Abstract: In a method for determining the phase and/or refractive index of a region of an object, the object region is illuminated with coherent or partly coherent light and is imaged into the image plane a number of times with different imaging properties and is recorded in order to obtain a plurality of intensity recordings of the object region. The phase and/or refractive index determination is carried out based upon the plurality of intensity recordings. The different imaging properties differ at least in terms of different phase shifts which are additionally introduced into the imaging beam path, and which are generated differently than by changing the focusing when carrying out the recordings. The different phase shifts which are additionally introduced into the imaging beam path are effected by introducing at least one optical element into the objective and/or manipulating at least one optical element of the objective.

Abstract: The invention relates to an autofocusing method for an imaging device (for semiconductor lithography) comprising an imaging optical unit, an object to be measured and an autofocusing device having a reflective illumination, comprising the following method steps: a) defining at least three basis measurement points M(xj, yj) on a surface of the object, b) determining the deviation Az(M)j of a nominal position of the surface of the object from the focal plane of the autofocusing device at the defined basis measurement points M(xj, yj), c) storing the deviations Az(M)j from at least three basis measurement points M(xj, yj), d) using the stored deviation Az(M)j for determining a deviation Az(P)k at an arbitrary point P(xk, Yk) of the surface, and e) using the deviation Az(P)k for focusing onto the point P(xk, Yk).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for inspecting a component, in particular a component of a turbomachine (1), including the steps of: capturing (S2) at least one X-ray or CT image of the component (10) using an image-capturing device (20); providing (S21) metadata about the component (10), the metadata including, in particular, a component type, a running time of the component (10), a number of remaining life cycles, and/or a repair history; classifying, by a machine learning system (30), the component (10) into a “serviceable” category or a “non-serviceable” category based on the image captured by the image-capturing device (20) and the provided metadata.

Abstract: When detecting an object structure, at least one portion of the object is initially illuminated with illumination light of an at least partly coherent light source from at least one preferred illumination direction. At least one diffraction image of the illuminated portion is recorded by spatially resolved detection of the diffraction intensity of the illumination light, diffracted by the illuminated portion, in a detection plane. At least one portion of the object structure is reconstructed from the at least one recorded diffraction image using an iterative method. Here, the iteration diffraction image of a raw object structure is calculated starting from an iteration start value and said raw object structure is compared to the recorded diffraction image in each iteration step.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes receiving a focal image stack. The focal image stack includes multiple images of a measurement object. Each of the images captures a region of a surface of the measurement object with a defined focal plane position in a depth direction. The defined focal plane positions of the plurality of images are different from each other. The method includes generating an initial image with an extended depth of field in the depth direction based on the focal image stack. The method includes generating a corrected image by correcting a set of imaging errors in the initial image. The set of imaging errors includes a distortion error.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining at least one unknown effect of defects of an element of a photolithography process. The method comprises the steps of: (a) providing a model of machine learning for a relationship between an image, design data associated with the image and at least one effect of the defects of the element of the photolithography process arising from the image; (b) training the model of machine learning using a multiplicity of images used for training purposes, design data associated with the images used for training purposes and corresponding effects of the defects; and (c) determining the at least one unknown effect of the defects by applying the trained model to a measured image and the design data associated with the measured image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for registering structures on microlithographic masks comprising the comparison of a recorded measurement image of a mask and the target design underlying the mask, wherein the target design underlying the mask is converted into a simulated reference image that is directly comparable with the measurement image with the aid of an optical simulation, wherein the optical simulation is fully automatically differentiable in such a manner that a metric that is determined from the recorded measurement image and the reference image simulated in the forward mode and represents the differences allows in the backward mode a representation of the actual design of the mask that is directly comparable with the target design for the purpose of determining possible defects of the mask. The invention furthermore relates to a corresponding computer program product and to the use of the above method in the course of a microlithographic process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining at least one unknown effect of defects of an element of a photolithography process. The method comprises the steps of: (a) providing a model of machine learning for a relationship between an image, design data associated with the image and at least one effect of the defects of the element of the photolithography process arising from the image; (b) training the model of machine learning using a multiplicity of images used for training purposes, design data associated with the images used for training purposes and corresponding effects of the defects; and (c) determining the at least one unknown effect of the defects by applying the trained model to a measured image and the design data associated with the measured image.

Abstract: To ascertain an image of an object which emerges when the object is illuminated with illumination light from a partly coherent light source with a target illumination setting having an illumination-side numerical aperture NA_illu and an imaging-side numerical aperture NA_detection, the following procedure is performed: initially, a section of the object is illuminated with illumination light from a coherent measurement light source with an illumination setting having an illumination-side numerical aperture NA_i, which is at least as large as NA_detection. Then, a diffraction image of the illuminated section is recorded. This is implemented by way of a spatially resolved detection in a far field detection plane of a diffraction intensity of illumination light diffracted by the illuminated section with a recording-side numerical aperture NA by way of a plurality of sensor pixels. This recording-side aperture must be greater than or equal to the maximum of NA_illu and NA_detection.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for determining a quality of a mask of a photolithography apparatus are provided, which comprise a parallel calculation, using a plurality of computing devices, of a reference aerial image on the basis of a design of the mask and optical properties of the photolithography apparatus on a plurality of computing devices.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for measuring a substrate for semiconductor lithography, comprising an illumination optical unit, an imaging optical unit and a recording device arranged in the image plane of the imaging optical unit, a diffractive element being arranged in the pupil of the imaging optical unit. The invention also relates to a method for measuring a substrate for semiconductor lithography with a measuring device, the measuring device comprising an imaging optical unit with a pupil, with the following method steps: arranging a diffractive element in the pupil of the imaging optical unit for producing a multifocal imaging, capturing the imaging of a partial region of the substrate, and evaluating the imaging.

