To improve quality assurance and durability of coated components, a multifaceted inspection coupon is provided that includes opposing flat surfaces, separated by sides which include one or more curves or fillets representing surfaces of the coated components to be inspected. The inspection coupon is coated on all sides in the same manner as the components to be inspected, whereby later analysis of the coupon provides quality assurance of all coated surfaces of the components at once.

A lens system including: a first asphercal axicon lens element having a first refractive surface and a second refractive surface; a second aspherical axicon lens element having a third refractive surface similar to the second refractive surface and a fourth refractive surface similar to the first refractive surface, and an aperture stop located between the first asphercal axicon lens element and the second aspherical axicon lens element. The first aspherical axicon lens element and second aspherical axicon lens are mutually oriented such that the second refractive surface and third refractive surface are mutually facing. The first aspherical axicon lens element and the second aspherical axicon lens element are configured to minimize chromatic aberration for at least a spectral range of radiation relayed by the lens system.

An inspection system includes an integrated optical system with a substrate, waveguide system, and couplers disposed on the substrate, first and second detectors, and a micro-structured illumination adjuster. The integrated optical system receives first to fourth portions of illumination scattered from a target having corresponding first to fourth wavelengths. The couplers launch respective portions into the waveguide system. The first and second wavelengths are different from the third and fourth wavelengths. The first detector receives a combination of the first and second portions to generate a first measurement signal. The second detector receives a combination of the third and fourth portions to generate a second measurement signal. The micro-structured illumination adjuster includes micro-structured regions to direct the portions to corresponding couplers.

Disclosed is metrology method comprising: obtaining metrology data relating to a measurement of at least one target, each said at least one target comprising a plurality of features; said metrology data describing a placement error of one or more pairs of corresponding features of said at least one target, each one or more pairs of corresponding features comprising pairs of features which are substantially equidistant from a reference point on the target in a measurement direction of the target; determining an asymmetric component of said placement error from said metrology data; and determining a tilt parameter from said asymmetric component.

A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute an adjustment method of adjusting apparatus performance of a substrate processing apparatus. The program causes the computer to perform acquiring an adjustment result indicating a result of a first adjustment process executed in the substrate processing apparatus, estimating a result of a second adjustment process performed after the first adjustment process in the substrate processing apparatus based on an apparatus specification of the substrate processing apparatus, and determining a condition for the second adjustment process based on the adjustment result and an estimation result obtained in the estimating.

Methods, computer programs, and systems are disclosed, with one method including characterizing a depth variation of a predicted result within a feature of a pattern from a lithography simulation. The method evaluates the depth variation characterization and selects patterns or gauges based on the depth variation evaluation. In some embodiments, the evaluating can be based on an aerial image (AI) depth sensitivity having the depth variation.

A metrology system includes an illumination source generating illumination beams. Illumination optics direct the beams to a sample surface at non-zero incidence angles. Detectors collect light from the sample surface, with collection optics directing this light to the detectors. A controller with processors executes program instructions to receive metrology data from detectors based on collected light. The metrology data includes measurements at multiple tilt angles based on non-zero incidence. The processors determine a bottom critical dimension value at zero-degree incidence by extrapolating measurement data collected at the multiple tilt angles.

A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit device, includes: forming a bottom metrology mark; determining a bottom grating integrated measurement value, based on a first average value of a first alignment measurement value for a first bottom grating and a second alignment measurement value for a second bottom grating, wherein the first alignment measurement value and the second alignment measurement value are measured on the bottom metrology mark; forming a top grating including a plurality of third keys formed at a third vertical level that is higher than each of the first vertical level and the second vertical level on the lower structure; and measuring an overlay between the top grating and both of the first bottom grating and the second bottom grating, based on a measurement value of the top grating and based on the bottom grating integrated measurement value.

The system includes a stage configured to support a workpiece and a plurality of optical heads arranged above the stage. Each optical head includes a camera configured to capture a first image of one of a plurality of targets defined on a surface of the workpiece positioned along an optical axis of the camera and a motion mechanism configured to translate the optical head along three axes relative to the stage and rotate the optical head along two axes orthogonal to the optical axis. For each optical head, a processor determines a corrective movement of the optical head based on a misalignment of the optical axis of the camera relative to the target in a first image of the target captured by the camera, and sends instructions to the motion mechanism to move the optical head according to the corrective movement to align the optical axis with the target.

An optical system including a double quad mirror. The optical system is configured to reflect two quadrants of an incident radiation beam approaching from either side of the mirror, while allowing the opposite two quadrants to transmit incident radiation. The optical system has a body with at least one transmissive surface and at least one reflective surface for radiation incident on different sides of the body. The at least one reflective surface on the body is adjacent to a recess within the body that creates an air gap for total internal reflection of radiation incident on the reflective surface toward a first target or toward a sensor. The at least one transmissive surface on the body is configured to transmit incident radiation through the body toward a second target or toward the sensor.