Techniques for improving critical dimension metrology are disclosed herein. An example method includes emitting a radiation beam comprising (i) a primary beam that passes through a sample and scatters into a set of scattered beams and (ii) a reference beam. The method further includes detecting the reference beam and a portion of the set of scattered beams, wherein the reference beam and the portion of the set of scattered beams superimpose at the detector as a hologram of the sample to encode structural information associated with at least one lithographic pattern of the sample. The method further includes executing a dimensioning algorithm configured to: determine one or more critical dimensions of the sample based on one or more properties of the hologram and reconstruct a real-space image of the sample based on the hologram. The method further includes causing the critical dimensions or the real-space image to be displayed.

Systems and methods disclosed herein relate to a digital lithography system and method for alignment resolution with the digital lithography system. The digital lithography system includes a metrology system configured to improve overlay alignment for different layers of the lithography process. The metrology system allows for decreased size of alignment marks. Based on determining the positions of alignment marks with the metrology system, correction data is obtained to achieve accurate overlay of layers on subsequent patterning processes.

An apparatus for checking a component with a periodic structure having substructures arranged on a lattice, the apparatus comprising a measurement radiation source for creating measurement radiation, an optics system, and a camera device. The apparatus further comprises a phase mask device for influencing a phase angle of the measurement radiation and/or an amplitude of the measurement radiation. The phase mask device comprises a dual lattice which is reciprocal to a target shape of the lattice.

The present disclosure relates to a method of processing a phase-shift mask for EUV lithography, comprising: particle beam-induced depositing of a repair material using a precursor gas for repair of an imaging structure of the mask. According to the disclosure, the imaging structure can be repaired in such a way that at least one critical dimension of the mask has a deviation from a predetermined critical dimension of at least below 15%, preferably below 10%, more preferably below 5%, most preferably below 3%.

The present disclosure further relates to a phase-shift mask for EUV lithography, to a computer program and to a device.

A method including: obtaining a detected representation of radiation redirected by each of a plurality of structures from a substrate additionally having a device pattern thereon, wherein each structure has an intentional different physical configuration of the respective structure than the respective nominal physical configuration of the respective structure, wherein each structure has geometric symmetry at the respective nominal physical configuration, wherein the intentional different physical configuration of the structure causes an asymmetric optical characteristic distribution and wherein a patterning process parameter measures change in the physical configuration; and determining a value, based on the detected representations and based on the intentional different physical configurations, to setup, monitor or correct a measurement recipe for determining the patterning process parameter.

A system includes an illumination system, a scanning system, an optical system, a detector system, and a processor. The illumination system directs an optical beam to illuminate a target structure. The scanning system scans the optical beam and controls a size of a focal spot of the optical beam onto the target structure. The optical system maintains an alignment with an optical axis of the system during scanning of the optical beam. The detector system detects a signal beam generated from the target structure during scanning of the optical beam. The signal beam comprises at least a scattered beam generated from the target structure. The processor analyzes the detected signal beam to determine an overlay characteristic of the target structure.

Disclosed is an illumination configuration module comprising: a polarizing and wavelength separation arrangement operable to separate input broadband illumination into at least first dispersed illumination comprising a first polarization state and second dispersed illumination comprising a second polarization state; a single spatial light modulation device operable to individually modulate each of the first dispersed illumination and second dispersed illumination to obtain first spectrally configured illumination and second spectrally configured illumination; and output optics operable to combine said first spectrally configured illumination and second spectrally configured illumination into an output illumination beam.

A method for aftertreating a fluoride layer for an optical element for the use in the VUV wavelength range, which method comprises irradiating the fluoride layer with UV/VUV radiation in the presence of an active fluorination agent. An optical element with a fluoride layer is aftertreated using this method. An optical arrangement has at least one such optical element.

A time resolved reflectance metrology device may detect and image structures in a layer that underlies an at least partially transparent top layer. A pulsed laser beam (pump beam) is used to irradiate the sample to produce transient signals in the underlying layer. The transient signals are detected using a probe beam that reflects from the interface between the top layer and the underlying layer. Light from the probe beam that is reflected from the top surface of the top layer may be eliminated using a confocal lens arrangement before the detector. The confocal lens arrangement, for example, includes a pinhole that is positioned at the image plane for the interface between the top layer and the underlying layer. The structures may be detected and imaged based on the transient signals.