Asml Netherlands B.v.

Xing Lan Liu

Richard Johannes Franciscus Van Haren

Hendrik Jan Hidde Smilde

Arie Jeffrey Den Boef

Maurits Van Der Schaar

Henricus Wilhelmus Maria Van Buel

Johannes Marcus Maria Beltman

Kaustuve Bhattacharyya

Martin Jacobus Johan Jak

Hakki Ergün Cekli

Andreas Fuchs

Omer Abubaker Omer Adam

Christophe David Fouquet

Michael Kubis

Leon Paul Van Dijk

Victor Emanuel Calado

Wim Tjibbo Tel

Reiner Maria Jungblut

Stefan Cornelis Theodorus Van Der Sanden

Everhardus Cornelis Mos

Emil Peter Schmitt-Weaver

Bart Peter Bert Segers

Yichen Zhang

Hyunwoo Yu

Petrus Gerardus Van Rhee

Maria Kilitziraki

Patricius Aloysius Jacobus Tinnemans

Franciscus Godefridus Casper Bijnen

Youping Zhang

Alexander Ypma

Edo Maria Hulsebos

Daan Maurits Slotboom

Irina Lyulina

Loek Johannes Petrus Verhees

Yue-Lin Peng

Masashi Ishibashi

Ronald Henricus Johannes Otten

Hakki Ergun Cekli

Cedric Marc Affentauschegg

Josselin Pello

MIchael Kubis

A diffraction measurement target that has at least a first sub-target and at least a second sub-target, and wherein (1) the first and second sub-targets each include a pair of periodic structures and the first sub-target has a different design than the second sub-target, the different design including the first sub-target periodic structures having a different pitch, feature width, space width, and/or segmentation than the second sub-target periodic structure or (2) the first and second sub-targets respectively include a first and second periodic structure in a first layer, and a third periodic structure is located at least partly underneath the first periodic structure in a second layer under the first layer and there being no periodic structure underneath the second periodic structure in the second layer, and a fourth periodic structure is located at least partly underneath the second periodic structure in a third layer under the second layer.

Metrology method, target and substrate

A method includes exposing number of fields on a substrate, obtaining data about a field and correcting exposure of the field in subsequent exposures. The method includes defining one or more sub-fields of the field based on the obtained data. Data relating to each sub-field is processed to produce sub-field correction information. A subsequent exposure of the one or more sub-fields is corrected using the sub-field correction information. By controlling a lithographic apparatus by reference to data of a particular sub-field within a field, overlay error can be reduced or minimized for a critical feature, rather than being averaged over the whole field. By controlling a lithographic apparatus with reference to a sub-field rather than only the whole field, a residual error can be reduced in each sub-field.

Lithographic method and lithographic apparatus

A method, involving determining a first distribution of a first parameter associated with an error or residual in performing a device manufacturing process; determining a second distribution of a second parameter associated with an error or residual in performing the device manufacturing process; and determining a distribution of a parameter of interest associated with the device manufacturing process using a function operating on the first and second distributions. The function may include a correlation.

Computational metrology

A method of determining an optimal operational parameter setting of a metrology system is described. Free-form substrate shape measurements are performed. A model is applied, transforming the measured warp to modeled warp scaling values. Substrates are clamped to a chuck, causing substrate deformation. Alignment marks of the substrates are measured using an alignment system with four alignment measurement colors. Scaling values thus obtained are corrected with the modeled warp scaling values to determine corrected scaling values. An optimal alignment measurement color is determined, based on the corrected scaling values. Optionally, scaling values are selected that were measured using the optimal alignment measurement color and a substrate grid is determined using the selected scaling values. A substrate may be exposed using the determined substrate grid to correct exposure of the substrate.

Determining an optimal operational parameter setting of a metrology system

A method of measuring a parameter of a patterning process, the method including obtaining a measurement of a substrate processed by a patterning process, with a first metrology target measurement recipe; obtaining a measurement of the substrate with a second, different metrology target measurement recipe, wherein measurements using the first and second metrology target measurement recipes have their own distinct sensitivity to a metrology target structural asymmetry of the patterning process; and determining a value of the parameter by a weighted combination of the measurements of the substrate using the first and second metrology target measurement recipes, wherein the weighting reduces or eliminates the effect of the metrology target structural geometric asymmetry on the parameter of the patterning process determined from the measurements using the first and second metrology target measurement recipes.

Metrology using a plurality of metrology target measurement recipes

A lithographic process includes clamping a substrate onto a substrate support, measuring positions across the clamped substrate, and applying a pattern to the clamped substrate using the positions measured. A correction is applied to the positioning of the applied pattern in localized regions of the substrate, based on recognition of a warp-induced characteristic in the positions measured across the substrate. The correction may be generated by inferring one or more shape characteristics of the warped substrate using the measured positions and other information. Based on the one or more inferred shape characteristics, a clamping model is applied to simulate deformation of the warped substrate in response to clamping. A correction is calculated based on the simulated deformation.

Lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method and associated data processing apparatus and computer program product

A method of characterizing a deformation of a plurality of substrates is described. The method includes: measuring, for a plurality of n different alignment measurement parameters &#x3bb; and for a plurality of substrates, a position of the alignment marks; determining a positional deviation as the difference between the n alignment mark position measurements and a nominal alignment mark position; grouping the positional deviations into data sets; determining an average data set; subtracting the average data set from the data sets to obtain a plurality of variable data sets; performing a blind source separation method on the variable data sets, thereby decomposing the variable data sets into a set of eigenwafers representing principal components of the variable data sets; and subdividing the set of eigenwafers into a set of mark deformation eigenwafers and a set of substrate deformation eigenwafers.

Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

A method of devising a target arrangement, and associated target and reticle. The target includes a plurality of gratings, each grating having a plurality of substructures. The method includes: defining a target area; locating the substructures within the target area so as to form the gratings; and locating assist features at the periphery of the gratings, the assist features being configured to reduce measured intensity peaks at the periphery of the gratings. The method may include an optimization process including modelling a resultant image obtained by inspection of the target using a metrology process; and evaluating whether the target arrangement is optimized for detection using a metrology process.

Optimization of target arrangement and associated target

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Veldhoven, Netherlands

Xing Lan Liu