公开(公告)号：US11442372B2

公开(公告)日：2022-09-13

申请号：US17442951

申请日：2020-02-25

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Franciscus Godefridus Casper Bijnen ,  Ralph Brinkhof

IPC: G03F9/00

Abstract: The invention provides a method of measuring an alignment mark or an alignment mark assembly, wherein the alignment mark comprises grid features extending in at least two directions, the method comprising: measuring the alignment mark or alignment mark assembly using an expected location of the alignment mark or alignment mark assembly, determining a first position of the alignment mark or alignment mark assembly in a first direction, determining a second position of the alignment mark or alignment mark assembly in a second direction, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, determining a second direction scan offset between the expected location of the alignment mark or alignment mark assembly in the second direction and the determined second position, and correcting the first position on the basis of the second direction scan offset using at least one correction data set to provide a first corrected position.

公开(公告)号：US11442369B2

公开(公告)日：2022-09-13

申请号：US16763487

申请日：2018-11-07

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Yang-Shan Huang ,  Pieter Cornelis Johan De Jager ,  Rob Reilink ,  Christiaan Louis Valentin ,  Jasper Leonardus Johannes Scholten ,  Antonie Hendrik Verweij ,  Edwin Van Horne

IPC: G03F7/20

Abstract: An object stage bearing system can include an object stage, a hollow shaft coupled to the object stage, and an in-vacuum gas bearing assembly coupled to the hollow shaft and the object stage. The in-vacuum gas bearing assembly can include a gas bearing, a scavenging groove, and a vacuum groove. The gas bearing is disposed along an inner wall of the in-vacuum gas bearing assembly and along an external wall of the hollow shaft. The scavenging groove is disposed along the inner wall such that the scavenging groove is isolated from the gas bearing. The vacuum groove is disposed along the inner wall such that the vacuum groove is isolated from the scavenging groove and the gas bearing.

公开(公告)号：US20220283515A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-08

申请号：US17637156

申请日：2020-08-25

Applicant: ASML HOLDING N.V. ,  ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Tamer Mohamed Tawfik Ahmed Mohamed ELAZHARY ,  Simon Reinald HUISMAN ,  Justin Lloyd KREUZER ,  Sebastianus Adrianus GOORDEN

IPC: G03F7/20

Abstract: A method of determining an overlay measurement associated with a substrate and a system to obtain an overlay measurement associated with a patterning process. A method for determining an overlay measurement may be used in a lithography patterning process. The method includes generating a diffraction signal by illuminating a first overlay pattern and a second overlay pattern using a coherent beam. The method also includes obtaining an interference pattern based on the diffraction signal. The method further includes determining an overlay measurement between the first overlay pattern and the second overlay pattern based on the interference pattern.

公开(公告)号：US20220283511A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-08

申请号：US17751110

申请日：2022-05-23

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Yen-Wen LU ,  Xiaorui CHEN ,  Yang LIN

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G05B19/418

Abstract: A method of controlling a computer process for designing or verifying a photolithographic component, the method including building a source tree including nodes of the process, including dependency relationships among the nodes, defining, for some nodes, at least two different process conditions, expanding the source tree to form an expanded tree, including generating a separate node for each different defined process condition, and duplicating dependent nodes having an input relationship to each generated separate node, determining respective computing hardware requirements for processing the node, selecting computer hardware constraints based on capabilities of the host computing system, determining, based on the requirements and constraints and on dependency relations in the expanded tree, an execution sequence for the computer process, and performing the computer process on the computing system.

公开(公告)号：US20220283505A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-08

申请号：US17636411

申请日：2020-07-07

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： André SCHREUDER ,  Gijs KRAMER ,  Ludolf POSTMA

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  H01L21/687

Abstract: A substrate holder for supporting a substrate, a lithographic apparatus having the substrate holder and a method of supporting the substrate. The substrate holder includes a main body, a plurality of supporting pins, and a plate. The plate is positioned between a surface of the main body and a support surface formed by the plurality of supporting pins. The plate is actuatable in a direction along the plurality of supporting pins between the surface of the main body and the support surface. The substrate holder may also include a main body, a flexible member and a fixed member protruding from a surface of the main body. The flexible member defines an enclosed cavity therein and configured to form a seal with the substrate supported on the substrate holder. The substrate holder is configured to reduce pressure in the enclosed cavity of the flexible member.

