Patents Assigned to ASML Netherlands
  • Patent number: 10866526
    Abstract: An inspection apparatus, including: an objective configured to receive diffracted radiation from a metrology target having positive and negative diffraction order radiation; an optical element configured to separate the diffracted radiation into portions separately corresponding to each of a plurality of different values or types of one or more radiation characteristics and separately corresponding to the positive and negative diffraction orders; and a detector system configured to separately and simultaneously measure the portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignees: ASML Holding N.V., ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Yevgeniy Konstantinovich Shmarev, Nitesh Pandey, Armand Eugene Albert Koolen
  • Patent number: 10866531
    Abstract: An alignment system configured to be substantially insensitive to thermal variations in its system during alignment measurements. The alignment system includes a sensor system, a support structure, a sensing element, a position measurement system, and an athermal interface between the sensing element and the support structure. The sensor system is configured to determine a position of an alignment mark on a substrate and the support structure is configured to support the sensor system. The sensing element is configured to detect an unintentional displacement of the support structure and the position measurement system is configured to measure the unintentional displacement relative to a reference element based on the detected unintentional displacement. The athermal interface is configured to prevent detection of temperature induced displacement of the support structure by the sensing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignees: ASML Netherlands B.V., ASML Holding N.V.
    Inventors: Suzanne Johanna Antonetta Geertruda Cosijns, Maarten Van Der Heijden, Frederikus Johannes Maria De Vreede, David Taub, Eric Emery, Joseph Ashwin Franklin
  • Publication number: 20200387076
    Abstract: An optical measurement method using an optical sensor apparatus (15), the optical sensor apparatus comprising an optical element (20) comprising a mark (22) configured to selectively transmit incident radiation (24), a photodetector (26) configured to receive radiation transmitted by the mark and provide an output signal that is indicative of the received radiation, and a support (30) which supports the optical element and is in thermal contact with the optical element. A thermal conductivity of the support is greater than a thermal conductivity of the optical element and a coefficient of thermal expansion of the support is greater than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the optical element. The method comprises performing a first measurement using the optical sensor apparatus, the first measurement including illuminating the mark with radiation. The temperature of the optical element changes during the first measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Joris Maria Gerardus LOOMAN, Theodorus Franciscus Emilius Maria OVERES, Wouter Joep ENGELEN
  • Patent number: 10859930
    Abstract: Offline metrology measurements are performed on substrates that have been subjected to lithographic processing. Model parameters are calculated by fitting the measurements to an extended high-order substrate model defined using a combination of basis functions that include an edge basis function related to a substrate edge. A radial edge basis function may be expressed in terms of distance from a substrate edge. The edge basis function may, for example, be an exponential decay function or a rational function. Lithographic processing of a subsequent substrate is controlled using the calculated high-order substrate model parameters, in combination with low-order substrate model parameters obtained by fitting inline measurements to a low order model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Jasper Menger, Paul Cornelis Hubertus Aben, Everhardus Cornelis Mos
  • Patent number: 10859923
    Abstract: Overlay error of a lithographic process is measured using a plurality of target structures, each target structure having a known overlay bias. A detection system captures a plurality of images (740) representing selected portions of radiation diffracted by the target structures under a plurality of different capture conditions (?1, ?2). Pixel values of the captured images are combined (748) to obtain one or more synthesized images (750). A plurality of synthesized diffraction signals are extracted (744) from the synthesized image or images, and used to calculate a measurement of overlay. The computational burden is reduced compared with extracting diffraction signals from the captured images individually. The captured images may be dark-field images or pupil images, obtained using a scatterometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Gonzalo Roberto Sanguinetti, Murat Bozkurt, Maurits Van Der Schaar, Arie Jeffrey Den Boef
  • Patent number: 10859926
    Abstract: A method of defect validation for a device manufacturing process, the method including: obtaining a first image of a pattern processed into an area on a substrate using the device manufacturing process under a first condition; obtaining a metrology image from the area; aligning the metrology image and the first image; and determining from the first image and the metrology image whether the area contains a defect, based on one or more classification criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Stefan Hunsche, Rafael Aldana Laso, Vivek Kumar Jain, Marinus Jochemsen, Xinjian Zhou
  • Publication number: 20200379359
    Abstract: In a dark-field metrology method using a small target, a characteristic of an image of the target, obtained using a single diffraction order, is determined by fitting a combination fit function to the measured image. The combination fit function includes terms selected to represent aspects of the physical sensor and the target. Some coefficients of the combination fit function are determined based on parameters of the measurement process and/or target. In an embodiment the combination fit function includes jinc functions representing the point spread function of a pupil stop in the imaging system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Hendrik Jan Hidde SMILDE, Bastiaan Onne FAGGINGER AUER, Davit HARUTYUNYAN, Patrick WARNAAR
  • Publication number: 20200379358
    Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a number of sensors for measuring positions of features on a substrate prior to applying a pattern. Each sensor includes an imaging optical system. Position measurements are extracted from pixel data supplied by an image detector in each sensor. The imaging optical system includes one or more light field modulating elements and the processor processes the pixel data as a light-field image to extract the position measurements. The data processor may derive from each light-field image a focused image of a feature on the substrate, measuring positions of several features simultaneously, even though the substrate is not at the same level below all the sensors. The processor can also include corrections to reduce depth dependency of an apparent position of the feature include a viewpoint correction. The data processor can also derive measurements of heights of features on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventor: Erik Willem Bogaart
