公开(公告)号：US11953450B2

公开(公告)日：2024-04-09

申请号：US18056073

申请日：2022-11-16

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Arie Jeffrey Den Boef

IPC: G01N21/956 ,  G03F7/00 ,  G06F7/20

CPC classification number: G01N21/95607 ,  G03F7/7015 ,  G03F7/70633

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for determining overlay of a pattern on a substrate with a mask pattern defined in a resist layer on top of the pattern on the substrate. A first grating is provided under a second grating, each having substantially identical pitch to the other, together forming a composite grating. A first illumination beam is provided under an angle of incidence along a first horizontal direction. The intensity of a diffracted beam from the composite grating is measured. A second illumination beam is provided under the angle of incidence along a second horizontal direction. The second horizontal direction is opposite to the first horizontal direction. The intensity of the diffracted beam from the composite grating is measured. The difference between the diffracted beam from the first illumination beam and the diffracted beam from the second illumination beam, linearly scaled, results in the overlay error.

公开(公告)号：US11549806B2

公开(公告)日：2023-01-10

申请号：US17141698

申请日：2021-01-05

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Marinus Johannes Maria Van Dam ,  Arie Jeffrey Den Boef ,  Nitesh Pandey

IPC: G01B11/25 ,  G02F1/01 ,  G02F1/33

Abstract: A metrology apparatus for determining a characteristic of interest of a structure on a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a radiation source configured to generate illumination radiation; at least two illumination branches comprising at least one optical fiber and configured to illuminate a structure on a substrate from different angles; and a radiation switch configured to receive the illumination radiation and transfer at least part of the radiation to a selectable one of the at least two illumination branches.

公开(公告)号：US20210325174A1

公开(公告)日：2021-10-21

申请号：US17314469

申请日：2021-05-07

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：US11099489B2

公开(公告)日：2021-08-24

申请号：US16712862

申请日：2019-12-12

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer ,  Hilko Dirk Bos ,  Erik Johan Koop ,  Armand Eugene Albert Koolen ,  Han-Kwang Nienhuys ,  Alessandro Polo ,  Jin Lian ,  Arie Jeffrey Den Boef

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G01N21/47 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N21/95

Abstract: The disclosure relates to measuring a parameter of a lithographic process and a metrology apparatus. In one arrangement, radiation from a radiation source is modified and used to illuminate a target formed on a substrate using the lithographic process. Radiation scattered from a target is detected and analyzing to determine the parameter. The modification of the radiation comprises modifying a wavelength spectrum of the radiation to have a local minimum between a global maximum and a local maximum, wherein the power spectral density of the radiation at the local minimum is less than 20% of the power spectral density of the radiation at the global maximum and the power spectral density of the radiation at the local maximum is at least 50% of the power spectral density of the radiation at the global maximum.

公开(公告)号：US10983445B2

公开(公告)日：2021-04-20

申请号：US16268564

申请日：2019-02-06

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Nitesh Pandey ,  Zili Zhou ,  Gerbrand Van Der Zouw ,  Arie Jeffrey Den Boef ,  Markus Gerardus Martinus Maria Van Kraaij ,  Armand Eugene Albert Koolen ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer ,  Paul Christiaan Hinnen ,  Martinus Hubertus Maria Van Weert ,  Anagnostis Tsiatmas ,  Shu-jin Wang ,  Bastiaan Onne Fagginger Auer ,  Alok Verma

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G01N21/21 ,  G01N21/88

Abstract: An inspection apparatus, method, and system are described herein. An example inspection apparatus includes an optical system and an imaging system. The optical system may be configured to output an illumination beam incident on a target including one or more features, the illumination beam polarized with a first polarization when incident on the target. The imaging system may be configured to obtain intensity data representing at least a portion of the illumination beam scattered by the one or more features, where the portion of the illumination beam has a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization. The inspection apparatus may be further configured to generate image data representing an image of each of the feature(s) based on the intensity data, and determine a measurement of a parameter of interest associated with the feature(s) based on an amount of the portion of the illumination beam having the second polarization.

