A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: providing a semiconductor wafer, and acquiring surface flatness information of the semiconductor wafer; determining an exposure parameter of the semiconductor wafer according to the surface flatness information of the semiconductor wafer; and exposing the semiconductor wafer according to the exposure parameter.

A process of characterizing a process window of a patterning process, the process including: obtaining a set of inspection locations for a pattern, the pattern defining features to be applied to a substrate with a patterning process, the set of inspection locations corresponding to a set of the features, the set of features being selected from among the features according to sensitivity of the respective features to variation in one or more process characteristics of the patterning process; patterning one or more substrates under varying process characteristics of the patterning process; and determining, for each of the variations in the process characteristics, whether at least some of the set of features yielded unacceptable patterned structures on the one or more substrates at corresponding inspection locations.

An illumination system has a microLED array 502. The microLED array 502 is imaged or placed very close to a phosphor coated glass disc 504 which upconverts the light from the microLED array into a narrow band emission. The plate has at least two different photoluminescent materials arranged to be illuminated by the microLED array and to thereby emit output light. The different photoluminescent materials have different emission spectral properties of the output light, e.g. different center wavelength and optionally different bandwidth. Illumination of different photoluminescent materials by the illumination sources is selectable, by selective activation of the microLEDs or by movement of the photoluminescent materials relative to the illumination sources, to provide different illumination of the different photoluminescent materials. This provides tunable spectral properties of the output light. Selectively configurable filters 506 are arranged to filter the output light in accordance with the selected illumination of the different photoluminescent materials.

A method to improve a lithographic process of imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic projection apparatus, the method including: computing a multi-variable cost function, the multi-variable cost function being a function of a stochastic variation of a characteristic of an aerial image or a resist image, or a function of a variable that is a function of the stochastic variation or that affects the stochastic variation, the stochastic variation being a function of a plurality of design variables that represent characteristics of the lithographic process; and reconfiguring one or more of the characteristics of the lithographic process by adjusting one or more of the design variables until a certain termination condition is satisfied.

A method of determining electromagnetic scattering properties of a finite periodic structure has the steps: 1002: Calculating a single-cell contrast current density, within a unit-cell supporting domain of a single one of a finite collection of unit cells. 1004: Calculating a scattered electric field outside the finite collection of unit cells, by integrating, over the single unit cell's supporting domain, a Green's function with the determined single-cell contrast current density. 1006: The Green's function is obtained for observation points outside the finite collection of unit cells by summation across the finite collection of unit cells. The Green's function integrated with the determined single-cell contrast current density is obtained for observation points above the supporting domain with respect to a substrate underlying the finite periodic structure. 1008: Determining an electromagnetic scattering property, for example a diffraction pattern, of the finite periodic structure using the calculated scattered electric field.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a pattern measurement apparatus that appropriately assesses patterns formed by patterning methods for forming patterns that do not exist on photomasks. In order to achieve this purpose, the present invention provides a pattern measurement apparatus comprising a processor that measures the dimensions of patterns formed on a sample by using data acquired by irradiating the sample with a beam, wherein the processor extracts pattern coordinate information on the basis of the data acquired by irradiating the sample with a beam, and uses the coordinate information to generate measurement reference data used when performing dimension measurements of the pattern.

Disclosed are methods of advanced process control (APC) for particular processes. A particular process (e.g., a photolithography or etch process) is performed on a wafer to create a pattern of features. A parameter is measured on a target feature and the value of the parameter is used for APC. However, instead of performing APC based directly on the actual parameter value, APC is performed based on an adjusted parameter value. Specifically, an offset amount (which is previously determined based on an average of a distribution of parameter values across all of the features) is applied to the actual parameter value to acquire an adjusted parameter value, which better represents the majority of features in the pattern. Performing this APC method minimizes dimension variations from pattern to pattern each time the same pattern is generated on another region of the same wafer or on a different wafer using the particular process.

Metrology targets, production processes and optical systems are provided, which enable metrology of device-like targets. Supplementary structure(s) may be introduced in the target to interact optically with the bottom layer and/or with the top layer of the target and target cells configurations enable deriving measurements of device-characteristic features. For example, supplementary structure(s) may be designed to yield Moiré patterns with one or both layers, and metrology parameters may be derived from these patterns. Device production processes were adapted to enable production of corresponding targets, which may be measured by standard or by provided modified optical systems, configured to enable phase measurements of the Moiré patterns.

A method for determining a deformation of a resist in a patterning process. The method involves obtaining a resist deformation model of a resist having a pattern, the resist deformation model configured to simulate a fluid flow of the resist due to capillary forces acting on a contour of at least one feature of the pattern; and determining, via the resist deformation model, a deformation of a resist pattern to be developed based on an input pattern to the resist deformation model.

A method of determining a position of a mark including a first pattern arranged in a first layer of a substrate and a second pattern arranged in a second layer of the substrate, includes determining information concerning the position of the mark as provisional position information based on an image of the mark, acquiring relative position information indicating a relative position between the first pattern and the second pattern, and determining the position of the mark based on the provisional position information and the relative position information.