A multiple charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a margined block region generation circuit to generate plural margined block regions each formed by adding a margin region to the periphery of each block region of plural block regions obtained by dividing the writing region of the target object, a detection circuit to detect a defective beam in multiple charged particle beams, a specifying circuit to specify, for each defective beam detected, a position irradiated with the defective beam, and an affiliation determination circuit to determine a margined block region, in the plural margined block regions, to which the position irradiated with the defective beam belongs, based on conditions set according to a sub-block region, in plural sub-block regions acquired by dividing the margined block region, in which the position irradiated with the defective beam in the multiple charged particle beams is located.

Some embodiments include a reticle which includes first pattern features and second pattern features. A first optimal dose of actinic radiation is associated with the first pattern features and a second optimal dose of the actinic radiation is associated with the second pattern features. The second pattern features are larger than the first pattern features. Each of the second pattern features has a configuration which includes a central region laterally surrounded by an outer region, with the central region being of different opacity than the outer region. The configurations of the second pattern features balance the second optimal dose of the actinic radiation to be within about 5% of the first optimal dose of the actinic radiation. Some embodiments include photo-processing methods.

Methods and apparatuses for aligning and diagnosing the laser beam traversing an optical train in a highly space-efficient, lower cost and/or retrofit-friendly manner are disclosed. The optical components of the optical train are mounted such that one or more optical components can direct their exit laser beam to partially or wholly scan across one or more downstream sensors. Correlation data between physical disposition of optical components and the points of impact data and/or beam quality data are employed to, among others, align and/or diagnose the laser beam and/or localize failure sites and/or optimize maintenance schedule.

A laser system's laser light energy control and resulting dose control is improved by creating and using a set of gain estimators, one for each of a set or range of laser light pulse repetition rates. When a new repetition rate is used, its corresponding gain estimator is retrieved, used to compute the voltage to fire the laser source, and updated. The resulting generated laser light thereby avoids the convergence delay inherent in prior laser systems and, further, can repeatedly do so with subsequent specified repetition rates.

Provided are an exposure apparatus including a light source unit which provides light for exposure and comprises micro light emitting diodes arranged in a matrix form; a substrate transfer unit which transfers a target substrate; and a control unit which controls at least one of the light source unit and the substrate transfer unit. The control unit allocates coordinates or an address to each micro light emitting diode and individually controls an amount of light of each micro light emitting diode according to a preset pattern based on the coordinates or the address.

A metrology system may include a controller coupled to a scanning metrology tool that images a sample in motion along a scan direction. The controller may receive an image of a metrology target on the sample from the scanning metrology tool, where the metrology target comprises a first measurement group including cells distributed along a transverse direction orthogonal to the scan direction, and a second measurement group separated from the first measurement group along the scan direction including cells distributed along the transverse direction. The controller may further generate at least a first metrology measurement based on at least one of the cells in the first measurement group, and generate at least a second metrology measurement based on at least one of the cells in the second measurement group.

A Lithographic apparatus and method of controlling a lithographic process. A substrate is provided and a photosensitive layer is provided on a main surface of the substrate. The substrate includes a base section and a mesa section. In the base section the main surface is in a base plane. The mesa section protrudes from the base plane. A radiation beam scans the photosensitive layer. A local dose applied to a partial area of the photosensitive layer by the radiation beam includes a base dose component and a correction dose component. The correction dose component is a function of a distance between the partial area and a transition between the base section and the mesa section and at least partly compensates an effect of a defocus, which results from a height difference between the mesa section and the base section, on a critical dimension in the partial area.

A method to improve a lithographic process of imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic apparatus, the method including computing a multi-variable cost function. The multi-variable cost function represents an interlayer characteristic, the interlayer characteristic being a function of a plurality of design variables that represent one or more characteristics of the lithographic process. The method further includes reconfiguring one or more of the characteristics of the lithographic process by adjusting one or more of the design variables and computing the multi-variable cost function with the adjusted one or more design variables, until a certain termination condition is satisfied.

An exposure apparatus and method. The exposure apparatus includes a control system, light source system, plurality of illumination systems and plurality of projection objective lenses. The light source system is configured to emit a plurality of first illumination beams incident on the illumination systems. Each illumination system includes a variable attenuator and branch energy detector. The branch energy detector is configured to detect an illuminance level of a second illumination beam generated in the corresponding illumination system and feed it back to the control system. The control system is configured to adjust the illuminance levels of the second illumination beams in the respective illumination systems by controlling the respective variable attenuators therein. The exposure apparatus and method have improved exposure performance and allow finer and faster energy adjustments, thus enabling precise control and higher exposure accuracy.

Disclosed is a system and method for generating EUV radiation in which a laser is used in a multistage process to illuminate without altering a target material and then irradiate the target material to alter a target material with the illumination stage being used to determine the timing for firing during the irradiation stage or stages.