Asml Holding N.v.

Asml Netherlands B.v.

The Perkin-elmer Corporation

Zygo Corporation

Svg Lithography Systems, Inc.

Other

Silicon Valley Group, Inc.

Asml Holdings N.v.

Kreuzer, Justin L.

Justin Lloyd Kreuzer

Stephen Roux

Arie Jeffrey Den Boef

Krishanu Shome

Mohamed Swillam

Simon Gijsbert Josephus Mathijssen

Christopher John Mason

Michael L Nelson

Patricius Aloysius Jacobus Tinnemans

Arno Jan Bleeker

Harry Sewell

Azat M Latypov

Yuli Vladimirsky

Wenceslao A Cebuhar

Henry Allen Hill

Santiago E Del Puerto

Tamer Mohamed Tawfik Ahmed Mohamed Elazhary

Yuxiang Lin

Peter L Filosi

Richard Johannes Franciscus Van Haren

Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer

Simon Reinald Huisman

Peter Conrad Kochersperger

Gerrit Johannes Nijmeijer

Igor Matheus Petronella Aarts

Oscar Franciscus Jozephus Noordman

James Hamilton Walsh

Nabila Baba-Ali

Michal Emanuel Pawlowski

Kirill Urievich Sobolev

Irit Tzemah

Maurits Van Der Schaar

Everhardus Cornelis Mos

Pieter Willem Herman De Jager

Patrick Warnaar

Hans Van Der Laan

Franciscus Godefridus Casper Bijnen

Antoine Gaston Marie Kiers

Sebastianus Adrianus Goorden

Armand Eugene Albert Koolen

Mircea Dusa

Matthew Lipson

Louis John Markoya

Gregg M Gallatin

Roberto B Wiener

Teunis Cornelis Van Den Dool

Ronald A Wilklow

Carlo F La Fiandra

Paul Frank Luehrmann

Vasco Tomas Tenner

Henri Johannes Petrus Vink

Paul Jacques Van Wijnen

Aage Bendiksen

David H Kittell

Michael M Albert

Carlo F LaFiandra

Diane Czop McCafferty

Arjan Johannes Anton Beukman

Aleksandr Khmelichek

Parag Vinayak Kelkar

Arun Mahadevan Venkataraman

Andrew Judge

Nikhil Mehta

Muhsin Eralp

Stanley Drazkiewicz

J Christian Swindal

Frank Bornebroek

Warren Deschenaux

Gregory P Hughes

Christopher Michael Dohan

Ilse Van Weperen

Ravi Chaitanya Kalluri

Tamer Mohamed Tawfik Ahmed Elazhary

Simon Josephus Mathijssen

Vu Quang Tran

Daniel Perez Calero

Disclosed is a method for a metrology measurement on an area of a substrate comprising at least a portion of a target structure. The method comprises receiving a radiation information representing a portion of radiation scattered by the are, and using a filter in a Fourier domain for removing or suppressing at least a portion of the received radiation information that does not relate to radiation that has been scattered by the target structure for obtaining a filtered radiation information for the metrology measurement, wherein characteristics of the filter are based on target information about the target structure.

Method for filtering an image and associated metrology apparatus

An inspection system includes a radiation source that generates a beam of radiation and irradiates a first surface of an object, defining a region of the first surface of the object. The radiation source also irradiates a second surface of the object, defining a region of the second surface, wherein the second surface is at a different depth level within the object than the first surface. The inspection system may also include a detector that defines a field of view (FOV) of the first surface including the region of the first surface, and receives radiation scattered from the region of the first surface and the region of the second surface. The inspection system may also include a processor that discards image data not received from the region of the first surface, and constructs a composite image comprising the image data from across the region of the first surface.

Method for region of interest processing for reticle particle detection

A metrology system includes a radiation source, an adjustable diffractive element, an optical system, an optical element, and a processor. The radiation source generates radiation. The adjustable diffractive element diffracts the radiation to generate first and second beams of radiation. The first and second beams have first and second different non-zero diffraction orders, respectively. The optical system directs the first and second beams toward a target structure such that first and second scattered beams of radiation are generated based on the first and second beams, respectively. The metrology system adjusts a phase difference of the first and second scattered beams. The optical element interferes the first and second scattered beams at an imaging detector that generates a detection signal. The processor receives and analyzes the detection signal to determine a property of the target structure based on the adjusted phase difference.

Systems and methods for measuring intensity in a lithographic alignment apparatus

An inspection system (), a lithography apparatus, and an inspection method are provided. The inspection system () includes an illumination system (), a detection system (), and processing circuitry (). The illumination system generates a first illumination beam () at a first wavelength and a second illumination beam () at a second wavelength. The first wavelength is different from the second wavelength. The illumination system irradiates an object () simultaneously with the first illumination beam and the second illumination beam. The detection system receives radiation () scattered by a particle () present at a surface () of the object at the first wavelength. The detection system generates a detection signal. The processing circuitry determines a characteristic of the particle based on the detection signal.

Contaminant identification metrology system, lithographic apparatus, and methods thereof

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for detecting a particle on a substrate surface. An example method can include receiving, by a grating structure, coherent radiation from a radiation source. The method can further include generating, by the grating structure, a focused coherent radiation beam based on the coherent radiation. The method can further include transmitting, by the grating structure, the focused coherent radiation beam toward a region of a surface of a substrate. The method can further include receiving, by the grating structure, photons scattered from the region in response to illuminating the region with the focused coherent radiation beam. The method can further include measuring, by a photodetector, the photons received by the grating structure. The method can further include generating, by the photodetector and based on the measured photons, an electronic signal for detecting a particle located in the region of the surface of the substrate.

