Patents Assigned to ASML Netherlands
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Patent number: 10514615Abstract: A support apparatus configured to support an object, the support apparatus includes a support body including an object holder to hold an object; an opening in the support body adjacent to an edge of the object holder; a channel in fluid communication with the opening via each of a plurality of passageways in the support body; and a passageway liner mounted in at least one of the plurality of passageways, the passageway liner being thermally insulating to substantially thermally decouple the support body from fluid in the at least one of the plurality of passageways.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2016Date of Patent: December 24, 2019Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Andre Bernardus Jeunink, Robbert De Jong, Martinus Hendrikus Antonius Leenders, Evelyn Wallis Pacitti, Thomas Poiesz, Frank Pieter Albert Van Den Berkmortel
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Patent number: 10514620Abstract: A method of determining the position of an alignment mark on a substrate, the alignment mark having first and second segment, the method including illuminating the alignment mark with radiation, detecting radiation diffracted by the alignment mark and generating a resulting alignment signal. The alignment signal has a first component received during illumination of the first segment only, a second component received during illumination of the second segment only, and a third component received during simultaneous illumination of both segments. The positions of the segments are determined using the first component, the second component and the third component of the alignment signal.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2017Date of Patent: December 24, 2019Assignees: ASML Holding N.V., ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Franciscus Godefridus Casper Bijnen, Simon Gijsbert Josephus Mathijssen, Vassili Demergis, Edo Maria Hulsebos
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Patent number: 10514614Abstract: A defect prediction method for a device manufacturing process involving processing one or more patterns onto a substrate, the method including: determining values of one or more processing parameters under which the one or more patterns are processed; and determining or predicting, using the values of the one or more processing parameters, an existence, a probability of existence, a characteristic, and/or a combination selected from the foregoing, of a defect resulting from production of the one or more patterns with the device manufacturing process.Type: GrantFiled: January 20, 2016Date of Patent: December 24, 2019Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Venugopal Vellanki, Vivek Kumar Jain, Stefan Hunsche
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Patent number: 10514618Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is provided that has a sensor at substrate level, the sensor including a radiation receiver, a transmissive plate supporting the radiation receiver, and a radiation detector, wherein the sensor is arranged to avoid loss of radiation between the radiation receiver and a final element of the radiation detector.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2018Date of Patent: December 24, 2019Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Timotheus Franciscus Sengers, Marcus Adrianus Van De Kerkhof, Mark Kroon, Kees Van Weert
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Publication number: 20190384188Abstract: A method of controlling a lithographic apparatus to manufacture a plurality of devices, the method including: obtaining a parameter map representing a parameter variation across a substrate by measuring the parameter at a plurality of points on the substrate; decomposing the parameter map into a plurality of components, including a first parameter map component representing parameter variations associated with the device pattern and one or more further parameter map components representing other parameter variations; deriving a scale factor, configured to correct for errors in measurement of the parameter variation, from measurements of a second parameter of a substrate; and controlling the lithographic apparatus using the parameter map and scale factor to apply a device pattern at multiple locations across the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2017Publication date: December 19, 2019Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Rene Marinus Gerardus Johan QUEENS, Wolfgang Helmut HENKE, Arend Johannes DONKERBROEK, Jeroen COTTAAR
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Publication number: 20190383602Abstract: Measurement system comprising a radiation source configured to generate a measurement radiation beam, a polarizer and a grating to receive the measurement radiation beam and provide a polarized measurement radiation beam patterned by the grating, optics to form an image of the grating at a target location on a substrate. The image comprises a first part having a first polarization and a second part having a second polarization, detection optics to receive radiation from the target location of the substrate and form an image of the grating image at a second grating, and a detector to receive radiation transmitted through the second grating and produce a two output signal indicative of the intensity of the transmitted radiation for the first and second parts of the grating image respectively. Topography of the substrate can be determined from the signals.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2019Publication date: December 19, 2019Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventor: Nitesh PANDEY
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Publication number: 20190384164Abstract: A method for mitigating an effect of non-uniform pellicle degradation on control of a substrate patterning process and an associated lithographic apparatus. The method includes quantifying an effect of the non-uniform pellicle degradation on one or more properties of patterned features, such as one or more metrology targets, formed on the substrate by the substrate patterning process. A process control correction is then determined based on the quantification of the effect of the non-uniform pellicle degradation.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 16, 2018Publication date: December 19, 2019Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Marcel Theodorus Maria VAN KESSEL, Frederik Eduard DE JONG, Cornelis Melchior BROUWER, Kevin VAN DE RUIT, Chung-Hsun LI
