position information of a wafer surface at a plurality of detection points set at a predetermined interval in an X-axis direction is detected by a multipoint AF system, and by a plurality of alignment systems arranged in a line along the X-axis direction, marks at different positions on the wafer are each detected, and a part of a chipped shot of the wafer is exposed by a periphery edge exposure system. This allows throughput to be improved when compared with the case when detection operation of the marks, detection operation of the surface position information (focus information), and periphery edge exposure operation are performed independently.

Methods of reducing a pattern displacement error, contrast loss, best focus shift, and/or tilt of a Bossung curve of a portion of a design layout used in a lithographic process for imaging that portion onto a substrate using a lithographic apparatus. The methods include adjusting an illumination source of the lithographic apparatus, placing one or more assist features onto, or adjusting a position and/or shape of one or more existing assist features in, the portion. Adjusting the illumination source and/or the one or more assist features may be by an optimization algorithm.