Some implementations herein include a detection circuit and a fast and accurate in-line method for detecting blockage on a droplet generator head of an extreme ultraviolet exposure tool without impacting the flow of droplets of a target material through the droplet generator head. In some implementations described herein, the detection circuit includes a switch circuit that is configured in an open configuration, in which the switch is electrically open between two electrode elements. When an accumulation of the target material occurs across two or more electrode elements on the droplet generator head, the accumulation functions as a switch that closes the detection circuit. A controller may detect closure of the detection circuit.

To efficiently search a processing condition of giving a desired target processing result, there is provided a processing condition determination system including a processing apparatus that processes a sample, a processing monitor system that monitors the state of the processing in the processing apparatus, and an analysis system that sets the processing condition of the processing apparatus of giving a target processing result, wherein the system includes a processing condition and result database that stores a set of an explanatory variable that is a processing condition under which the processing apparatus processes a sample and an objective variable that is the processing result obtained by the processing apparatus' processing the sample, and when the processing apparatus processes the sample under the processing condition set using the correlation model derived from the database and it is determined that a probability of failure occurrence becomes high, based on the monitor data of the processing monitor system, the processing apparatus stops the processing under the present processing condition and the analysis system resets a new processing condition.

The invention relates to a method for operating a machine for microlithography which has a multiplicity of machine components. According to one aspect, malfunctions of these machine components that occur during the operation of the machine are each describable by a symptom, wherein the method includes the following steps: creating a database in which a cause is in each case assigned to different combinations of these symptoms, automatically recording the symptoms occurring within a predetermined time interval when a problem occurs during the operation of the machine and automatically assigning a cause to the problem on the basis of the recorded symptoms and the database.

An abnormality detection apparatus for detecting an abnormal operation in a shutter apparatus configured to block light includes one or more memories, and one or more processors that cooperate with the one or more memories to detect the abnormal operation using an abnormality detection model that outputs determination data for detecting the abnormal operation in a case where information about measurement data on the shutter apparatus is input to the abnormality detection model.

The present disclosure provides a control method and system for a critical dimension. The control method includes: establishing a first database of a correspondence between an exposure dose of photoresist and a variation value of a critical dimension; obtaining an actual variation value of the critical dimension, and obtaining a first correction amount of the exposure dose based on the actual variation value and the first database; establishing a second database of a correspondence between waiting time between baking and development of the photoresist and the variation value of the critical dimension; presetting standard lag time between the baking and the development, obtaining actual waiting time between the baking and the development of the photoresist, and determining a time difference between the actual waiting time and the standard lag time; obtaining a compensated variation value of the critical dimension based on the time difference and the second database.

An apparatus for reducing hydrogen permeation of a mask is provided when generating extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation. The apparatus includes a mask stage configured to hold the mask, a hydrogen dispensing nozzle configured to eject hydrogen below the mask, and a trajectory correcting assembly. The trajectory correcting assembly includes a correcting nozzle and a gas flow detector. The correcting nozzle is configured to dispense at least one flow adjusting gas to adjust a trajectory of the hydrogen away from the mask to reduce hydrogen permeation at an edge of the mask. The gas flow detector is configured to measure a variation of an airflow of the hydrogen adjusted by the at least one flow adjusting gas.

A positioning method for particles on a reticle includes: data of positions passed by a target reticle within a preset period of time is determined according to path data of the target reticle that includes particle information of the target reticle at each scan moment; position information of the target reticle when particles are present on a surface of the target reticle is determined according to the data of positions, to obtain target position data of the target reticle; reticle position data of the target reticle within adjacent scan moments is determined according to the target position data, and a particle source position of the particles on the surface of the target reticle is determined from the reticle position data according to position priorities; and a particle position analysis report of the target reticle within the preset period of time is generated according to the particle source position.

Aberrations of a projection lens for microlithography can be subdivided into two classes: a first class of aberrations, which are distinguished by virtue of the fact that their future size increases by a non-negligible value after a constant time duration, independently of their current size, and a second class of aberrations, which, after reaching a threshold, only increase by a negligible value after each further time duration. An adjustment method is proposed, which adjusts these two classes of aberrations in parallel in time with one another.

A substrate support system is provided that includes: a support part configured to support a bottom surface of a substrate on a support plane; a moveable part moveable between a retracted position, in which a top end of the moveable part is below the support plane, and an extended position, in which the top end of the moveable part is above the support plane, such that the top end supports the bottom surface of the substrate above the support plane in the extended position; and a measurement system configured to measure a time taken for the moveable part to move from the retracted position to the extended position, to compare the measured time with a reference time, and to generate a signal when the measured time deviates from the reference time by more than a predetermined amount.

A method for determining a correction to a patterning process. The method includes obtaining a plurality of qualities of the patterning process (e.g., a plurality of parameter maps, or one or more corrections) derived from metrology data and data of an apparatus used in the patterning process, selecting, by a hardware computer system, a representative quality from the plurality of qualities, and determining, by the hardware computer system, a correction to the patterning process based on the representative quality.