Asml Holding N.v.

Asml Netherlands B.v.

Richard Carl Zimmerman

Roberto B Wiener

Alexander Kremer

Elizabeth Stone

Stanislav Y Smirnov

Yevgeniy Konstantinovich Shmarev

Hendrikus Robertus Marie Van Greevenbroek

Alexander Kenneth Raub

Joshua Adams

Douglas C Cappelli

Arie Jeffrey Den Boef

Hans Butler

Heine Melle Mulder

Kars Zeger Troost

Peter Conrad Kochersperger

Jason Douglas Hintersteiner

Minne Cuperus

Marinus Johannes Maria Van Dam

Mark Constant Johannes Baggen

Eric Brian Catey

Jeroen Arnoldus Leonardus Johannes Raaymakers

Todd R Downey

Frederick Kubick

David A Hult

Kamen Hristov Chilov

Szilard Istvan Csiszar

Olga Vladimirsky

Ronnie Florentius Van T Westeinde

A metrology tool that includes a substrate table to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project a beam on a target portion of the substrate; an actuator configured to adjust a position of the projection system relative to the substrate on the substrate table; a sensor configured to determine a position of the substrate table; and a one or more processors configured to: determine, based on the position of the substrate table, a position error of the substrate table with respect to a reference; and control, via the actuator, a position of the projection system to compensate for the position error of the substrate table so that the beam projects on the target portion of the substrate.

Metrology tool with position control of projection system

According to one embodiment, a prism system is provided. The prism system includes a polarizing beam splitter (PBS) surface. The PBS surface is configured to generate first and second sub-beams having corresponding first and second polarization information from a received beam, the second polarization information being different than the first polarization information. A first optical path of the first sub-beam within the prism system has substantially same length as a second optical path of the second sub-beam within the prism system. Additionally or alternatively, the first sub-beam achieves a predetermined polarization extinction ratio.

Beam splitting prism systems

An inspection apparatus or lithographic apparatus includes an optical system and a detector. The optical system includes a non-linear prismatic optic. The optical system is configured to receive zeroth and first diffraction order beams reflected from a diffraction target and separate first and second polarizations of each diffraction order beam. The detector is configured to simultaneously detect first and second polarizations of each of the zeroth and first diffraction order beams. Based on the detected first and second polarizations of one or more diffraction orders, an operational parameter of a lithographic apparatus can be adjusted to improve accuracy or precision in the lithographic apparatus. The optical system can include a plurality of non-linear prismatic optics. For example, the optical system can include a plurality of Wollaston prisms.

Inspection apparatus having non-linear optics

A lithographic apparatus includes a uniformity correction system located at a plane and configured to receive a substantially constant pupil when illuminated with the beam of radiation. The uniformity correction system includes fingers that move into and out of intersection with a beam so as to correct an intensity of respective portions of the radiation beam. According to another embodiment, a method includes for: focusing a beam of radiation at a first plane to form pupil; adjusting the intensity of the beam near the first plane by moving fingers located near the first plane into and out of a path of the beam of radiation, wherein a width of a tip of each of the fingers is larger than that of corresponding actuating devices used to move each corresponding one of the fingers; patterning the beam; and projecting the patterned beam onto a substrate.

Double EUV illumination uniformity correction system and method

A beam pointing and positioning system includes a first lens, movable in a first plane perpendicular to a nominal optical axis, which receives and positions a light beam. The system also includes a second lens, movable in a second plane perpendicular to the nominal optical axis, which receives and points the positioned light beam. The system is thereby capable of directing the light beam to a desired location at a desired angle. The system may also include a beam splitter that receives, transmits, and reflects the pointed light beam, one or more sensors that receive the reflected light beam, and a controller coupled to the sensor(s) and first and second lenses. The controller may control the positioning of the first and second lenses based on beam position and pointing data and/or signals received from the sensor(s). A method of positioning and pointing a light beam is also presented.

Beam positioning and pointing

A lithographic apparatus including a uniformity correction system is disclosed. Fingers move into and out of intersection with a radiation beam to correct an intensity of the radiation beam. Actuating devices are coupled to the fingers. A width of a tip of each of the fingers is half that of a width of the actuating devices. Systems and methods compensate for uniformity drift. An illumination slit uniformity caused by system drift is measured. First positions of uniformity compensators are determined based on the uniformity. Uniformity compensators are moved to the first respective positions. A substrate is exposed.

Lithographic apparatus and method for illumination uniformity correction and uniformity drift compensation

A lithographic system is provided in which an extent of overlap between pattern sections is adjusted in order to match a size of a pattern section to a size of a repeating portion of the pattern to be formed.

Optimal rasterization for maskless lithography

A system and method for uniformity correction is provided. The system includes a plurality of winged correction elements inserted into the illumination field in a defined configuration. Adjacent winged correction elements are overlapped to minimize induced uniformity ripple. Each winged correction element has a first protrusion on a longitudinal edge of the correction element and a second protrusion on the opposite longitudinal edge. The slope of a sloped edge of the first protrusion and the slope of a sloped edge of the second protrusion are tied to the slope of a gradient in the non-uniformity profile of the illumination field. In addition, the angles defined by the flat tip of the correction element and the sloped edge of the first and second protrusions are tied to the angle of a gradient of the illumination field.

System and method for uniformity correction

A system and method for uniformity correction such that a defined uniformity specification is met while minimizing a set of selected constraints is provided. The system includes illumination optics, an opto-mechanical correction system, a contrast device, projection optics and a correction module coupled to the correction system. The correction system includes a plurality of adjustable components such as fingers. The correction module is configured to determine adjustments to the components to correct uniformity. A method for discretizing the continuous intensity integral is also provided. The illumination slot is divided into a grid having multiple grid points. 'pupils' are then superimposed onto the grid. Multiple second grids are also defined. Each '&#x201c;pupil'&#x201d; is mapped to a second grid such that the center of the second grid is coincident with the &#x201c;&#x201c;pupil&#x201d;&#x201d; center. The continuous intensity integral is then discretized using the first grid, plurality of second grids, and &#x201c;&#x201c;pupil&#x201d;&#x201d; mappings.

De-focus uniformity correction

Method for calculating an intensity integral for use in lithography systems

Growing community of inventors

Brookfield, CT, United States of America

Richard Carl Zimmerman