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:
Sep. 01, 2015
Filed:
Jul. 02, 2010
Vitalii Ivanov, Warsaw, PL;
Vadim Yevgenyevich Banine, Deurne, NL;
Arie Jeffrey Den Boef, Waalre, NL;
Luigi Scaccabarozzi, Valkenswaard, NL;
Nikolay Nikolaevich Iosad, Geldrop, NL;
Vitalii Ivanov, Warsaw, PL;
Vadim Yevgenyevich Banine, Deurne, NL;
Arie Jeffrey Den Boef, Waalre, NL;
Luigi Scaccabarozzi, Valkenswaard, NL;
Nikolay Nikolaevich Iosad, Geldrop, NL;
ASML Netherlands B.V., Veldhoven, NL;
Abstract
Methods and systems for inspection of an object include the use of spectroscopic techniques for the detection of unwanted particles on an object's surface, based on the different responses of the unwanted particles as compared with the object to be inspected due to their different materials. Time resolved spectroscopy and/or energy resolved spectroscopy of secondary photon emission from the surface of the object can be used to obtain Raman and photoluminescence spectra. The objects to be inspected can for example be a patterning device as used in a lithographic process, for example a reticle, in which case the presence of metal, metal oxide or organic particles can be detected, for example. The methods and apparatus are highly sensitive, for example, being able to detect small particles (sub 100 nm, particularly sub 50 nm) on the patterned side of an EUV reticle.