Asml Netherlands B.v.

Asml Holding N.v.

Alessandro Polo

Nitesh Pandey

Sebastianus Adrianus Goorden

Simon Reinald Huisman

Duygu Akbulut

Simon Gijsbert Josephus Mathijssen

Arie Jeffrey Den Boef

Maxim Pisarenco

Patricius Aloysius Jacobus Tinnemans

Armand Eugene Albert Koolen

Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer

Henricus Petrus Maria Pellemans

Han-Kwang Nienhuys

Willem Marie Julia Marcel Coene

Scott Douglas Coston

Johannes Antonius Gerardus Akkermans

Erik Willem Bogaart

Jin Lian

Nitish Kumar

Erik Johan Koop

Hilko Dirk Bos

Arjan Johannes Anton Beukman

Adrianus Johannes Hendrikus Schellekens

Ronan James Havelin

Elahe Yeganegi Dastgerdi

Simon Reinaid Huisman

A sensor is disclosed, wherein a transducer generates acoustic waves, which are received by a lens assembly. The lens assembly transmits and directs at least a part of the acoustic waves to a target. The lens assembly then receives at least a part of acoustic waves, after interaction with the target. The sensor further comprises an optical detector that comprises at least one optically reflective member located at a surface of the lens assembly, which surface is arranged opposite to a surface of the lens assembly which faces a focal plane of the lens assembly, wherein the at least one optically reflective member is mechanically displaced in response to the acoustic waves, which are received and transmitted by the lens assembly.

Apparatus and methods for determining the position of a target structure on a substrate

A sensor apparatus comprising an acoustic assembly arranged to transmit an acoustic signal to a substrate and receive at least part of the acoustic signal after the acoustic signal has interacted with the substrate, a transducer arranged to convert the at least part of the acoustic signal to an electronic signal, and, a processor configured to receive the electronic signal and determine both a topography of at least part of the substrate and a position of a target of the substrate based on the electronic signal. The sensor apparatus may for part of a lithographic apparatus or a metrology apparatus.

Sensor apparatus for lithographic measurements

An acoustic scatterometer has an acoustic source operable to project acoustic radiation onto a periodic structure and formed on a substrate. An acoustic detector is operable to detect the &#x2212;1st acoustic diffraction order diffracted by the periodic structure and while discriminating from specular reflection (0th order). Another acoustic detector is operable to detect the +1st acoustic diffraction order diffracted by the periodic structure, again while discriminating from the specular reflection (0th order). The acoustic source and acoustic detector may be piezo transducers. The angle of incidence of the projected acoustic radiation and location of the detectors and are arranged with respect to the periodic structure and such that the detection of the &#x2212;1st and +1st acoustic diffraction orders and discriminates from the 0th order specular reflection.

Scatterometer and method of scatterometry using acoustic radiation

Disclosed is a metrology apparatus comprising an optical element configured to receive at or near a pupil plane of the metrology apparatus, at least first radiation comprising a first higher diffracted order and second radiation comprising a zeroth order resulting from illumination of a metrology target with radiation; and to direct said first radiation and second radiation together in a first direction. The metrology apparatus is further configured to form at least a first image of a first interference pattern, the first interference pattern resulting from interference of said first radiation and second radiation at an image plane.

Position metrology apparatus and associated optical elements

The invention provides a position sensor () which comprises an optical system () configured to provide measurement radiation () to a substrate (). The optical system is arranged to receive at least a portion of radiation () diffracted by a mark () provided on the substrate. A processor () is applied to derive at least one position-sensitive signal () from the received radiation. The measurement radiation comprises at least a first and a second selected radiation wavelength. The selection of the at least first and second radiation wavelengths is based on a position error swing-curve model.

Position sensor

A sensor apparatus () for determining a position of a target () of a substrate (W) comprising, projection optics () configured to project a radiation beam () onto the substrate, collection optics () configured to collect measurement radiation () that has scattered from the target, a wavefront sensing system () configured to determine a pupil function variation of at least a portion () of the measurement radiation and output a signal () indicative thereof, and a measurement system () configured to receive the signal and to determine the position of the target in at least partial dependence on the collected measurement radiation and the determined pupil function variation of at least a portion of the measurement radiation.

Sensor apparatus and method for lithographic measurements

The disclosure relates to measuring a parameter of a lithographic process and a metrology apparatus. In one arrangement, radiation from a radiation source is modified and used to illuminate a target formed on a substrate using the lithographic process. Radiation scattered from a target is detected and analyzing to determine the parameter. The modification of the radiation comprises modifying a wavelength spectrum of the radiation to have a local minimum between a global maximum and a local maximum, wherein the power spectral density of the radiation at the local minimum is less than 20% of the power spectral density of the radiation at the global maximum and the power spectral density of the radiation at the local maximum is at least 50% of the power spectral density of the radiation at the global maximum.

