Nikon Corporation

Paul Derek Coon

Michael B Binnard

Jonathan Kyle Wells

Matthew Rosa

Soichi Owa

Daniel Gene Smith

Eric Peter Goodwin

Arun Ananth Aiyer

Johnathan Marquez

Brett William Herr

Stephen P Renwick

Steven Douglas Slonaker

Matthew Parker-McCormick Bjork

Patrick S Chang

Motofusa Ishikawa

Henry K Chau

Matthew D Rosa

Henry Kwok Pang Chau

Heather Lynn Durko

3D metrology techniques are disclosed for determining a changing topography of a substrate processed in an additive manufacturing system. Techniques include fringe scanning, simultaneous fringe projections, interferometry, and x-ray imaging. The techniques can be applied to 3D printing systems to enable rapid topographical measurements of a 3D printer powder bed, or other rapidly moving, nearly continuous surface to be tested. The techniques act in parallel to the system being measured to provide information about system operation and the topography of the product being processed. A tool is provided for achieving higher precision, increasing throughput, and reducing the cost of operation through early detection and diagnosis of operating problems and printing defects. These techniques work well with any powder bed 3D printing system, providing real-time metrology of the powder bed, the most recently printed layer, or both without reducing throughput.

Metrology for additive manufacturing

A position encoder for monitoring position of an object includes a target pattern, an illumination system, an image sensor, and a control system. The illumination system generates (i) a first illumination beam that is directed toward and impinges on the target pattern, the first illumination beam having a first beam characteristic; and (ii) a second illumination beam that is directed toward and impinges on the target pattern, the second illumination beam having a second beam characteristic that is different than the first beam characteristic. The image sensor is coupled to the object and is spaced apart from the target pattern. The image sensor senses a first set of information from the first illumination beam impinging on the target pattern and senses a second set of information from the second illumination beam impinging on the target pattern. The control system analyzes the first set of information and the second set of information to monitor the position of the object.

High-resolution position encoder with image sensor and encoded target pattern

A stage assembly for positioning a device along a first axis, the stage assembly comprising: a base; a stage that retains the device and moves above the base; a mover assembly that moves the stage along the first axis relative to the base; a first sensor system that monitors the movement of the stage along the first axis, the first sensor system generating a first signal, the first sensor system having a first sensor accuracy; a second sensor system that monitors the movement of the stage along the first axis, the second sensor system having a second sensor accuracy that is different from the first sensor accuracy of the first sensor system, the second sensor generating a second signal; and a control system that controls the mover assembly using at least one of the first sensor and the second signal.

Positioning system using surface pattern recognition and interpolation

An exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern from a reticle to a workpiece, a pellicle being positioned near the reticle, includes a heat transfer frame, an illuminator, and a temperature controller. The heat transfer frame is configured to be positioned near the pellicle, the heat transfer frame defining a beam aperture. The illuminator directs a beam through the beam aperture and the pellicle at the reticle. The temperature controller controls the temperature of the heat transfer frame to control the temperature of the pellicle. The illuminator can direct the beam from a beam source, such as an EUV beam source. Additionally, the temperature controller can cryogenically cool the heat transfer frame.

Temperature controlled heat transfer frame for pellicle

A measuring device () for monitoring movement of a first object relative to a second object, the first object or the second object including a target surface (), comprises a first image sensor combination (), a second image sensor combination (), and a control system (A). The image sensor combinations () capture first images and second images of the target surface () over time. The first image sensor combination () includes a first image sensor (A) and a first lens assembly (B). The second image sensor combination () includes a second image sensor (A), and a second lens assembly (B) having a second optical axis (BX) that is at an angle of between thirty degrees and sixty degrees relative to normal to the target surface (). The control system (A) analyzes the first images and the second images to monitor movement of the first object relative to the second object.

Three-dimensional positioning system using surface pattern recognition and interpolation

An exposure apparatus () for transferring one or more features to a workpiece () includes an illumination source (A); (ii) a chuck () that retains the workpiece (); (iii) a chamber housing (A) that encircles the chuck and the workpiece; and (iv) a temperature controller () () that adjusts the temperature of at least one of the chuck () and the workpiece () so that a predetermined temperature differential () exists between the chuck () and the workpiece () before transferring the features to the workpiece ().

System and method for control of a workpiece and a chuck

An alignment simulation method simulates the signal waveform for an alignment mark using various alignment methods as well as the signal strength for an alignment mark, which is useful in optimizing the thickness of one or more layers as well as the geometry of the mark. The simulation of signal strength is also useful in optimizing the thickness of a layer for artifact wafers. The alignment simulation method includes accurately modeling the alignment mark, including one or more layers of various thicknesses and materials. The accurate modeling of the alignment mark includes such things as smoothing regions of the alignment mark and generating lateral shifts of the layers. The model of the alignment mark is a series of small pixels, each including the thickness of the layers and the layers indices of refraction. Using scalar diffraction, a complex reflectivity is generated for each pixel and a fast fourier transform is performed on the series of pixels. The results of the fast fourier transform are used to simulate the diffraction intensities for the alignment mark alignment systems, such as LIA or LSA as well as the signal waveforms. The LSA signal waveform, however, requires additional modeling of the alignment mark. An FIA image is generated by removing appropriate orders from the fast fourier transform result and performing an inverse fast fourier transform and repeating the process at different light wavelengths and illumination angles. The signal strength is the maximum value of the image minus the minimum.

Alignment simulation

A chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) optical process monitor apparatus allows in situ measurement of the thickness of a thin film being polished. As the incidence angle of the incident light on the wafer being polished is changed, the reflected intensity of the light from the thin film on the wafer undergoes a variation in local maxima and minima. The angle at which the light intensity is a maximum or minimum determined by the thin film interference equation, thus providing a measurement of the thin film thickness and/or the change in the thin film thickness.

CMP variable angle in situ sensor

Thermal expansion caused by the absorption of thermal energy from exposure dosages can cause misalignment and other problems in the exposure process. The present invention compensates for this problem by developing scaling and backlash coefficients based on the amount of amount of energy absorbed by the substrate undergoing the exposure process. Scaling and backlash are then compensated for in the alignment map which controls the exposure process. In this fashion, scaling and backlash are accounted for prior to exposure, thus ensuring the proper exposure during the lithography process.

Growing community of inventors

Redwood City, CA, United States of America

Paul Derek Coon