Patents by Inventor Thomas Theeuwes
Thomas Theeuwes has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11137695Abstract: Method of measuring a height profile of one or more substrates is provided comprising measuring a first height profile of one or more fields on a substrate using a first sensor arrangement, the first height profile being the sum of a first interfield part and a first intrafield part, measuring a second height profile of one or more further fields on the substrate or on a further substrate using a second sensor arrangement, the second height profile being the sum of a second interfield part and a second intrafield part, determining from the measurements with the first sensor arrangement an average first intrafield part, and determining the height profile of the further fields from the second interfield part and the average first intrafield part thereby correcting the measurements of the second sensor arrangement.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2017Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Arend Johannes Donkerbroek, Jeroen Cottaar, Thomas Theeuwes, Erik Johan Koop
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Publication number: 20210302845Abstract: A method of evaluating a patterning process, the method including: obtaining the result of a first measurement of a first metrology target; obtaining the result of a second measurement of a second metrology target, the second metrology target having a structural difference from the first metrology target that generates a sensitivity difference and/or an offset, of a process parameter of the patterning process between the first and second metrology targets; and determining a value pertaining to the patterning process based on the results of the first and second measurements.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2017Publication date: September 30, 2021Inventors: Bert VERSTRAETEN, HUGO JOSEPH CRAMER AUGUSTINUS, THOMAS THEEUWES
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Patent number: 11101184Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2019Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Adriaan Johan Van Leest, Anagnostis Tsiatmas, Paul Christiaan Hinnen, Elliott Gerard McNamara, Alok Verma, Thomas Theeuwes, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer
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Patent number: 11101185Abstract: A method of determining overlay of a patterning process, the method including: obtaining a detected representation of radiation redirected by one or more physical instances of a unit cell, wherein the unit cell has geometric symmetry at a nominal value of overlay and 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 one or more physical instances of the unit cell; and determining, from optical characteristic values from the detected radiation representation, a value of a first overlay for the unit cell separately from a second overlay for the unit cell that is also obtainable from the same optical characteristic values, wherein the first overlay is in a different direction than the second overlay or between a different combination of parts of the unit cell than the second overlay.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2019Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Adriaan Johan Van Leest, Anagnostis Tsiatmas, Paul Christiaan Hinnen, Elliott Gerard McNamara, Alok Verma, Thomas Theeuwes, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer
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Patent number: 11092900Abstract: A substrate has first and second target structures formed thereon by a lithographic process. Each target structure has two-dimensional periodic structure formed in a single material layer on a substrate using first and second lithographic steps, wherein, in the first target structure, features defined in the second lithographic step are displaced relative to features defined in the first lithographic step by a first bias amount that is close to one half of a spatial period of the features formed in the first lithographic step, and, in the second target structure, features defined in the second lithographic step are displaced relative to features defined in the first lithographic step by a second bias amount close to one half of said spatial period and different to the first bias amount.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2019Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Maurits Van Der Schaar, Youping Zhang, Hendrik Jan Hidde Smilde, Anagnostis Tsiatmas, Adriaan Johan Van Leest, Alok Verma, Thomas Theeuwes, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer, Paul Christiaan Hinnen
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Publication number: 20210240073Abstract: A method for assigning features into at least first features and second features, the first features being for at least one first patterning device configured for use in a lithographic process to form corresponding first structures on a substrate and the second features being for at least one second patterning device configured for use in a lithographic process to form corresponding second structures on a substrate, wherein the method including assigning the features into the first features and the second features based on a patterning characteristic of the features.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2019Publication date: August 5, 2021Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Thomas THEEUWES, Koenraad VAN INGEN SCHENAU, Pieter Joseph Marie WOLTGENS
