Asml Netherlands B.v.

Sergey Tarabrin

Armand Eugene Albert Koolen

Anagnostis Tsiatmas

Zili Zhou

Hilko Dirk Bos

Maurits Van Der Schaar

Nitesh Pandey

Patrick Warnaar

Markus Franciscus Antonius Eurlings

Markus Gerardus Martinus Maria Van Kraaij

Gerbrand Van Der Zouw

Duygu Akbulut

Jin Lian

Mohammadreza Hajiahmadi

Simon Philip Spencer Hastings

Sergei Sokolov

Samee Ur Rehman

Mariya Vyacheslavivna Medvedyeva

Koenraad Remi André Maria Schreel

Joannes Jitse Venselaar

Narjes Javaheri

Alexandru Onose

Martinus Hubertus Maria Van Weert

Su-Ting Cheng

Tieh-Ming Chang

Samira Bahrami

Mykhailo Semkiv

Disclosed is a method comprising measuring radiation reflected from a metrology target and decomposing the measured radiation in components, for example Fourier components or spatial components. Further, there is disclosed a recipe selection method which provides an algorithm to select a parameter of the metrology apparatus based on re-calculated dependencies of 5 the measured radiation based on single components.

Metrology method and associated computer product

A method, includes illuminating a structure of a metrology target with radiation having a linear polarization in a first direction, receiving radiation redirected from the structure to a polarizing element, wherein the polarizing element has a polarization splitting axis at an angle to the first direction, and measuring, using the sensor system, an optical characteristic of the redirected radiation.

Method and apparatus to determine a patterning process parameter

A technique of measuring a parameter of a patterning process is disclosed. In one arrangement, a target, formed by the patterning process, is illuminated. A sub-order diffraction component of radiation scattered from the target is detected and used to determine the parameter of the patterning process.

Method of measuring a parameter of a patterning process, metrology apparatus, target

The disclosure relates to measuring a target. In one arrangement, a measurement apparatus is provided that has an optical system configured to illuminate a target with radiation and direct reflected radiation from the target to a sensor. A programmable spatial light modulator in a pupil plane of the optical system is programmed to redirect light in each of a plurality of pupil plane zones in such a way as to form a corresponding plurality of images at different locations on the sensor. Each image is formed by radiation passing through a different respective one of the pupil plane zones.

Measurement apparatus and method of measuring a target

The disclosure relates to methods of determining a value of a parameter of interest of a patterning process, and of cleaning a signal containing information about the parameter of interest. In one arrangement, first and second detected representations of radiation are obtained. The radiation is provided by redirection of polarized incident radiation by a structure. The first and second detected representations are derived respectively from first and second polarization components of the redirected radiation. An asymmetry in the first detected representation comprises a contribution from the parameter of interest and a contribution from one or more other sources of asymmetry. An asymmetry in the second detected representation comprises a larger contribution from said one or more other sources of asymmetry relative to a contribution from the parameter of interest. A combination of the first and second detected representations is used to determine a value of the parameter of interest.

Method of determining a value of a parameter of interest, method of cleaning a signal containing information about a parameter of interest, device manufacturing method

Metrology apparatus and methods are disclosed for measuring a structure formed on a substrate. In one arrangement, different components of a radiation beam are selectively extracted after reflection from the structure and independently detected. For each component, radiation is selected from one of a plurality of predetermined regions in a downstream pupil plane of the optical system downstream from the structure. Radiation is further selected from one of two predetermined orthogonal polarization states. The predetermined orthogonal polarization states are oriented differently as a pair for each of at least a subset of components comprising radiation selected from different predetermined regions in the downstream pupil plane.

Metrology apparatus, method of measuring a structure, device manufacturing method

Disclosed is a method of determining a characteristic of a target on a substrate and corresponding metrology apparatus and computer program. The method comprises determining a plurality of intensity asymmetry measurements from pairs of complementary pixels comprising a first image pixel in a first image of the target and a second image pixel in a second image of the target. The first image is obtained from first radiation scattered by the target and the second image is obtained from second radiation scattered by the target, the first radiation and second radiation comprising complementary non-zero diffraction orders. The characteristic of the target is then determined from said plurality of intensity asymmetry measurements.

Metrology method, apparatus and computer program

Methods of determining a value of a parameter of interest are disclosed. In one arrangement, a symmetric component and an asymmetric component of a detected pupil representation from illuminating a target are derived. A first metric characterizing the symmetric component and a second metric characterizing the asymmetric component vary non-monotonically as a function of the parameter of interest over a reference range of values of the parameter of interest. A combination of the derived symmetric component and the derived asymmetric component are used to identify a correct value from a plurality of candidate values of the parameter of interest.

Method of determining a value of a parameter of interest of a target formed by a patterning process

Growing community of inventors

Eindhoven, Netherlands

Sergey Tarabrin