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.

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.

There is provided a method for fabricating a vertically tapered spot-size converter on a substrate, comprising: growing a waveguide core on the substrate; coating the waveguide core with a photoresist layer; placing a photomask having patterns at a negative focus offset point with respect to the photoresist layer, the patterns being defined by openings in the photomask, each opening having a cross-section comprising a region of constant width and at least one region of non-constant width, the non-constant width reducing in a direction extending away from the region of constant width; transferring the patterns of the photomask to the photoresist layer; providing the waveguide core with a vertically tapered profile, the vertically tapered profile being provided by the patterns of the photomask; growing a cladding layer over the waveguide core; and patterning and etching the cladding layer and the waveguide core, thereby defining the vertically tapered spot-size converter.

An assembly for collimating broadband radiation, the assembly including: a convex refractive singlet lens having a first spherical surface for coupling the broadband radiation into the lens and a second spherical surface for coupling the broadband radiation out of the lens, wherein the first and second spherical surfaces have a common center; and a mount for holding the convex refractive singlet lens at a plurality of contact points having a centroid coinciding with the common center.

A displacement detection device is capable of stably and accurately detecting an amount of displacement. A polarization maintaining fiber has a length not to be equal to a length obtained by dividing, a product of an integral multiple of twice a length of a resonator times a refractive index of the resonator and a beat length obtained from a difference between propagation constants of two polarization modes, by a wavelength of the light source, is selected from a range including a length equal to the above length. The polarization maintaining fiber includes multiple polarization maintaining fibers fitted to each other by removable connectors.

An apparatus including a focused light beam receptor apparatus configured to be positioned proximate a first end of a vehicle, a focused light beam generator; and wherein the focused light beam receptor apparatus includes a focused light beam receiving surface for receiving a focused light beam from the focused light beam generator to provide alignment of the focused light beam receptor relative to a centerline of the vehicle. A method of aligning a focused light beam receptor, focused light beam generator and a movable alignment stand relative to a centerline of a vehicle is also provided.

A method of performing a lithography process includes providing a test pattern. The test pattern includes a first set of lines arranged at a first pitch, a second set of lines arranged at the first pitch, and further includes at least one reference line between the first set of lines and the second set of lines. The test pattern is exposed with a radiation source providing an asymmetric, monopole illumination profile to form a test pattern structure on a substrate. The test pattern structure is then measured and a measured distance correlated to an offset of a lithography parameter. A lithography process is adjusted based on the offset of the lithography parameter.

A measurement apparatus for measuring a height position of an object is provided. The apparatus comprises a light projector that projects measurement light onto the object, a light receiver that receives the measurement light reflected by the object, and a processor that determines a height position of the object based on an image of the measurement light received by the light receiver. The light projector projects a coarse detection pattern and a fine detection pattern having a periodic pattern onto the object, and the processor determines a coarse detection value of a height position of the object based on the coarse detection pattern received by the light receiver, and determines a fine detection value of a height position of the object based on the coarse detection value and the fine detection pattern received by the light receiver.

In a method executed in an exposure apparatus, a focus control effective region and a focus control exclusion region are set based on an exposure map and a chip area layout within an exposure area. Focus-leveling data are measured over a wafer. A photo resist layer on the wafer is exposed with an exposure light. When a chip area of a plurality of chip areas of the exposure area is located within an effective region of a wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control effective region, and when a part of or all of a chip area of the plurality of chip areas is located on or outside a periphery of the effective region of the wafer, the chip area is included in the focus control exclusion region In the exposing, a focus-leveling is controlled by using the focus-leveling data measured at the focus control effective region.

A method includes: providing a workpiece to a semiconductor apparatus, the workpiece comprising a material layer, wherein the material layer includes a plurality of areas extending along a first axis; scanning the workpiece in a first direction along the first axis to generate first topography measurement data; scanning the workpiece in a second direction along the first axis to generate second topography measurement data; and performing an exposure operation on the material layer according to the first topography measurement data and the second topography measurement data.