An apparatus and system for determining alignment of a substrate in which a periodic alignment mark is illuminated with spatially coherent radiation which is then provided to a compact integrated optical device to create self images of the alignment mark which may be manipulated (e.g., mirrored, polarized) and combined to obtain information on the position of the mark and distortions within the mark. Also disclosed is a system for determining alignment of a substrate in which a periodic alignment mark is illuminated with spatially coherent radiation which is then provided to an optical fiber arrangement to obtain information such as the position of the mark and distortions within the mark.

A sensor apparatus (300) for determining a position of a target (330) of a substrate (W) comprising, projection optics (315;321) configured to project a radiation beam (310) onto the substrate, collection optics (321) configured to collect measurement radiation (325) that has scattered from the target, a wavefront sensing system (335) configured to determine a pupil function variation of at least a portion (355) of the measurement radiation and output a signal (340) indicative thereof, and a measurement system (350) configured to receive the signal and to determine the position of the target in at least partial dependence on the collected measurement radiation and the determined pupil function variation of at least a portion of the measurement radiation.

A lithographic apparatus having a substrate table, a projection system, an encoder system, a measurement frame and a measurement system. The substrate table has a holding surface for holding a substrate. The projection system is for projecting an image on the substrate. The encoder system is for providing a signal representative of a position of the substrate table. The measurement system is for measuring a property of the lithographic apparatus. The holding surface is along a plane. The projection system is at a first side of the plane. The measurement frame is arranged to support at least part of the encoder system and at least part of the measurement system at a second side of the plane different from the first side.

Disclosed is a metrology sensor system, such as a position sensor. The system comprises an optical collection system configured to collect diffracted or scattered radiation from a metrology mark on a substrate, said collected radiation comprising at least one parameter-sensitive signal and noise signal which is not parameter-sensitive, a processing system operable to process the collected radiation; and a module housing. An optical guide is provided for guiding the at least one parameter-sensitive signal, separated from the noise signal, from the processing system to a detection system outside of the housing. A detector detects the separated at least one parameter-sensitive signal. An obscuration for blocking zeroth order radiation and/or a demagnifying optical system may be provided between the optical guide and the detector.

An apparatus for and method of sensing multiple alignment marks in which the optical axis of a detector is divided into multiple axes each of which can essentially simultaneously detect a separate alignment mark to generate a signal which can then be multiplexed and presented to a single detector or multiple detectors thus permitting more rapid detection of multiple marks.

An illumination apparatus configured to provide illumination while changing a spectrum of light from a light source includes a wavelength variable unit configured to change a spectrum of irradiating light, and an optical system configured to irradiate the wavelength variable unit with the light from the light source. The wavelength variable unit is disposed so that an incident surface of the wavelength variable unit on which the light emitted from the optical system is incident is tilted with respect to a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the optical system.

A lithographic apparatus includes a projection system which includes a plurality of optical elements configured to project a beam of radiation onto a radiation sensitive substrate. The lithographic apparatus also includes a metrology frame structure which includes a part of one or more optical element measurement systems to measure the position and/or orientation of at least one of the optical elements. The plurality of optical elements, a patterning device stage, and a substrate stage are arranged such that, in a two dimensional view on the projection system, a rectangle is defined such that it envelops the plurality of optical elements, the patterning device stage, and the substrate stage. The rectangle is as small as possible. The metrology frame structure is positioned within the rectangle.

The invention provides a position sensor (300) which comprises an optical system (305, 306) configured to provide measurement radiation (304) to a substrate (307). The optical system is arranged to receive at least a portion of radiation (309) diffracted by a mark (308) provided on the substrate. A processor (313) is applied to derive at least one position-sensitive signal (312) from the received radiation. The measurement radiation comprises at least a first and a second selected radiation wavelength. The selection of the at least first and second radiation wavelengths is based on a position error swing-curve model.

The present invention provides a position detection apparatus including a detection unit configured to detect moire caused by overlap between a first diffraction grating including patterns arrayed in a first direction and a second diffraction grating including patterns arrayed in the first direction, and a processing unit configured to obtain a relative position of the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating based on the moire, wherein a width of an end pattern of patterns included in at least one of the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating in the first direction is smaller than widths of remaining patterns of the at least one diffraction grating in the first direction.

A lithographic apparatus having a substrate table, a projection system, an encoder system, a measurement frame and a measurement system. The substrate table has a holding surface for holding a substrate. The projection system is for projecting an image on the substrate. The encoder system is for providing a signal representative of a position of the substrate table. The measurement system is for measuring a property of the lithographic apparatus. The holding surface is along a plane. The projection system is at a first side of the plane. The measurement frame is arranged to support at least part of the encoder system and at least part of the measurement system at a second side of the plane different from the first side.