公开(公告)号：US11435673B2

公开(公告)日：2022-09-06

申请号：US17440251

申请日：2020-03-19

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Kevin Van De Ruit ,  Roy Werkman ,  Jochem Sebastiaan Wildenberg

IPC: G03F9/00 ,  G03F7/20

Abstract: A method of determining a set of metrology point locations, the set including a subset of potential metrology point locations on a substrate, the method including: determining a relation between noise distributions associated with a plurality of the potential metrology point locations using existing knowledge; and using the determined relation and a model associated with the substrate to determine the set.

公开(公告)号：US20220277926A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-01

申请号：US17753298

申请日：2020-08-25

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Yixiang WANG ,  Shibing LIU ,  Shanhui CAO ,  Kangsheng QIU ,  Juying DOU ,  Ying LUO ,  Yinglong LI ,  Qiang LI ,  Ronald VAN DER WILK ,  Jan-Gerard Cornelis VAN DER TOORN

IPC: H01J37/20 ,  H01L21/683

Abstract: Systems and methods for wafer grounding and wafer grounding location adjustment are disclosed. A first method may include receiving a first value of an electric characteristic associated with the wafer being grounded by an electric signal; determining a first control parameter using at least the first value; and controlling a characteristic of the electric signal using the first control parameter and the first value. A second method for adjusting a grounding location for a wafer may include terminating an electric connection between the wafer and at least one grounding pin in contact the wafer; adjusting a relative position between the wafer and the grounding pin; and restoring the electric connection between the grounding pin and the wafer. A third method may include causing a grounding pin to penetrate through a coating on the wafer by impact; and establishing an electrical connection between the grounding pin and the wafer.

公开(公告)号：US20220276569A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-01

申请号：US17629053

申请日：2020-07-17

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Arie Jeffrey DEN BOEF ,  Kaustuve BHATTACHARYYA ,  Keng-Fu CHANG ,  Simon Gijsbert Josephus MATHIJSSEN

IPC: G03F7/20

Abstract: Methods and systems for determining information about a target structure are disclosed. In one arrangement, a value of an asymmetry indicator for the target structure is obtained. The value of the asymmetry indicator represents an amount of an overlay independent asymmetry in the target structure. An error in an initial overlay measurement performed on the target structure at a previous time is estimated. The estimation is performed using the obtained value of the asymmetry indicator and a relationship between values of the asymmetry indicator and overlay measurement errors caused at least partially by overlay independent asymmetries. An overlay in the target structure is determined using the initial overlay measurement and the estimated error.

公开(公告)号：US11429763B2

公开(公告)日：2022-08-30

申请号：US16806266

申请日：2020-03-02

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Remco Dirks ,  Markus Gerardus Martinus Maria Van Kraaij ,  Maxim Pisarenco

IPC: G06F30/20 ,  H01L21/66 ,  H01L21/3065 ,  H01L21/308 ,  G03F7/20

Abstract: Parameters of a structure (900) are measured by reconstruction from observed diffracted radiation. The method includes the steps: (a) defining a structure model to represent the structure in a two- or three-dimensional model space; (b) using the structure model to simulate interaction of radiation with the structure; and (c) repeating step (b) while varying parameters of the structure model. The structure model is divided into a series of slices (a-f) along at least a first dimension (Z) of the model space. By the division into slices, a sloping face (904, 906) of at least one sub-structure is approximated by a series of steps (904′, 906′) along at least a second dimension of the model space (X). The number of slices may vary dynamically as the parameters vary. The number of steps approximating said sloping face is maintained constant. Additional cuts (1302, 1304) are introduced, without introducing corresponding steps.

公开(公告)号：US11429029B2

公开(公告)日：2022-08-30

申请号：US17081325

申请日：2020-10-27

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Maurits Van Der Schaar ,  Patrick Warnaar ,  Youping Zhang ,  Arie Jeffrey Den Boef ,  Feng Xiao ,  Martin Ebert

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G03F9/00

Abstract: A method includes projecting an illumination beam of radiation onto a metrology target on a substrate, detecting radiation reflected from the metrology target on the substrate, and determining a characteristic of a feature on the substrate based on the detected radiation, wherein a polarization state of the detected radiation is controllably selected to optimize a quality of the detected radiation.