Asml Netherlands B.v.

Simon Hendrik Celine Van Gorp

Frank Staals

Cyrus Emil Tabery

Wim Tjibbo Tel

Patrick Warnaar

Hakki Ergün Cekli

Marinus Jochemsen

Chenxi Lin

Mark John Maslow

Abraham Slachter

Koenraad Van Ingen Schenau

Roy Anunciado

Alexander Ypma

Boris Menchtchikov

Peter Ten Berge

Michael James Lercel

Carlo Cornelis Maria Luijten

Bart Peter Bert Segers

Simon Philip Spencer Hastings

Dag Sonntag

Ruben Alvarez Sanchez

Pierre-Yves Jerome Yvan Guittet

Christiaan Theodoor De Ruiter

Shih-Chin Liu

Wei Duan

Léon Maria Albertus Van Der Logt

Brennan Peterson

Arie Van Den Brin

Apparatus and methods for determining a focus error for a lithographic apparatus and/or a difference between first and second metrology data. The first and/or second metrology data includes a plurality of values of a parameter relating to a substrate, the substrate including a plurality of fields including device topology. The apparatus may include a processor configured to execute computer program code to cause the processor to: determine an intra-field component of the parameter; remove the determined intra-field component from the first metrology data to obtain an inter-field component of the first metrology data; and determine the difference between the first metrology data and second metrology data based on the inter-field component and the second metrology data.

Non-correctable error in metrology

A method for configuring an apparatus for providing structures to a layer on a substrate, the method including: obtaining first data including substrate specific data as measured and/or modeled before the providing of the structures to the layer on the substrate; and determining a configuration of the apparatus for at least two different control regimes based on the first data and the use of a common merit function including parameters associated with the at least two control regimes.

Method for controlling a lithographic apparatus and associated apparatuses

A method including: obtaining an image of at least part of a substrate, wherein the image includes at least one feature manufactured on the substrate by a manufacturing process including a lithographic process and one or more further processes; determining one or more image-related metrics in dependence on a contour determined from the image, wherein one of the one or more image-related metrics is an edge placement error, EPE, of the at least one feature; and determining one or more control parameters of the lithographic process and/or the one or more further processes in dependence on the edge placement error, wherein at least one control parameter is determined so as to minimize the edge placement error of the at least one feature.

Method of determining control parameters of a device manufacturing process

A measurement mark is disclosed. According to certain embodiments, the measurement mark includes a set of first test structures developed in a first layer on a substrate, each of the set of first test structures comprising a plurality of first features made of first conducting material. The measurement mark also includes a set of second test structures developed in a second layer adjacent to the first layer, each of the set of second test structures comprising a plurality of second features made of second conducting material. The measurement mark is configured to indicate connectivity between the set of first test structures and associated second test structures in the set of second test structures when imaged using a voltage-contrast imaging method.

Voltage contrast metrology mark

A method including: obtaining an image of at least part of a substrate, wherein the image includes at least one feature of a device being manufactured in a layer on the substrate; obtaining a layout of features associated with a previous layer adjacent to the layer on the substrate; calculating one or more image-related metrics in dependence on: 1) a contour determined from the image including the at least one feature and 2) the layout; and determining one or more control parameters of a lithographic apparatus and/or one or more further processes in a manufacturing process of the device in dependence on the one or more image-related metrics, wherein at least one of the control parameters is determined to modify the geometry of the contour in order to improve the one or more image-related metrics.

A method and associated computer program for predicting an electrical characteristic of a substrate subject to a process. The method includes determining a sensitivity of the electrical characteristic to a process characteristic, based on analysis of electrical metrology data including electrical characteristic measurements from previously processed substrates and of process metrology data including measurements of at least one parameter related to the process characteristic measured from the previously processed substrates; obtaining process metrology data related to the substrate describing the at least one parameter; and predicting the electrical characteristic of the substrate based on the sensitivity and the process metrology data.

Method to predict yield of a device manufacturing process

A method for determining a metric of a feature on a substrate obtained by a semiconductor manufacturing process involving a lithographic process, the method including: obtaining an image of at least part of the substrate, wherein the image includes at least the feature; determining a contour of the feature from the image; determining a plurality of segments of the contour; determining respective weights for each of the plurality of segments; determining, for each of the segments, an image-related metric; and determining the metric of the feature in dependence on the weights and the calculated image-related metric of each of the segments.

A lithographic process is one that applies a desired pattern onto a substrate, usually onto a target portion of the substrate. During the lithographic process, the focus needs to be controlled. There is disclosed a method for determining a fingerprint of a performance parameter associated with a substrate, such as a focus value to be used during the lithographic process. A reference fingerprint of the performance parameter is determined for a reference substrate. A reference substrate parameter of the reference substrate is determined. A substrate parameter for a substrate, such as a substrate with product structures, is determined. Subsequently, the fingerprint of the performance parameter is determined based on the reference fingerprint, reference substrate parameter and the substrate parameter. The fingerprint may then be used to control the lithographic process.

Method and apparatus for determining a fingerprint of a performance parameter

A method for determining a control parameter for an apparatus used in a semiconductor manufacturing process, the method including: obtaining performance data associated with a substrate subject to the semiconductor manufacturing process; obtaining die specification data including values of an expected yield of one or more dies on the substrate based on the performance data and/or a specification for the performance data; and determining the control parameter in dependence on the performance data and the die specification data. Advantageously, the efficiency and/or accuracy of processes is improved by determining how to perform the processes in dependence on dies within specification.

Method for determining a control parameter for an apparatus utilized in a semiconductor manufacturing process

A lithographic process is one that applies a desired pattern onto a substrate, usually onto a target portion of the substrate. During the lithographic process, the focus should be controlled. There is disclosed a method for determining a fingerprint of a performance parameter associated with a substrate, such as a focus value to be used during the lithographic process. A reference fingerprint of the performance parameter is determined for a reference substrate. A reference substrate parameter of the reference substrate is determined. A substrate parameter for a substrate, such as a substrate with product structures, is determined. Subsequently, the fingerprint of the performance parameter is determined based on the reference fingerprint, the reference substrate parameter and the substrate parameter. The fingerprint may then be used to control the lithographic process.

Growing community of inventors

Oud-Turnhout, Belgium

Simon Hendrik Celine Van Gorp