Asml Netherlands B.v.

Martijn Petrus Christianus Van Heumen

Jeroen Gerard Gosen

Dennis Herman Caspar Van Banning

Edwin Cornelis Kadijk

Johannes Andreas Henricus Maria Jacobs

Erheng Wang

Remco Marcel Van Dijk

Marc Van Kemenade

Te-Yu Chen

Ralph Jozef Johannes Gerardus Anna Maria Smeets

Sergii Denega

Sven Antoin Johan Hol

Naseh Hosseini

An improved particle beam inspection apparatus, and more particularly, a particle beam inspection apparatus including a thermal conditioning station for preconditioning a temperature of a wafer is disclosed. The charged particle beam apparatus may scan the wafer to measure one or more characteristics of the structures on the wafer and analyze the one or more characteristics. The charged particle beam apparatus may further determine a temperature characteristic of the wafer based on the analysis of the one or more characteristics of the structure and adjust the thermal conditioning station based on the temperature characteristic.

System and methods for thermally conditioning a wafer in a charged particle beam apparatus

Systems and methods for cooling an objective lens of a charged-particle beam system are disclosed. According to certain embodiments, the method for cooling an objective lens of a charged-particle beam system comprises receiving a fluid via a fluid input port of a bobbin, circulating the fluid that absorbs heat generated by a plurality of electromagnetic coils of the objective lens, via a plurality of channels distributed in the bobbin, and dispensing the fluid circulated by the plurality of channels via a fluid output port of the bobbin. The bobbin may further comprise a bottom flange proximal to a wafer and a top flange distal from the wafer. The bobbin having the plurality of channels may comprise an additively manufactured monolithic structure.

Systems and methods of cooling objective lens of a charged-particle beam system

An improved particle beam inspection apparatus, and more particularly, a particle beam inspection apparatus including an improved load lock unit is disclosed. An improved load lock system may comprise a plurality of supporting structures configured to support a wafer and a conditioning plate including a heat transfer element configured to adjust a temperature of the wafer. The load lock system may further comprise a gas vent configured to provide a gas between the conditioning plate and the wafer and a controller configured to assist with the control of the heat transfer element.

Particle beam inspection apparatus

Systems and methods for thermally conditioning a wafer in a charged particle beam apparatus

Disclosed is a laser-driven photon source comprising drive optics which focus drive radiation so as to maintain a plasma. The point spread function of the drive optics has a point spread function () which is configured such that a spectral position of a peak output wavelength of a black body portion of output radiation emitted by said plasma within a desired wavelength band.

Laser-driven photon source and inspection apparatus including such a laser-driven photon source

A radiation source apparatus comprising: a container for being pressurized with a gaseous medium in which plasma which emits plasma emitted radiation is generated following excitation of the gaseous medium by a driving radiation, wherein said container is operable substantially to remove radiation with a wavelength of 10-400 nm from said plasma emitted radiation before said plasma emitted radiation exits said container as output radiation. In an embodiment the container comprises: an inlet radiation transmitting element operable to transmit said driving radiation from outside said container to inside said container, and an outlet radiation transmitting element operable to transmit at least some of said plasma emitted radiation from inside said container to outside said container as output radiation; wherein at least one of said inlet and outlet radiation transmitting elements comprises a plane parallel plate.

Radiation source, metrology apparatus, lithographic system and device manufacturing method

A radiation source apparatus comprising: a container () for being pressurized with a gaseous medium in which plasma which emits plasma emitted radiation is generated following excitation of the gaseous medium by a driving radiation (), wherein said container is operable () substantially to remove radiation with a wavelength of 10-400 nm from said plasma emitted radiation before said plasma emitted radiation exits said container as output radiation. In an embodiment the container comprises: an inlet radiation transmitting element () operable to transmit said driving radiation from outside said container to inside said container, and an outlet radiation transmitting element () operable to transmit at least some of said plasma emitted radiation from inside said container to outside said container as output radiation; wherein at least one of said inlet and outlet radiation transmitting elements comprises a plane parallel plate.

A radiation source apparatus comprising: a container comprising walls for defining a space for containing a gaseous medium in which plasma which emits plasma emitted radiation is generated following excitation of the gaseous medium by a driving radiation; and a thermal load applicator adapted to apply a thermal load to at least part of the walls of the container to reduce stresses in the walls.

A radiation driven light source comprises laser and focusing optics. These produce a beam of radiation focused on a plasma forming zone within a first container containing a gas (e.g. Xe). Collection optics collects photons emitted by a plasma maintained by the laser radiation to form a beam of output radiation. First container is enclosed within a hermetically sealed second container. Any ozone generated within the second container as a result of ultraviolet components of the output radiation is completely contained within the second container. Second container further filters out the ultraviolet components. Microwave radiation may be used instead of laser radiation to form the plasma.

Growing community of inventors

Veldhoven, Netherlands

Martijn Petrus Christianus Van Heumen