Method of measuring a parameter of a lithographic process, metrology apparatus

Disclosed is a metrology sensor system, such as a position sensor. The system comprises an optical collection system configured to collect diffracted or scattered radiation from a metrology mark on a substrate, said collected radiation comprising at least one parameter-sensitive signal and noise signal which is not parameter-sensitive, a processing system operable to process the collected radiation; and a module housing. An optical guide is provided for guiding the at least one parameter-sensitive signal, separated from the noise signal, from the processing system to a detection system outside of the housing. A detector detects the separated at least one parameter-sensitive signal. An obscuration for blocking zeroth order radiation and/or a demagnifying optical system may be provided between the optical guide and the detector.

Metrology sensor, lithographic apparatus and method for manufacturing devices

An acoustic scatterometerhas an acoustic sourceoperable to project acoustic radiationonto a periodic structureandformed on a substrate. An acoustic detectoris operable to detect the &#x2212;1st acoustic diffraction orderdiffracted by the periodic structureandwhile discriminating from specular reflection (0th order). Another acoustic detectoris operable to detect the +1st acoustic diffraction orderdiffracted by the periodic structure, again while discriminating from the specular reflection (0th order). The acoustic source and acoustic detector may be piezo transducers. The angle of incidence of the projected acoustic radiationand location of the detectorsandare arranged with respect to the periodic structureandsuch that the detection of the &#x2212;1st and +1st acoustic diffraction ordersanddiscriminates from the 0th order specular reflection

Disclosed is a metrology sensor apparatus and associated method. The metrology sensor apparatus comprises an illumination system operable to illuminate a metrology mark on a substrate with illumination radiation having a first polarization state and an optical collection system configured to collect scattered radiation, following scattering of the illumination radiation by the metrology mark. The metrology mark comprises a main structure and changes, relative to the first polarization state, at least one of a polarization state of a first portion of the scattered radiation predominately resultant from scattering by the main structure and a polarization state of a second portion of radiation predominately resultant from scattering by one or more features other than the main structure, such that the polarization state of the first portion of the scattered radiation is different to the polarization state of the second portion of the scattered radiation. The metrology sensor apparatus further comprises an optical filtering system which filters out the second portion of the scattered radiation based on its polarization state.

A radiation receiving system for an inspection apparatus, used to perform measurements on target structures on lithographic substrates as part of a lithographic process, comprises a spectrometer with a number of inputs. The radiation receiving system comprises: a plurality of inputs, each input being arranged to provide radiation from a target structure; a first optical element operable to receive radiation from each of the plurality of inputs; a second optical element operable to receive radiation from the first optical element and to scatter the radiation; and a third optical element operable to direct the scattered radiation onto a detector. The second optical element may for example be a reflective diffraction grating that diffracts incoming radiation into an output radiation spectrum.

Radiation receiving system

An alignment system, method and lithographic apparatus are provided for determining the position of an alignment mark, the alignment system comprising a first system configured to produce two overlapping images of the alignment mark that are rotated by around 180 degrees with respect to one another, and a second system configured to determine the position of the alignment mark from a spatial distribution of an intensity of the two overlapping images.

Alignment system

An alignment sensor for a lithographic apparatus has an optical system configured to deliver, collect and process radiation selectively in a first waveband (e.g. 500-900 nm) and/or in a second waveband (e.g. 1500-2500 nm). The radiation of the first and second wavebands share a common optical path in at least some portion of the optical system, while the radiation of the first waveband is processed by a first processing sub-system and the radiation of the second waveband is processed by a second processing sub-system. The processing subsystems in one example include self-referencing interferometers. The radiation of the second waveband allows marks to be measured through an opaque layer. Optical coatings and other components of each processing sub-system can be tailored to the respective waveband, without completely duplicating the optical system.

Position sensor, lithographic apparatus and method for manufacturing devices

A lithographic apparatus includes an alignment sensor configured to determine the position of an alignment target having a periodic structure. The alignment sensor includes a demultiplexer to demultiplex a number of intensity channels. The demultiplexer includes a number of stages arranged in series and a number of demultiplexing components, each demultiplexing component operable to divide an input radiation beam into two radiation beam portions. The first stage has a first demultiplexing component that is arranged to receive as an input radiation beam an incident radiation beam. Each successive stage is arranged such that it has twice the number of demultiplexing components as a preceding stage, each demultiplexing component of each stage after the first stage receiving as an input one of the radiation beam portions output from a demultiplexing component of the preceding stage.

Alignment sensor for lithographic apparatus

A method and apparatus to measure overlay from images of metrology targets, images obtained using acoustic waves, for example images obtained using an acoustic microscope. The images of two targets are obtained, one image using acoustic waves and one image using optical waves, the edges of the images are determined and overlay between the two targets is obtained as the difference between the edges of the two images.

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Arendonk, Belgium

Alessandro Polo