A method for correcting a reflective optical element for the wavelength range between 5 nm and 20 nm, which includes a multilayer system on a substrate. The multilayer system has layers consisting of at least two alternately arranged different materials with a different real component of the refractive index for a wavelength in the extreme ultraviolet wavelength range. The method includes: measuring the reflectivity distribution over the surface of the multilayer system; comparing the measured reflectivity distribution to a nominal distribution of the reflectivity over the surface of the multilayer system, determining at least one partial surface having a measured reflectivity above the nominal reflectivity; and irradiating the at least one partial surface with ions or electrons.

An extreme ultraviolet lithography system (10) that creates a new pattern (330) having a plurality of densely packed parallel lines (332) on a workpiece (22), the system (10) includes a patterning element (16); an EUV illumination system (12) that directs an extreme ultraviolet beam (13B) at the patterning element (16); a projection optical assembly (18) that directs the extreme ultraviolet beam diffracted off of the patterning element (16) at the workpiece (22) to create a first stripe (364) of generally parallel lines (332) during a first scan (365); and a control system (24). The workpiece (22) includes an existing pattern (233) that is distorted. The control system (24) selectively adjusts a control parameter during the first scan (365) so that the first stripe (364) is distorted to more accurately overlay the portion of existing pattern (233) positioned under the first stripe (364).

Various methods are disclosed herein for reducing (or eliminating) printability of mask defects during lithography processes. An exemplary method includes performing a first lithography exposing process and a second lithography exposing process using a mask to respectively image a first set of polygons oriented substantially along a first direction and a second set of polygons oriented substantially along a second direction on a target. During the first lithography exposing process, a phase distribution of light diffracted from the mask is dynamically modulated to defocus any mask defect oriented at least partially along both the first direction and a third direction that is different than the first direction. During the second lithography exposing process, the phase distribution of light diffracted from the mask is dynamically modulated to defocus any mask defect oriented at least partially along both the second direction and a fourth direction that is different than the third direction.

Devices, systems, and/or methodologies are provided for three dimensional printing, for example, additive manufacturing, wherein an array of energy patterning (e.g., light patterning) modules are used in conjunction with an automated positional control system to coordinate impelementation of patterning modules of the array. Implementaion of the array can be controlled by a sensory feed-back.

Embodiments described herein provide a system, a software application, and methods of a lithography process that provide at least one of the ability to decrease the stabilization time and write an exposure pattern into a photoresist on a substrate compensating for the change in the total pitch over a stabilization time. One embodiment of the system includes a slab, a stage disposed over the slab, a pair of supports disposed on the slab, a processing apparatus, and a chiller system. The pair of supports support a pair of tracks and the stage is configured to move along the pair of tracks. The processing apparatus has an apparatus support coupled to the slab and a processing unit supported by the apparatus support. The processing unit has a plurality of image projection systems. The chiller system has at least one fluid channel disposed in each track of the pair of tracks.

An exposure apparatus that projects a pattern of an original onto a substrate via a projection optical system and exposes the substrate is provided. The apparatus comprises an aberration correction member arranged on an optical path of exposure light between the original and the substrate, and a driver which drives the aberration correction member. The aberration correction member includes a first optical element including a first surface having a three-fold rotational symmetric aspherical shape with respect to an optical axis of the exposure light, and a second optical element spaced apart from the first optical element along the optical axis and including a second surface facing the first surface and having an aspherical shape that complementarily corrects an aberration generated by the first optical element.

A method of lithography includes obtaining a profile of a single field of a substrate that having a photoresist layer thereon, in which the profile includes a first feature and a second feature having different heights. A depth of focus distribution map is generated according to the profile. A project lens is tuned based on the generated depth of focus distribution map, such that the project lens provides a first focus length in a first project pixel of the project lens and a second focus length in a second project pixel of the project lens, wherein the first focus length and the second focus lengths. The single field of the substrate is exposed by using the tuned project lens.

An optical system for beam pointing monitoring and compensation is provided. According to an embodiment, a beam pointing monitor and compensation system includes a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) optical element (800). The SPR optical element includes an optical element (801) that includes first (806) and second (802) surfaces. The first and second surfaces of the optical element are substantially parallel to each other. The SPR optical element further includes a first metal layer (803) provided on the second surface of the optical element, a dielectric layer (805) provided on the first metal layer, and a second metal layer (807) provided on the dielectric layer.

A method for determining one or more optimized values of an operational parameter of a sensor system configured for measuring a property of a substrate. The method includes: determining a quality parameter for a plurality of substrates; determining measurement parameters for the plurality of substrates obtained using the sensor system for a plurality of values of the operational parameter; comparing a substrate to substrate variation of the quality parameter and a substrate to substrate variation of a mapping of the measurement parameters; and determining the one or more optimized values of the operational parameter based on the comparing.

A method for vertical control of a lithography machine includes step 1, prior to a scanning exposure, controlling vertical measurement sensors to measure workpiece to obtain overall surface profile data of the workpiece; step 2, performing a global leveling based on the overall surface profile data of the workpiece; and step 3, during the scanning exposure of each exposure field, measuring a local surface profile of the workpiece in real time by the vertical measurement sensors and controlling at least one of a mask stage, a workpiece stage and a projection objective to move vertically according to a Z-directional height value, an Rx-directional tilt value and an Ry-directional tilt value corresponding to the local surface profile of the workpiece, to compensate for the local surface profile of the workpiece in real time, so that an upper surface of each exposure field coincides with a reference focal plane for the exposure field. This method enables flexible vertical control with high accuracy by providing multiple control options.