Asml Netherlands B.v.

Petrus Wilhelmus Smorenburg

Gerrit Jacobus Hendrik Brussaard

Nan Lin

Sander Bas Roobol

David O Dwyer

Sjoerd Nicolaas Lambertus Donders

Simon Gijsbert Josephus Mathijssen

Teis Johan Coenen

Stefan Michiel Witte

Krijn Frederik Bustraan

Sudhir Srivastava

Christina Lynn Porter

Arie Jeffrey Den Boef

Vadim Yevgenyevich Banine

Johannes Antonius Gerardus Akkermans

Seyed Iman Mossavat

Peter Danny Van Voorst

Otger Jan Luiten

Niels Geypen

Jim Gerardus Hubertus Franssen

Wenjie Jin

Brian Herman Schaap

Gosse Charies De Vries

David O'dwyer

Lars Loetgering

Sylvianne Dorothea Christina Roscam Abbing

ZhuangYan Zhang

Filippo Campi

Peter Michael Kraus

An assembly comprises a space configured for placing a medium to receive a first radiation for generating a second radiation. In operation, the second radiation propagates coaxially with the first radiation after the medium. The assembly further comprises an optical element after the medium for transmitting or reflecting the first radiation with a surface area. The assembly is configured such that, in operation, a cleaning gas is in contact with the surface area. A reactive medium is generated from at least a part of the cleaning gas by the second radiation for removing a contamination from the surface area.

Cleaning method and associated illumination source metrology apparatus

A method for controlling a density distribution of electrons provided by an electron source for use in hard X-ray, soft X-ray and/or extreme ultraviolet generation, the method comprising generating a plurality of electrons from a pattern of ultracold excited atoms using an ionization laser inside a cavity, wherein the electrons have a density distribution determined by at least one of the patterns of excited atoms and the ionization laser, and accelerating the electrons out of the cavity using a non-static acceleration profile, wherein the acceleration profile controls the density distribution of the electrons as they exit the cavity.

Methods and apparatus for controlling electron density distributions

Disclosed is a wavefront sensor for measuring a wavefront of a radiation. The wavefront sensor comprises a mask comprising a pattern located in path of the radiation to interact with the radiation. The radiation impinging on the mask forms a radiation detection pattern on a radiation detector subsequent to the mask, and the pattern of the mask is designed at least partly based on a requirement of the radiation detection pattern.

Wavefront metrology sensor and mask therefor, method for optimizing a mask and associated apparatuses

Disclosed is a metrology apparatus for measurement of a target formed on a substrate by a lithographic process and associated method. The metrology apparatus comprises a radiation source operable to provide first radiation; a configured solid high harmonic generation medium being configured to receive and be excited by said first radiation to generate high harmonic second radiation from an output surface of the configured solid high harmonic generation medium; and a detection arrangement operable to detect said second radiation, at least a portion of which having been scattered by said target. The configured solid high harmonic generation medium is configured to shape the beam of said second radiation and/or separate said first and second radiation.

Metrology apparatus based on high harmonic generation and associated method

A high harmonic radiation source and associated method of generating high harmonic radiation is disclosed. The high harmonic radiation source is configured to condition a gas medium by irradiating the gas medium with a pre-pulse of radiation, thereby generating a plasma comprising a pre-pulse plasma distribution; and irradiate the gas medium with a main pulse of radiation to generate said high harmonic radiation. The conditioning step is such that the plasma comprising a pre-pulse plasma distribution acts to configure a wavefront of said main pulse to improve one or both of: the efficiency of the high harmonic generation process and the beam quality of the high harmonic radiation. The high harmonic radiation source further may comprise a beam shaping device configured to shape said customized pre-pulse prior to said conditioning.

Method and apparatus for efficient high harmonic generation

Disclosed is an illumination source comprising a gas delivery system comprising a gas nozzle. The gas nozzle comprises an opening in an exit plane of the gas nozzle. The gas delivery system is configured to provide a gas flow from the opening for generating an emitted radiation at an interaction region. The illumination source is configured to receive a pump radiation having a propagation direction and to provide the pump radiation in the gas flow. A geometry shape of the gas nozzle is adapted to shape a profile of the gas flow such that gas density of the gas flow first increases to a maximum value and subsequently falls sharply in a cut-off region along the propagation direction.

Illumination source and associated metrology apparatus

An illumination source apparatus (), suitable for use in a metrology apparatus for the characterization of a structure on a substrate, the illumination source apparatus comprising: a high harmonic generation, HHG, medium (); a pump radiation source () operable to emit a beam of pump radiation (); and adjustable transformation optics () configured to adjustably transform the transverse spatial profile of the beam of pump radiation to produce a transformed beam () such that relative to the centre axis of the transformed beam, a central region of the transformed beam has substantially zero intensity and an outer region which is radially outwards from the centre axis of the transformed beam has a non-zero intensity, wherein the transformed beam is arranged to excite the HHG medium so as to generate high harmonic radiation (), wherein the location of said outer region is dependent on an adjustment setting of the adjustable transformation optics.

