公开(公告)号：US20210335678A1

公开(公告)日：2021-10-28

申请号：US17371380

申请日：2021-07-09

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Adriaan Johan VAN LEEST ,  Anagnostis TSIATMAS ,  Paul Christiaan HINNEN ,  Elliott Gerard Mc NAMARA ,  Alok VERMA ,  Thomas THEEUWES ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER

IPC: H01L21/66 ,  G03F9/00 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G01N21/95

Abstract: A method of determining a parameter of a patterning process, the method including: obtaining a detected representation of radiation redirected by a structure having geometric symmetry at a nominal physical configuration, wherein the detected representation of the radiation was obtained by illuminating a substrate with a radiation beam such that a beam spot on the substrate was filled with the structure; and determining, by a hardware computer system, a value of the patterning process parameter based on optical characteristic values from an asymmetric optical characteristic distribution portion of the detected radiation representation with higher weight than another portion of the detected radiation representation, the asymmetric optical characteristic distribution arising from a different physical configuration of the structure than the nominal physical configuration.

公开(公告)号：US20200284578A1

公开(公告)日：2020-09-10

申请号：US16882977

申请日：2020-05-26

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Alok VERMA ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER ,  Thomas THEEUWES ,  Anagnostis TSIATMAS ,  Bert VERSTRAETEN

IPC: G01B11/27 ,  G01N21/55 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G06F30/398

Abstract: A substrate having a plurality of features for use in measuring a parameter of a device manufacturing process and associated methods and apparatus. The measurement is by illumination of the features with measurement radiation from an optical apparatus and detecting a signal arising from interaction between the measurement radiation and the features. The plurality of features include first features distributed in a periodic fashion at a first pitch, and second features distributed in a periodic fashion at a second pitch, wherein the first pitch and second pitch are such that a combined pitch of the first and second features is constant irrespective of the presence of pitch walk in the plurality of features.

公开(公告)号：US20170256465A1

公开(公告)日：2017-09-07

申请号：US15445465

申请日：2017-02-28

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Adriaan Johan VAN LEEST ,  Anagnostis TSIATMAS ,  Paul Christiaan HINNEN ,  Elliott Gerard McNAMARA ,  Alok VERMA ,  Thomas THEEUWES ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER

IPC: H01L21/66 ,  G01N21/88 ,  G01N21/95 ,  H01L21/308

CPC classification number: H01L22/12 ,  G01N21/9501 ,  G03F7/70633 ,  G03F7/70683 ,  G03F9/7003

Abstract: A method of determining overlay of a patterning process, the method including: illuminating a substrate with a radiation beam such that a beam spot on the substrate is filled with one or more physical instances of a unit cell, the unit cell having geometric symmetry at a nominal value of overlay; detecting primarily zeroth order radiation redirected by the one or more physical instances of the unit cell using a detector; and determining, by a hardware computer system, a non-nominal value of overlay of the unit cell from values of an optical characteristic of the detected radiation.

公开(公告)号：US20170255738A1

公开(公告)日：2017-09-07

申请号：US15445536

申请日：2017-02-28

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Adriaan Johan VAN LEEST ,  Anagnostis TSIATMAS ,  Paul Christiaan HINNEN ,  Elliott Gerard McNAMARA ,  Alok VERMA ,  Thomas THEEUWES ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER

IPC: G06F17/50 ,  H01L21/308 ,  H01L21/66

CPC classification number: H01L22/12 ,  G01N21/9501 ,  G03F7/70633 ,  G03F7/70683 ,  G03F9/7003

Abstract: A method of configuring a parameter determination process, the method including: obtaining a mathematical model of a structure, the mathematical model configured to predict an optical response when illuminating the structure with a radiation beam and the structure having geometric symmetry at a nominal physical configuration; using, by a hardware computer system, the mathematical model to simulate a perturbation in the physical configuration of the structure of a certain amount to determine a corresponding change of the optical response in each of a plurality of pixels to obtain a plurality of pixel sensitivities; and based on the pixel sensitivities, determining a plurality of weights for combination with measured pixel optical characteristic values of the structure on a substrate to yield a value of a parameter associated with change in the physical configuration, each weight corresponding to a pixel.

公开(公告)号：US20170090301A1

公开(公告)日：2017-03-30

申请号：US15270150

申请日：2016-09-20

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Alok VERMA ,  Sinatra Canggih KHO ,  Adriaan Johan VAN LEEST

IPC: G03F7/20

CPC classification number: G03F7/70625 ,  G03F7/705 ,  G03F7/70633 ,  G03F9/7092

Abstract: This disclosure includes a variety of methods of describing a shape in a hierarchical manner, and uses of such a hierarchical description. In particular, this disclosure includes a method comprising: fitting one or more sub-shapes of a first order against a shape; determining an error of the fitting; and fitting one or more sub-shapes of a second order against the error.