Level sensor and lithographic apparatus

    公开(公告)号:US11221565B2

    公开(公告)日:2022-01-11

    申请号:US17044674

    申请日:2019-03-13

    Abstract: The invention provides a level sensor to measure a position of a surface of a substrate, comprising a projection unit arranged to direct a beam of radiation to the surface of the substrate and a detection unit. The detection unit comprises a detection grating arranged to receive the beam of radiation reflected on the surface of the substrate, one or more detectors, one or more optical elements to direct the beam of radiation from the detection grating to the one or more detectors, and a processing unit to determine the position of the surface of the substrate on the basis of the beam of radiation received by the one or more detectors. The detection grating and the one or more optical elements are integrated in a single integrated optical element.

    Alignment measurement system
    2.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US10942461B2

    公开(公告)日:2021-03-09

    申请号:US16639566

    申请日:2018-07-02

    Abstract: An apparatus for determining a characteristic of a feature of an object comprises: a measurement radiation source; a measurement radiation delivery system; a measurement system; a pump radiation source; and a pump radiation delivery system. The measurement radiation source is operable to produce measurement radiation and the measurement radiation delivery system is operable to irradiate at least a part of a top surface of the object with the measurement radiation. The measurement system is operable to receive at least a portion of the measurement radiation scattered from the top surface and is further operable to determine a characteristic of the feature of the object from at least a portion of the measurement radiation scattered from the top surface. The pump radiation source is operable to produce pump radiation and the pump radiation delivery system is operable to irradiate at least a part of the top surface of the object with the pump radiation so as to produce a mechanical response (for example an acoustic wave) in the object.

    Position sensor, lithographic apparatus and method for manufacturing devices

    公开(公告)号:US10527959B2

    公开(公告)日:2020-01-07

    申请号:US16325471

    申请日:2017-06-30

    Abstract: An alignment sensor for a lithographic apparatus has an optical system configured to deliver, collect and process radiation selectively in a first waveband (e.g. 500-900 nm) and/or in a second waveband (e.g. 1500-2500 nm). The radiation of the first and second wavebands share a common optical path in at least some portion of the optical system, while the radiation of the first waveband is processed by a first processing sub-system and the radiation of the second waveband is processed by a second processing sub-system. The processing subsystems in one example include self-referencing interferometers. The radiation of the second waveband allows marks to be measured through an opaque layer. Optical coatings and other components of each processing sub-system can be tailored to the respective waveband, without completely duplicating the optical system.

    Overlay measurement system using lock-in amplifier technique

    公开(公告)号:US12124177B2

    公开(公告)日:2024-10-22

    申请号:US17782622

    申请日:2020-11-18

    Abstract: A detection system (200) includes an illumination system (210), a first optical system (232), a phase modulator (220), a lock-in detector (255), and a function generator (230). The illumination system is configured to transmit an illumination beam (218) along an illumination path. The first optical system is configured to transmit the illumination beam toward a diffraction target (204) on a substrate (202). The first optical system is further configured to transmit a signal beam including diffraction order sub-beams (222, 224, 226) that are diffracted by the diffraction target. The phase modulator is configured to modulate the illumination beam or the signal beam based on a reference signal. The lock-in detector is configured to collect the signal beam and to measure a characteristic of the diffraction target based on the signal beam and the reference signal. The function generator is configured to generate the reference signal for the phase modulator and the lock-in detector.

    POSITION SENSOR
    5.
    发明申请

    公开(公告)号:US20210124276A1

    公开(公告)日:2021-04-29

    申请号:US17254601

    申请日:2019-06-05

    Abstract: The invention provides a position sensor (300) which comprises an optical system (305, 306) configured to provide measurement radiation (304) to a substrate (307). The optical system is arranged to receive at least a portion of radiation (309) diffracted by a mark (308) provided on the substrate. A processor (313) is applied to derive at least one position-sensitive signal (312) from the received radiation. The measurement radiation comprises at least a first and a second selected radiation wavelength. The selection of the at least first and second radiation wavelengths is based on a position error swing-curve model.

    Metrology sensor, lithographic apparatus and method for manufacturing devices

    公开(公告)号:US10788766B2

    公开(公告)日:2020-09-29

    申请号:US16611500

    申请日:2018-03-06

    Abstract: Disclosed is a metrology sensor apparatus and associated method. The metrology sensor apparatus comprises an illumination system operable to illuminate a metrology mark on a substrate with illumination radiation having a first polarization state and an optical collection system configured to collect scattered radiation, following scattering of the illumination radiation by the metrology mark. The metrology mark comprises a main structure and changes, relative to the first polarization state, at least one of a polarization state of a first portion of the scattered radiation predominately resultant from scattering by the main structure and a polarization state of a second portion of radiation predominately resultant from scattering by one or more features other than the main structure, such that the polarization state of the first portion of the scattered radiation is different to the polarization state of the second portion of the scattered radiation. The metrology sensor apparatus further comprises an optical filtering system which filters out the second portion of the scattered radiation based on its polarization state.

    Radiation source
    8.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US10690995B2

    公开(公告)日:2020-06-23

    申请号:US16307376

    申请日:2017-06-01

    Abstract: A supercontinuum radiation source for an alignment mark measurement system comprises: a radiation source; illumination optics; a plurality of waveguides; and collection optics. The radiation source is operable to produce a pulsed radiation beam. The illumination optics is arranged to receive the pulsed pump radiation beam and to form a plurality of pulsed sub-beams, each pulsed sub-beam comprising a portion of the pulsed radiation beam. Each of the plurality of waveguides is arranged to receive at least one of the plurality of pulsed sub-beams beam and to broaden a spectrum of that pulsed sub-beam so as to generate a supercontinuum sub-beam. The collection optics is arranged to receive the supercontinuum sub-beam from each of the plurality of waveguides and to combine them so as to form a supercontinuum radiation beam.

    Method of measuring a parameter and apparatus

    公开(公告)号:US10508906B2

    公开(公告)日:2019-12-17

    申请号:US16121780

    申请日:2018-09-05

    Abstract: A method of determining a parameter of a patterning process applied to an object comprising two features (for example an overlay of the two features) comprises: irradiating the two features of the object with a radiation beam and receiving at least a portion of the radiation beam scattered from the two features of the object. The at least a portion of the radiation beam comprises: a first portion comprising at least one diffraction order and a second portion comprising at least one diffraction order that is different to a diffraction order of the first portion. The method further comprises moderating a phase difference between the first and second portions and combining the first and second portions such that they interfere to produce a time dependent intensity signal. The method further comprises determining the parameter of the patterning process from a contrast of the time dependent intensity signal.

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