Asml Netherlands B.v.

Marcel Hendrikus Maria Beems

Engelbertus Antonius Fransiscus Van Der Pasch

Emiel Jozef Melanie Eussen

Arie Jeffrey Den Boef

Martinus Hendrikus Antonius Leenders

Joe Sakai

Engelbertus Antonius Fransiscus Van De Pasch

Erik Roelof Loopstra

Joost Jeroen Ottens

Johannes Henricus Wilhelmus Jacobs

Raymond Wilhelmus Louis Lafarre

Everhardus Cornelis Mos

Koen Jacobus Johannes Maria Zaal

Daniel Nicholas Galburt

Frits Van Der Meulen

Franciscus Godefridus Casper Bijnen

Theodorus Petrus Maria Cadee

Tjarko Adriaan Rudolf Van Empel

Leon Martin Levasier

Marinus Aart Van Den Brink

Jochem Sebastiaan Wildenberg

Frederik Eduard De Jong

Edo Maria Hulsebos

Edwin Cornelis Kadijk

Erik Johannes Maria Wallerbos

Philip Dennis Henshaw

Wouter Onno Pril

Jan Cornelis Van Der Hoeven

Johannes Wilhelmus De Klerk

Peter Franciscus Wanten

Johannes Mathias Theodorus Antonius Adriaens

David Lucien Anstotz

Cayetano Sanchez-Fabres Cobaleda

Marteijn De Jong

Engelbertus Johannes Jeroen Klijntunte

Hendricus J M Meijer

Piotr Michał Stolarz

Richard Bernardus Johannes Droste

Sakai Joe

A method of monitoring a device manufacturing process, the method including; obtaining an estimated time variation of a process parameter; determining, on the basis of the estimated time variation, a sampling plan for measurements to be performed on a plurality of substrates to obtain information about the process parameter; measuring substrates in accordance with the sampling plan to obtain a plurality of measurements; and determining an actual time variation of the process parameter on the basis of the measurements.

Method of monitoring and device manufacturing method

A lithographic apparatus has a substrate table on which a substrate is positioned, and an alignment sensor used to measure the alignment of the substrate. In an exemplary processing method, the alignment sensor is used to perform one or more edge measurements in a first step. In a second step, one or more edge measurements are performed on the notch of the substrate. The edge measurements are then used to align the substrate in the lithographic apparatus. In a particular example, the substrate is arranged relative to the alignment sensor such that a portion of the edge surface is positioned at the focal length of the lens. When the alignment sensor detects radiation scattered by the edge surface at the focal length of the lens, the presence of the edge of the substrate is detected.

Method and apparatus for processing a substrate in a lithographic apparatus

An apparatus (AS) measures positions of marks () on a lithographic substrate (W). A measurement optical system comprises illumination subsystem () for illuminating the mark with a spot of radiation () and as detecting subsystem () for detecting radiation diffracted by the mark. The substrate and measurement optical system move relative to one another at a first velocity (v) so as to scan the mark while synchronously moving the spot of radiation relative to the reference frame (RF) of the measurement optical system at a second velocity (v). The spot scans the mark at a third velocity (v) which is lower than the first velocity to allow more time for accurate position measurements to be acquired. In one embodiment, an objective lens () remains fixed in relation to the reference frame while a moving optical element () imparts the movement of the radiation spot relative to the reference frame.

Measuring method, measuring apparatus, lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

An immersion lithographic apparatus is described with a drain configured to remove liquid from a gap between an edge of the substrate and the substrate table on which the substrate is supported. The drain is provided with a means to provide liquid to the drain irrespective of the position of the substrate table and/or a means to saturate gas within the drain. Those measures reduce the variations in heat load due to evaporation of liquid in the drain.

Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

A lithographic apparatus includes a position measurement system to determine along a measurement path a position of a first part of the lithographic apparatus with respect to a position of a second part of the lithographic apparatus. The position determination system comprises a plurality of temperature sensors to measure a temperature of a medium along the measurement path. The position measurement system corrects the determined position making use of the temperature as measured by the temperature sensors.

Lithographic apparatus temperature compensation

An improved lithographic interferometer system, is presented herein. The lithographic interferometer system comprises a beam generating mechanism, mirrors which reflect those beams, and detection devices for detecting an interference pattern of overlapping reflected beams. The beam generating mechanism comprises a beam-splitter, which splits the beams into reference beams and measuring beams, a reference mirror that provides a plane mirror interferometer, and a reflective surface that emits at least one reference beam used in a differential plane mirror interferometer.

