In a method of diagnosing an RF generator of a laser produced plasma extreme ultra violet (LPP EUV) radiation source apparatus, a testing system is connected to the RF generator of the LPP EUV radiation source apparatus. An output power is measured by the testing system with changing an input power of the RF generator. Using a computer system, the measured output power is analyzed. Based on the analyzed measured output power, whether the RF generator is operating properly is determined.

A controller is configured to perform at least a first characterization process prior to at least one discrete backside film deposition process on a semiconductor wafer; perform at least an additional characterization process following the at least one discrete backside film deposition process; determine at least one of a film force or one or more in-plane displacements for at least one discrete backside film deposited on the semiconductor wafer via the at least one discrete backside film deposition process based on the at least the first characterization process and the at least the additional characterization process; and provide at least one of the film force or the one or more in-plane displacements to at least one process tool via at least one of a feed forward loop or a feedback loop to improve performance of one or more fabrication processes.

A controller is configured to perform at least a first characterization process prior to at least one discrete backside film deposition process on a semiconductor wafer; perform at least an additional characterization process following the at least one discrete backside film deposition process; determine at least one of a film force or one or more in-plane displacements for at least one discrete backside film deposited on the semiconductor wafer via the at least one discrete backside film deposition process based on the at least the first characterization process and the at least the additional characterization process; and provide at least one of the film force or the one or more in-plane displacements to at least one process tool via at least one of a feed forward loop or a feedback loop to improve performance of one or more fabrication processes.

A method for controlling a lithographic apparatus, and associated apparatuses. The method is configured to provide product structures to a substrate in a lithographic process and includes determining optimization data. The optimization data includes measured and/or simulated data of at least one performance parameter associated with the product structures and/or their arrangement which are to be applied to the substrate in the lithographic process. Substrate specific metrology data as measured and/or modelled before the providing of product structures to the substrate is determined, the substrate specific metrology data including metrology data relating to a characteristic of the substrate to which the structures are being applied and/or the state of the lithographic apparatus at the time that the structures are applied to the substrate. The method further includes optimizing control of the lithographic apparatus during the lithographic process based on the optimization data and the substrate specific metrology data.

A method of determining a control setting for a lithographic apparatus. The method includes obtaining a first correction for a current layer on a current substrate based on first metrology data associated with one or more previous substrates, and obtaining a second correction for the current layer on the current substrate. The second correction is based on a residual determined based on second metrology data associated with a previous layer on the current substrate. The method further includes determining the control setting for the lithographic apparatus for patterning the current layer on the current substrate by combining the first correction and the second correction.

In order to prevent long down-time that occurs with unexpected material depletion, an Inline Tin Stream Monitor (ITSM) system precisely measures the tin amount introduced by an in-line refill system and precisely estimates remaining runtime by measuring pressure level changes before and after in-line refill.

An EUV lithographic apparatus includes a wafer stage and a particle removing assembly for cleaning a wafer for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithographic apparatus. The wafer stage includes a measurement side and an exposure side. The particle removing assembly includes particle removing electrodes, an exhaust device and turbomolecular pumps. The particle removing electrodes is configured to direct debris from the chamber by suppressing turbulence such that the debris can be exhausted from the wafer stage to the outside of the processing apparatus. In some embodiments, turbomolecular pumps are turned off in the measurement side of the wafer stage so that an exhaust flow can be guided to an exposure side of the wafer stage. In some embodiments, the speed of voltage rise to the electrodes of the wafer chuck is adjusted.

According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided an apparatus and method for driving a laser imaging module (LIM) that includes an adjustment current to have all laser diodes emitting the same amount of output so that the diodes can be connected in series on a single high current power source. Fine tuning can be done by a dedicated low current controllable power source connected directly to each laser diode. A series connected LIM uses only two heavy gauge wires so total power loss and heat stress on the LIM and module drawer connectors will be significantly reduced. Additional fine tuning can include an electronic gate so that individual diodes could be quickly turned off independently from each other.

A method of controlling a computer process for designing or verifying a photolithographic component, the method including 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.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a manufacturing method using nano-imprint lithography for a diffraction grating waveguide of a near-eye display. The manufacturing method includes: manufacturing an imprint lithography template with a diffraction grating waveguide pattern; transferring the diffraction grating waveguide pattern of the imprint lithography template to a transferring template by nano-imprint lithography, so as to obtain a transferring template with a reverse pattern of the diffraction grating waveguide pattern; and transferring the reverse pattern of the diffraction grating waveguide pattern of the transferring template to a waveguide substrate by nano-imprint lithography, so as to obtain the diffraction grating waveguide of the near-eye display.