Asml Netherlands B.v.

Nitish Kumar

Arie Jeffrey Den Boef

Markus Gerardus Martinus Maria Van Kraaij

Simon Reinald Huisman

Willem Marie Julia Marcel Coene

Richard Quintanilha

Sarathi Roy

Arjan Johannes Anton Beukman

Konstantin Tsigutkin

Henricus Petrus Maria Pellemans

Sebastianus Adrianus Goorden

Han-Kwang Nienhuys

Pieter-Jan Van Zwol

Sander Bas Roobol

Yang-Shan Huang

Ferry Zijp

Duygu Akbulut

Alessandro Polo

Sietse Thijmen Van Der Post

Zili Zhou

Jin Lian

Tamara Druzhinina

Peter Danny Van Voorst

Adrianus Johannes Hendrikus Schellekens

Willem Maria Julia Marcel Coene

Johannes Franciscus Martinus D'Achard Van Enschut

Shakeeb Bin Hasan

A method for determining deviations in a fabrication process, the method including: providing a sample with a layer having a periodic structure fabricated using the fabrication process and intended to cause a corresponding part of the layer to be fully reflective for light having a wavelength in a wavelength range and having an angle of incidence in an angle range; illuminating the sample with light having a wavelength in the wavelength range and an angle of incidence in the angle range; detecting light reflected and/or scattered from the layer of the sample; and determining deviations in the fabrication process from the detected light.

Fabrication process deviation determination method, calibration method, inspection tool, fabrication system and a sample

Disclosed is an illumination arrangement for spectrally shaping a broadband illumination beam to obtain a spectrally shaped illumination beam. The illumination arrangement comprises a beam dispersing element for dispersing the broadband illumination beam and a spatial light modulator for spatially modulating the broadband illumination beam subsequent to being dispersed. The illumination arrangement further comprises at least one of a beam expanding element for expanding said broadband illumination beam in at least one direction, located between an input of the illumination arrangement and the spatial light modulator; and a lens array, each lens of which for directing a respective wavelength band of the broadband illumination beam subsequent to being dispersed onto a respective region of the spatial light modulator.

Illumination apparatus and associated metrology and lithographic apparatuses

A method of inspection for defects on a substrate, such as a reflective reticle substrate, and associated apparatuses. The method includes performing the inspection using inspection radiation obtained from a high harmonic generation source and having one or more wavelengths within a wavelength range of between 20 nm and 150 nm. Also, a method including performing a coarse inspection using first inspection radiation having one or more first wavelengths within a first wavelength range; and performing a fine inspection using second inspection radiation having one or more second wavelengths within a second wavelength range, the second wavelength range comprising wavelengths shorter than the first wavelength range.

Inspection apparatus and inspection method

Disclosed is a metrology apparatus comprising an optical element configured to receive at or near a pupil plane of the metrology apparatus, at least first radiation comprising a first higher diffracted order and second radiation comprising a zeroth order resulting from illumination of a metrology target with radiation; and to direct said first radiation and second radiation together in a first direction. The metrology apparatus is further configured to form at least a first image of a first interference pattern, the first interference pattern resulting from interference of said first radiation and second radiation at an image plane.

Position metrology apparatus and associated optical elements

An optical system delivers illuminating radiation and collects radiation after interaction with a target structure on a substrate. A measurement intensity profile is used to calculate a measurement of the property of the structure. The optical system may include a solid immersion lens. In a method, the optical system is controlled to obtain a first intensity profile using a first illumination profile and a second intensity profile using a second illumination profile. The profiles are used to derive a correction for mitigating the effect of, e.g., ghost reflections. Using, e.g., half-moon illumination profiles in different orientations, the method can measure ghost reflections even where a solid immersion lens would cause total internal reflection. The optical system may include a contaminant detection system to control a movement based on received scattered detection radiation. The optical system may include an optical component having a dielectric coating to enhance evanescent wave interaction.

Method and apparatus for deriving corrections, method and apparatus for determining a property of a structure, device manufacturing method

Disclosed is a method and associated inspection apparatus for detecting variations on a surface of a substrate. The method comprises providing patterned inspection radiation to a surface of a substrate. The inspection radiation is patterned such that an amplitude of a corresponding enhanced field is modulated in a manner corresponding to the patterned inspection radiation. The scattered radiation resultant from interaction between the enhanced field and the substrate surface is received and variations on the surface of the substrate are detected based on the interaction between the enhanced field and the substrate surface. Also disclosed is a method of detecting any changes to at least one characteristic of received radiation, the said changes being induced by the generation of a surface plasmon at said surface of the optical element.

Method and apparatus for detecting substrate surface variations

A supercontinuum radiation source for an alignment mark measurement system comprises: a radiation source; illumination optics; a plurality of waveguides; and collection optics. The radiation source is operable to produce a pulsed radiation beam. The illumination optics is arranged to receive the pulsed pump radiation beam and to form a plurality of pulsed sub-beams, each pulsed sub-beam comprising a portion of the pulsed radiation beam. Each of the plurality of waveguides is arranged to receive at least one of the plurality of pulsed sub-beams beam and to broaden a spectrum of that pulsed sub-beam so as to generate a supercontinuum sub-beam. The collection optics is arranged to receive the supercontinuum sub-beam from each of the plurality of waveguides and to combine them so as to form a supercontinuum radiation beam.

Radiation source

A metrology apparatus uses radiation () in an EUV waveband. A first detection system () includes a spectroscopic grating () and a detector () for capturing a spectrum of the EUV radiation after interaction with a target (T). Properties of the target are measured by analyzing the spectrum. The radiation () further includes radiation in other wavebands such as VUV, DUV, UV, visible and IR. A second detection system () is arranged to receive at least a portion of radiation () reflected by the first spectroscopic grating and to capture a spectrum (SA) in one or more of said other wavebands. The second waveband spectrum can be used to enhance accuracy of the measurement based on the EUV spectrum, and/or it can be used for a different measurement. Other types of detection, such as polarization can be used instead or in addition to spectroscopic gratings.

Metrology methods, metrology apparatus and device manufacturing method

Growing community of inventors

Eindhoven, Netherlands

Nitish Kumar