The present invention provides an exposure apparatus that performs an exposure process to transfer a pattern of a mask to a substrate, including a projection optical system configured to project the pattern of the mask onto the substrate, a measurement pattern arranged on an object plane of the projection optical system and including a plurality of pattern elements having different positions in an optical axis direction of the projection optical system, a first detection unit configured to detect light from the measurement pattern via the projection optical system, and a control unit configured to control a relative position between the mask and the substrate in the optical axis direction when the exposure process is performed.

In corner sections of first to fourth quadrants whose origin point is a center of an upper surface of a stage, three each of two-dimensional heads are provided. The three each of two-dimensional heads include one first head and two second heads. The stage is driven, while measuring a position of the stage using three first heads that face a two-dimensional grating of a scale plate provided above the stage from the four first heads, and during the driving, difference data of measurement values of the two second heads with respect to the first head in a measurement direction are taken in for head groups to which the three first heads belong, respectively, and using the difference data, grid errors are calibrated.

Methods of performing metrology. In one arrangement a substrate has a layer. The layer comprises a two-dimensional material. A target portion of the layer is illuminated with a beam of radiation and a distribution of radiation in a pupil plane is detected to obtain measurement data. The measurement data is processed to obtain metrology information about the target portion of the layer. The illuminating, detecting and processing are performed for plural different target portions of the layer to obtain metrology information for the plural target portions of the layer.

The present disclosure provides a method for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system that includes a radiation source having a laser device configured with a mechanism to generate an EUV radiation. The method includes collecting a laser beam profile of a laser beam from the laser device in a 3-dimensional (3D) mode; collecting an EUV energy distribution of the EUV radiation generated by the laser beam in the 3D mode; performing an analysis to the laser beam profile and the EUV energy distribution, resulting in an analysis data; and adjusting the radiation source according to the analysis data to enhance the EUV radiation.

An illumination adjustment apparatus, to adjust a cross slot illumination of a beam in a lithographic apparatus, includes a plurality of fingers to adjust the cross slot illumination to conform to a selected intensity profile. Each finger has a distal edge that includes at least two segments. The two segments form an indentation of the distal edge.

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for characterizing a microlithographic mask. In a method according to the invention, structures of a mask intended for use in a lithography process in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus are illuminated by an illumination optical unit, wherein the mask is imaged onto a detector unit which has a plurality of pixels by an imaging optical unit. Here, a plurality of individual imaging processes are carried out with a pixel resolution specified by the detector unit, wherein these individual imaging processes differ from one another in respect of the position of at least one polarization-optical element situated in the imaging optical unit, wherein image data recorded by the detector unit are evaluated in an evaluation unit, wherein polarization-dependent effects on account of a polarization dependence of the interference of electromagnetic radiation that takes place in the wafer plane during the operation of the microlithographic projection exposure apparatus are emulated, wherein a conversion of the image data obtained in the individual imaging processes is implemented, in each case on the basis of at least one calibration image obtained by imaging a structure-free region of the mask onto the detector unit, wherein the calibration image respectively used is chosen differently depending on the position of the at least one polarization-optical element.

The present invention provides an exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate via an original, including an illumination optical system configured to illuminate the original, and a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of the original onto the substrate, wherein the illumination optical system illuminates the original by illumination light which includes a first portion that enters an incident pupil of the projection optical system and a second portion which enters a region outside the incident pupil, and the first portion and the second portion are separated from each other on an incident pupil plane of the projection optical system.

A pupil stop serves for use in an illumination optical unit of a metrology system for determining, as a result of illumination and imaging under illumination and imaging conditions corresponding to those of an optical production system, an aerial image of an object to be measured. The pupil stop has two pole passage openings for specifying a respective pole of an illumination of the illumination optical unit specified by the pupil stop. In each case at least one stop web passes through the respective pole passage opening and consequently divides the pole passage opening into a plurality of partial pole openings. This yields a pupil stop with which an accuracy of a convergence of the illumination and imaging conditions of the optical production system to the illumination and imaging conditions of the optical measurement system can be improved.

A measurement apparatus (10) for measuring a wavefront aberration of an imaging optical system (12) includes (i) a measurement wave generating module (24) which generates a measurement wave (26) radiated onto the optical system and which includes an illumination system (30) illuminating a mask plane (14) with an illumination radiation (32), as well as coherence structures (36) arranged in the mask plane, and (ii) a wavefront measurement module (28) which measures the measurement wave after passing through the optical system and determines from the measurement result, with an evaluation device (46), a deviation of the wavefront of the measurement wave from a desired wavefront. The evaluation device (46) determines an influence of an intensity distribution (70) of the illumination radiation in the region of the mask plane on the measurement result and, when determining the deviation of the wavefront, utilizes the influence of the intensity distribution.

A device for measuring reference points in real time during lithographic printing includes a light source providing an exposure beam; a light modulator modulating the exposure beam according to an exposure pattern; a measurement system configured to measure a position of a number of alignment marks previously arranged on a substrate; and an exposure optical system comprising a control unit. The exposure optical system delivers the modulated exposure beam as an image provided by the light modulator onto the substrate. The exposure system control unit is configured to calculate the orientation of the substrate based on the position of the alignment marks and control the delivering of the modulated exposure beam relative to the calculated orientation of the substrate.