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Publication number: 20210035871Abstract: A metrology target includes: a first structure arranged to be created by a first patterning process; and a second structure arranged to be created by a second patterning process, wherein the first structure and/or second structure is not used to create a functional aspect of a device pattern, and wherein the first and second structures together form one or more instances of a unit cell, the unit cell having geometric symmetry at a nominal physical configuration and wherein the unit cell has a feature that causes, at a different physical configuration than the nominal physical configuration due to a relative shift in pattern placement in the first patterning process, the second patterning process and/or another patterning process, an asymmetry in the unit cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2020Publication date: February 4, 2021Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Adriaan Johan VAN LEEST, Anagnostis TSIATMAS, Paul Christiaan HINNEN, Elliott Gerard Mc NAMARA, Alok VERMA, Thomas THEEUWES, Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER, Maria Isabel DE LA FUENTE VALENTIN, Koen VAN WITTEVEEN, Martijn Maria ZAAL, Shu-jin WANG
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Publication number: 20210003927Abstract: A method, system and program for determining a fingerprint of a parameter. The method includes determining a contribution from a device out of a plurality of devices to a fingerprint of a parameter. The method includes obtaining parameter data and usage data, wherein the parameter data is based on measurements for multiple substrates having been processed by the plurality of devices, and the usage data indicates which of the devices out of the plurality of the devices were used in the processing of each substrate; and determining the contribution using the usage data and parameter data.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2020Publication date: January 7, 2021Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Davit Harutyunyan, Fei Jia, Frank Staals, Fuming Wang, Hugo Thomas Looijestijn, Cornelis Johannes Rijnierse, Maxim Pisarenco, Roy Werkman, Thomas Theeuwes, Tom Van Hemert, Vahid Bastani, Jochem Sebastiaan Wildenberg, Everhardus Cornelis Mos, Erik Johannes Maria Wallerbos
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Patent number: 10871367Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2020Date of Patent: December 22, 2020Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Alok Verma, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer, Thomas Theeuwes, Anagnostis Tsiatmas, Bert Verstraeten
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Patent number: 10845713Abstract: A method of reconstructing a characteristic of a structure formed on a substrate by a lithographic process, and an associated metrology apparatus. The method includes combining measured values of a first parameter associated with the lithographic process to obtain an estimated value of the first parameter; and reconstructing at least a second parameter associated with the characteristic of the structure using the estimated value of the first parameter and a measurement of the structure. The combining may involve modeling a variation of the first parameter to obtain a parameter model or fingerprint of the first parameter.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2017Date of Patent: November 24, 2020Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Thomas Theeuwes, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer
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Patent number: 10816904Abstract: A method, system and program for determining a fingerprint of a parameter. The method includes determining a contribution from a device out of a plurality of devices to a fingerprint of a parameter. The method including: obtaining parameter data and usage data, wherein the parameter data is based on measurements for multiple substrates having been processed by the plurality of devices, and the usage data indicates which of the devices out of the plurality of the devices were used in the processing of each substrate; and determining the contribution using the usage data and parameter data.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2018Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Davit Harutyunyan, Fei Jia, Frank Staals, Fuming Wang, Hugo Thomas Looijestijn, Cornelis Johannes Rijnierse, Maxim Pisarenco, Roy Werkman, Thomas Theeuwes, Tom Van Hemert, Vahid Bastani, Jochem Sebastiaan Wildenberg, Everhardus Cornelis Mos, Erik Johannes Maria Wallerbos
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Patent number: 10811323Abstract: A metrology target includes: a first structure arranged to be created by a first patterning process; and a second structure arranged to be created by a second patterning process, wherein the first structure and/or second structure is not used to create a functional aspect of a device pattern, and wherein the first and second structures together form one or more instances of a unit cell, the unit cell having geometric symmetry at a nominal physical configuration and wherein the unit cell has a feature that causes, at a different physical configuration than the nominal physical configuration due to a relative shift in pattern placement in the first patterning process, the second patterning process and/or another patterning process, an asymmetry in the unit cell.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2017Date of Patent: October 20, 2020Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Adriaan Johan Van Leest, Anagnostis Tsiatmas, Paul Christiaan Hinnen, Elliott Gerard McNamara, Alok Verma, Thomas Theeuwes, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer, Maria Isabel De La Fuente Valentin, Koen Van Witteveen, Martijn Maria Zaal, Shu-jin Wang
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Publication number: 20200284578Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 26, 2020Publication date: September 10, 2020Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Alok VERMA, Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER, Thomas THEEUWES, Anagnostis TSIATMAS, Bert VERSTRAETEN
