Asml Netherlands B.v.

Jochem Sebastiaan Wildenberg

Everhardus Cornelis Mos

Roy Werkman

Erik Johannes Maria Wallerbos

Richard Johannes Franciscus Van Haren

Scott Anderson Middlebrooks

Alexander Ypma

Adrianus Cornelis Matheus Koopman

Irina Lyulina

Jasper Menger

David Han

Frank Staals

Marinus Jochemsen

David Deckers

Erik Jensen

Bijoy Rajasekharan

Cornelis Johannes Rijnierse

Svetla Petrova Matova

Maurits Van Der Schaar

Thomas Theeuwes

Maxim Pisarenco

Davit Harutyunyan

Pierluigi Frisco

Vahid Bastani

Fuming Wang

Tom Van Hemert

Jurgen Johannes Henderikus Maria Schoonus

Hugo Thomas Looijestijn

Franciscus Hendricus Arnoldus Elich

Fei Jia

Ronald Van Ittersum

Wim Tjibbo Tel

Michael Kubis

Peter Ten Berge

Hubertus Johannes Gertrudus Simons

Marcel Hendrikus Maria Beems

Leon Paul Van Dijk

Hermanus Adrianus Dillen

Victor Emanuel Calado

Hadi Yagubizade

Johannes Marcus Maria Beltman

Xiuhong Wei

Lydia Marianna Vergaij-Huizer

Pieter Gerardus Jacobus Smorenberg

Robertus Wilhelmus Van Der Heijden

Koen Thuijs

Willem Louis Van Mierlo

Adam Jan Urbanczyk

Laurent Michel Marcel Depre

Christopher Prentice

Kevin Van De Ruit

Velislava Ignatova

Luc Roumen

Fan Feng

In a lithographic process, product units such as semiconductor wafers are subjected to lithographic patterning operations and chemical and physical processing operations. Alignment data or other measurements are made at stages during the performance of the process to obtain object data representing positional deviation or other parameters measured at points spatially distributed across each unit. This object data is used to obtain diagnostic information by performing a multivariate analysis to decompose a set of vectors representing the units in the multidimensional space into one or more component vectors. Diagnostic information about the industrial process is extracted using the component vectors. The performance of the industrial process for subsequent product units can be controlled based on the extracted diagnostic information.

Methods and apparatus for obtaining diagnostic information relating to an industrial process

A method and associated apparatuses for controlling a process of manufacturing semiconductor devices on a substrate. The method includes obtaining process data relating to the process and determining a correction for the process based on the process data and a first control objective associated with the devices on the substrate. A first probability of the first control objective being achievable is determined and the correction adjusted based on the probability and at least a second control objective having a second probability of being achievable compared to the first control objective.

Method for controlling a manufacturing process and associated apparatuses

A method for selecting an optimal set of locations for a measurement or feature on a substrate, the method includes: defining a first candidate solution of locations, defining a second candidate solution with locations based on modification of a coordinate in a solution domain of the first candidate solution, and selecting the first and/or second candidate solution as the optimal solution according to a constraint associated with the substrate.

Selecting a set of locations associated with a measurement or feature on a substrate

A method for determining a plurality of corrections for control of at least one manufacturing apparatus used in a manufacturing process for providing product structures to a substrate in a plurality of layers, the method including: determining the plurality of corrections including a correction for each layer, based on an actuation potential of the applicable manufacturing apparatus used in the formation of each layer, wherein the determining includes determining corrections for each layer simultaneously in terms of a matching parameter.

Method for controlling a manufacturing apparatus and associated apparatuses

A method for improving the yield of a lithographic process, the method including: determining a parameter fingerprint of a performance parameter across a substrate, the parameter fingerprint including information relating to uncertainty in the performance parameter; determining a process window fingerprint of the performance parameter across the substrate, the process window being associated with an allowable range of the performance parameter; and determining a probability metric associated with the probability of the performance parameter being outside an allowable range. Optionally a correction to the lithographic process is determined based on the probability metric.

Method for optimization of a lithographic process

A method for optimizing a sequence of processes for manufacturing of product units, includes: associating measurement results of performance parameters (e.g., fingerprints) with the recorded process characteristics (e.g., context); obtaining a characteristic (e.g., context) of a previous process (e.g. deposition) in the sequence already performed on a product unit; obtaining a characteristic (e.g., context) of a subsequent process (e.g., exposure) in the sequence to be performed on the product unit; determining a predicted performance parameter (e.g., fingerprint) of the product unit associated with the sequence of previous and subsequent processes by using the obtained characteristics to retrieve measurement results of the performance parameters (e.g., fingerprints) corresponding to the recorded characteristics; and determining corrections to be applied to future processes (e.g. exposure, etch) in the sequence to be performed on the product unit, based on the determined predicted performance parameter.

Optimizing a sequence of processes for manufacturing of product units

A method of determining a set of metrology point locations, the set including a subset of potential metrology point locations on a substrate, the method including: determining a relation between noise distributions associated with a plurality of the potential metrology point locations using existing knowledge; and using the determined relation and a model associated with the substrate to determine the set.

Method of determining a set of metrology points on a substrate, associated apparatus and computer program

A method, system and program for determining a fingerprint of a parameter. The method includes determining a contribution from a device out of a plurality of devices to a fingerprint of a parameter. The method includes obtaining parameter data and usage data, wherein the parameter data is based on measurements for multiple substrates having been processed by the plurality of devices, and the usage data indicates which of the devices out of the plurality of the devices were used in the processing of each substrate; and determining the contribution using the usage data and parameter data.

Method for determining contribution to a fingerprint

A method for estimating a parameter across a region on a substrate, the region being divided into a plurality of sub-regions, the method including: obtaining values of the parameter for at least two sub-regions out of the plurality of sub-regions; and estimating the parameter for a position on the region by evaluation of a function having said values of the parameter as input values, wherein the function: a) has piecewise defined base functions, wherein a single base function is defined across a sub-region; and b) is continuous between one or more adjacent sub-regions of the at least two sub-regions within the region.

Estimating a parameter of a substrate

A method to change an etch parameter of a substrate etching process, the method including: making a first measurement of a first metric associated with a structure on a substrate before being etched; making a second measurement of a second metric associated with a structure on a substrate after being etched; and changing the etch parameter based on a difference between the first measurement and the second measurement.

Method to change an etch parameter

A method including evaluating, with respect to a parameter representing remaining uncertainty of a mathematical model fitting measured data, one or more mathematical models for fitting measured data and one or more measurement sampling schemes for measuring data, against measurement data across a substrate, and identifying one or more mathematical models and/or one or more measurement sampling schemes, for which the parameter crosses a threshold.

Method and apparatus for inspection and metrology

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Aarle-Rixtel, Netherlands

Jochem Sebastiaan Wildenberg