Asml Netherlands B.v.

Asml Holding N.v.

Carl Zeiss Semiconductor Manufacturing Technologies Ag

Paul Van Der Veen

Heine Melle Mulder

Johannes Catharinus Hubertus Mulkens

Markus Franciscus Antonius Eurlings

Johannes Jacobus Matheus Baselmans

Adrianus Franciscus Petrus Engelen

Wilfred Edward Endendijk

Patricius Aloysius Jacobus Tinnemans

Hendrikus Robertus Marie Van Greevenbroek

Roland Pieter Stolk

Herman Philip Godfried

Oscar Franciscus Jozephus Noordman

Adel Joobeur

Bert Claessens

Willem Van Schaik

Arun Mahadevan Venkataraman

Jan Hoegee

Vadim Yevgenyevich Banine

Johannes Hubertus Josephina Moors

Johannes Wangler

Levinus Pieter Bakker

Yuri Johannes Gabriël Van De Vijver

Wilhelmus Patrick Elisabeth Maria Op 't Root

Stefan Geerte Kruijswijk

Antonius Johannes Van Der Net

Frank Everts

Roel De Jonge

Jess Koehler

Willem Jan Bouman

Johannes Heintze

Jan Jaap Krikke

Bert Pieter Van Drieënhuizen

Marnix Aldert Tas

Jozef Ferdinand Dymphna Verbeeck

Thijs Johan Henry Hollink

Sijbe Abraham Van Der Lei

Oscar Noordman

Oscar F J Noordman

Adrianus Leonardus Gertrudus Bommer

Robert De Jong

Hendrikus Robertus Marie Greevenbroek

Marc Hendricus Margaretha Dassen

Patricius Tinnemans

Hendrikus Van Greevenbroek

Markus Eurlings

Adrianus Engelen

Johannes Baselmans

A device manufacturing method includes conditioning a beam of radiation using an illumination system. The conditioning includes controlling an array of individually controllable elements and associated optical components of the illumination system to convert the radiation beam into a desired illumination mode, the controlling including allocating different individually controllable elements to different parts of the illumination mode in accordance with an allocation scheme, the allocation scheme selected to provide a desired modification of one or more properties of the illumination mode, the radiation beam or both. The method also includes patterning the radiation beam having the desired illumination mode with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned beam of radiation, and projecting the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate.

Lithographic apparatus and method

A method of selecting a periodic modulation to be applied to a variable of a radiation source, wherein the source delivers radiation for projection onto a substrate and wherein there is relative motion between the substrate and the radiation at a scan speed, the method including: for a set of system parameters and for a position on the substrate, calculating a quantity, the quantity being a measure of the contribution to an energy dose delivered to the position that arises from the modulation being applied to the variable of the source, wherein the contribution to the energy dose is calculated as a convolution of: a profile of radiation, and a contribution to an irradiance of radiation delivered by the source; and selecting a modulation frequency at which the quantity for the set of system parameters and the position on the substrate satisfies a certain criteria.

Method of controlling a radiation source and lithographic apparatus comprising the radiation source

A reticle assembly for use in a lithographic process in which a first image field and a second image field are projected onto a first target portion and a second target portion on a substrate, the reticle assembly being arranged to hold a first reticle having the first image field and a second reticle having the second image field such that a distance between the first and second image fields substantially corresponds to a distance between the first and the second target portions. Embodiments also relate to a lithographic apparatus including the reticle assembly, the use in a lithographic process in which a first image field and a second image field are projected onto a first target portion and a second portion on a substrate, of a first reticle having the first image field and a second reticle having the second image field, wherein a distance between the first and second image fields substantially corresponds to a distance between the first and second target portions.

Reticle assembly, a lithographic apparatus, the use in a lithographic process, and a method to project two or more image fields in a single scanning movement of a lithographic process

A detector to measure a property of radiation is disclosed. The detector comprises first and second luminescent uniaxial crystals each having an optic axis, the optic axis of the first uniaxial crystal being arranged such that it is substantially perpendicular to the optic axis of the second uniaxial crystal.

