Asml Netherlands B.v.

Carl-zeiss-smt Ag

Carl-zeiss-stiftung

Carl Zeiss Microscopy Gmbh

Asml Holding N.v.

Carl Zeiss Semiconductor Manufacturing Technologies Ag

Carl-zeiss-stiftung Trading As Carl Zeiss

Christian Wagner

Hubert Holderer

Karl-Heinz Schuster

Winfried M Kaiser

Jochen Becker

Manfred Maul

Stefan Xalter

Michael Gerhard

Wolfgang Hummel

Rudolf Von B&uuml;nau

Martin Brunotte

Wilhelm Ulrich

Toralf Gruner

Wilhelmus Petrus De Boeij

Martin Schriever

Birgit Enkisch

Daniel Krähmer

Christof Zaczek

Erik Roelof Loopstra

Damian Fiolka

Tilmann Heil

Werner M&uuml;ller-Rissmann

Johannes Jacobus Matheus Baselmans

Jens Kugler

Alexander Kohl

Roel De Jonge

Jürgen Hartmaier

Sjoerd Nicolaas Lambertus Donders

Vadim Yevgenyevich Banine

Martinus Hendrikus Antonius Leenders

Arno Jan Bleeker

Jan Bernard Plechelmus Van Schoot

Hans Van Der Laan

Gerardus Hubertus Petrus Maria Swinkels

Kars Zeger Troost

Stanislav Y Smirnov

Rogier Hendrikus Magdalena Cortie

Lev Ryzhikov

Gosse Charles De Vries

Antonius Theodorus Wilhelmus Kempen

Laurentius Catrinus Jorritsma

Michael Trunz

Luigi Scaccabarozzi

Gerhard Fuerter

Erich Merz

Henricus Gerardus Tegenbosch

Koen Van Ingen Schenau

Thomas Stammler

Gerd Reisinger

Jan Van Schoot

Erwin Gaber

Hendrikus Alphonsus Ludovicus Van Dijck

Ralf Hilgers

Gerd F&uuml;rter

Gerhard F&uuml;rter

Arie Cornelis Scheiberlich

Dietmar Dönitz

Frits Jurgen Van Hout

Uwe Goedecke

Adriaan Roelof Van Zwol

Henriette Mueller

Henriette M&uuml;ller

Uwe G&ouml;decke

Hubrecht Lodewijk Van Ginneken

Petrus Augustinus Marie Van Der Wielen

Roderik Willem Van Es

Peter Van Oorschot

Ingrid Minnaert-Janssen

Marce Mathijs Theodore Marie Dierichs

Antonius Kempen

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a radiation source comprising: a nozzle configured to direct a stream of fuel droplets () along a trajectory towards a plasma formation location; a laser configured to direct laser radiation at a fuel droplet at the plasma formation location to generate, in use, a radiation generating plasma; wherein the laser comprises: a seed laser () for providing a seed laser beam (); a beam splitter () for receiving the seed laser beam from the seed laser; an optical amplifier () for receiving the seed laser beam from the beam splitter and performing optical amplification; a first reflector () located downstream of the optical amplifier, configured to direct the seed laser beam back through the optical amplifier and on to the beam splitter; and a second reflector () located further downstream of the beam splitter, configured to receive the seed laser beam from the beam splitter and to direct at least a portion of the seed laser beam back toward the beam splitter.

Radiation source

An illumination system of a lithographic apparatus includes a plurality of reflective elements arranged to receive radiation from a radiation source, the reflective elements being movable between different orientations. In the different orientations, the reflective elements direct radiation towards different locations at a reflective component in a pupil plane of the illumination system, thereby forming different illumination modes. Each reflective element is moveable between a first orientation, which directs radiation towards a first location the pupil plane, and a second orientation, which directs radiation towards a second location in the pupil plane. The first orientation and the second orientation of the reflective element are defined by end stops.

Illumination system, lithographic apparatus and method of forming an illumination mode

A radiation source includes a nozzle configured to direct a stream of fuel droplets along a trajectory towards a plasma formation location; a laser configured to output laser radiation, the laser radiation directed at the fuel droplets at the plasma formation location to generate, in use, a radiation generating plasma; and a catch configured to catch fuel droplets that pass the plasma formation location. The catch includes a container configured to contain a fluid; a driver configured to drive the fluid, to cause the fluid to move; the catch being configured such that the fuel droplets are incident on that moving fluid.

A lithographic apparatus includes a liquid supply system configured to supply an immersion liquid between a downstream optical element of a projection system of the lithographic apparatus and the substrate, and a control system which is arranged to drive the substrate table so as to perform an acceleration profile to accelerate the substrate table from a first velocity in a first direction to a second velocity in a second direction. The acceleration profile is asymmetric in time and is dimensioned so that when the substrate table is accelerated according to the acceleration profile, a force to break a meniscus of the immersion liquid remains lower than a force to maintain the meniscus of the immersion liquid.

