Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Carl Zeiss Sms Ltd.

Nawotec Gmbh

Thorsten Hofmann

Klaus Edinger

Michael Budach

Tristan Bret

Petra Spies

Gabriel Baralia

Rainer Becker

Christof Baur

Nicole Auth

Kinga Kornilov

Jens Oster

Horst Schneider

Heiko Feldmann

Johannes Ruoff

Hans Wilfried Koops

Hans W P Koops

Sergey Babin

Josef Sellmair

Pawel Szych

Maria Spies

The present application relates to a scanning probe microscope comprising a probe arrangement for analyzing at least one defect of a photolithographic mask or of a wafer, wherein the scanning probe microscope comprises: (a) at least one first probe embodied to analyze the at least one defect; (b) means for producing at least one mark, by use of which the position of the at least one defect is indicated on the mask or on the wafer; and (c) wherein the mark is embodied in such a way that it may be detected by a scanning particle beam microscope.

Device and method for analyzing a defect of a photolithographic mask or of a wafer

Device and method for analysing a defect of a photolithographic mask or of a wafer

The present application relates to a method for permanently repairing defects of absent material of a photolithographic mask, comprising the following steps: (a) providing at least one carbon-containing precursor gas and at least one oxidizing agent at a location to be repaired of the photolithographic mask; (b) initiating a reaction of the at least one carbon-containing precursor gas with the aid of at least one energy source at the location of absent material in order to deposit material at the location of absent material, wherein the deposited material comprises at least one reaction product of the reacted at least one carbon-containing precursor gas; and (c) controlling a gas volumetric flow rate of the at least one oxidizing agent in order to minimize a carbon proportion of the deposited material.

Method and device for permanently repairing defects of absent material of a photolithographic mask

The invention refers to a method for analyzing a defect of an optical element for the extreme ultra-violet wavelength range comprising at least one substrate and at least one multi-layer structure, the method comprising the steps: (a) determining first data by exposing the defect to ultra-violet radiation, (b) determining second data by scanning the defect with a scanning probe microscope, (c) determining third data by scanning the defect with a scanning particle microscope, and (d) com-bining the first, the second and the third data.

Method and apparatus for analyzing and for removing a defect of an EUV photomask

The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for examining a surface of a test object, such as e.g. a lithography mask. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, an apparatus for examining a surface of a mask comprises a probe which interacts with the surface of the mask, and a measuring apparatus for establishing a reference distance of the mask from a reference point, wherein the measuring apparatus measures the reference distance of the mask in a measurement region of the mask which is not arranged on the surface of the mask.

Apparatus and method for examining a surface of a mask

The invention relates to a method for processing a substrate with a focussed particle beam which incidents on the substrate, the method comprising the steps of: (a) generating at least one reference mark on the substrate using the focused particle beam and at least one processing gas, (b) determining a reference position of the at least one reference mark, (c) processing the substrate using the reference position of the reference mark, and (d) removing the at least one reference mark from the substrate.

Method and apparatus for processing a substrate with a focused particle beam

The present invention refers to an apparatus and a method for investigating an object with a scanning particle microscope and at least one scanning probe microscope with a probe, wherein the scanning particle microscope and the at least one scanning probe microscope are spaced with respect to each other in a common vacuum chamber so that a distance between the optical axis of the scanning particle microscope and the measuring point of the scanning probe microscope in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the scanning particle microscope is larger than the maximum field of view of both the scanning probe microscope and the scanning particle microscope, wherein the method comprises the step of determining the distance between the measuring point of the scanning probe microscope and the optical axis of the scanning particle microscope.

Apparatus and method for investigating an object

The invention relates to a method for electron beam induced etching of a material () with the method steps providing at least one etching gas at a position of the material () at which an electron beam impacts on the material () and simultaneously providing at least one passivation gas which is adapted for slowing down or inhibiting a spontaneous etching by the at least one etching gas.

Method for electron beam induced etching

The invention refers to a probe assembly for a scanning probe microscope which comprises at least one first probe-adapted for analyzing a specimen, at least one second probe adapted for modifying the specimen and at least one motion element associated with the probe assembly and adapted for scanning one of the probes being in a working position across a surface of the specimen so that the at least one first probe interacts with the specimen whereas the at least one second probe is in a neutral position in which it does not interact with the specimen and to bring the at least one second probe into a position so that the at least one second probe can modify a region of the specimen analyzed with the at least one first probe.

Apparatus and method for analyzing and modifying a specimen surface

The invention relates to a method for analyzing a defect of a photolithographic mask for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelength range (EUV mask) comprising the steps of: (a) generating at least one focus stack relating to the defect using an EUV mask inspection tool, (b) determining a surface configuration of the EUV mask at a position of the defect, (c) providing model structures having the determined surface configuration which have different phase errors and generating the respective focus stacks, and (d) determining a three dimensional error structure of the EUV mask defect by comparing the at least one generated focus stack of the defect and the generated focus stacks of the model structures.

Method and apparatus for analyzing and/or repairing of an EUV mask defect

The invention relates to a method for electron beam induced etching of a layer contaminated with gallium, with the method steps of providing at least one first halogenated compound as an etching gas at the position at which an electron beam impacts on the layer, and providing at least one second halogenated compound as a precursor gas for removing of the gallium from this position.

Method for electron beam induced etching of layers contaminated with gallium

The present method relates to processes for the removal of a material from a sample by a gas chemical reaction activated by a charged particle beam. The method is a multiple step process wherein in a first step a gas is supplied which, when a chemical reaction between the gas and the material is activated, forms a non-volatile material component such as a metal salt or a metaloxide. In a second consecutive step the reaction product of the first chemical reaction is removed from the sample.

Methods and systems for removing a material from a sample

The invention relates to a method for electron beam induced deposition of electrically conductive material from a metal carbonyl with the method steps of providing at least one electron beam at a position of a substrate, storing at least one metal carbonyl at a first temperature, and heating the at least one metal carbonyl to at least one second temperature prior to the provision at the position at which the at least one electron beam impacts on the substrate.

Method for electron beam induced deposition of conductive material

An apparatus and a method for investigating and/or modifying a sample is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a charged particle source, at least one particle optical element forming a charged particle beam of charged particles emitted by said charged particle source. The apparatus further comprises an objective lens which generates a charged particle probe from said charged particle beam. The objective lens defines a particle optical axis. A first electrostatic deflection element is arranged&#x2014;in a direction of propagation of charged particles emitted by said charged particle source&#x2014;downstream of the objective lens. The electrostatic deflection element deflecting the charged particle beam in a direction perpendicular to said charged particle optical axis and has a deflection bandwidth of at least 10 MHz.

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Rodgau, Germany

Thorsten Hofmann