Monolithic particle inspection device

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for determining the alignment of a substrate. An example method can include emitting a multi-wavelength radiation beam including a first wavelength and a second wavelength toward a region of a surface of a substrate. The example method can further include measuring a first diffracted radiation beam indicative of first order diffraction at the first wavelength in response to an irradiation of the region by the multi-wavelength radiation beam. The example method can further include measuring a second diffracted radiation beam indicative of first order diffraction at the second wavelength in response to the irradiation of the region by the multi-wavelength radiation beam. Subsequently, the example method can include generating, based on the measured first set of photons and the measured second set of photons, an electronic signal for use in determining an alignment position of the substrate.

Self-referencing integrated alignment sensor

A metrology system comprises a radiation source, an optical element, first and second detectors, an integrated optical device comprising a multimode waveguide, and a processor. The radiation source generates radiation. The optical element directs radiation toward a target to generate scattered radiation from the target. The first detector receives a first portion of the scattered radiation and generates a first detection signal based on the received first portion. The multimode waveguide interferes a second portion of the scattered radiation using modes of the multimode waveguide. The second detector receives the interfered second portion and generates a second detection signal based on the received interfered second portion. The processor receives the first and second detection signals. The processor analyzes the received first portion, the received interfered second portion, and a propagation property of the multimode waveguide. The processor determines the property of the target based on the analysis.

Spectrometric metrology systems based on multimode interference and lithographic apparatus

A detection system () includes an illumination system (), a first optical system (), a phase modulator (), a lock-in detector (), and a function generator (). The illumination system is configured to transmit an illumination beam () along an illumination path. The first optical system is configured to transmit the illumination beam toward a diffraction target () on a substrate (). The first optical system is further configured to transmit a signal beam including diffraction order sub-beams () that are diffracted by the diffraction target. The phase modulator is configured to modulate the illumination beam or the signal beam based on a reference signal. The lock-in detector is configured to collect the signal beam and to measure a characteristic of the diffraction target based on the signal beam and the reference signal. The function generator is configured to generate the reference signal for the phase modulator and the lock-in detector.

Overlay measurement system using lock-in amplifier technique

A system includes a radiation source, first and second phased arrays, and a detector. The first and second phased arrays include optical elements, a plurality of ports, waveguides, and phase modulators. The optical elements radiate radiation waves. The waveguides guide radiation from a port of the plurality of ports to the optical elements. Phase modulators adjust phases of the radiation waves. One or both of the first and second phased arrays form a first beam and/or a second beam of radiation directed toward a target structure based on the port coupled to the radiation source. The detector receives radiation scattered by the target structure and generates a measurement signal based on the received radiation.

Lithographic apparatus, metrology systems, phased array illumination sources and methods thereof

An apparatus for and method of sensing multiple alignment marks in which the optical axis of a detector is divided into multiple axes each of which can essentially simultaneously detect a separate alignment mark to generate a signal which can then be multiplexed and presented to a single detector or multiple detectors thus permitting more rapid detection of multiple marks.

Apparatus for and method of sensing alignment marks

An inspection apparatus, including: an optical system configured to provide a beam of radiation to a surface to be measured and to receive redirected radiation from the surface; and a detection system configured to measure the redirected radiation, wherein the optical system includes an optical element to process the radiation, the optical element including a Mac Neille-type multilayer polarizing coating configured to produce a reduced chromatic offset of the radiation.

Optical arrangement for an inspection apparatus

An apparatus and system for determining alignment of a substrate in which a periodic alignment mark is illuminated with spatially coherent radiation which is then provided to a compact integrated optical device to create self images of the alignment mark which may be manipulated (e.g., mirrored, polarized) and combined to obtain information on the position of the mark and distortions within the mark. Also disclosed is a system for determining alignment of a substrate in which a periodic alignment mark is illuminated with spatially coherent radiation which is then provided to an optical fiber arrangement to obtain information such as the position of the mark and distortions within the mark.

Compact alignment sensor arrangements

Apparatus for, and method of, measuring a parameter of an alignment mark on a substrate in which an optical system is arranged to receive at least one diffraction order from the alignment mark and the diffraction order is modulated at a pupil or a wafer conjugate plane of the optical system, a solid state optical device is arranged to receive the modulated diffraction order, and a spectrometer is arranged to receive the modulated diffraction order from the solid state optical device and to determine an intensity of one or more spectral components in the modulated diffraction order.

Sensor apparatus and method for lithographic measurements

An alignment sensor apparatus includes an illumination system, a first optical system, a second optical system, a detector system, and a processor. The illumination system is configured to transmit an illumination beam along an illumination path. The first optical system is configured to transmit the illumination beam toward a diffraction target on a substrate. The second optical system includes a first polarizing optic configured to separate and transmit an irradiance distribution. The detector system is configured to measure a center of gravity of the diffraction target based on the irradiance distribution outputted from a first polarization branch and a second polarization branch. The processor is configured to measure a shift in the center of gravity of the diffraction target caused by an asymmetry variation in the diffraction target and determine a sensor response function of the alignment sensor apparatus based on the center of gravity shift.

Alignment sensor apparatus for process sensitivity compensation

A method including: subsequent to a first device lithographic step of a device patterning process, measuring a degraded metrology mark on an object and/or a device pattern feature associated with the degraded metrology mark, the degraded metrology mark arising at least in part from the first device lithographic step on the object; and prior to a second device lithographic step of the device patterning process on the object, creating a replacement metrology mark, for use in the patterning process in place of the degraded metrology mark, on the object.

Metrology tool and method of using the same

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Trumbull, CT, United States of America

Justin Lloyd Kreuzer