Lithography systems and methods are provided with enhanced performance based on broader utilization of the integrated metrology tool in the printing tool to handle the metrology measurements in the system in a more sophisticated and optimized way. Additional operation channels are disclosed, enabling the integrated metrology tool to monitor and/or allocate metrology measurements thereby and by a standalone metrology tool with respect to specified temporal limitations of the printing tool; to adjust and optimize the metrology measurement recipes; to provide better process control to optimize process parameters of the printing tool; as well as to group process parameters of the printing tool according to a metrology measurements landscape.

A reticle-like sensing assembly comprises a main body, a sensing module, a power supply and a wireless charging receiver. The main body has a space therein; wherein the main body has a dimension identical to the real reticle to collecting various data which affects a reticle in a lithography process. The sensing module is received in the space of the main body to sense information related to the main body and compute the information to obtain a sensing data accordingly. The power supply is received in the space of the main body and electrically connected to the sensing module to provide electric power to the sensing module. The wireless charging receiver is received in the space of the main body and electrically connected to the power supply to be driven to charge the power supply.

A method for reducing sticking of an object to a surface used in a lithography process includes receiving, at a control computer, instructions for a tool configured to modify the surface and forming, in a deterministic manner based on the instructions received at the control computer, a modified surface having a furrow and a ridge, wherein the ridge reduces the sticking by reducing a contact surface area of the modified surface. Another apparatus includes a modified surface that includes furrows and ridges forming a reduced contact surface area to reduce a sticking of an object to the modified surface, the ridges having an elastic property that causes the reduced contact surface area to increase when the plurality of ridges is elastically deformed.

A method of inspecting an outer surface of a mask pod includes moving a stage holding a mask pod such that the stage stops at each location of a plurality of locations under an outer surface of the mask pod for a predefined amount of time. At each location of the plurality of locations, the method further includes directing a stream of air to the outer surface of the mask pod, capturing an image of scattered air from each location of the plurality of locations of the outer surface of the mask pod, and determining a number of particles in the scattered air as a sampled number of particles based on the captured image. The method also includes generating a map of particles on the outer surface of the mask pod based on the sampled number of particles at each of the plurality of locations.

A method of correcting aberrations caused by a projection system of a lithographic apparatus, the method including performing a measurement of an aberration caused by the projection system using a sensor located in the lithographic apparatus, determining, based on a history of operation of the lithographic apparatus since a change of machine state, whether to average the measured aberration with one or more aberration measurements previously obtained using the sensor, calculating a correction to be applied to the lithographic apparatus using the measured aberration if it is determined that averaging should not be performed, calculating a correction to be applied to the lithographic apparatus using an averaged aberration measurement if it is determined that averaging should be performed, and applying the calculated correction to the lithographic apparatus.

A dissection method for optical proximity correction includes the following steps. An initial dissection is performed to define each side of a layout pattern as an original segment so as to form multiple original segments. It is determined whether an opposite side of a target side has an inside corner. A corner opposite dissection is performed to a target side to form multiple intermediate segments. It is judge which type of included angles between a target segment and each of its adjacent sides belongs to. A symmetrical dissection is performed according to the type of the included angles.

A laser unit management system may include a server configured to hold first information provided with access limitation that allows an access with a first access authorization, second information provided with access limitation that allows an access with a second access authorization, and third information provided with access limitation that allows both an access with the first access authorization and an access with the second access authorization; and a laser unit including a laser output section and a controller, the laser output section being configured to output pulsed laser light toward an exposure unit that is configured to perform wafer exposure, the controller being configured to store the first information, the second information, and the third information in the server. The second information may include wafer-exposure-related information on the exposure unit and laser-control-related information on the laser unit that are in association with each other.

An image processor, a method for generating a pattern using self-organizing lithographic techniques, and a computer program are provided to achieve image processing suitable for addressing a sample generated by patterning using Directed Self-Assembly (DSA), and the processor, method, and computer program are characterized in that a template for addressing is prepared on the basis of guide pattern data used for patterning by DSA. The above configuration makes it possible to provide an addressing pattern suitable for visual field positioning in measuring or inspecting a pattern formed through the patterning process using DSA.

An optical imaging device, including an imaging unit and a measuring device. The imaging unit includes a first optical element group having at least one first optical element, which contributes to the imaging. The measuring device determines an imaging error, which occurs during the imaging, using a capturing signal. The measuring device includes a measurement light source, a second optical element group and a capturing unit. The measurement light source emits at least one measurement light bundle, The second optical element group includes an optical reference element and a second optical element, which guide the measurement light bundle onto the capturing unit, to generate the capturing signal. Each second optical element has a defined spatial relationship with a respective one of the first optical elements, The second optical elements differ from the first optical elements. The measuring device determines the imaging error with the capturing signal.

The present invention relates firstly to a method for reproducing a stem cell niche of an organism. The invention further relates to a reproduction of a stem cell niche of an organism. According to the invention, an image of a tissue of an organism is generated, which tissue comprises at least one stem cell niche. The image is filtered in order to obtain a structural pattern of the imaged stem cell niche. In a further step, a lithographic mask is generated from the structural pattern. According to the invention, a starting material of a substrate is structured by means of indirect or direct application of the lithographic mask, whereby a structured substrate is obtained which represents the reproduction of the imaged stem cell niche of the organism. The reproduction can be characterised as biolithomorphic.