A topography measurement system includes a radiation source; a first grating; imaging optics; a movement mechanism; detection optics; a second grating; and a detector. The radiation source is configured to generate a radiation beam and includes a light emitting diode to produce to the radiation. The first grating is configured to pattern the radiation beam. The imaging optics is configured to form a first image of the first grating at a target location on a substrate. The movement mechanism is operable to move the substrate relative to the image of the first grating such that the target location moves relative to the substrate. The detection optics is configured to receive radiation from the target location of the substrate and form an image of the first image at the second grating. The detector is configured to receive radiation transmitted through the second grating and produce an output signal.

The control unit controls the relative position in an optical axis direction of the projection system and the relative position in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis direction at a third timing after a second timing based on a first distribution of illumination light detected by the detection system at a first timing and a second distribution of illumination light detected by the detection system at the second timing after the first timing, the illumination light detected at the first and second timings having passed through the first and second marks.

An article manufacturing method includes a first formation step of forming a focus compensation film on a substrate, a second formation step of forming a resist layer on the focus compensation film, and a transfer step of transferring a pattern of an original to the resist layer using an exposure apparatus. In the first formation step, the focus compensation film is formed such that the focus compensation film has a top surface shape corresponding to an image surface shape of the exposure apparatus.

Certain aspects relate to a method for improving a lithography configuration. In the lithography configuration, a source illuminates a mask to expose resist on a wafer. A processor determines a defect-based focus exposure window (FEW). The defect-based FEW is an area of depth of focus and exposure latitude for the lithography configuration with an acceptable level of defects on the wafer. The defect-based FEW is determined based on a predicted probability distribution for occurrence of defects on the wafer. A processor also determines a critical dimension (CD)-based FEW. The CD-based FEW is an area of depth of focus and exposure latitude for the lithography configuration with an acceptable level of CD variation on the wafer. It is determined based on predicted CDs on the wafer. The lithography configuration is modified based on increasing an area of overlap between the defect-based FEW and the CD-based FEW.

The present invention provides a method for calculating a corrected substrate height map of a first substrate using a height level sensor. The method comprises: sampling the first substrate by means of the height level sensor with the first substrate moving with a first velocity, wherein the first velocity is a first at least partially non-constant velocity of the first substrate with respect to the height level sensor, to generate a first height level data, generating a first height map based on the first height level data, and calculating a corrected substrate height map by subtracting a correction map from the first height map, wherein the correction map is calculated from the difference between a first velocity height map and a second velocity height map.

A supercontinuum radiation source including a modulator being operable to modulate pump laser radiation including a train of radiation pulses to provide modulated pump laser radiation, the modulation being such to selectively provide a burst of the pulses; and a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber being operable to receive the modulated pump laser radiation and excite a working medium contained within the hollow-core photonic crystal fiber so as to generate supercontinuum radiation.

The present invention provides an exposure apparatus that performs an exposure process to transfer a pattern of a mask to a substrate, including a projection optical system configured to project the pattern of the mask onto the substrate, a measurement pattern arranged on an object plane of the projection optical system and including a plurality of pattern elements having different positions in an optical axis direction of the projection optical system, a first detection unit configured to detect light from the measurement pattern via the projection optical system, and a control unit configured to control a relative position between the mask and the substrate in the optical axis direction when the exposure process is performed.

The invention provides a level sensor to measure a position of a surface of a substrate, comprising a projection unit arranged to direct a beam of radiation to the surface of the substrate and a detection unit. The detection unit comprises a detection grating arranged to receive the beam of radiation reflected on the surface of the substrate, one or more detectors, one or more optical elements to direct the beam of radiation from the detection grating to the one or more detectors, and a processing unit to determine the position of the surface of the substrate on the basis of the beam of radiation received by the one or more detectors. The detection grating and the one or more optical elements are integrated in a single integrated optical element.

A lithographic apparatus includes a number of sensors for measuring positions of features on a substrate prior to applying a pattern. Each sensor includes an imaging optical system. Position measurements are extracted from pixel data supplied by an image detector in each sensor. The imaging optical system includes one or more light field modulating elements and the processor processes the pixel data as a light-field image to extract the position measurements. The data processor may derive from each light-field image a focused image of a feature on the substrate, measuring positions of several features simultaneously, even though the substrate is not at the same level below all the sensors. The processor can also include corrections to reduce depth dependency of an apparent position of the feature include a viewpoint correction. The data processor can also derive measurements of heights of features on the substrate.

According to one embodiment, there is provided a semiconductor device manufacturing system, including a storage unit, a specifying unit, a determination unit and an adjustment unit. The storage unit stores device information indicating a relationship between image formation performance of an exposure device used for manufacturing a semiconductor device and mechanical operation accuracy. The specifying unit specifies a constraint of the mechanical operation accuracy according to the device information and the required image formation performance. The determination unit determines whether or not a correction parameter of an exposure condition satisfies the constraint. The adjustment unit adjusts the correction parameter according to a determination result of the determination unit.