An optical measurement apparatus includes a light source unit generating and outputting light, a polarized light generating unit generating polarized light from the light, an optical system generating a pupil image of a measurement target, using the polarized light, a self-interference generating unit generating multiple beams that are split from the pupil image, and a detecting unit detecting a self-interference image generated by interference of the multiple beams with each other.

Apparatus and method for measuring one or more parameters of a substrate (300) using source radiation emitted from a radiation source (100) and directed onto the substrate. The apparatus comprises at least one reflecting element (710a) and at least one detector (720, 721). The at least one reflecting element is configured to receive a reflected radiation resulting from reflection of the source radiation from the substrate and further reflect the reflected radiation into a further reflected radiation. The at least one detector is configured for measurement of the further reflected radiation for determination of at least an alignment of the source radiation and/or the substrate

A system of measuring an image of a pattern in a high NA scanning-type extreme ultra-violet (EUV) mask is disclosed. The system may include a light source generating an EUV light; an toroidal mirror; an flat mirror allowing light, which is reflected by the toroidal mirror, to be incident into the mask; an beam splitter; a light detection part; an anamorphic zone-plate lens focusing a transmitted portion of a light emitted from the beam splitter on the mask; a stage; and an anamorphic photo sensor, which is configured to measure an energy of a reflected portion of the coherent EUV light, is composed of a detector array, and has different sizes from each other in horizontal and vertical directions of an incidence surface of the detector array.

A optical measurement apparatus includes: an optical system which generates a pupil image of a measurement target, using light; a polarization generator which generates a polarized light from the light; a self-interference generator which generates a plurality of beams divided from the pupil image, using the polarized light, and causes the plurality of beams to interfere with each other to generate a self-interference image; and an image analysis unit configured to extract phase data from the self-interference image, and to move the measurement target to a focus position on the basis of the phase data.

A metrology system includes an illumination source configured to generate an illumination beam, one or more illumination optics configured to direct the illumination beam to a sample, one or more collection optics configured to collect illumination emanating from the sample, a detector, and a hyperspectral imaging sub-system. The hyperspectral imaging sub-system includes a dispersive element positioned at a pupil plane of the set of collection optics configured to spectrally disperse the collected illumination, a lens array including an array of focusing elements, and one or more imaging optics. The one or more imaging optics combine the spectrally-dispersed collected illumination to form an image of the pupil plane on the lens array. The focusing elements of the lens array distribute the collected illumination on the detector in an arrayed pattern.

Disclosed is a detection apparatus for simultaneous acquisition of multiple images of an object at a plurality of different focus levels; comprising: a modulator for obtaining multiple beam copies of an incoming beam; and a detector operable to capture said multiple beam copies, such that at two of said multiple beam copies are captured at different focus levels. Also disclosed is an inspection apparatus comprising such a detection system.

A metrology system comprises a radiation source, an optical element, first and second detectors, an integrated optical device comprising a multimode waveguide, and a processor. The radiation source generates radiation. The optical element directs radiation toward a target to generate scattered radiation from the target. The first detector receives a first portion of the scattered radiation and generates a first detection signal based on the received first portion. The multimode waveguide interferes a second portion of the scattered radiation using modes of the multimode waveguide. The second detector receives the interfered second portion and generates a second detection signal based on the received interfered second portion. The processor receives the first and second detection signals. The processor analyzes the received first portion, the received interfered second portion, and a propagation property of the multimode waveguide. The processor determines the property of the target based on the analysis.

The present application provides an overlay measuring apparatus, adapted to determine relative positions of two or more successive patterned layers of a device. The overlay measuring apparatus includes a stage and an imaging assembly. The device is placed on the stage. The imaging assembly includes a plurality of optical heads and a plurality of overlay marks assembled on the optical heads. The relative positions of the two or more successive patterned layers of the device are determined using light reflected from the device and passing through the overlay mark mounted on the respective optical head.

A method to determine a performance indicator indicative of alignment performance of a processed substrate. The method includes obtaining measurement data including a plurality of measured position values of alignment marks on the substrate and calculating a positional deviation between each measured position value and a respective expected position value. These positional deviations are used to determine a directional derivative between the alignment marks, and the directional derivatives are used to determine at least one directional derivative performance indicator.

Disclosed is a method for focus measurement of a lithographic process. The method comprises receiving a substrate on which a metrology pattern has been printed with a lithographic apparatus with an illumination pupil, illuminating the metrology pattern with a metrology tool to measure a signal based on radiation scattered by the metrology pattern, and determining or monitoring a focus of the lithographic process based on the measured signal. Position of at least part of the metrology pattern is focus dependent. At least part of the metrology pattern has been printed by the lithography apparatus with an angular asymmetric illumination pupil.