Carl Zeiss Sms Ltd.

Ulrich Stroessner

Michael Totzeck

Joern Greif-Wuestenbecker

Toralf Gruner

Thomas Scheruebl

Karl-Heinz Schuster

Heiko Feldmann

Daniel Kraehmer

Bernd Geh

Vladimir Kamenov

Olaf Dittmann

Gerd Klose

Wolfgang Harnisch

Norbert Rosenkranz

Beate Boehme

A mask inspection microscope for variably setting the illumination. It serves for generating an image of the structure of a reticle arranged in an object plane in a field plane of the mask inspection microscope. It comprises a light source that emits projection light, at least one illumination beam path, and a first diaphragm for generating a resultant intensity distribution of the projection light in a pupil plane of the illumination beam path, that is optically conjugate with respect to the object plane. The mask inspection microscope has at least one further diaphragm for generating the resultant intensity distribution. The first diaphragm and the at least one further diaphragm influence the resultant intensity distribution of the projection light at least partly at different locations of the pupil plane.

Microscope for reticle inspection with variable illumination settings

The invention relates to a method for measuring structures on masks () for photolithography, wherein firstly the mask () is mounted on a spatially movable platform (). The position of the platform () is controlled in this case. The structure on the mask () is illuminated with illumination light from an illumination light source which emits coherent light. The light coming from the mask () is imaged onto a detection device () by an imaging optical unit () and detected. The detected signals are evaluated in an evaluation device () and the positions and dimensions of the structures are determined. The invention also relates to an apparatus by which these method steps, in particular, can be carried out. In this case, the accuracy of the position and dimension determination is increased by the properties of the illumination light being coordinated with the structure to be measured. For this purpose, the illumination device (') has setting means for coordinating the properties of the illumination light with the structure to be measured.

Method and apparatus for measuring structures on photolithography masks

The invention relates to a method for analyzing masks for photolithography. In this method, an aerial image of the mask for a first focus setting is generated and stored in an aerial image data record. The aerial image data record is transferred to an algorithm that simulates a photolithographic wafer exposure on the basis of this data record. In this case, the simulation is carried out for a plurality of mutually different energy doses. Then, at a predetermined height from the wafer surface, contours which separate regions with photoresist from those regions without photoresist are in each case determined. The result, that is to say the contours, are stored for each of the energy doses in each case in a contour data record with the energy dose as a parameter. Finally, the contour data records are combined to form a three-dimensional multicontour data record with the reciprocal of the energy dose as a third dimension, and, on the basis of the transitions from zero to values different than zero in the contours, a three-dimensional profile of the reciprocal of the energy dose depending on the position on the mask is generated. This profile, the so-called effective aerial image, is output or stored or automatically evaluated. The same can also occur with sections through said profile.

Method for analyzing masks for photolithography

A method for determining intensity distribution in the focal plane of a projection exposure arrangement, in which a large aperture imaging system is emulated and a light from a sample is represented on a local resolution detector by an emulation imaging system. A device for carrying out the method and emulated devices are also described. The invention makes it possible to improve a reproduction quality since the system apodisation is taken into consideration. The inventive method includes determining the integrated amplitude distribution in an output pupil, combining the integrated amplitude distribution with a predetermined apodization correction and calculating a corrected apodization image according to the modified amplitude distribution.

Method for determining intensity distribution in the image plane of a projection exposure arrangement

A method for analyzing the imaging behavior of a first optical imaging element, in which an object is imaged by a second optical imaging element and light in the image plane is detected in a spatially resolved manner. The two optical imaging elements differ in at least one imaging characteristic. Values are determined for intensity and at least one second characteristic and then stored in image points, and processed in an emulation step. An emulation image is produced, taking into account the influence of the second characteristic. A series of images is produced by dividing a range of values of the second characteristic into subdomains, associating an image with each subdomain, and associating the corresponding intensity value with the image points of each image, in case the value of the second characteristic, associated with the image point, falls in the subdomain associated with the respective image.

Method and device for analysing the imaging behavior of an optical imaging element

An optical imaging system for inspection microscopes with which lithography masks can be checked for defects particularly through emulation of high-aperture scanner systems is provided. The imaging system for emulating high-aperture scanner systems includes imaging optics, a detector and an evaluating unit, wherein at least one polarization-active optical element is arranged as desired in the imaging beam path for selection of different polarization components of the imaging beam, an optical element with intensity attenuation function can be introduced in the imaging beam path, images of the mask and/or sample are received by the detector for differently polarized beam components and are conveyed to the evaluating unit for further processing. It is possible to examine lithography masks for defects in spite of increasingly smaller structures and increasingly higher image-side numerical apertures of the imaging systems Realistic images of the stepper systems can be generated by emulating the occurring vector effects.

Imaging system for emulation of a high aperture scanning system

An optical imaging system for inspection microscopes with which lithography masks can be checked for defects particularly through emulation of high-aperture scanner systems. The microscope imaging system for emulating high-aperture imaging systems comprises imaging optics, a detector and an evaluating unit, wherein polarizing optical elements are selectively arranged in the illumination beam path for generating different polarization states of the illumination beam and/or in the imaging beam path for selecting different polarization components of the imaging beam, an optical element with a polarization-dependent intensity attenuation function can be introduced into the imaging beam path, images of the mask and/or sample are received by the detector for differently polarized beam components and are conveyed to the evaluating unit for further processing.

Growing community of inventors

Jena, Germany

Ulrich Stroessner