Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Carl Zeiss Sms Ltd.

Carl Zeiss Meditec Ag

Carl-zeiss-smt Ag

Gerd Klose

Michael Arnz

Matthias Manger

Michael Totzeck

Armin Schoeppach

Dirk Seidel

Ulrich Bingel

Joachim Stuehler

Gennady Fedosenko

Stefan Wiesner

Leonid Gorkhover

Oswald Gromer

Claudia Ekstein

Michael Widmann

Hans-Joachim Trefz

Guenter Albrecht

Johannes Rau

Uwe Schellhorn

Ulrich Stroessner

Alexander Huebel

Mikhail Levtonov

Volkmar Betz

Johnannes Rau

A method for determining a registration error of a feature on a mask, including providing a first aerial image that was captured by means of a position measuring device and includes at least the feature, simulating, from pattern specifications of the mask, a second aerial image that includes at least the feature, taking into account at least one effect that causes distortion of the first aerial image, and determining the registration error of the feature as the distance of the position of the feature in the first aerial image from the position of the feature in the second aerial image. Also provided is a method for simulating an aerial image from pattern specifications of a mask and a position measuring device for carrying out the method.

Method for determining the registration of a structure on a photomask and apparatus to perform the method

A method and a device for the material-fit connection of an optical element to a frame are disclosed.

Method and device for connecting an optical element to a frame

An autofocus device for an imaging device is provided, which has an imaging optic having a first focal plane and an object table for moving an object to be imaged relative to the first focal plane, wherein said autofocus device comprises a) an image recording module having a second focal plane, the location thereof relative to the first focal plane being known, b) a lighting module (BM) for imaging a focusing image along a lighting beam path in a focusing image plane such that, if the object is positioned in a target position at a predetermined distance to the second focal plane, the lighting beam path is folded because of reflection on the object and the focusing image, which lies in the focusing image plane, intersects the second focal plane or lies therein, and c) a control module, which activates the object table to focus the imaging device so that the object is positioned in the target position, from a signal of the image recording module, which the image recording module generates on the basis of the recording thereof of the focusing image when the object is positioned in the target position, derives the deviation of the object position from the target position, and, based on the derived deviation, the predetermined distance, and the relative location of the first and second focal planes, activates the object table so that the object is positioned in the first focal plane.

Autofocus device and autofocusing method for an imaging device

The invention relates to a method for measuring structures on masks () for photolithography, wherein firstly the mask () is mounted on a spatially movable platform (). The position of the platform () is controlled in this case. The structure on the mask () is illuminated with illumination light from an illumination light source which emits coherent light. The light coming from the mask () is imaged onto a detection device () by an imaging optical unit () and detected. The detected signals are evaluated in an evaluation device () and the positions and dimensions of the structures are determined. The invention also relates to an apparatus by which these method steps, in particular, can be carried out. In this case, the accuracy of the position and dimension determination is increased by the properties of the illumination light being coordinated with the structure to be measured. For this purpose, the illumination device (') has setting means for coordinating the properties of the illumination light with the structure to be measured.

Method and apparatus for measuring structures on photolithography masks

A method for calibrating a specimen stage of a metrology system is provided, in which a specimen that has multiple marks is positioned successively in different calibration positions, each mark is positioned in the photography range of an optical system by means of the specimen stage in each calibration position of the specimen, and the mark position is measured using the optical system. A model is set up that describes positioning errors of the specimen stage using a system of functions having calibration parameters to be determined. The model takes into consideration at least one systematic measurement error that occurs during the measurement of the mark positions. The values of the calibration parameters are determined based on the model with consideration of the measured mark positions.

Method for calibrating a specimen stage of a metrology system and metrology system comprising a specimen stage

A method is provided for determining the position of a structure on a carrier, relative to a reference point of the carrier, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing an image including a reference structure; b) recording an image of the structure on the carrier by means of a recording device, with a known recording position relative to the reference points; c) superimposing the two images to form one superimposed image; d) determining the image distance of the two structures in the superimposed image; e) shifting the two structures in the superimposed image relative to one another, depending on the determined image distance; f) checking whether the determined image distance is below a predetermined maximum value; wherein, if the image distance is below the maximum value, the method is continued in step g), and, if the image distance is not below the maximum value, steps d)-f) are repeated, taking into account the determined image distance/distances: g) determining the position of the structure relative to the reference point, on the basis of the recording position in step b) and of the image distance/image distances determined in step(s) d).

Method and apparatus for determining the position of a structure on a carrier relative to a reference point of the carrier

A method is provided for determining the relative overlay shift of stacked layers, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a reference image including a reference pattern that comprises first and second pattern elements; b) providing a measurement image of a measurement pattern, which comprises a first pattern element formed by a first one of the layers and a second pattern element formed by a second one of the layers; c) weighting the reference or measurement image such that a weighted first image is generated, in which the first pattern element is emphasized relative to the second pattern element; d) determining the relative shift of the first pattern element on the basis of the weighted first image and of the measurement or reference image not weighted in step c); e) weighting the reference or measurement image such that a weighted second image is generated, in which the second pattern element is emphasized relative to the first pattern element; f) determining the relative shift of the second pattern element on the basis of the weighted second image and of the measurement or reference image not weighted in step e); g) determining the relative overlay shift on the basis of the relative shifts determined in steps d) and f).

Method and apparatus for determining the relative overlay shift of stacked layers

A scattered light measurement device includes an illumination mask providing measuring radiation on an entrance side () of a test component () and a detection part (-) for detection of light scattered by the test component and disposed on an exit side () of the test component. The illumination mask includes at least one scattered light measurement structure, wherein the scattered light measurement structure has a scattered light marker zone and wherein the scattered light marker zone has a rotationally non-symmetric shape.

Device and method for range-resolved determination of scattered light, and an illumination mask

An illumination mask () for a device for the range-resolved determination of scattered light, having one or more scattered-light measuring structures () which respectively include an inner dark-field zone which defines a minimum scattering range, to an associated image-field mask and a corresponding device is provided. Also provided is an associated operating method and a microlithography projection-exposure system having such a device. The scattered-lighter measuring structure in the illumination mask has a scattered-light marker zone () in the form of a bright-field zone, which on the one hand borders the inner dark-field zone and on the other hand borders an outer dark-field zone, which defines a maximum scattering range. The device may optionally be designed for the multi-channel measuring of scattered light by using a suitable image-field mask and also for multi-channel wavefront measurement, and the detection part may contain an immersion medium. Applications include, for example, the range-resolved determination of scattered light of projection objectives in microlithography projection-exposure systems.

Device for the range-resolved determination of scattered light, operating method, illumination mask and image-field mask

Growing community of inventors

Oberkochen, Germany

Gerd Klose