Patent ID: 8675176

Claim:
A method for enhancing or adjusting a parameter of an image in a lithographic apparatus, comprising: controlling an intensity of a preferred state of polarization of a radiation beam by controlling the polarization purity of the radiation beam, or the degree of polarization of the radiation beam, or both, the controlling further comprising determining a polarization performance level of a different lithographic apparatus and controlling the intensity of the preferred state of polarization of the radiation beam to correspond to an intensity of a preferred state of polarization of a radiation of the different lithographic apparatus; patterning the radiation beam with a patterning device; and projecting the patterned radiation onto a target portion of a layer of radiation sensitive material on a substrate to form an image, wherein at least one parameter of the image selected from the parameters of image contrast, critical dimension, critical dimension pitch, or iso-dense bias characteristic is enhanced or adjusted with the control of the intensity of the preferred state of polarization of the radiation beam, wherein the intensity of the preferred state of polarization is a linear function of a polarization purity of the radiation beam and a degree of polarization of the radiation beam.