Lithographic interferometer system with an absolute measurement subsystem and differential measurement subsystem and method thereof

A lithographic interferometer system includes a beam generating mechanism, mirrors which reflect those beams, and detection devices configured to detect an interference pattern of overlapping reflected beams. The beam generating mechanism includes a beam-splitter, which splits the beams into reference beams and measuring beams, a reference mirror that provides a plane mirror interferometer, and a reflective surface that emits at least one reference beam used in a differential plane mirror interferometer.

Integrated plane mirror and differential plane mirror interferometer system

A lithographic apparatus comprises a substrate table to hold a substrate, a reference structure and a measurement system to measure a position of the substrate table with respect to the reference structure. The measurement system comprises a first measurement system to measure a position of the substrate table with respect to an intermediate structure and a second measurement system to measure a position of the intermediate structure with respect to the reference structure. The intermediate structure may be connected or connectable to a drive mechanism to drive the substrate table. A distance between the substrate table and the intermediate structure, and a distance between the intermediate structure and the reference structure may be small which results in a highly accurate position measurement.

Lithographic apparatus and positioning apparatus

In an interferometric displacement measuring system, a correction for beamshear is made. The correction may be a polynomial of a variable proportional to the length of the optical path traversed by the measurement beam and the angle of the measurement mirror. The correction compensates for errors caused by non-planarity of the wavefront of the measurement beam.

Lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method, and computer program

Embodiments of the invention include an interferometer measurement system in which at least one reflective surface is arranged such that, in use, the beam path of interferometer radiation of the interferometer measurement system incident on the at least one reflective surface has an offset angle in the range of from 0.1 to 10 milliradians with respect to the normal to the at least one reflective surface. In that way, the effect of spurious radiation on the interferometer measurement system produced within the interferometer measurement system may be suppressed. In another embodiment, a parallel-sided plate is used in an interferometer measurement system to obtain a signal dependent on the angle of a beam of radiation reflected from a mirror. In that way, the flatness of the mirror can be mapped. One surface of the plate is a beam-splitter and the opposite surface of the plate is a reflector.

A lithographic apparatus comprises a substrate table to hold a substrate, a reference structure and a measurement system to measure a position of the substrate table with respect to the reference structure. The measurement system comprises a first measurement system to measure a position of the substrate table with respect to an intermediate structure and a second measurement system to measure a position of the intermediate structure with respect to the reference structure. The intermediate structure may be connected or connectable to a drive mechanism to drive the substrate table. A distance between the substrate table and the intermediate structure, resp. a distance between the intermediate structure and the reference structure may be small which results in a highly accurate position measurement.

A lithographic apparatus includes a radiation source configured to provide radiation to an illumination system, the radiation source configured to provide radiation in a first wavelength range and in a second wavelength range, the second wavelength range being different from the first wavelength range. A support is configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device is configured to impart the radiation with a pattern in its cross-section. A substrate table is configured to hold a substrate, and a projection system is configured to project the patterned radiation onto a target portion of a substrate. The first wavelength range is the primary wavelength of the lithographic apparatus. The second wavelength range is used for setup of the lithographic apparatus, the setup including one or more of calibration, qualification, performance test, and alignment. The second wavelength range may also be used for exposure of a further substrate.

A lithographic projection apparatus is equipped with a device for manipulation and routing of at least one portion of a metrology beam of radiation. The device includes a first and a second optical wedge, wherein the second optical wedge and the first optical wedge having a relative position with respect to each other. The at least one portion of the metrology beam enters the device along an incoming optical axis at a first major surface of the first optical wedge, passes through the first and second optical wedges, and exits at a second major surface of the second optical wedge. The first and second optical wedges are arranged to at least one of rotate and translate the at least one portion of the metrology beam relative to the incoming optical axis by changing the relative position of the first and the second optical wedges.

Device and method for manipulation and routing of a metrology beam

In a reflective lithographic projection apparatus, shifts in the image of a pattern of a mask in the scanning direction caused by variations in the position of the pattern surface of the mask along the optical axis are corrected by shifting of the relative position of the mask and/or the substrate in the scanning direction. Correction of the image rotation error may also be accomplished by rotation of the relative positions of the mask and/or the substrate about the optical axis. Variations in the position of the pattern surface of the mask along the optical axis may be determined by interferometers upon installation of the mask to the lithographic projection apparatus. The variations may be mapped and stored to provide control of the lithographic projection apparatus.

Position correction in Y of mask object shift due to Z offset and non-perpendicular illumination

A lithographic projection apparatus which uses one, and optionally also two or more color interferometric devices to accurately determine the position of a movable table within the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a purge gas source to supply purge gas to a space accommodating at least a part of said movable table, the purge gas being selected such that leakage of the purge gas into the area of operation of the interferometric devices does not cause significant error in the interferometric measurements.

Growing community of inventors

Veldhoven, Netherlands

Marcel Hendrikus Maria Beems