Provided is a method of managing a semiconductor processing apparatus, including irradiating, by a light source, a plurality of regions included in a diffuser on a mask stage with extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light, reflecting or transmitting, by the diffuser, the EUV light, transmitting, by an optical system, the EUV light from the diffuser, receiving, by an image sensor, the EUV light from the optical system, obtaining, by the image sensor, a plurality of original images corresponding to the plurality of regions, generating, based on an optical prediction model, a plurality of predictive images estimating a diffraction pattern in the image sensor, adjusting an optical prediction model by comparing the plurality of predictive images with the plurality of original images, and generating, based on the optical prediction model, a plurality of wavefront images corresponding to optical characteristics of each of the plurality of mirrors.

Disclosed is a method for modeling alignment data over a substrate area relating to a substrate being exposed in a lithographic process. The method comprises obtaining alignment data relating to said substrate and separating the alignment data into systematic component which is relatively stable between different substrates and a non-systematic component which is not relatively stable between different substrates. The systematic component and the non-systematic component are individually modeled and a process correction for the substrate determined based on the modeled systematic component and modeled non-systematic component.

Increasingly, metrology systems are integrated within the lithographic apparatuses, to provide integrated metrology within the lithographic process. However, this integration can result in a throughput or productivity impact of the whole lithographic apparatus which can be difficult to predict. It is therefore proposed to provide a simulation model which is operable to acquire throughput information associated with a throughput of a plurality of substrates within a lithographic apparatus, said throughput information comprising a throughput parameter, predict, using a throughput simulator the throughput using the throughput parameter as an input parameter. The throughput simulator may be calibrated using the acquired throughput information. The impact of at least one change of a throughput parameter on the throughput of the lithographic apparatus may be predicted using the throughput simulator.

A modular autoencoder model is described. The modular autoencoder model comprises input models configured to process one or more inputs to a first level of dimensionality suitable for combination with other inputs: a common model configured to: reduce a dimensionality of combined processed inputs to generate low dimensional data in a latent space; and expand the low dimensional data in the latent space into one or more expanded versions of the one or more inputs suitable for generating one or more different outputs; output models configured to use the one or more expanded versions of the one or more inputs to generate the one or more different outputs, the one or more different outputs being approximations of the one or more inputs; and a prediction model configured to estimate one or more parameters based on the low dimensional data in the latent space.

Tracking and/or predicting the yield of a semiconductor process. In an embodiment, a tracking method monitors the yield at each layer of the process. This can be used to determine how to proceed. In an embodiment, the prediction method measures the values of at least one attribute of each conductive via on a substrate before the lithography process. The measured values are then compared to predefined values for the same attribute, to determine any deviation. Based on this comparison, an overlay yield of the lithography process is predicted.

A measuring method is provided. The method includes detecting a plurality of marks including at least three marks existing on a substrate using a scope configured to capture images of the marks, calculating an evaluation value indicating a distribution state of positions of the plurality of detected marks, determining a type of a model formula representing a deformation component in a predetermined region of the substrate based on the calculated evaluation value, and specifying a shape of the predetermined region using the model formula of the determined type.

A method for determining parameters of an imaging transfer function (point spread function) is presented. With regard to a model that describes the imaging transfer function including a number of model parameters, a test substrate is exposed and developed using a test pattern which comprises multiple sub-patterns that are based on the same sub-pattern template but with varying control width of a feature in the template, such as the width of a line or a distance between lines. On the test substrate, isofocal dose measurements are performed using the structures thus formed on a test substrate with varying control and imaging parameters. The isofocal dose thus determined are utilized to determine the model parameters of the imaging transfer function.

A method and system for designing a mark for use in imaging of a pattern on a substrate using a lithographic process in a lithographic apparatus. The method includes obtaining a mark construction, obtaining a spatial variation of a geometric parameter associated with the mark construction, and determining a geometry design of individual patterns of a mark based on the spatial variation and a spatial location of the mark.

The disclosure provides a quasi-dynamic in situ ellipsometry method and system for measuring a photoresist exposure process. The method includes: obtaining a measured Muller matrix of a photoresist at different exposure times by a Muller matrix ellipsometer; building a forward optical model of the photoresist and obtaining a theoretical Mueller matrix; inverting and fitting the measured Mueller matrix and the theoretical Mueller matrix and obtaining ellipsometric parameters of the photoresist at different times, an average extinction coefficient, and a film thickness; building a relational model of a Dill parameter of the photoresist and optical properties of the photoresist, and an exposure model of the photoresist; building a relational model of a theoretical extinction coefficient and the extinction coefficient and obtaining theoretical extinction coefficients of the photoresist after different exposure times; and inverting and fitting the average extinction coefficient and the theoretical extinction coefficient and obtaining the Dill parameter.

A method for determining values of design variables of a lithographic process based on a predicted failure rate for printing a target pattern on a substrate using a lithographic apparatus. The method includes obtaining an image corresponding to a target pattern to be printed on a substrate using a lithographic apparatus, wherein the image is generated based on a set of values of design variables of the lithographic apparatus or a lithographic process; determining image properties, the image properties representative of a pattern printed on the substrate, the pattern corresponding to the target pattern; predicting a failure rate in printing the pattern on the substrate based on the image properties; and determining a specified value of a specified design variable based on the failure rate, the specified value to be used in the lithographic process to print the target pattern on the substrate.