公开(公告)号：US12243709B2

公开(公告)日：2025-03-04

申请号：US17373766

申请日：2021-07-12

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Weiming Ren ,  Xuedong Liu ,  Xuerang Hu ,  Zhong-Wei Chen

IPC: H01J37/145

Abstract: The present disclosure proposes an anti-rotation lens and using it as an anti-rotation condenser lens in a multi-beam apparatus with a pre-beamlet-forming mechanism. The anti-rotation condenser lens keeps rotation angles of beamlets unchanged when changing currents thereof, and thereby enabling the pre-beamlet-forming mechanism to cut off electrons not in use as much as possible. In this way, the multi-beam apparatus can observe a sample with high resolution and high throughput, and is competent as a yield management tool to inspect and/or review defects on wafers/masks in semiconductor manufacturing industry.

公开(公告)号：US12242204B2

公开(公告)日：2025-03-04

申请号：US17775361

申请日：2020-10-16

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Ruud Antonius Catharina Maria Beerens ,  Koen Gerhardus Winkels ,  Dirk Willem Harberts ,  Lucas Henricus Johannes Stevens ,  Dennis Dominic Van Der Voort ,  Edwin Johannes Cornelis Bos ,  George Alois Leonie Leenknegt ,  Nicolaas Ten Kate

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G03F7/00 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L21/687

Abstract: A substrate support configured to support a substrate. The substrate support has a plurality of burls protruding from a base surface of the substrate support. The burls have distal ends for supporting a lower surface of the substrate with a gap between the base surface of the substrate support and the lower surface of the substrate. The substrate support has a liquid supply channel configured to supply a conductive liquid to the gap so as to bridge the gap between the base surface of the substrate support and the lower surface of the substrate, to allow charge to pass between the substrate support and the substrate. The substrate support has a controlled electrical potential such that charge distribution at the lower surface of the substrate can be manipulated.

公开(公告)号：US12242201B2

公开(公告)日：2025-03-04

申请号：US17276533

申请日：2019-09-20

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Youping Zhang ,  Weixuan Hu ,  Fei Yan ,  Wei Peng ,  Vivek Kumar Jain

IPC: G03F7/00

Abstract: A method of hot spot ranking for a patterning process. The method includes obtaining (i) a set of hot spots of a patterning process, (ii) measured values of one or more parameters of the patterning process corresponding to the set of hot spots, and (ii) simulated values of the one or more parameters of the patterning process corresponding to the set of hot spots; determining a measurement feedback based on the measured values and the simulated values of the one or more parameters of the patterning process; and determining, via simulation of a process model of the patterning process, a ranking of a hot spot within the set of hot spots based on the measurement feedback.

公开(公告)号：US12235096B2

公开(公告)日：2025-02-25

申请号：US18486811

申请日：2023-10-13

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Henricus Petrus Maria Pellemans ,  Arie Jeffrey Den Boef

IPC: G01B11/24 ,  G03F7/00

Abstract: A scatterometer for measuring a property of a target on a substrate includes a radiation source, a detector, and a processor. The radiation source produces a radiated spot on the target. The scatterometer adjusts a position of the radiated spot along a first direction across the target and along a second direction that is at an angle with respect to the first direction. The detector receives radiation scattered by the target. The received radiation is associated with positions of the radiated spot on the target along at least the first direction. The detector generates measurement signals based on the positions of the radiated spot on the target. The processor outputs, based on the measurement signals, a single value that is representative of the property of the target. The processor also combines the measurement signals to output a combined signal and derives, based on the combined signal, the single value.

公开(公告)号：US20250060682A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-20

申请号：US18724144

申请日：2022-11-22

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Armin Bernhard RIDINGER ,  Muchen XU

IPC: G03F7/00

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system to illuminate a pattern of a patterning device and a projection system to project an image of the pattern onto a substrate. The illumination system includes a first and second enclosures, a scaling device, and a protective device. The first enclosure encloses a first environment and includes a first opening and first connection corresponding to the first opening. The second enclosure includes a second connection structure to couple to the first connection structure to prevent mixing of substances between the first environment and a second environment outside of the first and second enclosures. The sealing device is disposed between the first and second connection structures. The material of the sealing device is chemically reactive to the first environment. The protective device is disposed on the sealing device proximal to the first environment to shield the sealing device from the first environment.

