A method for determining a wavefront parameter of a patterning process. The method includes obtaining a reference performance (e.g., a contour, EPE, CD) of a reference apparatus (e.g., a scanner), a lens model for a patterning apparatus configured to convert a wavefront parameter of a wavefront to actuator movement, and a lens fingerprint of a tuning apparatus (e.g., a to-be-matched scanner). Further, the method involves determining the wavefront parameter (e.g., a wavefront parameter such as tilt, offset, etc.) based on the lens fingerprint of the tuning apparatus, the lens model, and a cost function, wherein the cost function is a difference between the reference performance and a tuning apparatus performance.

A pattern writing method for charged-particle lithography apparatuses using an improved correction for thermal distortion of the substrate includes determining an exposure position where the beam impinges on the substrate and the power of the beam at the exposure position; calculating heating of the substrate at the exposure position, and calculating, for a plurality of locations over the substrate, and the thermal diffusion and radiative cooling; calculating, for the same or a reduced plurality of locations on the substrate, the positional change of the substrate due to thermal expansion; determining a displacement distance which compensates the positional change at the exposure position, updating the structure to be written by shifting the exposure position of the beam by said displacement distance, and writing the updated structures on the substrate with the beam. These steps are repeated as a function of time and/or varying exposure position of the beam substrate position.

An extreme ultraviolet light generating system includes a chamber; a target supply unit configured to successively output, toward a predetermined region in the chamber, a plurality of droplets including a first droplet and a second droplet of a target substance; a trajectory correcting laser apparatus configured to apply a trajectory correcting laser beam to each of the droplets moving from the target supply unit toward the predetermined region; a drive laser apparatus configured to apply a drive laser beam to each droplet having reached the predetermined region to generate plasma; and a control unit configured to control the trajectory correcting laser apparatus such that intensity of the trajectory correcting laser beam applied to the first droplet is different from intensity of the trajectory correcting laser beam applied to the second droplet.

A method of controlling an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography system is disclosed. The method includes irradiating a target droplet with EUV radiation, detecting EUV radiation reflected by the target droplet, determining aberration of the detected EUV radiation, determining a Zernike polynomial corresponding to the aberration, and performing a corrective action to reduce a shift in Zernike coefficients of the Zernike polynomial.

An extreme ultraviolet light generation system may include an irradiation position adjustment mechanism adjusting an irradiation position of the laser light; an extreme ultraviolet light sensor measuring energy of extreme ultraviolet light; a return light sensor measuring energy of return light traveling backward on the laser light path; and a processor controlling the irradiation position adjustment mechanism. The processor stores measurement results of the extreme ultraviolet light energy and the return light energy in association with each of the irradiation positions, limits a shift region of the irradiation position based on comparison between the return light energy and a threshold, and determines a target irradiation position based on the association between the irradiation position and the extreme ultraviolet light energy in a region where the return light energy does not exceed the threshold, and controlling the irradiation position adjustment mechanism in accordance with the target irradiation position.

In one embodiment, a writing data generating method is for generating writing data used in a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus. The method includes calculating, for a figure containing a curve and a straight line included in design data, a plurality of control points representing the curve and a plurality of vertices of the curve and straight line, and expressing a position of each of the control points and vertices as a displacement from an adjacent control point or vertex to generate the writing data.

A comprehensive inspection device for an EUV exposure process includes: a light generation unit configured to generate EUV light; a splitter configured to split the EUV light into first EUV light and second EUV light; an optical characteristic evaluation unit configured to detect reflectance and transmittance of the pellicle and reflectance of the object by measuring an intensity of the first EUV light, which has been transmitted through the pellicle, reflected from an object, and re-transmitted through the pellicle, and an intensity of the first EUV light, which has been directly reflected from the object without the pellicle; and an imaging inspection unit configured to inspect imaging performance of a mask by focusing the second EUV light, which has been reflected and diffracted from the mask, through an objective lens, and then collecting the focused second EUV light to obtain an aerial region image.

A method of manufacturing an optical element includes steps of: exposing a photopolymer to a plurality of kinds of light for a plurality of cycles, in which each of the cycles includes a plurality of exposure time sequences respectively corresponding to the kinds of light, and any adjacent two of the exposure time sequences of the cycles correspond to two of the kinds of light; and fixing the exposed photopolymer to form a holographic optical element having a plurality of holographic gratings respectively formed by the kinds of light.

The method for optimizing a light source in integrated circuit manufacturing, includes following steps: S1, providing an initial light source; S2, performing region segmentation according to light intensity distribution of the initial light source to obtain a plurality of sub light source regions; S3, providing at least two matching patterns and matching them with each sub light source region to obtain at least two matching results corresponding to each sub light source region; S4, performing calculating based on the at least two matching results and each sub light source region to obtain a best matching pattern corresponding to each sub light source region; and S5, generating a light source to be optimized based on the best matching pattern corresponding to each sub light source region.

A device and a method for regulating and controlling an incident angle of a light beam in a laser interference lithography process are disclosed. The device comprises: a beam splitter prism between a first lens and a second lens, a first position detector, a first decoupling lens between the first position detector and the beam splitter prism, a feedback control system connected to the first position detector and a first universal reflecting mirror. The beam splitter prism reflects first incident light passing through the first universal reflecting mirror, the first decoupling lens enables a first reflected light enter into the first position detector, the first position detector measures the light beam position, the feedback control system outputs a control command according to the measurement result to regulate a mirror base of the first universal reflecting mirror, thereby regulating and controlling an incident angle of an exposure light beam.