The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 02, 2019
Filed:
Sep. 01, 2017
Asml Netherlands B.v., Veldhoven, NL;
Gerbrand Van Der Zouw, Waalre, NL;
Martin Jacobus Johan Jak, 's-Hertogenbosch, NL;
Martin Ebert, Valkenswaard, NL;
ASML Netherlands B.V., Veldhoven, NL;
Abstract
In an illumination system () for a scatterometer, first and second spatial light modulators lie in a common plane and are formed by different portions of a single liquid crystal cell (). Pre-polarizers () apply polarization to first and second radiation prior to the spatial light modulators. A first spatial light modulator (-S) varies a polarization state of the first radiation in accordance with a first programmable pattern. Second spatial light modulator (-P) varies a polarization state of the second radiation accordance with a second programmable pattern. A polarizing beam splitter () selectively transmits each of the spatially modulated first and second radiation to a common output path, depending on the polarization state of the radiation. In an embodiment, functions of pre-polarizers are performed by the polarizing beam splitter.