公开(公告)号：US10955353B2

公开(公告)日：2021-03-23

申请号：US16270155

申请日：2019-02-07

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Arie Jeffrey Den Boef ,  Arno Jan Bleeker ,  Youri Johannes Laurentius Maria Van Dommelen ,  Mircea Dusa ,  Antoine Gaston Marie Kiers ,  Paul Frank Luehrmann ,  Henricus Petrus Maria Pellemans ,  Maurits Van Der Schaar ,  Cedric Desire Grouwstra ,  Markus Gerardus Martinus Maria Van Kraaij

IPC: G01B9/02 ,  G01N21/88 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G03F9/00

Abstract: An apparatus and method to determine a property of a substrate by measuring, in the pupil plane of a high numerical aperture lens, an angle-resolved spectrum as a result of radiation being reflected off the substrate. The property may be angle and wavelength dependent and may include the intensity of TM- and TE-polarized radiation and their relative phase difference.

公开(公告)号：US10901330B2

公开(公告)日：2021-01-26

申请号：US16417706

申请日：2019-05-21

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Arie Jeffrey Den Boef ,  Timothy Dugan Davis ,  Peter David Engblom ,  Kaustuve Bhattacharyya

IPC: G03F9/00 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G01B11/27

Abstract: A method including: determining recipe consistencies between one substrate measurement recipe of a plurality of substrate measurement recipes and each other substrate measurement recipe of the plurality of substrate measurement recipes; calculating a function of the recipe consistencies; eliminating the one substrate measurement recipe from the plurality of substrate measurement recipes if the function meets a criterion; and reiterating the determining, calculating and eliminating until a termination condition is met. Also disclosed herein is a substrate measurement apparatus, including a storage configured to store a plurality of substrate measurement recipes, and a processor configured to select one or more substrate measurement recipes from the plurality of substrate measurement recipes based on recipe consistencies among the plurality of substrate measurement recipes.

公开(公告)号：US10895452B2

公开(公告)日：2021-01-19

申请号：US16558457

申请日：2019-09-03

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Marinus Johannes Maria Van Dam ,  Arie Jeffrey Den Boef ,  Nitesh Pandey

IPC: G01B11/00 ,  G01B11/25 ,  G02F1/01 ,  G02F1/33

Abstract: A metrology apparatus for determining a characteristic of interest of a structure on a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a radiation source for generating illumination radiation; at least two illumination branches for illuminating the structure on the substrate, the illumination branches being configured to illuminate the structure from different angles; and a radiation switch configured to receive the illumination radiation and transfer at least part of the radiation to a selectable one of the at least two illumination branches.

公开(公告)号：US20200218849A1

公开(公告)日：2020-07-09

申请号：US16804048

申请日：2020-02-28

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Christophe David Fouquet ,  Bernardo Kastrup ,  Arie Jeffrey Den Boef ,  Johannes Catharinus Hubertus Mulkens ,  James Benedict Kavanagh ,  James Patrick Koonmen ,  Neal Patrick Callan

IPC: G06F30/398 ,  H01L21/66 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G06F30/20 ,  G06N7/00

Abstract: A defect prediction method for a device manufacturing process involving processing a portion of a design layout onto a substrate, the method including: identifying a hot spot from the portion of the design layout; determining a range of values of a processing parameter of the device manufacturing process for the hot spot, wherein when the processing parameter has a value outside the range, a defect is produced from the hot spot with the device manufacturing process; determining an actual value of the processing parameter; determining or predicting, using the actual value, existence, probability of existence, a characteristic, or a combination thereof, of a defect produced from the hot spot with the device manufacturing process.

公开(公告)号：US10698322B2

公开(公告)日：2020-06-30

申请号：US16700381

申请日：2019-12-02

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Arie Jeffrey Den Boef ,  Kaustuve Bhattacharyya

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G01B11/27 ,  G01B11/24

Abstract: A method including determining a type of structural asymmetry of the target from measured values of the target, and performing a simulation of optical measurement of the target to determine a value of an asymmetry parameter associated with the asymmetry type. A method including performing a simulation of optical measurement of a target to determine a value of an asymmetry parameter associated with a type of structural asymmetry of the target determined from measured values of the target, and analyzing a sensitivity of the asymmetry parameter to change in a target formation parameter associated with the target. A method including determining a structural asymmetry parameter of a target using a measured parameter of radiation diffracted by the target, and determining a property of a measurement beam of the target based on the structural asymmetry parameter that is least sensitive to change in a target formation parameter associated with the target.