Methods and apparatuses for aligning masks with substrates are provided. A method can include receiving a carrier having a substrate disposed thereon at an alignment stage of an alignment module, transferring a mask from a mask cassette of a mask stocker of the alignment module to a position over the alignment stage, and positioning the mask on the carrier. The method also includes acquiring one or more images of the mask and the substrate, where the mask contains one or more alignment holes passing through the mask and the substrate contains one or more alignment elements disposed on an upper surface of the substrate, analyzing the one or more images to determine one or more differences between one or more alignment holes of the mask and one or more alignment elements of the substrate, and aligning the mask with the substrate based on the differences.

A micro device transfer apparatus and a micro device transfer method are provided. The micro device transfer apparatus comprises a stage unit including a stage where a target substrate is to be disposed, a plurality of transfer head units disposed above the stage, and a transfer head unit moving part configured to move the plurality of transfer head units, wherein, the transfer head unit comprises a carrier substrate fastening part configured to fasten a carrier substrate where a plurality of micro devices are disposed, a mask unit disposed above the carrier substrate fastening part, the mask unit comprising a mask including an opening part and a shielding part, a light emitting part disposed on the mask unit, and a housing formed around the carrier substrate fastening part, the mask unit, and the light emitting part.

A measurement system used in a manufacturing line for micro-devices includes: a plurality of measurement devices in which each device performs measurement processing on a substrate; and a carrying system to perform delivery of a substrate with the plurality of measurement devices. The plurality of measurement devices includes a first measurement device that acquires position information on a plurality of marks formed on a substrate, and a second measurement device that acquires position information on a plurality of marks formed on a substrate. Position information on a plurality of marks formed on a substrate can be acquired under a setting of a first predetermined condition in the first measurement device, and position information on a plurality of marks formed on another substrate can be acquired under a setting of a second predetermined condition different from the first predetermined condition in the second measurement device.

A photolithography alignment method includes: performing alignment measurement of a surface condition of a wafer to obtain alignment information of the wafer; and sectioning the wafer into a plurality of areas to be processed according to the alignment information, and determining photolithography alignment parameters corresponding to each area to be processed.

Methods for in-die overlay reticle measurement and the resulting devices are disclosed. Embodiments include providing parallel structures in a first layer on a substrate; determining measurement sites, in a second layer above the first layer, void of active integrated circuit elements; forming overlay trenches, in the measurement sites and parallel to the structures, exposing sections of the structures, wherein each overlay trench is aligned over a structure and over spaces between the structure and adjacent structures; determining a trench center-of-gravity of an overlay trench; determining a structure center-of-gravity of a structure exposed in the overlay trench; and determining an overlay parameter based on a difference between the trench center-of-gravity and the structure center-of-gravity.

A method for measuring overlay between an interest level and a reference level of a wafer includes applying a magnetic field to a wafer, detecting at least one residual magnetic field emitted from at least one registration marker of a first set of registration markers within the wafer, responsive to the detected one or more residual magnetic fields, determining a location of the at least one registration marker of the first set registration markers, determining a location of at least one registration marker of a second set of registration markers, and responsive to the respective determined locations of the at least one registration marker of the first set of registration markers and the at least one registration marker of the second set of registration markers, calculating a positional offset between an interest level of the wafer and a reference level of the wafer. Related methods and systems are also disclosed.

An electrostatic clamp and a method for fabricating the same. The electrostatic clamp includes a first stack and a second stack, wherein the first stack is joined with the second stack. Each of the first and second stacks includes a clamp body, one or more electrodes disposed on the clamp body, a dielectric plate disposed on the electrodes, and a plurality of channels inside the clamp body.

Techniques are disclosed for magnification compensation and/or beam steering in optical systems. An optical system may include a lens system to receive first radiation associated with an object and direct second radiation associated with an image of the object toward an image plane. The lens system may include a set of lenses, and an actuator system to selectively adjust the set of lenses to adjust a magnification associated with the image symmetrically along a first and a second direction. The lens system may also include a beam steering lens to direct the first radiation to provide the second radiation. In some examples, the lens system may also include a second set of lenses, where the actuator system may also selectively adjust the second set of lenses to adjust the magnification along the first or the second direction. Related methods are also disclosed.

A pellicle removal tool including a stage that holds a photomask and an associated pellicle, two or more arms positioned around the stage and configured to engage pellicle side wells of the pellicle, and two or more actuators each configured to adjust at least a vertical position of a corresponding one of the two or more arms so as to apply a lifting force to the pellicle for removal of the pellicle from the photomask.

Provided is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, including providing a substrate including a first region and a second region; forming an alignment mark in the substrate in the second region; forming a material layer on a first surface of the substrate in the first region and the second region; introducing heteroatoms into the substrate in the second region from a second surface of the substrate; and reacting the heteroatoms with the substrate to form a dielectric layer overlapping the alignment mark in the substrate in the second region.