A METHOD FOR MODELING MEASUREMENT DATA OVER A SUBSTRATE AREA AND ASSOCIATED APPARATUSES

摘要

[0010] In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method for modeling alignment data over a substrate area relating to a substrate being exposed in a lithographic process, the method comprising: obtaining alignment data relating to said substrate; separating the alignment data into a systematic component which is relatively stable between different substrates and a non-systematic component which is not relatively stable between different substrates; individually modeling the systematic component and the non-systematic component; and determining a process correction for the substrate based on the modeled systematic component and modeled non-systematic component. [0011] In a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method for modeling alignment data over a substrate area relating to a substrate being exposed in a lithographic process, the method comprising: obtaining alignment data relating to said substrate; determining a systematic component of said alignment data which is relatively stable between different substrates; and individually modeling the systematic component.[0012] In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer program comprising program instructions operable to perform the method of the first aspect when run on a suitable apparatus, and associated processing apparatus and lithographic apparatus.