Disclosed is a detection apparatus for a metrology device operable to measure a parameter of interest from scattered radiation having been scattered from a sample. The detection device comprises a detector comprising an array of pixels. The array of pixels comprises imaging pixels for detecting an image from which the parameter of interest is determined, and direction detecting pixels for detecting the angle of incidence of said scattered radiation on said detector.

Disclosed is a method of measuring a periodic structure on a substrate with illumination radiation having at least one wavelength, the periodic structure having at least one pitch. The method comprises configuring, based on a ratio of said pitch and said wavelength, one or more of: an illumination aperture profile comprising one or more illumination regions in Fourier space; an orientation of the periodic structure for a measurement; and a detection aperture profile comprising one or more separated detection regions in Fourier space. This configuration is such that: i) diffracted radiation of at least a pair of complementary diffraction orders is captured within the detection aperture profile, and ii) said diffracted radiation fills at least 80% of the one or more separated detection regions. The periodic structure is measured while applying the configured one or more of illumination aperture profile, detection aperture profile and orientation of the periodic structure.

A method for calibrating a process model of a patterning process. The method includes identifying a portion of the substrate that has values within a tolerance band of one or more parameters (e.g., CD, EPE, etc.) of the patterning process, obtaining, via a metrology tool, metrology data corresponding to the portion of the substrate, processing the metrology data, and calibrating a process model based on the processed metrology data.

An inspection apparatus, including: an optical system configured to provide a beam of radiation to a surface to be measured and to receive redirected radiation from the surface; and a detection system configured to measure the redirected radiation, wherein the optical system includes an optical element to process the radiation, the optical element including a Mac Neille-type multilayer polarizing coating configured to produce a reduced chromatic offset of the radiation.

A lithographic apparatus (LA) applies a pattern to a substrate (W). The lithographic apparatus includes a height sensor (LS), a substrate positioning subsystem, and a controller configured for causing the height sensor to measure the height (h) of the substrate surface at locations across the substrate. The measured heights are used to control the focusing of one or more patterns applied to the substrate. The height h is measured relative to a reference height (zref). The height sensor is operable to vary the reference height (zref), which allows a wider effective range of operation. Specifications for control of the substrate height during measurement can be relaxed. The reference height can be varied by moving one or more optical elements (566, 572, 576, 504 and/or 512) within the height sensor, or moving the height sensor. An embodiment without moving parts includes a multi-element photodetector (1212).

A radiation source arrangement causes interaction between pump radiation (340) and a gaseous medium (406) to generate EUV or soft x-ray radiation by higher harmonic generation (HHG). The operating condition of the radiation source arrangement is monitored by detecting (420/430) third radiation (422) resulting from an interaction between condition sensing radiation and the medium. The condition sensing radiation (740) may be the same as the first radiation or it may be separately applied. The third radiation may be for example a portion of the condition sensing radiation that is reflected or scattered by a vacuum-gas boundary, or it may be lower harmonics of the HHG process, or fluorescence, or scattered. The sensor may include one or more image detectors so that spatial distribution of intensity and/or the angular distribution of the third radiation may be analyzed. Feedback control based on the determined operating condition stabilizes operation of the HHG source.

In a method executed in an exposure apparatus, a focus control effective region and a focus control exclusion region are set based on an exposure map and a chip area layout within an exposure area. Focus-leveling data are measured over a wafer. A photo resist layer on the wafer is exposed with an exposure light. When a chip area of a plurality of chip areas of the exposure area is located within an effective region of a wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control effective region, and when a part of or all of a chip area of the plurality of chip areas is located on or outside a periphery of the effective region of the wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control exclusion region In the exposing, a focus-leveling is controlled by using the focus-leveling data measured at the focus control effective region.

Methods related to improving a simulation processes and solutions (e.g., retargeted patterns) associated with manufacturing of a chip. A method includes obtaining a plurality of dose-focus settings, and a reference distribution based on measured values of a characteristic of a printed pattern associated with each setting of the plurality of dose-focus settings. The method further includes, based on an adjustment model and the plurality of dose-focus settings, determining a probability density function (PDF) of the characteristic such that an error between the PDF and the reference distribution is reduced. The PDF can be a function of the adjustment model and variance associated with dose, the adjustment model being configured to change a proportion of non-linear dose sensitivity contribution to the PDF. A process window can be adjusted based on the determined PDF of the characteristic.

Methods and systems for configuring a metrology tool are described. A processor can receive a height map of a sample from an apparatus configured to generate wafer height maps. The received height map can indicate height information of a plurality of features on a surface of the sample. The plurality of features can be located on a plurality of focal planes. The processor can generate settings for the metrology tool based on the height map of the sample.

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.