A lithographic system comprises a radiation source and a lithographic apparatus. The radiation source provides radiation to the lithographic apparatus. The lithographic apparatus uses the radiation for imaging a pattern onto multiple target areas on a layer of photo-resist on a semiconductor substrate. The imaging requires a pre-determined dose of radiation. The system is controlled so as to set a level of a power of the radiation in dependence on a magnitude of the pre-determined dose.

A method of correcting aberrations caused by a projection system of a lithographic apparatus, the method including performing a measurement of an aberration caused by the projection system using a sensor located in the lithographic apparatus, determining, based on a history of operation of the lithographic apparatus since a change of machine state, whether to average the measured aberration with one or more aberration measurements previously obtained using the sensor, calculating a correction to be applied to the lithographic apparatus using the measured aberration if it is determined that averaging should not be performed, calculating a correction to be applied to the lithographic apparatus using an averaged aberration measurement if it is determined that averaging should be performed, and applying the calculated correction to the lithographic apparatus.

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.

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for enhancing lithography printability, and in particular, for enhancing image contrast. An exemplary method includes receiving an integrated circuit (IC) design layout and generating an exposure map based on the IC design layout. The IC design layout includes a target pattern to be formed on a workpiece, and the exposure map includes an exposure grid divided into dark pixels and bright pixels that combine to form the target pattern. The method further includes adjusting the exposure map to increase exposure dosage at edges of the target pattern. In some implementations, the adjusting includes locating an edge portion of the target pattern in the exposure map, where the edge portion has a corresponding bright pixel, and assigning exposure energy from at least one dark pixel to the corresponding bright pixel, thereby generating a modified exposure map.

A lithographic system including a lithographic apparatus with an anamorphic projection system, and a radiation source configured to generate an EUV radiation emitting plasma at a plasma formation location, the EUV radiation emitting plasma having an elongate form in a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the radiation source.

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.

Techniques herein include systems and methods that provide a spatially-controlled projection of electromagnetic radiation, such as light, onto a substrate as a mechanism of controlling or modulating critical dimensions of various features and structures being micro-fabricated on a substrate. Combining such spatial light projection with photolithographic exposure can achieve significant improvements in critical dimension uniformity across a surface of a substrate. In general, methods herein include patterning processes that identify or receive a critical dimension signature that spatially characterizes critical dimension values that correspond to the substrate. A pattern of electromagnetic radiation is projected onto a patterning film coated on substrate using a digital pixel-based projection system. A conventional photolithographic exposure process is executed subsequent to, or prior to, the pixel-based projection. The patterning film can then be developed to yield a relief pattern having critical dimensions shaped by both exposure processes.

A method of exposing a patterned area on a substrate using an EUV lithographic apparatus having a demagnification of about 5 and a numerical aperture of about 0.4 is disclosed. The method comprises exposing a first portion of the patterned area on the substrate using a first exposure, the first portion dimensions are significantly less than the dimensions of a conventional exposure, and exposing one or more additional portions of the patterned area on the substrate using one or more additional exposures, the additional portions having dimensions which are significantly less than the dimensions of a conventional exposure. The method further comprises repeating the above to expose a second patterned area on the substrate, the second patterned area being provided with the same pattern as the first patterned area, wherein a distance between center points of the first and second patterned areas corresponds with a dimension of a conventional exposure.

The present invention relates to lithographic apparatuses and processes, and more particularly to tools for co-optimizing illumination sources and masks for use in lithographic apparatuses and processes. According to certain aspects, the present invention enables full chip pattern coverage while lowering the computation cost by intelligently selecting a small set of critical design patterns from the full set of clips to be used in source and mask optimization. Optimization is performed only on these selected patterns to obtain an optimized source. The optimized source is then used to optimize the mask (e.g. using OPC and manufacturability verification) for the full chip, and the process window performance results are compared. If the results are comparable to conventional full-chip SMO, the process ends, otherwise various methods are provided for iteratively converging on the successful result.

An illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a pupil forming unit directing light on a spatial light modulator that transmits or reflects impinging light in a spatially resolved manner. An objective images a light exit surface of the spatial light modulator on light entrance facets of an optical integrator so that an image of an object area on the light exit surface completely coincides with one of the light entrance facets. The pupil forming unit and the spatial light modulator are controlled so that the object area is completely illuminated by the pupil forming unit and projection light associated with a point in the object area is at least partially and variably prevented from impinging on the one of the light entrance facets.