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Publication number: 20190385760Abstract: Some embodiment describe a reflector comprising a hollow body having an interior surface defining a passage. The interior surface has an optical surface part configured to reflect radiation and a supporter surface part. The optical surface part has a predetermined optical power and the supporter surface part does not. The reflector can be made by providing an axially symmetric mandrel, shaping a part of the circumferential surface of the mandrel to form an inverse optical surface part that is not rotationally symmetric about the axis of the mandrel, forming a reflector body around the mandrel and releasing the reflector body from the mandrel whereby the reflector body has an optical surface defined by the inverse optical surface part and a supporter surface part defined by the rest of the outer surface of the mandrel.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2019Publication date: December 19, 2019Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventor: Ferry ZIJP
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Publication number: 20190384184Abstract: A metrology tool for determining a parameter of interest of a structure fabricated on a substrate, the metrology tool comprising: an illumination optical system for illuminating the structure with illumination radiation under a non-zero angle of incidence; a detection optical system comprising a detection optical sensor and at least one lens for capturing a portion of illumination radiation scattered by the structure and transmitting the captured radiation towards the detection optical sensor, wherein the illumination optical system and the detection optical system do not share an optical element.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2019Publication date: December 19, 2019Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Nitesh Pandey, Arie Jeffrey Den Boef, Duygu Akbulut, Marinus Johannes Maria Van Dam, Hans Butler, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer, Engelbertus Antonius Fransiscu Van Der Pasch, Ferry Zijp, Jeroen Arnoldus Leonardus Raaymakers, Marinus Petrus Reijnders
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Patent number: 10509326Abstract: A method and apparatus for cleaning the inside of an immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed. In particular, a liquid supply system of the lithographic apparatus may be used to introduce a cleaning fluid into a space between the projection system and the substrate table of the lithographic apparatus. Additionally or alternatively, a cleaning device may be provided on the substrate table and an ultrasonic emitter may be provided to create an ultrasonic cleaning liquid.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2017Date of Patent: December 17, 2019Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Hans Jansen, Johannes Jacobus Matheus Baselmans, Sjoerd Nicolaas Lambertus Donders, Christiaan Alexander Hoogendam, Jeroen Johannes Sophia Maria Mertens, Johannes Catharinus Hubertus Mulkens, Marco Koert Stavenga, Bob Streefkerk, Jan Cornelis Van Der Hoeven, Cedric Desire Grouwstra
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Patent number: 10508906Abstract: A method of determining a parameter of a patterning process applied to an object comprising two features (for example an overlay of the two features) comprises: irradiating the two features of the object with a radiation beam and receiving at least a portion of the radiation beam scattered from the two features of the object. The at least a portion of the radiation beam comprises: a first portion comprising at least one diffraction order and a second portion comprising at least one diffraction order that is different to a diffraction order of the first portion. The method further comprises moderating a phase difference between the first and second portions and combining the first and second portions such that they interfere to produce a time dependent intensity signal. The method further comprises determining the parameter of the patterning process from a contrast of the time dependent intensity signal.Type: GrantFiled: September 5, 2018Date of Patent: December 17, 2019Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Arie Jeffrey Den Boef, Simon Reinald Huisman
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Patent number: 10508896Abstract: A measurement substrate for measuring a condition pertaining in an apparatus for processing production substrates during operation thereof, the measurement substrate including: a body having dimensions compatible with the apparatus; a plurality of sensor modules embedded in the body, each sensor module having: a sensor configured generate an analog measurement signal, an analog to digital converter to generate digital measurement information from the analog measurement signal, and a module controller configured to output the digital measurement information; and a central control module configured to receive the digital measurement information from each of the module controllers and to communicate the digital measurement information to an external device.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2016Date of Patent: December 17, 2019Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Stoyan Nihtianov, Ruud Hendrikus Martinus Johannes Bloks, Johannes Paul Marie De La Rosette, Thibault Simon Mathieu Laurent, Kofi Afolabi Anthony Makinwa, Patricius Jacobus Neefs, Johannes Petrus Martinus Bernardus Vermeulen
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Patent number: 10509331Abstract: An immersion lithography apparatus having a controller configured to control a positioner to move a support table relative to an immersion space between the support table and a projection system to follow a route having a series of motions, the controller adapted to: predict a speed of an edge of the immersion space relative to an edge of an object on the support table when the edge of the immersion space passes over the edge of the object during at least one motion of the series of motions of the route; compare the speed to a predetermined parameter and to predict liquid loss from the immersion space during the at least one motion if the speed is greater than the predetermined parameter; and if liquid loss from the immersion space is predicted, modify one or more parameters of the route during the at least one motion accordingly.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2017Date of Patent: December 17, 2019Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Jorge Alberto Vieyra Salas, Auke Juriaan Been, Victor Manuel Blanco Carballo
