The invention provides an inspection apparatus for inspecting an object, the apparatus comprising: a measurement system configured to measure: —a first parameter of the object across an area of interest of the object, and —a second parameter, different from the first parameter, of the object at a plurality of locations on the object; a stage apparatus configured to position the object relative to the measurement system during a measurement of the first parameter, wherein the measurement system is configured to measure the second parameter at the plurality of different locations during the measurement of the first parameter and wherein the stage apparatus is configured to position the object relative to the measurement system based on a compliance characteristic of the stage apparatus.

A method of controlling a computer process for designing or verifying a photolithographic component includes building a source tree including nodes of the process, including dependency relationships among the nodes, defining, for some nodes, at least two different process conditions, expanding the source tree to form an expanded tree, including generating a separate node for each different defined process condition, and duplicating dependent nodes having an input relationship to each generated separate node, determining respective computing hardware requirements for processing the node, selecting computer hardware constraints based on capabilities of the host computing system, determining, based on the requirements and constraints and on dependency relations in the expanded tree, an execution sequence for the computer process, and performing the computer process on the computing system.

A metrology system is disclosed, in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The metrology system includes a stage configured to secure a sample, one or more diffraction-based overlay (DBO) metrology targets disposed on the sample. The metrology system includes a light source and one or more sensors. The metrology system includes a set of optics configured to direct illumination light from the light source to the one or more DBO metrology targets of the sample, the set of optics including a half-wave plate, the half-wave plate selectively insertable into an optical path such that the half-wave plate selectively passes both illumination light from an illumination channel and collection light from a collection channel, the half-wave plate being configured to selectively align an orientation of linearly polarized illumination light from the light source to an orientation of a grating of the one or more DBO metrology targets.

A hot plate of a resist removing apparatus is disposed in a processing space and heated to a predetermined temperature. A substrate has on an upper surface thereof, a pattern of a resist having a surface on which an altered layer is formed. A moving mechanism moves a plurality of lift pins relative to a hot plate. An upper surface of the substrate is supplied with ozone gas. A control part disposes the substrate at a first processing position with a clearance from the hot plate and removes the altered layer by using the ozone gas, and subsequently controls the moving mechanism to dispose the substrate at a second processing position with a clearance smaller than that between the first processing position and the hot plate and removes the resist by using the ozone gas. It is thereby possible to efficiently remove the resist from the substrate while preventing popping.

The invention provides a cooling system in an exposure machine, which comprises an exposure machine for performing an exposure process of a semiconductor, at least one water storage tank, wherein the water storage tank is filled with cooling water for cooling some components of the exposure machine, a water inlet valve and a water outlet valve, which are connected with the water storage tank, and an automatic controller for controlling the water inlet valve and the water outlet valve to keep the cooling water in the water storage tank at a certain water level.

A method for configuring an apparatus for providing structures to a layer on a substrate, the method including: obtaining first data including substrate specific data as measured and/or modeled before the providing of the structures to the layer on the substrate; and determining a configuration of the apparatus for at least two different control regimes based on the first data and the use of a common merit function including parameters associated with the at least two control regimes.

A method of extracting a feature from a data set includes iteratively extracting a feature from a data set based on a visualization of a residual pattern within the data set, wherein the feature is distinct from a feature extracted in a previous iteration, and the visualization of the residual pattern uses the feature extracted in the previous iteration. Visualizing the data set using the feature extracted in the previous iteration may include showing residual patterns of attribute data that are relevant to target data. Visualizing the data set using the feature extracted in the previous iteration may involve adding cluster constraints to the data set, based on the feature extracted in the previous iteration. Additionally or alternatively, visualizing the data set using the feature extracted in the previous iteration may involve defining conditional probabilities conditioned on the feature extracted in the previous iteration.

Aspects of the present disclosure provide a method for optimizing wafer shape. For example, the method can include receiving a wafer having a working surface for one or more devices to be fabricated thereon and a backside surface opposite to the working surface, measuring the wafer to identify bow measurement of the wafer, and forming a first stress-modification film on the backside surface. The first stress-modification film can be reactive to a first wavelength of light in that exposure to the first wavelength of light modifies an internal stress of the first stress-modification film. The method can further include exposing the first stress-modification film to a pattern of the first wavelength of light to modify the internal stress of the first stress-modification film. The pattern of the first wavelength of light corresponds to the bow measurement.

Aspects of the present disclosure provide a method for optimizing wafer shape. For example, the method can include receiving a wafer having a working surface for one or more devices to be fabricated thereon and a backside surface opposite to the working surface, measuring the wafer to identify bow measurement of the wafer, and forming a stress-modification film on the backside surface of the wafer. The stress-modification film can be reactive to heat such that applied heat modifies an internal stress of the stress-modification film. The method can also include applying a pattern of heat onto the stress-modification film to modify the internal stress of the stress-modification film, the pattern of heat corresponding to the bow measurement.

A control system, for example for an optical system, includes: an actuating element; a measuring element for acquiring actuating element measurement data of the actuating element; a regulating unit for generating a regulating signal for regulating the actuating element depending on the acquired actuating element meas-urement data; and a state monitoring unit for monitoring a state of the control system depending on the acquired actuating element measurement data. The state monitoring unit includes: a first processing unit for generating preprocessed state data depending on (i) the acquired actuating element measurement data and a physical model and/or a mathematical model of the actuating element, or (ii) the acquired actuating element measurement data, a physical model and/or a mathematical model of the actuating element and the generated regulating signal; and a second processing unit for determining the state of the control system depending on the preprocessed state data.