Patent ID: 7710538

Claim:
A device for correcting thermally-induced field deformations of a lithographically exposed substrate comprising: a measurement station configured to measure attributes of a plurality of fields provided on said substrate; and a processor unit, said processor unit comprising a model to predict thermally-induced field deformation information of said plurality of fields of said substrate; wherein said measurement station is arranged to: obtain measurement data on the substrate which is provided to said measurement station, said substrate comprising a pattern exposed with pre-specified exposure information; provide said measurement data to said processor unit; and wherein said processor unit is arranged to: receive pre-specified exposure information; determine said model by comparing said received pre-specified exposure information and said measurement data, received from said measurement station; predict thermally-induced field deformation information by employing said model; modify said pre-specified exposure information; wherein predicting thermally-induced field deformation information by said model includes predicting of deformation effects of selected points based on at least: a time-decaying characteristic as energy is transported across said substrate; and a distance between said selected points and an edge of said substrate.