Abstract: The invention relates to an autofocusing method for an imaging device (for semiconductor lithography) comprising an imaging optical unit, an object to be measured and an autofocusing device having a reflective illumination, comprising the following method steps: a) defining at least three basis measurement points M(xj, yj) on a surface of the object, b) determining the deviation Az(M)j of a nominal position of the surface of the object from the focal plane of the autofocusing device at the defined basis measurement points M(xj, yj), c) storing the deviations Az(M)j from at least three basis measurement points M(xj, yj), d) using the stored deviation Az(M)j for determining a deviation Az(P)k at an arbitrary point P(xk, Yk) of the surface, and e) using the deviation Az(P)k for focusing onto the point P(xk, Yk).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining an imaging function of a mask inspection microscope, wherein the mask inspection microscope comprises an imaging optical element, a tube, a recording device, an object stage, an illumination unit for measurement with transmitted light and an illumination unit for measurement in reflection, comprising the following method steps: a) measuring the intensities in the pupil plane of the imaging optical element in a reflective measurement, b) measuring the intensities in the pupil plane of the imaging optical element in a transmitted-light measurement, d) Determining the imaging function of the intensities of the imaging optical element, d) determining the imaging function of the intensities of the illumination optical element comprised in the illumination unit for the transmitted-light measurement.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for calibrating a measuring microscope which may be used to measure masks, in which a calibration mask is utilized in a self-calibration algorithm in order to ascertain error correction data of the measuring microscope, wherein, in the self-calibration algorithm, the calibration mask is imaged and measured in various positions in the measuring microscope in order to ascertain one or more portions of the error correction data, wherein the surface profile of the calibration mask is ascertained and utilized when determining the error correction. Moreover, the invention relates to a measuring microscope and a method for operating same.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for evaluating a statistically distributed measured value in the examination of an element for a photolithography process, comprising the following steps: (a) using a plurality of parameters in a trained machine learning model, wherein the parameters characterize a state of a measurement environment in a time period assigned to a measurement of the measured value; and (b) executing the trained machine learning model in order to evaluate the measured value.

Abstract: When detecting an object structure, at least one portion of the object is initially illuminated with illumination light of an at least partly coherent light source from at least one preferred illumination direction. At least one diffraction image of the illuminated portion is recorded by spatially resolved detection of the diffraction intensity of the illumination light, diffracted by the illuminated portion, in a detection plane. At least one portion of the object structure is reconstructed from the at least one recorded diffraction image using an iterative method. Here, the iteration diffraction image of a raw object structure is calculated starting from an iteration start value and said raw object structure is compared to the recorded diffraction image in each iteration step.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining at least one unknown effect of defects of an element of a photolithography process. The method comprises the steps of: (a) providing a model of machine learning for a relationship between an image, design data associated with the image and at least one effect of the defects of the element of the photolithography process arising from the image; (b) training the model of machine learning using a multiplicity of images used for training purposes, design data associated with the images used for training purposes and corresponding effects of the defects; and (c) determining the at least one unknown effect of the defects by applying the trained model to a measured image and the design data associated with the measured image.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for determining a quality of a mask of a photolithography apparatus are provided, which comprise a parallel calculation, using a plurality of computing devices, of a reference aerial image on the basis of a design of the mask and optical properties of the photolithography apparatus on a plurality of computing devices.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining an imaging function of a mask inspection microscope, wherein the mask inspection microscope comprises an imaging optical element, a tube, a recording device, an object stage, an illumination unit for measurement with transmitted light and an illumination unit for measurement in reflection, comprising the following method steps: a) measuring the intensities in the pupil plane of the imaging optical element in a reflective measurement, b) measuring the intensities in the pupil plane of the imaging optical element in a transmitted-light measurement, d) Determining the imaging function of the intensities of the imaging optical element, d) determining the imaging function of the intensities of the illumination optical element comprised in the illumination unit for the transmitted-light measurement.

Abstract: A method for correcting the distortion of a first imaging optical unit of a first measurement system is provided, wherein the first imaging optical unit has a first measurement accuracy and the method comprises the steps of: a) providing a first sample with first marks, b) measuring the positions of the first marks by use of a second measurement system comprising a second imaging optical unit, which has a second measurement accuracy that is better than the first measurement accuracy, c) establishing on the basis of the positions measured in step b) and predetermined intended positions of the first marks position errors of the first marks on the first sample produced during the manufacture of the first sample, d) measuring the positions of the first marks by use of the first measurement system, e) establishing the measurement error of the first imaging optical unit when determining the position of each first mark on the basis of the positions measured in step d), the position errors established in step c) a