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Publication number: 20200264522Abstract: Disclosed is a method of measuring focus performance of a lithographic apparatus, and corresponding patterning device and lithographic apparatus. The method comprises using the lithographic apparatus to print one or more first printed structures and second printed structures. The first printed structures are printed by illumination having a first non-telecentricity and the second printed structures being printed by illumination having a second non-telecentricity, different to said first non-telecentricity. A focus dependent parameter related to a focus-dependent positional shift between the first printed structures and the second printed structures on said substrate is measured and a measurement of focus performance based at least in part on the focus dependent parameter is derived therefrom.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2018Publication date: August 20, 2020Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Laurentius Cornelius DE WINTER, Roland Pieter STOLK, Frank STAALS, Anton Bernhard VAN OOSTEN, Paul Christiaan HINNEN, Marinus JOCHEMSEN, Thomas THEEUWES, Eelco VAN SETTEN
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Publication number: 20200185281Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2020Publication date: June 11, 2020Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Adriaan Johan VAN LEEST, Anagnostis TSIATMAS, Paul Christiaan HINNEN, Elliott Gerard MC NAMARA, Alok VERMA, Thomas THEEUWES, Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER
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Patent number: 10677589Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2018Date of Patent: June 9, 2020Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Alok Verma, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer, Thomas Theeuwes, Anagnostis Tsiatmas, Bert Verstraeten
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Publication number: 20200126872Abstract: A method of determining overlay of a patterning process, the method including: obtaining a detected representation of radiation redirected by one or more physical instances of a unit cell, wherein the unit cell has geometric symmetry at a nominal value of overlay and 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 one or more physical instances of the unit cell; and determining, from optical characteristic values from the detected radiation representation, a value of a first overlay for the unit cell separately from a second overlay for the unit cell that is also obtainable from the same optical characteristic values, wherein the first overlay is in a different direction than the second overlay or between a different combination of parts of the unit cell than the second overlay.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2019Publication date: April 23, 2020Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Adriaan Johan VAN LEEST, Anagnostis TSIATMAS, Paul Christiaan HINNEN, Elliott Gerard MC NAMARA, Alok VERMA, Thomas THEEUWES, Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER
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Patent number: 10615084Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2017Date of Patent: April 7, 2020Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Adriaan Johan Van Leest, Anagnostis Tsiatmas, Paul Christiaan Hinnen, Elliott Gerard McNamara, Alok Verma, Thomas Theeuwes, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer
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Publication number: 20200073254Abstract: A substrate has first and second target structures formed thereon by a lithographic process. Each target structure has two-dimensional periodic structure formed in a single material layer on a substrate using first and second lithographic steps, wherein, in the first target structure, features defined in the second lithographic step are displaced relative to features defined in the first lithographic step by a first bias amount that is close to one half of a spatial period of the features formed in the first lithographic step, and, in the second target structure, features defined in the second lithographic step are displaced relative to features defined in the first lithographic step by a second bias amount close to one half of said spatial period and different to the first bias amount.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2019Publication date: March 5, 2020Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Maurits VAN DER SCHAAR, Youping ZHANG, Hendrik Jan Hidde SMILDE, Anagnostis TSIATMAS, Adriaan Johan VAN LEEST, Alok VERMA, Thomas THEEUWES, Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER, Paul Christiaan HINNEN
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Patent number: 10546790Abstract: A method of determining overlay of a patterning process, the method including: obtaining a detected representation of radiation redirected by one or more physical instances of a unit cell, wherein the unit cell has geometric symmetry at a nominal value of overlay and 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 one or more physical instances of the unit cell; and determining, from optical characteristic values from the detected radiation representation, a value of a first overlay for the unit cell separately from a second overlay for the unit cell that is also obtainable from the same optical characteristic values, wherein the first overlay is in a different direction than the second overlay or between a different combination of parts of the unit cell than the second overlay.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2017Date of Patent: January 28, 2020Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Adriaan Johan Van Leest, Anagnostis Tsiatmas, Paul Christiaan Hinnen, Elliott Gerard McNamara, Alok Verma, Thomas Theeuwes, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer