A metrology apparatus includes first (21) and second (22) radiation sources which generate first (iB1) and second (iB2) illumination beams of different spatial extent and/or angular range. One of the illumination beams is selected, e.g. according to the size of target to be measured. The beam selection can be made by a tillable mirror (254) at a back-projected substrate plane in a Kohler illumination setup.

Position information of a movable body within an XY plane is measured with high accuracy by an encoder system whose measurement values have favorable short-term stability, without being affected by air fluctuations, and also position information of the movable body in a Z-axis direction orthogonal to the XY plane is measured with high accuracy by a surface position measuring system, without being affected by air fluctuations. In this case, since both of the encoder system and the surface position measuring system directly measure the upper surface of the movable body, simple and direct position control of the movable body can be performed.

A process for use in configuring a projection optics lithography system comprising providing a determination of pupil amplitude and phase optimization for the projection optics, for use in configuring the projection optics in accordance with the determination.

A method including obtaining a plurality of radiation distributions of measurement radiation redirected by the target, each of the plurality of radiation distributions obtained at a different gap distance between the target and an optical element of a measurement apparatus, the optical element being the nearest optical element to the target used to provide the measurement radiation to the target, and determining a parameter related to the target using data of the plurality of radiation distributions in conjunction with a mathematical model describing the measurement target.

A method including obtaining a measurement and/or simulation result of a pattern after being processed by an etch tool of a patterning system, determining a patterning error due to an etch loading effect based on the measurement and/or simulation result, and creating, by a computer system, modification information for modifying a patterning device and/or for adjusting a modification apparatus upstream in the patterning system from the etch tool based on the patterning error, wherein the patterning error is converted to a correctable error and/or reduced to a certain range, when the patterning device is modified according to the modification information and/or the modification apparatus is adjusted according to the modification information.

A control system for a positioning system, for positioning a driven object, e.g. in a lithographic apparatus, in N dimensions has M sensors, where M>N. A transformation module converts the M measurements by the sensors into a positional estimate in N dimensions taking into account compliance of the driven object.

Position information of a movable body within an XY plane is measured with high accuracy by an encoder system whose measurement values have favorable short-term stability, without being affected by air fluctuations, and also position information of the movable body in a Z-axis direction orthogonal to the XY plane is measured with high accuracy by a surface position measuring system, without being affected by air fluctuations. In this case, since both of the encoder system and the surface position measuring system directly measure the upper surface of the movable body, simple and direct position control of the movable body can be performed.

A reconfiguring image brightness (RIB) module includes a switch, a first lens, a digital micro-mirror device (DMD), a second lens and a third lens. The switch selectively allows a first image having a light intensity distribution to pass, wherein the first image is formed after an illumination beam passes through a photomask. The first lens outputs a second image by modulating the size of the first image passes through the first lens, and the second image is imaged on the DMD. A third image having a reconfigured light intensity distribution is formed by the DMD, and the third image is outputted to the second lens by the DMD. A fourth image is formed after the third image passes through the second lens, a fifth image is formed after the fourth image passes through the third lens and the fifth image is outputted from the RIB module.

The invention relates to a method for correcting at least one error on wafers processed by at least one photolithographic mask, the method comprises: (a) measuring the at least one error on a wafer at a wafer processing site, and (b) modifying the at least one photolithographic mask by introducing at least one arrangement of local persistent modifications in the at least one photolithographic mask.

A projection lens images a pattern of a mask arranged in the region of an object plane of the projection lens into an image plane of the projection lens via electromagnetic radiation with a work wavelength <260 nm. The projection lens has a multiplicity of optical elements with optical surfaces. The projection lens also has a wavefront manipulation system for controllable influencing of the wavefront of the projection radiation travelling from the object plane to the image plane. The wavefront manipulation system has a manipulator having a manipulator element and an actuating device or reversibly changing an optical effect of the manipulator element on radiation of the projection beam path.