Asml Holding N.v.

Asml Netherlands B.v.

David A Hult

Heine Melle Mulder

Roberto B Wiener

Hendrikus Robertus Marie Van Greevenbroek

Minne Cuperus

Eric Brian Catey

Richard Carl Zimmerman

Alexander Kremer

Provided is a reticle masking blade system, including a reticle-masking blade device. Also included is a detector array mounted on an edge of a blade of the blade device.

System, method, and apparatus for scanning detector for fast and frequent illumination uniformity correction module

Systems and methods for measuring stray light in a lithographic apparatus are described using Radiometric Kirk Test (also known as Scanning SAMOS Test). The Radiometric Kirk Test of the present invention involves a test pattern having an isolated dark area within a much larger bright field. The radiometric Kirk test includes at least two continuous or stepped scans of an aperture of a detector in an image plane of a lithographic system. During a dark area measurement, the aperture of the detector is positioned such that at least at one point the aperture of the detector is centered within an image of the dark area. During a bright area measurement, the aperture of the detector is positioned within the image of the bright field. The integrated detector signal is correspondingly computed for the dark area measurement and the bright area measurement. The ratio of the integrated dark area measurement result and integrated bright area measurement result is a measure of stray light present in the lithographic apparatus.

Radiometric Kirk test

A uniformity correction system may be used as an actuator for the correction of asymmetry scan-integrated illumination pupil fill that varies in the non-scanning direction of a lithography system. Instead of minimizing asymmetric opaque element insertion, opaque elements are inserted into an illumination beam to introduce an additional pupil asymmetry into the illumination beam. The compensating pupil asymmetry substantially nulls the original pupil asymmetry. To introduce the pupil asymmetry, a first opaque element can be moved into or out of the illumination beam in tandem with a second, opposing opaque element. Iterative feedback of both uniformity and pupil asymmetry ensure that both are substantially simultaneously optimized.

Residual pupil asymmetry compensator for a lithography scanner

A system and method for uniformity correction is provided. The system includes a plurality of winged correction elements inserted into the illumination field in a defined configuration. Adjacent winged correction elements are overlapped to minimize induced uniformity ripple. Each winged correction element has a first protrusion on a longitudinal edge of the correction element and a second protrusion on the opposite longitudinal edge. The slope of a sloped edge of the first protrusion and the slope of a sloped edge of the second protrusion are tied to the slope of a gradient in the non-uniformity profile of the illumination field. In addition, the angles defined by the flat tip of the correction element and the sloped edge of the first and second protrusions are tied to the angle of a gradient of the illumination field.

System and method for uniformity correction

Provided are a method and system for projecting an illumination beam to an image plane. The method includes producing a sample of the illumination beam and projecting the sample to a secondary image plane. Next, an illumination uniformity profile associated with the projected sample is measured while the received illumination beam is being projected to the image plane.

Growing community of inventors

Danbury, CT, United States of America

David A Hult