A light source system is provided. The light source system is capable of measuring a polarization angle and includes a light source configured to emit an original light beam, and the original light beam has an original polarization angle. The light source system further includes an amplifying module configured to amplify the original light beam and generate a forward beam for hitting a target, and the forward beam has a forward polarization angle that is equal to the original polarization angle. The light source system further includes a polarization measurement unit, and the polarization measurement unit includes a first polarization measurement module configured to receive a first return beam and measure a first polarization angle of the first return beam. The first return beam is reflected from the target.

A wavelength conversion system including: A. a first nonlinear optical crystal to which first pulsed laser light having a first polarization state and a first wavelength and second pulsed laser light having a second polarization state and a second wavelength are inputted and which is configured to output in response to the input the second pulsed laser light and first sum frequency light having the second polarization state and a third wavelength produced by sum frequency mixing of the first wavelength with the second wavelength; and B. a second nonlinear optical crystal to which the first sum frequency light and the second pulsed laser light outputted from the first nonlinear optical crystal are inputted and which is configured to output in response to the input third pulsed laser light having a fourth wavelength.

A method includes providing a photomask having a patterned absorption layer over a substrate. The photomask is irradiated with a beam having a mixture of transverse electronic (TE) waves and transverse magnetic (TM) waves. The irradiating includes generating surface plasmonic polaritons (SPP) on a sidewall of the patterned absorption layer. The SPP is used to suppress the TM waves while reflecting the TE waves. A target substrate is exposed to TE waves.

The present invention allows more freely setting of the polarization direction of illumination light on an illumination surface of an exposure device. A beam transmission system (121) that transmits, to an exposure device (130), a linearly polarized optical beam (L) output from a free electron laser device (10) includes: an optical beam splitting unit (50) configured to split the optical beam (L) into a first optical beam (L1) and a second optical beam (L2); and a first polarization direction rotating unit (51) configured to rotate the linear polarization direction of the first optical beam (L1).

An illumination optical system of the present invention includes a first lens array FE including a plurality of lens cells dividing a light flux emitted from a light source into a plurality of light fluxes, a second lens array MLAi including lens cells on which spot lights exiting from the lens cells included in the first lens array FE are condensed, and a first optical member IL3 imaging the spot light, which has been condensed on the lens cell included in the second lens array MLAi, on one of optical modulation elements constituting an optical modulation unit.

An optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus for operation in the EUV includes a polarization-influencing arrangement having first and one second double reflection surface units, each having first and second reflection surfaces, in each case arranged directly adjacent at a distance d1 and at an angle of 010 relative to one another. The first reflection surface of the first double reflection surface unit and the second reflection surface of the second double reflection surface unit are arranged directly adjacent at a distance d2 and at an angle of 010 relative to one another, with d2>5*d1. Light incident on the first reflection surfaces forms an angle of 4310 with the first reflection surfaces. Light incident on the first reflection surface of the first double reflection surface unit is reflected toward the second reflection surface of the second double reflection surface unit.

A method of measuring a parameter of interest relating to a structure formed by a process on a substrate, and associated apparatuses. The method includes measuring the structure with measurement radiation including a first illumination acquisition setting (determining one or more selected from: a wavelength, a polarization or an incident angle of the measurement radiation) to obtain a first measurement value for the structure. The method further includes estimating, by applying a correction model to the first measurement value, at least a second measurement value for the structure corresponding to measurement of the structure with a second illumination acquisition setting different from the first illumination acquisition setting.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods for producing images on substrates. The method includes providing a p-polarization beam to a first mirror cube having a first digital micromirror device (DMD), providing an s-polarization beam to a second mirror cube having a second DMD, and reflecting the p-polarization beam off the first DMD and reflecting the s-polarization beam off the second DMD such that the p-polarization beam and the s-polarization beam are reflected towards a light altering device configured to produce a plurality of superimposed images on the substrate.

A method is disclosed that includes splitting a beam of radiation into a first part of the beam having a first polarization and a second part of the beam having a second polarization, forming a first beam with a first polarization distribution between the first polarization and the second polarization and/or a first intensity distribution by modulating the first part of the beam, forming a second beam with a second polarization distribution between the first polarization and the second polarization and/or a second intensity distribution by modulating the second part of the beam, and combining at least a portion of the first beam having the second polarization and at least a portion of the second beam having the first polarization.

The invention relates to a method and a device for characterizing a mask for microlithography. In a method according to the invention, structures of a mask intended for use in a lithography process in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus are illuminated by an illumination optical unit, wherein the mask is imaged onto a detector unit by an imaging optical unit, wherein image data recorded by the detector unit are evaluated in an evaluation unit. In this case, for emulating an illumination setting predefined for the lithography process in the microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, the imaging of the mask onto the detector unit is carried out in a plurality of individual imagings which differ from one another with regard to the illumination setting set in the illumination optical unit or the polarization-influencing effect set in the imaging optical unit.