Methods are provided that, in some embodiments that provide alignment of a first layer of a printing plate on a chuck. For example, in one embodiment, images of reference marks on a chuck are captured to determine the initial positions of the reference marks on the chuck. A reference model is created from those initial positions. Images of alignment marks on a reference plate are captured and the locations of the alignment marks are determined. A reference plate model is created from the positions of the alignment marks. A mapping model is then created from the reference model and the reference plate model.

A method including illuminating a product test substrate with radiation from a component, wherein the product test substrate does not have a device pattern etched therein and yields a non-zero sensitivity when illuminated, the non-zero sensitivity representing a change in an optical response characteristic of the product test substrate with respect to a change in a characteristic of the radiation; measuring at least a part of the radiation redirected by the product test substrate to determine a parameter value; and taking an action with respect to the component based on the parameter value.

A lithographic apparatus having a substrate table, a projection system, an encoder system, a measurement frame and a measurement system. The substrate table has a holding surface for holding a substrate. The projection system is for projecting an image on the substrate. The encoder system is for providing a signal representative of a position of the substrate table. The measurement system is for measuring a property of the lithographic apparatus. The holding surface is along a plane. The projection system is at a first side of the plane. The measurement frame is arranged to support at least part of the encoder system and at least part of the measurement system at a second side of the plane different from the first side.

A method of correcting an overlay includes: forming a first pattern on a first substrate; forming a second pattern on the first pattern; obtaining a first overlay error profile of the second pattern and obtaining a first overlay correction profile from the first overlay error profile; forming a third pattern on the second pattern; obtaining a second overlay error profile of the third pattern and obtaining a second overlay correction profile from the second overlay error profile; and forming the second pattern on a second substrate, wherein the forming of the second pattern on the second substrate includes: determining whether the second overlay correction profile has a non-correctable model parameter; and when the second overlay correction profile has the non-correctable model, obtaining a preliminary correction profile to correct a position of the second pattern to be formed on the second substrate.

The present invention relates to a lithographic apparatus, comprising: a projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a substrate, comprising optical elements, a sensor frame, a first position measurement system configured to measure a position of an optical element relative to the sensor frame, comprising a sensor adapted to monitor an optical element, with a sensor element mounted to the sensor frame, a sensor frame support supporting the sensor frame on a reference, a force measurement device adapted to generate force measurement data relating to force exerted on the sensor frame by the sensor frame support, a position control device adapted to control the relative position of the substrate and the patterned radiation beam wherein the position control device is configured to receive the force measurement data and to control said relative position based on at least the force measurement data.

A method and apparatus are described for providing an accurate and robust measurement of a lithographic characteristic or metrology parameter. The method includes providing a range or a plurality of values for each of a plurality of metrology parameters of a metrology target, providing a constraint for each of the plurality of metrology parameters, and calculating, by a processor to optimize/modify these parameters within the range of the plurality of values, resulting in a plurality of metrology target designs having metrology parameters meeting the constraints.

A detection apparatus that detects a mark formed on a substrate is provided. The detection apparatus includes a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate, an optical system accommodated in the substrate holder, an image sensor configured to capture an image of the mark from the reverse surface side of the substrate through the optical system, and a processor configured to perform detection processing for the mark based on the image of the mark captured by the image sensor. The processor corrects a detection value of the mark based on the position of the mark on the substrate in the height direction and information concerning the telecentricity of the optical system.

A method of transferring a flexible layer to a substrate makes use of a partial bulge in the flexible layer, which does not make contact with the substrate. The partial bulge advances to the location of an alignment marker on the substrate. When alignment adjustments are needed, they are made with the partial bulge in place so that more reproducible positioning is possible when fully advancing the flexible layer against the substrate.

A method for determining one or more optimized values of an operational parameter of a sensor system configured to measure a property of a substrate is disclosed. The method includes: determining a quality parameter for a plurality of substrates; determining measurement parameter values for the plurality of substrates 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 parameter values; and determining the one or more optimized values of the operational parameter based on the comparing.

A measurement method comprising using multiple radiation poles to illuminate a diffraction grating on a mask at a mask side of a projection system of a lithographic apparatus, coupling at least two different resulting diffraction orders per illumination pole through the projection system, using the projection system to project the diffraction orders onto a grating on a wafer such that a pair of combination diffraction orders is formed by diffraction of the diffraction orders, coupling the combination diffraction orders back through the projection system to detectors configured to measure the intensity of the combination diffraction orders, and using the measured intensity of the combination diffraction orders to measure the position of the wafer grating.