A device manufacturing method includes conditioning a beam of radiation using an illumination system. The conditioning includes controlling an array of individually controllable elements and associated optical components of the illumination system to convert the radiation beam into a desired illumination mode, the controlling including allocating different individually controllable elements to different parts of the illumination mode in accordance with an allocation scheme, the allocation scheme selected to provide a desired modification of one or more properties of the illumination mode, the radiation beam or both. The method also includes patterning the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned beam of radiation, and projecting the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate.

An illumination system having an array of individually controllable optical elements is disclosed, wherein each element is moveable between a plurality of orientations which may be selected in order to form desired illumination modes. The illumination system includes a controller to control orientation of one or more of the elements, the controller configured to apply force to the one or more elements which at least partially compensates for force applied to the one or more elements by a burst of radiation incident upon the one or more elements.

Illumination system and lithographic apparatus

A beam modifying unit increases both temporal pulse length and Etendue of an illumination beam. The pulse modifying unit receives an input pulse of radiation and emits one or more corresponding output pulses of radiation. A beam splitter divides the incoming pulse into a first and a second pulse portion, and directs the first pulse portion along a second optical path and the second portion along a first optical path as a portion of an output beam. The second optical path includes a divergence optical element. A first and a second mirror, each with a radius of curvature, are disposed facing each other with a predetermined separation, and receive the second pulse portion to redirect the second portion, such that the optical path of the second portion through the pulse modifier is longer than that of the first portion, and the separation is less than radius of curvature.

Pulse modifier with adjustable etendue

A lithographic apparatus including a radiation beam monitoring apparatus, the radiation beam monitoring apparatus including an optical element configured to generate a diffraction pattern, and an imaging detector located after the optical element and not in a focal plane of the optical element such that the imaging detector is capable of detecting a mixture of spatial coherence and divergence of the radiation beam.

Lithographic apparatus and monitoring method

In a lithographic projection system, the radiation energy delivered to the substrate needs to be accurately controlled. Attenuation by injecting an absorbent gas into a volume through which the radiation passes is a convenient way to control the energy. Additionally, the interaction between gasses and the radiation may be used to measure the energy of the radiation with minimal disruption to the radiation.

Lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method, and device manufactured thereby

A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system for providing beam of radiation, and a support structure for supporting a patterning device. The patterning device imparts the beam of radiation with a pattern. The apparatus also includes a substrate table for holding a substrate, a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate, and a gas supply system for supplying a purge gas including oxygen to a plurality of spaces in the apparatus. The gas supply system is arranged so that the purge gas supplied to each of the plurality of spaces is a premixed purge gas mixture composed by the gas supply system for each of the plurality of spaces on the basis of a predetermined relationship that relates a desired amount of oxygen in the premixed purge gas mixture to the respective space to which that premixed purge gas mixture is supplied.

Lithographic apparatus, gas supply system, method for purging, and device manufacturing method and device manufactured thereby

The transmission or reflection loss due to surface contamination of a mask is predicted as a function of position on the mask and time. At the time of an exposure compensation for the transmission or reflection loss is effected using a device capable of adjusting the beam intensity across the length of an exposure field.

Lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method, device manufactured thereby, and computer program

The invention relates to a lithographic apparatus and a device manufacturing method. The lithographic apparatus is of the scanning type, in which a radiation beam effectively scans across a surface of a substrate. The apparatus comprises a beam attenuator, e.g. in the form of a filter, having an attenuation value profile that varies as a function of position along the scanning direction. Appropriate selection of the attenuation value profile allows the illumination of the substrate to be more homogeneous, since e.g. received dose effects due to pulse to pulse variations in a pulsed illumination source are much better averaged out.

Lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method and device manufactured therewith

Growing community of inventors

Waalre, Netherlands

Paul Van Der Veen