According to one embodiment, a pattern inspection method includes detecting a region of a photomask having a pattern that differs from a corresponding design, acquiring an exposure focus shift information including an exposure focus shift amount of a portion of a substrate corresponding to the detected region of the photomask. The exposure focus shift amount for the detected region is acquired from the exposure focus shift information, and then a pass/fail determination for the detected region is performed based on an estimated pattern to be formed on the substrate.

Disclosed is a method of metrology. The method comprises illuminating a radiation onto a substrate; obtaining measurement data relating to at least one measurement of each of one or more structures on the substrate; using a Fourier-related transform to transform the measurement data into a transformed measurement data; and extracting a feature of the substrate from the transformed measurement data, or eliminating an impact of a nuisance parameter.

Enhancing target features of a pattern imaged onto a substrate. This may include adding one or more assist features to a patterning device pattern in one or more locations adjacent to one or more target features in the patterning device pattern. The one or more assist features are added based on two or more different focus positions in the substrate. This can also include shifting the patterning device pattern and/or a design layout based on the two or more different focus positions and the one or more added assist features. This may be useful for improving across slit asymmetry. Adding the one or more assist features to the pattern and shifting the pattern and/or the design layout enhances the target features by reducing a shift caused by across slit asymmetry for a slit of a multifocal lithographic imaging apparatus. This may reduce the shift across an entire imaging field.

A multifunction UV or DUV (ultraviolet/deep-ultraviolet) lithography system uses a modified Schwarzschild flat-image projection system to achieve diffraction-limited, distortion-free and double-telecentric imaging over a large image field at high numerical aperture. A back-surface primary mirror enables wide-field imaging without large obscuration loss, and additional lens elements enable diffraction-limited and substantially distortion-free, double-telecentric imaging. The system can perform maskless lithography (either source-modulated or spatially-modulated), mask-projection lithography (either conventional imaging or holographic), mask writing, wafer writing, and patterning of large periodic or aperiodic structures such as microlens arrays and spatial light modulators, with accurate field stitching to cover large areas exceeding the image field size.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: providing a semiconductor wafer, and acquiring surface flatness information of the semiconductor wafer; determining an exposure parameter of the semiconductor wafer according to the surface flatness information of the semiconductor wafer; and exposing the semiconductor wafer according to the exposure parameter.

A process of characterizing a process window of a patterning process, the process including: obtaining a set of inspection locations for a pattern, the pattern defining features to be applied to a substrate with a patterning process, the set of inspection locations corresponding to a set of the features, the set of features being selected from among the features according to sensitivity of the respective features to variation in one or more process characteristics of the patterning process; patterning one or more substrates under varying process characteristics of the patterning process; and determining, for each of the variations in the process characteristics, whether at least some of the set of features yielded unacceptable patterned structures on the one or more substrates at corresponding inspection locations.

A device manufacturing method including: performing a first exposure on a substrate using a first lithographic apparatus to form a first patterned layer including first features; processing the substrate to transfer the first features into the substrate; and performing a second exposure on the substrate using a second lithographic apparatus to form a second patterned layer including second features, wherein: the first lithographic apparatus has first and second control inputs effective to control first and second parameters of the first features at least partly independently; the second lithographic apparatus has a third control input effective to control the first and second parameters of the second features together; and the first exposure is performed with the first and/or second control input set to pre-bias the first and/or second parameter.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes dividing a number of dies along an x axis in a die matrix in each exposure field in an exposure field matrix delineated on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the x axis is parallel to one edge of a smallest rectangle enclosing the exposure field matrix. A number of dies is divided along a y axis in the die matrix, wherein the y axis is perpendicular to the x axis. Sequences SNx0, SNx1, SNx, SNxr, SNy0, SNy1, SNy, and SNyr are formed. p*(Nbx+1)−2 stepping operations are performed in a third direction and first sequence exposure/stepping/exposure operations and second sequence exposure/stepping/exposure operations are performed alternately between any two adjacent stepping operations as well as before a first stepping operation and after a last stepping operation. A distance of each stepping operation in order follows the sequence SNx.

A photolithography exposure of a photoresist coating on a semiconductor wafer uses an optical projection system to form a latent image. The photolithography exposure further uses a mask with a set of multiple pattern focus (MPF) marks. Each MPF mark of includes features having different critical dimension (CD) sizes. The latent image is developed to form a developed photoresist pattern. Dimension sizes are measured of features of the developed photoresist pattern corresponding to the features of the MPF marks having different CD sizes. A spatial focus map of the photolithography exposure is constructed based on the measured dimension sizes. To determine the focal distance at an MPF mark, ratios or differences may be determined between the measured dimension sizes corresponding to the features of the MPF marks having different CD sizes, and the focal distance at the location of the MFP mark constructed based on the determined ratios or differences.

A lithography apparatus is provided. The lithography apparatus includes a wafer stage configured to secure a semiconductor wafer and having a plurality of electrodes. The lithography apparatus also includes an exposure tool configured to perform an exposure process by projecting an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light on the semiconductor wafer. The lithography apparatus further includes a controller configured to control power supplied to the electrodes to have a first adjusted voltage during the exposure process for a first group of exposure fields on the semiconductor wafer so as to secure the semiconductor wafer to the wafer stage. The first adjusted voltage is in a range from about 1.6 kV to about 3.2 kV.