Asml Netherlands B.v.

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Asml Holding N.v.

Alexander Viktorovych Padiy

Boris Menchtchikov

Johannes Jacobus Matheus Baselmans

Martinus Hendrikus Antonius Leenders

Engelbertus Antonius Fransiscus Van Der Pasch

Wim Tjibbo Tel

Scott Anderson Middlebrooks

Thomas Theeuwes

Jozef Petrus Henricus Benschop

Carolus Johannes Catharina Schoormans

Wouter Onno Pril

Andreas Johannes Antonius Brouns

Tao Chen

Alexander Alexandrovich Danilin

Maksym Yuriiovych Sladkov

Johannes Aldegonda Theodorus Marie Van Den Homberg

Alejandro Xabier Arrizabalaga Uriarte

A lithographic method for measuring a position of a target grating with a mask sensor apparatus which comprises a plurality of detector modules each comprising a diffraction grating located at a mask side of a projection system of a lithographic apparatus and an associated detector, the method comprising a first step of measuring first intensities of a combination of diffraction orders diffracted from the target grating while the mask sensor apparatus is moved relatively to the target grating along a first direction; a second step of displacing the mask sensor apparatus relative to the target grating in a second direction, wherein a size of the relative displacement is proportional to a spatial frequency of a potential error; and a third step of measuring second intensities of the combination of diffraction orders diffracted from the target grating while the mask sensor apparatus is moved relatively to the target grating along the first direction.

Lithographic method and apparatus

A substrate layer structure () is adapted to carry electronic device, or components, or electro-mechanical, or electro-chemical sensors, or a combination thereof, and is adapted to be attached to a surface of a human or animal body or biological species. The surface of the flexible substrate layer structure is patterned with a pre-fixed geometry formed by one or more slits (--). The geometry is selected such that a stretchability of the substrate layer structure becomes adapted to the geometry of the body surface under it.

Substrate layer adapted to carry sensors, actuators or electrical components

A core body temperature measurement device includes a plurality of electronic temperature sensors () operatively coupled with or near a surface (STA, PAA, BTT) having a surface temperature approximating the core body temperature, and a readout controller () including a maximum temperature reading selector (). The readout controller is configured to acquire temperature readings using the plurality of temperature sensors and to output a core body temperature based on a highest usable temperature reading of the acquired temperature readings as determined by the maximum temperature reading selector. A core body temperature measurement method includes: acquiring a plurality of temperature readings at and near a surface (STA, PAA, BTT) having a surface temperature approximating the core body temperature; generating a highest usable temperature reading from the acquired temperature readings; and outputting a core body temperature based on the highest usable temperature.

Methods and devices for measuring core body temperature

A method of calibrating a substrate positioning system of a lithographic apparatus, the method including: exposing a pattern with the lithographic apparatus on an exposed layer on the surface of a substrate having a reference layer, wherein the pattern corresponds to a movement of the substrate by the substrate positioning system; measuring overlay data between the exposed layer and the reference layer on a plurality of positions on the substrate; transforming the overlay data from a spatial domain to a frequency domain by a discrete cosine transformation; modifying the overlay data in the frequency domain by selecting a subset of the overlay data; transforming the modified overlay data from the frequency domain back to the spatial domain by an inverse discrete cosine transformation; calibrating the substrate positioning system by using the modified overlay data in the spatial domain.

Lithographic cluster system, method for calibrating a positioning device of a lithographic apparatus

A lithographic exposure process is performed on a substrate using a scanner. The scanner comprises several subsystems. There are errors in the overlay arising from the subsystems during the exposure. The overlay errors are measured using a scatterometer to obtain overlay measurements. Modeling is performed to separately determine from the overlay measurements different subsets of estimated model parameters, for example field distortion model parameters, scan/step direction model parameters and position/deformation model parameters. Each subset is related to overlay errors arising from a corresponding specific subsystem of the lithographic apparatus. Finally, the exposure is controlled in the scanner by controlling a specific subsystem of the scanner using its corresponding subset of estimated model parameters. This results in a product wafer being exposed with a well controlled overlay.

Method and apparatus for controlling a lithographic apparatus

A lithographic apparatus is calibrated by reference to a primary reference substrate. Using an apparatus which need not be the same as the one being calibrated, there is obtained an apparatus-specific fingerprint of the primary reference substrate. Using the same set-up there is then obtained an apparatus-specific fingerprint of a secondary reference substrate. The apparatus-specific fingerprint of the primary reference substrate is subtracted from the apparatus-specific fingerprint of the secondary reference substrate to obtain and store an apparatus-independent fingerprint of the secondary reference substrate. The secondary reference substrate and stored apparatus-independent fingerprint are subsequently used together in place of the primary reference substrate as a reference for the calibration of the lithographic apparatus to be calibrated. Initial set-up for a cluster of lithographic tools can be performed with less use of the costly primary reference substrate, and with less interruption to normal production. The initial set-up can be integrated with on-going monitoring and re-calibration of the apparatuses.

Method of calibrating a lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method and associated data processing apparatus and computer program product

A method produces at least one monitor wafer for a lithographic apparatus. The monitor wafer is for use in combination with a scanning control module to periodically retrieve measurements defining a baseline from the monitor wafer thereby determining parameter drift from the baseline. In doing this, allowance and/or correction can be to be made for the drift. The baseline is determined by initially exposing the monitor wafer(s) using the lithographic apparatus, such that the initial exposure is performed while using non-standard alignment model settings optimized for accuracy, such as those used for testing the apparatus. An associated lithographic apparatus is also disclosed.

Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method for measuring wafer parameters using non-standard alignment settings

A system and method for calibrating system parameters of a lithography apparatus is disclosed. The system includes a measurement device configured to measure an overlay error between patterns formed on a substrate during different exposures and a processing device configured to determine a model representative of a relationship between the overlay error and a system parameter error based on the measured overlay error. The method includes measuring an overlay error between patterns formed at different exposures with the substrate positioned at different orientations during each of the different exposures. The method further includes determining a model representative of a relationship between the overlay error and a system parameter error based on the measured overlay error and deriving a calibration correction factor from the model.

Calibration of lithographic apparatus by exposing patterns on substrate positioned at different orientations

A method controls scanning function of a lithographic apparatus. A monitor wafer is exposed to determine baseline control parameters pertaining to the scanning function. The baseline control parameters are retrieved from the monitor wafer. Parameter drift is determined from the baseline control parameters. Compensation is performed based on the determination. A different parameterization is used for control of the scanning control module than for communication between the scanning control module and the lithographic apparatus.

Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

A method produces at least one monitor wafer for a lithographic apparatus. The monitor wafer is for use in combination with a scanning control module to periodically retrieve measurements defining a baseline from the monitor wafer, thereby determining parameter drift from the baseline. In doing this, allowance and/or correction can be to be made for the drift. The baseline is determined by initially exposing the monitor wafer(s) using the lithographic apparatus to perform multiple exposure passes on each of the monitor wafer(s). An associated lithographic apparatus is also disclosed.

Lithographic apparatus and method controlling parameter drift by performing multiple patterning passes on reference substrate

In a solid immersion lithography apparatus, the final element of the projection system is maintained at a distance of less than about 50 nm from the substrate by an actuator system. The final element may be formed as two parts, with a fluid, e.g. a liquid, confined between them. The actuator system may be controlled relative to a reference frame, which may be supported by a bearing. Backscatter detection can be used to determine if the distance between the final element and the substrate is too large. A cleaning device can clean the substrate between exposures.

System parameters are checked through self-assessment of a production wafer without a reference or a monitor wafer. In particular, exposure errors and substrate table positioning errors can be corrected for.

Calibration of lithographic apparatus

A lithographic apparatus operates by moving a substrate and a patterning device relative to each other in a sequence of movements such that a pattern is applied at a successive portions on the substrate. Each portion of the substrate is patterned by a scanning operation in which the patterning device is scanned through the radiation beam while synchronously scanning the substrate through the patterned radiation beam so as to apply the pattern to the desired portion on the substrate. An intrafield correction is applied during each scanning operation so as to compensate for distortion effects which vary during the scanning operation. The intrafield correction includes corrective variations of one or more properties of the projection system, and optionally out-of-plane movements of the patterning device and/or substrate table.

Lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method and associated data processing apparatus and computer program product

A method controls a scanning function of a lithographic apparatus. A first alignment strategy is used. A monitor wafer is exposed to determine baseline control parameters pertaining to the scanning function. The baseline control parameters are periodically retrieved from the monitor wafer. Parameter drift is determined from the baseline control parameters. Corrective action is taken based on the determination. A production wafer is exposed using a second alignment strategy, different to the first alignment strategy. The corrective action is modified so as to be substantially closer to the correction that would have been made had the second alignment strategy been used in exposing the monitor wafer.

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Geldrop, Netherlands

Alexander Viktorovych Padiy