Asml Netherlands B.v.

Joannes Jitse Venselaar

Anagnostis Tsiatmas

Samee Ur Rehman

Martijn Maria Zaal

Paul Christiaan Hinnen

Gonzalo Roberto Sanguinetti

Jean-Pierre Agnes Henricus Marie Vaessen

Mariya Vyacheslavivna Medvedyeva

Thomai Zacharopoulou

Nicolas Mauricio Weiss

Bastiaan Onne Fagginger Auer

Sergey Tarabrin

Alexandru Onose

Thaleia Kontoroupi

Methods of determining information about a patterning process. In a method, measurement data from a metrology process applied to each of a plurality of metrology targets on a substrate is obtained. The measurement data for each metrology target includes at least a first contribution and a second contribution. The first contribution is from a parameter of interest of a patterning process used to form the metrology target. The second contribution is from an error in the metrology process. The method further includes using the obtained measurement data from all of the plurality of metrology targets to obtain information about an error in the metrology process, and using the obtained information about the error in the metrology process to extract a value of the parameter of interest for each metrology target.

Method of determining information about a patterning process, method of reducing error in measurement data, method of calibrating a metrology process, method of selecting metrology targets

Methods of determining a value of a parameter of interest are disclosed. In one arrangement, a symmetric component and an asymmetric component of a detected pupil representation from illuminating a target are derived. A first metric characterizing the symmetric component and a second metric characterizing the asymmetric component vary non-monotonically as a function of the parameter of interest over a reference range of values of the parameter of interest. A combination of the derived symmetric component and the derived asymmetric component are used to identify a correct value from a plurality of candidate values of the parameter of interest.

Method of determining a value of a parameter of interest of a target formed by a patterning process

Methods of optimizing a metrology process are disclosed. In one arrangement, measurement data from a plurality of applications of the metrology process to a first target on a substrate are obtained. Each application of the metrology process includes illuminating the first target with a radiation spot and detecting radiation redirected by the first target. The applications of the metrology process include applications at a) plural positions of the radiation spot relative to the first target, and/or b) plural focus heights of the radiation spot. The measurement data includes, for each application of the metrology process, a detected pupil representation of an optical characteristic of the redirected radiation in a pupil plane. The method includes determining an optimal alignment and/or an optimal focus height based on comparisons between the detected pupil representations in the measurement data and a reference pupil representation.

Method of optimizing a metrology process

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's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands

Joannes Jitse Venselaar