公开(公告)号：US20250060680A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-20

申请号：US18721405

申请日：2022-12-14

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Aabid PATEL ,  Joshua ADAMS ,  Lisa DIXON ,  Igor Matheus Petronella AARTS

IPC: G03F7/00 ,  G01B11/27

Abstract: Generating an alignment signal for alignment of features in a layer of a substrate as part of a semiconductor manufacturing process is described. The present systems and methods can be faster and/or generate more information than typical methods for generating alignment signals because they utilize one or more existing structures in a patterned semiconductor wafer instead of a dedicated alignment structure. A feature (not a dedicated alignment mark) of the patterned semiconductor wafer is continuously scanned, where the scanning includes: continuously irradiating the feature with radiation; and continuously detecting reflected radiation from the feature. The scanning is performed perpendicular to the feature, along one side of the feature, or along both sides of the feature.

公开(公告)号：US12230469B2

公开(公告)日：2025-02-18

申请号：US17566518

申请日：2021-12-30

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Albertus Victor Gerardus Mangnus ,  Maikel Robert Goosen

IPC: H01J37/153 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: Disclosed among other aspects is a charged particle inspection system including a phaseplate configured and arranged to modify the local phase of charged particles in a beam to reduce the effects of lens aberrations. The phaseplate is made up of an array of apertures with the voltage and/or a degree of obscuration of the apertures being controlled individually or in groups.

公开(公告)号：US20250053097A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-13

申请号：US18716806

申请日：2022-11-22

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Kui-Jun HUANG ,  Liping REN

IPC: G03F7/00

Abstract: A correction to an error of overlay measurement which accounts for target structure asymmetry using a neural network is described. According to embodiments, an overlay measurement accuracy can be improved by accounting for multiple and/or asymmetric perturbations in the target structure. A trained neural network is described which generates a correction value for overlay measurement based on a measure of asymmetry. Based on an as-measured overlay measurement, which may not account for target structure asymmetry, and the correction value, a true overlay measurement is determined-which can exhibit improved accuracy and reduced uncertainty versus uncorrected values.

公开(公告)号：US20250044715A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-06

申请号：US18717286

申请日：2022-12-05

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Ahmet Burak CUNBUL ,  Ferry ZIJP ,  Teunis Willem TUKKER ,  Peter Fernand William Jozef DENDAS ,  Abraham Franciscus Hubertus VAN GESSEL

IPC: G03F9/00

Abstract: A projection unit for a level sensor, the projection unit including: a first light pipe having a first inlet configured to receive radiation from a source and a first outlet; and a second light pipe having a second inlet configured to receive the radiation from the first light pipe and a second outlet. The unit may include a lens device configured to receive radiation from the second outlet and to output radiation having a predetermined distribution of intensity and irradiance.

公开(公告)号：US20250044710A1

公开(公告)日：2025-02-06

申请号：US18714547

申请日：2022-12-13

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Jiyou FU ,  Jing SU ,  Chenxi LIN ,  Jiao LIANG ,  Guangqing CHEN ,  Yi ZOU

IPC: G03F7/00 ,  G03F9/00 ,  G06T7/00 ,  G06T7/33 ,  H01L21/66

Abstract: A method of image template matching for multiple process layers of, for example, semiconductor substrate with an adaptive weight map is described. An image template is provided with a weight map, which is adaptively updated based during template matching based on the position of the image template on the image. A method of template matching a grouped pattern or artifacts in a composed template is described, wherein the pattern comprises deemphasized areas weighted less than the image templates. A method of generating an image template based on a synthetic image is described. The synthetic image can be generated based on process and image modeling. A method of selecting a grouped pattern or artifacts and generating a composed template is described. A method of per layer image template matching is described.