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:
Dec. 13, 2016
Filed:
Oct. 30, 2013
Asml Netherlands B.v., Veldhoven, NL;
Willem Jan Grootjans, Veldhoven, NL;
Henricus Johannes Lambertus Megens, Veldhoven, NL;
Jouke Krist, Veldhoven, NL;
Miguel Garcia Granda, Veldhoven, NL;
Lu Xu, Veldhoven, NL;
ASML Netherlands B.V., Veldhoven, NL;
Abstract
Method for determining lithographic quality of a structure produced by a lithographic process using a periodic pattern, such as a grating, detects lithographic process window edges and optimum process conditions. Method steps are:: printing a structure using a lithographic process using a grating pattern;: selecting a first characteristic, such as a polarization direction, for the illumination;: illuminating the structure with incident radiation with first characteristic: detecting scattered radiation;: selecting a second characteristic, such as a different polarization direction, for the illumination;: illuminating the structure with incident radiation with the second characteristic;: detecting scattered radiation;: rotating one or more angularly resolved spectrum to line up the polarizations, thus correcting for different orientations of the polarizations;: determining a difference between the measured angularly resolved spectra; and: determining a value of lithographic quality of the structure using the determined difference.