公开(公告)号：US11101184B2

公开(公告)日：2021-08-24

申请号：US16572751

申请日：2019-09-17

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: G03F9/00 ,  H01L21/66 ,  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：US11009343B2

公开(公告)日：2021-05-18

申请号：US16277317

申请日：2019-02-15

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Patricius Aloysius Jacobus Tinnemans ,  Vasco Tomas Tenner ,  Arie Jeffrey Den Boef ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer ,  Patrick Warnaar ,  Grzegorz Grzela ,  Martin Jacobus Johan Jak

IPC: G01B11/25 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G02B27/42 ,  G03H1/00 ,  G03H1/04

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and associated apparatus for measuring a characteristic of interest relating to a structure on a substrate. The method comprises calculating a value for the characteristic of interest directly from the effect of the characteristic of interest on at least the phase of illuminating radiation when scattered by the structure, subsequent to illuminating said structure with said illuminating radiation.

公开(公告)号：US10955756B2

公开(公告)日：2021-03-23

申请号：US15970858

申请日：2018-05-03

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer

IPC: G01B11/26 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G03F9/00

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for measuring a target formed on a substrate. The target includes an alignment structure and a metrology structure. In one method, a first measurement process is performed that includes illuminating the target with first radiation and detecting radiation resulting from scattering of the first radiation from the target. A second measurement process includes illuminating the target with second radiation and detecting radiation resulting from scattering of the second radiation from the target. The first measurement process detects a position of the alignment structure. The second measurement process uses the position of the alignment structure detected by the first measurement process to align a radiation spot of the second radiation onto a desired location within the metrology structure.

公开(公告)号：US10732514B2

公开(公告)日：2020-08-04

申请号：US16264755

申请日：2019-02-01

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer ,  Seyed Iman Mossavat ,  Paul Christiaan Hinnen

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G02B21/10 ,  G01N21/27 ,  G02B21/36

Abstract: Disclosed is method of optimizing bandwidth of measurement illumination for a measurement application, and an associated metrology apparatus. The method comprises performing a reference measurement with reference measurement illumination having a reference bandwidth and performing one or more optimization measurements, each of said one or more optimization measurements being performed with measurement illumination having a varied candidate bandwidth. The one or more optimization measurements are compared with the reference measurement; and an optimal bandwidth for the measurement application is selected based on the comparison.

公开(公告)号：US10677589B2

公开(公告)日：2020-06-09

申请号：US16105013

申请日：2018-08-20

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Alok Verma ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer ,  Thomas Theeuwes ,  Anagnostis Tsiatmas ,  Bert Verstraeten

IPC: G06F17/50 ,  G01B11/00 ,  G01N21/55 ,  G06F7/00 ,  G01B11/27 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G06F30/398 ,  G06F30/3308 ,  G06F30/367

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：US20190265028A1

公开(公告)日：2019-08-29

申请号：US16277317

申请日：2019-02-15

Applicant: Stichting VU ,  Stichting Nederlandse Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Instituten ,  Universiteit van Amsterdam ,  ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Patricius Aloysius Jacobus TINNEMANS ,  Vasco Tomas Tenner ,  Arie Jeffrey Den Boef ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer ,  Patrick Warnaar ,  Grzegorz Grzela ,  Martin Jacobus Johan Jak

IPC: G01B11/25 ,  G03F7/20

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and associated apparatus for measuring a characteristic of interest relating to a structure on a substrate. The method comprises calculating a value for the characteristic of interest directly from the effect of the characteristic of interest on at least the phase of illuminating radiation when scattered by the structure, subsequent to illuminating said structure with said illuminating radiation.

公开(公告)号：US10394135B2

公开(公告)日：2019-08-27

申请号：US15796298

申请日：2017-10-27

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer ,  Bastiaan Onne Fagginger Auer

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G01N21/47

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of measuring a parameter of interest relating to a structure on a substrate, and associated metrology apparatus. The method comprises determining a correction to compensate for the effect of a measurement condition on a measurement signal from a plurality of measurement signals, wherein each of said measurement signals results from a different measurement of the structure performed under a different variation of said measurement condition. The correction is then used in a reconstruction of a mathematical model of said structure to suppress an influence of variations of said measurement condition on the reconstruction.

公开(公告)号：US10317805B2

公开(公告)日：2019-06-11

申请号：US15842958

申请日：2017-12-15

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Jolanda Theodora Josephina Schmetz-Schagen ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer ,  Armand Eugene Albert Koolen ,  Bastiaan Onne Fagginger Auer

IPC: G03F9/00 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01B11/02 ,  G01M11/02

Abstract: A method for monitoring a characteristic of illumination from a metrology apparatus includes using the metrology apparatus to acquire a pupil image at different focus settings of the metrology apparatus and calculating an asymmetry value for each acquired pupil image, where each pupil image is acquired on at least one edge of a target of a substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20190063911A1

公开(公告)日：2019-02-28

申请号：US16105013

申请日：2018-08-20

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Alok Verma ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer ,  Thomas Theeuwes ,  Anagnostis Tsiatmas ,  Bert Verstraeten

IPC: G01B11/27 ,  G01N21/55 ,  G06F17/50

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：US10180628B2

公开(公告)日：2019-01-15

申请号：US14892176

申请日：2014-05-23

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer ,  Arie Jeffrey Den Boef ,  Henricus Johannes Lambertus Megens ,  Maurits Van Der Schaar ,  Te-Chih Huang

IPC: G03F7/20

Abstract: A method of determining a critical-dimension-related property, such as critical dimension (CD) or exposure dose, includes illuminating each of a plurality of periodic targets having different respective critical dimension biases, measuring intensity of radiation scattered by the targets, recognizing and extracting each grating from the image, determining a differential signal, and determining the CD-related property based on the differential signal, the CD biases and knowledge that the differential signal approximates to zero at a 1:1 line-to-space ratio of such periodic targets. Use of the determined CD-related property to control a lithography apparatus in lithographic processing of subsequent substrates. In order to use just two CD biases, a calibration may use measurements on a “golden wafer” (i.e. a reference substrate) to determine the intensity gradient for each of the CD pairs, with known CDs. Alternatively, the calibration can be based upon simulation of the sensitivity of intensity gradient to CD.