Illumination source for an inspection apparatus, inspection apparatus and inspection method

Methods and corresponding apparatus operable to cause an interaction between a drive radiation beam and a medium for generation of emitted radiation by high harmonic generation, the arrangement comprising: an interaction region positioned at an interaction plane and configured to receive the medium; a beam block positioned upstream of the interaction plane at a beam block plane and configured to partially block the drive radiation beam; a beam shaper positioned upstream of the beam block plane at an object plane and configured to control a spatial distribution of the drive radiation beam; and at least one lens positioned upstream of the interaction plane and downstream of the beam block plane, wherein the lens being positioned such that an image of the spatial distribution of the drive radiation beam is formed at the interaction plane.

High harmonic generation radiation source

Methods and apparatus for directing onto a substrate a radiation beam emitted as a result of high harmonic generation (HHG). Exemplary apparatus comprising: a drive radiation source; an interaction region configured to receive a medium and positioned such that a drive radiation beam from the drive radiation source interacts with the medium during use to generate the emitted radiation beam by HHG, wherein the emitted radiation beam comprises a plurality of wavelengths and wherein an emission divergence angle of the emitted radiation is wavelength dependent; an optical system downstream of the interaction region and configured to focus the emitted radiation beam, wherein the plurality of wavelengths of the emitted radiation beam are focused at a plurality of focal planes in dependence on the associated emission divergence angle; and a substrate support for holding the substrate at one of a plurality of axial positions relative to the plurality of focal planes, wherein one or more of the drive radiation source, the interaction region, the optical system and the substrate support is configurable to control a relative position of at least one of the focal planes with respect to the substrate.

Methods and apparatus for metrology

A metrology apparatus for determining a characteristic of interest of a structure on a substrate, the structure having diffractive properties, the apparatus comprising: focusing optics configured to focus illumination radiation comprising a plurality of wavelengths onto the structure; a first detector configured to detect at least part of the illumination radiation which has been diffracted from the structure; and additional optics configured to produce, on at least a portion of the first detector, a wavelength-dependent spatial distribution of different wavelengths of the illumination radiation which has been diffracted from the structure, wherein the first detector is arranged to detect at least a non-zero diffraction order of the illumination radiation which has been diffracted from the structure.

Metrology apparatus for and a method of determining a characteristic of interest of a structure on a substrate

Disclosed is a high harmonic generation (HHG) radiation source which may be used to generate measurement radiation for an inspection apparatus. In such a radiation source, a pump radiation source is operable to emit pump radiation at a high harmonic generation gas medium thereby exciting the high harmonic generation gas medium within a pump radiation interaction region so as to generate the high harmonic radiation and an ionization radiation source is operable to emit ionization radiation at the high harmonic generation gas medium to ionize a gas at an ionization region between the pump radiation interaction region and an optical output of the illumination source.

Apparatus for delivering gas and illumination source for generating high harmonic radiation

Disclosed is gas delivery system which is suitable for a high harmonic generation (HHG) radiation source which may be used to generate measurement radiation for an inspection apparatus. In such a radiation source, a gas delivery element delivers gas in a first direction. The gas delivery element has an optical input and an optical input, defining an optical path running in a second direction. The first direction is arranged relative to the second direction at an angle that is not perpendicular or parallel. Also disclosed is a gas delivery element having a gas jet shaping device, or a pair of gas delivery elements, one of which delivers a second gas, such that the gas jet shaping device or second gas is operable to modify a flow profile of the gas such that the number density of the gas falls sharply.

A free electron laser FEL comprises an undulatorgenerating coherent EUV radiation receiving an upstream electron beam EBand emitting a downstream electron beam EBand at least an electron sourceoperable to produce an upstream electron beam EB, EBcomprising bunches of electrons. A beam path is configured to direct the upstream electron beam through: a linear accelerator system (LINAC) comprising at least a first and a second linear accelerators, a bunch compressor, and said undulator. The downstream electron beam EB, EBthat leaves the undulatorrecirculates through the second linear acceleratorin parallel with the upstream electron beam with a phase such that the downstream beam is decelerated by the second linear acceleratorand then recirculates through the first linear acceleratorin parallel with the upstream electron beam with a phase such that the downstream beam is decelerated by the first linear accelerator; and to direct the downstream beam to a beam dump. At least a first energy spreaderimparts a reversible change to the energy distribution of bunches of electrons and is located at a position in the beam path before the bunch compressorand so that it is only passed through by the upstream electron beam EB. A second energy spreaderreverses the change to the energy distribution of bunches of electrons imparted by the at least one first energy spreader, the second energy spreaderbeing located at a position in the beam path before the undulatorand so that it is only passed through by the upstream electron beam EB

Free electron laser

Methods and apparatus for generation of radiation by high harmonic generation, HHG. The apparatus comprises: a chamber for holding a vacuum, the chamber comprising a radiation input, a radiation output and an interaction region at which, in use, a medium is present, the chamber being arranged such that, in use, when driving radiation propagates through the radiation input and is incident upon the medium, the medium emits radiation via HHG, the emitted radiation propagating through the radiation output; and at least one plasma generator at the radiation input and/or the radiation output for generating a plasma volume allowing the driving radiation and emitted radiation, respectively, to propagate through the plasma volume.

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Veldhoven, Netherlands

Petrus Wilhelmus Smorenburg