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Patent number: 10509310Abstract: A patterning device carries a pattern of features to be transferred onto a substrate using a lithographic apparatus. The patterning device is free of light absorber material, at least in an area. The pattern of features in the area may include a dense array of lines, trenches, dots or holes. Individual lines, holes, etc. are defined in at least one direction by pairs of edges between regions of different phase in the patterning device. A distance between the pair of edges in the at least one direction is at least 15% smaller than a size of the individual feature to be formed on the substrate once adjusted by a magnification factor, if any, of the lithographic apparatus. The patterning device may be adapted for use in EUV lithography. The patterning device may be adapted for use in a negative tone resist and development process.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2016Date of Patent: December 17, 2019Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Frank Arnoldus Johannes Maria Driessen, Duan-Fu Stephen Hsu
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Publication number: 20190378012Abstract: Disclosed is a method of determining a characteristic of interest relating to a structure on a substrate formed by a lithographic process, the method comprising: obtaining an input image of the structure; and using a trained neural network to determine the characteristic of interest from said input image. Also disclosed is a reticle comprising a target forming feature comprising more than two sub-features each having different sensitivities to a characteristic of interest when imaged onto a substrate to form a corresponding target structure on said substrate. Related methods and apparatuses are also described.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 29, 2019Publication date: December 12, 2019Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Lorenzo Tripodi, Patrick Warnaar, Grzegorz Grzela, Mohammadreza Hajiahmadi, Farzad Farhadzadeh, Patricius Aloysius Jacobus Tinnemans, Scott Anderson Middlebrooks, Adrianus Cornelis Matheus Koopman, Frank Staals, Brennan Peterson, Anton Bernhard Van Oosten
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Publication number: 20190377267Abstract: An alignment system aligns a laser beam to a desired position in a reference plane and to a desired direction in the reference plane. The system diffracts the laser light into different diffraction orders that are projected onto a detection plane using different lenses. As the locations of the projections of the different diffraction orders in the detection plane respond differently to changes in position and in direction of the beam in the reference plane, the locations of the projections enable to determine how to adjust the beam so as to get the beam properly aligned. The diffraction and the projection can be implemented by a hologram.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 16, 2017Publication date: December 12, 2019Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Sumant Sukdew Ramanujan OEMRAWSINGH, Arno Jan BLEEKER, Alexander Matthijs STRUYCKEN, Engelbertus Antonius Fransiscus VAN DER PASCH, Bert Pieter VAN DRIEËNHUIZEN
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Publication number: 20190377264Abstract: A method including obtaining a measurement result from a target on a substrate, by using a substrate measurement recipe; determining, by a hardware computer system, a parameter from the measurement result, wherein the parameter characterizes dependence of the measurement result on an optical path length of the target for incident radiation used in the substrate measurement recipe and the determining the parameter includes determining dependence of the measurement result on a relative change of wavelength of the incident radiation; and if the parameter is not within a specified range, adjusting the substrate measurement recipe.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2019Publication date: December 12, 2019Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Miguel GARCIA GRANDA, Christian Marinus LEEWIS, Frank STAALS
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Publication number: 20190377270Abstract: An exposure apparatus arranged to project a radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate, the exposure apparatus having: a first substrate holder configured to hold the substrate; a second substrate holder configured to hold the substrate; a sensor holder configured to hold a sensor and/or detector; a first measurement device having a first alignment system having an alignment sensor configured to measure positions of a substrate alignment mark on the substrate; a second measurement device having a second alignment system having a further alignment sensor configured to measure positions of the substrate alignment mark on the substrate; a first scale arranged on a lower surface of the first substrate holder; and a first encoder head arranged to cooperate with the first scale, the first encoder head located beneath the first alignment system and held by a stationary support.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2018Publication date: December 12, 2019Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventor: Junichi KANEHARA
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Publication number: 20190377266Abstract: A lithographic apparatus having a substrate table, a projection system, an encoder system, a measurement frame and a measurement system. The substrate table has a holding surface for holding a substrate. The projection system is for projecting an image on the substrate. The encoder system is for providing a signal representative of a position of the substrate table. The measurement system is for measuring a property of the lithographic apparatus. The holding surface is along a plane. The projection system is at a first side of the plane. The measurement frame is arranged to support at least part of the encoder system and at least part of the measurement system at a second side of the plane different from the first side.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2019Publication date: December 12, 2019Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Hans BUTLER, Engelbertus Antonius Fransiscus VAN DER PASCH, Paul Corné Henri DE WIT
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Publication number: 20190377265Abstract: An imprint lithography apparatus having a first frame to be mounted on a floor, a second frame mounted on the first frame via a kinematic coupling, an alignment sensor mounted on the second frame, to align an imprint lithography template arrangement with a target portion of a substrate, and a position sensor to measure a position of the imprint lithography template arrangement and/or a substrate stage relative to the second frame.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2019Publication date: December 12, 2019Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Catharinus DE SCHIFFART, Michael Jozef Mathijs RENKENS, Gerard VAN SCHOTHORST, Andre Bernardus JEUNINK, Gregor Edward VAN BAARS, Sander Frederik WUISTER, Yvonne Wendela KRUIJT-STEGEMAN, Norbert Erwin Therenzo JANSEN, Toon HARDEMAN, George Arie Jan DE FOCKERT, Johan Frederik DIJKSMAN