Immersion lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method with asymmetric acceleration profile of substrate table to maintain meniscus of immersion liquid

A particle beam device has a first column with a first beam axis, the first column having a first particle beam generator and a first objective lens for focusing the first particle beam on an object. A second column with a second beam axis is provided, the second column having a second particle beam generator and a second objective lens for focusing the second particle beam on the object. A detector, having a detection axis, detects interacting particles and/or radiation. The first beam axis and the second beam axis define a first angle, different from 0&#xb0; and from 180&#xb0;. The first and second beam axes are situated in a first plane. The detection axis of the detector and the first beam axis are situated in a second plane. The first plane and the second plane define a second angle having an absolute value in the range of 65&#xb0; to 80&#xb0;.

Particle beam device having a detector arrangement

A detector detects radiation from a mask to form an image, but the focal plane of the image is in front of the mask. Any particles arranged on the mask will be in focus. However, the pattern on the mask will be out of focus. It is therefore possible to detect the existence and location of particles on a mask having an arbitrary pattern. The depth of field of the detector is small and the focal plane is no further from the surface of the patterning device than two times the depth of field.

Method of detecting a particle and a lithographic apparatus

A lithographic apparatus uses polarized light to improve the imaging properties such as exposure latitude, while maintaining and extending the lifetime of an illumination system in a lithographic apparatus.

Polarized radiation in lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

A system and method are used to direct a radiation beam to illuminate non-perpendicularly a patterning array of individually controllable elements used for patterning the radiation beam. The individually controllable elements can change a telecentricity of the radiation beam. Projection of the radiation beam onto the individually controllable elements can be by a concave mirror or use a folding mirror placed in an object field of the individually controllable elements. Alternatively, the individually controllable elements can change the optical axis of the radiation beam.

Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

To calibrate a lithographic apparatus contrast in the aerial image is measured for a plurality of different settings of available manipulators of the projection system. Appropriate settings of the manipulators are determined as those giving the maximum contrast values.

Lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method, calibration method and computer program product

An optical system has at least two optical elements whose spatial relation with respect to each other can be changed. At least one of the optical elements comprises a plurality of optical components. The optical system comprises first measuring means for individually measuring an image defect of each optical component, and first computing means for computing first target positions for the plurality of optical components such that an overall image defect of the at least one of the optical elements is below a predetermined threshold value. Second measuring means are provided for measuring an overall image defect of the optical system, and second computing means represent the measured overall image defect as a linear combination of base functions of an orthogonal function set. The second computing means calculate second target position for the at least two optical elements so as to reduce the overall image defect.

Optical system and method for improving imaging properties thereof

A projection exposure system for microlithography includes an illuminating system (), a reflective reticle () and reduction objectives (). In the reduction objective (), a first beam splitter cube () is provided which superposes the illuminating beam path () and the imaging beam path (). In order to obtain an almost telecentric entry at the reticle, optical elements () are provided between beam splitter cube () and the reflective reticle (). Advantageously, the reduction objective is a catadioptric objective having a beam splitter cube () whose fourth unused side can be used for coupling in light. The illuminating beam path () can also be coupled in with a non-parallel beam splitter plate. The illuminating beam path is refractively corrected in passthrough to compensate for aberrations via the special configuration of the rear side of the beam splitter plate. Advantageously, a beam splitter plate of this kind is used within a reduction objective in lieu of a deflecting mirror and only refractive components are introduced between the beam splitter plate and the reflective reticle.

Projection exposure system having a reflective reticle

An objective for a microlithography projection system has at least one fluoride crystal lens. The effects of birefringence, which are detrimental to the image quality, are reduced if the lens axis of the crystal lens is oriented substantially perpendicular to the {100}-planes or {100}-equivalent crystallographic planes of the fluoride crystal. If two or more fluoride crystal lenses are used, they should have lens axes oriented in the (100)-, (111)-, or (110)-direction of the crystallographic structure, and they should be oriented at rotated positions relative to each other. The birefringence-related effects are further reduced by using groups of mutually rotated (100)-lenses in combination with groups of mutually rotated (111)- or (110)-lenses. A further improvement is also achieved by applying a compensation coating to at least one optical element of the objective.

Objective with fluoride crystal lenses

A lithographic apparatus comprises an illumination system having optical elements capable of conditioning a radiation beam to comprise in cross-section a first portion of linearly polarized radiation and a second portion of unpolarized or circularly polarized radiation. The apparatus further comprises a support constructed to support a patterning device is provided, the patterning device being capable of imparting the illuminating radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam. A substrate table is provided to hold a substrate, whilst a projection system is provided and configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate.

Different polarization in cross-section of a radiation beam in a lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

A lithographic apparatus uses polarized light to improve the imaging properties, such as exposure latitude, while maintaining and extending the lifetime of an illumination system in the lithographic apparatus.

Growing community of inventors

Eersel, Netherlands

Christian Wagner