A light source apparatus includes a gas discharge stage, a sensing apparatus, an optical arrangement, an adjustment apparatus, and a control apparatus. The gas discharge stage includes an optical amplifier including a chamber configured to hold a gas discharge medium outputting a light beam, and a set of optical elements configured to form an optical resonator around the optical amplifier. The optical arrangement is configured to image light from a plurality of distinct object planes within the gas discharge stage onto the sensing apparatus. The adjustment apparatus is in physical communication with one or more optical components within the gas discharge stage and is configured to modify at least one geometric aspect of the optical components. The control apparatus is communication with the sensing apparatus and the adjustment apparatus and is configured to provide a signal to the adjustment apparatus based on an output from the sensing apparatus.

An apparatus includes a decision module that is configured to: receive a performance metric relating to performance conditions of an optical system emitting a light beam; estimate, based on the performance metric and a predetermined learning model, an effectiveness of a proposed change to the optical system; and output a change command to the optical system if it is estimated that the proposed change to the optical system would be effective.

A method of generating a test for a radiation source for a lithographic apparatus comprises a step of receiving data corresponding to a plurality of firing patterns of the radiation source. The method further comprises the step of analyzing the data to determine parameters for configuring one or more further firing patterns for testing the radiation source. The parameters are determined such that a stability of the radiation source when executing the one or more further firing patterns configured using the parameters is substantially the same as, or within predefined bounds relative to, a stability of the radiation source when executing the plurality of firing patterns. Furthermore, parameters are determined such that a total duration of the one or more further firing patterns when executed by the radiation source will be less than a duration of the plurality of firing patterns when executed by the radiation source.

In accordance with some embodiments, a lithography method in semiconductor manufacturing is provided. The lithography method includes transmitting a main pulse laser to a zone of excitation through a first optic assembly. The lithography method further includes supplying a coolant to the first optic assembly and detecting a temperature of the coolant with a use of at least one sensor. The lithography method also includes adjusting a heat transfer rate between the coolant and the first optic assembly based on the temperature of the first optic assembly. In addition, the lithography method includes generating a droplet of a target material into the zone of excitation. The lithography method further includes exciting the droplet of the target material into plasma with the main pulse laser in the zone of excitation.

An amorphous layer is used as a protective coating for hygroscopic nonlinear optical crystals. The amorphous layer consists of one or more alkali metal borates and/or alkali earth metal borates. The amorphous layer slows or prevents water and/or oxygen from diffusing into the hygroscopic nonlinear optical crystal, thus simplifying handling, storage and operating environmental requirements. One or multiple additional coating layers may be placed on top of the amorphous layer, with the additional coating layers including conventional optical materials. The thicknesses of the amorphous layer and/or additional layers may be chosen to reduce reflectance of the optical component at one or more specific wavelengths. The coated nonlinear optical crystal is used in an illumination source utilized in a semiconductor inspection system, a metrology system, or a lithography system.

A pupil stop serves for use in an illumination optical unit of a metrology system for determining, as a result of illumination and imaging under illumination and imaging conditions corresponding to those of an optical production system, an aerial image of an object to be measured. The pupil stop has two pole passage openings for specifying a respective pole of an illumination of the illumination optical unit specified by the pupil stop. In each case at least one stop web passes through the respective pole passage opening and consequently divides the pole passage opening into a plurality of partial pole openings. This yields a pupil stop with which an accuracy of a convergence of the illumination and imaging conditions of the optical production system to the illumination and imaging conditions of the optical measurement system can be improved.

An inspection method and an inspection platform applicable for inspecting a light source used to expose a substrate. The light source is adapted to form an illuminated area on a surface of the substrate. The inspection method includes the following steps: placing at least one inspection component on the surface of the substrate; causing the at least one inspection component and the illuminated area to have a relative movement and a relative speed in a specific direction so as to make the illuminated area move across the at least one inspection component, wherein in the specific direction, the illuminated area is smaller in size than the at least one inspection component; inspecting photon energy of incident light in the illuminated area by the at least one inspection component during the relative movement; and determining optical values of the light source according to the photon energy and the relative speed.

The present invention provides a control apparatus for performing synchronous control to synchronize driving of a second moving member so as to follow driving of a first moving member, including a feedforward control system that includes a calculator configured to obtain an input/output response of the second moving member and position deviations of the first moving member and the second moving member while driving the first moving member and the second moving member in synchronism with each other, and calculate a feedforward manipulated variable based on the input/output response of the second moving member and the synchronous error between the first moving member and the second moving member obtained from the position deviations of the first moving member and the second moving member.

A method for inspecting an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source includes: removing a collector mirror of the EUV light source from a collector chamber; installing an inspection apparatus within the collector chamber, the apparatus including a selectively extendable and retractable member and a camera at one end of the member; operating a first actuator to extend the member along a path through the interior chamber of the EUV light source, thereby moving the camera to a given position within the interior chamber of the EUV light source; operating a second actuator to pan the camera about an axis of rotation, thereby establishing a given camera orientation within the interior of the EUV light source; and, capturing an image of the interior chamber of the EUV light source with the camera while the camera is at the given position and orientation established by the operation of the first and second actuators.

Provided in the disclosure is a photomask for detecting flare degree of lens of exposure machine. The photomask includes a central exposure area and a peripheral area, exposure light of the exposure machine passing through the lens and then penetrating the central exposure area to expose photoresist on a wafer, wherein the entire central exposure area is provided with a shading layer to prevent the exposure light from penetrating; and the peripheral area is provided with a plurality of light-transmitting stripes, and stray light formed after the exposure light passes through the lens penetrates the plurality of light-transmitting stripes to expose the photoresist. Further provided in the disclosure is a method for detecting flare degree of lens of exposure machine by using the photomask. According to the disclosure, a lens flare problem of an exposure machine can be found and solved in time.