An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus that generates plasma by irradiating a target substance with a pulse laser beam and generates extreme ultraviolet light from the plasma includes: a droplet detection unit configured to detect a droplet passing through a predetermined position between a target supply unit and a plasma generation region; and a control unit configured to control a laser apparatus configured to output the pulse laser beam. The control unit performs control to determine whether there is a defective droplet based on a droplet detection signal obtained from the droplet detection unit and to stop, when it is determined that there is a defective droplet, irradiation of the defective droplet determined to be defective, a preceding droplet output one droplet before the defective droplet, and a following droplet output one droplet after the defective droplet with the pulse laser beam.

A radiation source apparatus is provided. The radiation source apparatus includes a chamber, a target droplet generator, an exhaust module, a measuring device, and a controller. The target droplet generator is configured to provide a plurality of target droplets to the chamber. The exhaust module is configured to extract debris corresponding to the target droplets out of the chamber according to a first gas flow rate. The measuring device is configured to measure concentration of the debris in the chamber. The controller is configured to adjust the first gas flow rate according to the measured concentration of the debris.

A computer-implemented defect prediction method for a device manufacturing process involving processing a pattern onto a substrate. Non-correctable error is used to help predict locations where defects are likely to be present, allowing improvements in metrology throughput. In an embodiment, non-correctable error information relates to imaging error due to limitations on, for example, the lens hardware, imaging slit size, and/or other physical characteristics of the lithography system. In an embodiment, non-correctable error information relates to imaging error induced by lens heating effects.

A lithography system is provided and includes a light source device configured to emit a processing light beam onto the semiconductor wafer, to generate a penetrating light beam and a reflected light beam. The lithography system further includes a detecting module having a first detector and a second detector. The first detector is configured to receive the penetrating light beam to generate first power data, and the second detector is configured to receive the reflected light beam to generate second power data. The lithography system also includes a monitoring device configured to calculate absorbed power data of the semiconductor wafer according to the first power data, the second power data and reference power data of a reference light beam and configured to compensate for a pattern formed on the semiconductor wafer resulting from the processing light beam according to the absorbed power data and reference information.

A method for automatic inline detection and wafer disposition includes the following steps. An exposure process is performed to wafers in an exposure apparatus. A virtual inspection is performed based on log files of the exposure process. A wafer automatic disposition is performed according to a result of the virtual inspection. An automatic inline detection and wafer disposition system includes a first computer system coupled to an exposure apparatus and a second computer system coupled to the first computer system. The exposure apparatus is configured to perform an exposure process to wafers, and the first computer system is configured to perform a virtual inspection based on log files of the exposure process. The second computer system is configured to receive a result of the virtual inspection and perform a wafer automatic disposition according to the result of the virtual inspection.

A method of performance testing working parameters of a fluid handing structure in an immersion lithographic apparatus, the method including: placing a test substrate having an upper surface with a first portion with a resist defining the upper surface and a second portion with a material different from the resist defining the rest of the upper surface on a table in the immersion lithographic apparatus, confining liquid on a region of an upper surface of the table and/or the upper surface of the test substrate by operating the fluid handing structure using the associated working parameters, moving the table such that the region moves from the second portion to the first portion, and detecting change to and/or residue on the first portion as a result of liquid being left behind on the first portion during the moving.

A method of controlling output of a radiation source, the method including: periodically monitoring an output energy of the radiation source; determining a difference between a reference energy signal and the monitored output energy; determining a feedback value; determining a desired output energy of the radiation source for a subsequent time period; and controlling an input parameter of the radiation source in dependence on the determined desired output energy during the subsequent time period. If the magnitude of the determined difference between the monitored output energy of the radiation source and the reference energy signal exceeds a threshold value: the determined difference does not contribute to the feedback value; and the determined difference is spread over the subsequent time period according to a reference energy signal adjustment profile and the reference energy signal adjustment profile is added to the reference energy signal for the subsequent time period.

A system for a semiconductor fabrication facility includes a manufacturing tool including a load port, a maintenance tool including a first track and at least one maintenance crane on the first track, a rectangular zone overlapping with the load port, a plurality of first sensors on the first track and at corners of the rectangular zone configured to detect a location of the maintenance crane and generate a first location date, a transporting tool including a second track and a OHT vehicle on the second track, at least a second sensor on the OHT vehicle and configured to generate a second location data, at least a third sensor on the load port, and a control unit configured to receive the first location data and the second location data, and send signals to the second sensor and the third sensor or to cut off the signal to the second sensor.

A method of controlling a feedback system with a data matching module of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation source is disclosed. The method includes obtaining a slit integrated energy (SLIE) sensor data and diffractive optical elements (DOE) data. The method performs a data match, by the data matching module, of a time difference of the SLIE sensor data and the DOE data to identify a mismatched set of the SLIE sensor data and the DOE data. The method also determines whether the time difference of the SLIE sensor data and the DOE data of the mismatched set is within an acceptable range. Based on the determination, the method automatically validates a configurable data of the mismatched set such that the SLIE sensor data of the mismatched set is valid for a reflectivity calculation.

A radiation source apparatus is provided. The radiation source apparatus includes a chamber, a target droplet generator, an exhaust module, a measuring device, and a controller. The target droplet generator is configured to provide a plurality of target droplets to the chamber. The exhaust module is configured to extract debris corresponding to the target droplets out of the chamber according to a first gas flow rate. The measuring device is configured to measure concentration of the debris in the chamber. The controller is configured to adjust the first gas flow rate according to the measured concentration of the debris.