  • Patent number: 10852646
    Abstract: A method including obtaining an image of a plurality of structures on a substrate, wherein each of the plurality of structures is formed onto the substrate by transferring a corresponding pattern of a design layout; obtaining, from the image, a displacement for each of the structures with respect to a reference point for that structure; and assigning each of the structures into one of a plurality of groups based on the displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Marinus Jochemsen, Scott Anderson Middlebrooks, Stefan Hunsche, Te-Sheng Wang
  • Patent number: 10852633
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a membrane assembly for EUV lithography, the method including: providing a stack including a membrane layer between a supporting substrate and an attachment substrate, wherein the supporting substrate includes an inner region and a border region; processing the stack, including selectively removing the inner region of the supporting substrate, to form a membrane assembly comprising: a membrane formed from at least the membrane layer; and a support holding the membrane, the support formed at least partially from the border region of the supporting substrate. The attachment substrate can be bonded to the rest of the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Sicco Oosterhoff, Paul Janssen, Beatrijs Louise Marie-Joseph Katrien Verbrugge
  • Patent number: 10852247
    Abstract: An optical inspection apparatus, including: an optical metrology tool configured to measure structures, the optical metrology tool including: an electromagnetic (EM) radiation source configured to direct a beam of EM radiation along an EM radiation path; and an adaptive optical system disposed in a portion of the EM radiation path and configured to adjust a shape of a wave front of the beam of EM radiation, the adaptive optical system including: a first aspherical optical element; a second aspherical optical element adjacent the first aspherical optical element; and an actuator configured to cause relative movement between the first optical element and the second optical element in a direction different from a beam axis of the portion of the EM radiation path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignees: ASML Holding N.V., ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Stanislav Smirnov, Johannes Matheus Marie De Wit, Teunis Willem Tukker, Armand Eugene Albert Koolen
  • Patent number: 10845716
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Jorge Alberto Vieyra Salas, Auke Juriaan Been, Victor Manuel Blanco Carballo
  • Patent number: 10845712
    Abstract: An optical system comprising: an illumination system configured, to form a periodic illumination mode comprising radiation in a pupil plane of the optical system having a spatial intensity profile which is periodic in at least one direction, a measurement system configured to measure a dose of radiation which is received in an field plane of the optical system as a function of position in the field plane, and a controller configured to: select one or more spatial frequencies in the field plane at which variation in the received dose of radiation as a function of position is caused by speckle, and determine a measure of the variation of the received dose of radiation as a function of position at the selected one or more spatial frequencies, the measure of the variation in the received dose being indicative of speckle in the field plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventor: Johannes Jacobus Matheus Baselmans
  • Patent number: 10845713
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Theeuwes, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer
  • Patent number: 10845719
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Rene Marinus Gerardus Johan Queens, Wolfgang Helmut Henke, Arend Johannes Donkerbroek, Jeroen Cottaar
  • Patent number: 10845304
    Abstract: An acoustic scatterometer 502 has an acoustic source 520 operable to project acoustic radiation 526 onto a periodic structure 538 and 540 formed on a substrate 536. An acoustic detector 518 is operable to detect the ?1st acoustic diffraction order 528 diffracted by the periodic structure 538 and 540 while discriminating from specular reflection (0th order 532). Another acoustic detector 522 is operable to detect the +1st acoustic diffraction order 530 diffracted by the periodic structure, again while discriminating from the specular reflection (0th order 532). The acoustic source and acoustic detector may be piezo transducers. The angle of incidence of the projected acoustic radiation 526 and location of the detectors 518 and 522 are arranged with respect to the periodic structure 538 and 540 such that the detection of the ?1st and +1st acoustic diffraction orders 528 and 530 discriminates from the 0th order specular reflection 532.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Maxim Pisarenco, Nitesh Pandey, Alessandro Polo
  • Patent number: 10845707
    Abstract: A method including: obtaining a measurement of a metrology target on a substrate processed using a patterning process, the measurement having been obtained using measurement radiation; and deriving a parameter of interest of the patterning process from the measurement, wherein the parameter of interest is corrected by a stack difference parameter, the stack difference parameter representing an un-designed difference in physical configuration between adjacent periodic structures of the target or between the metrology target and another adjacent target on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Arie Jeffrey Den Boef, Kaustuve Bhattacharyya
  • Patent number: 10845706
    Abstract: A mirror array, at least some of the mirrors of the array comprising a reflective surface and an arm which extends from a surface opposite to the reflective surface, wherein the mirror array further comprises a support structure provided with a plurality of sensing apparatuses, the sensing apparatuses being configured to measure gaps between the sensing apparatuses and the arms which extend from the mirrors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Marco Matheus Louis Steeghs, Tian Gang, Mehdi Yousefi Moghaddam
  • Patent number: 10845523
    Abstract: A laser-operated light source encompasses a chamber for accommodating an ionizable gas and an ignition source for ionizing the gas in the chamber for generating a plasma. The light source furthermore encompasses a laser for inputting laser energy into the plasma such that, under the impact of the laser radiation, the plasma emits useful light, which forms the output signal of the light source, wherein provision is made for means for coupling the useful light into a transferring optical fiber. In the case of the light source according to the invention, at least one mode scrambler is assigned to the optical fiber or the optical fibers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Ekkehard Brune, Dieter Frerking, Thomas Thöniß, Claus Spruch
  • Patent number: 10846442
    Abstract: Methods provide computationally efficient techniques for designing gauge patterns for calibrating a model for use in a simulation process. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods of designing gauge patterns that achieve complete coverage of parameter variations with minimum number of gauges and corresponding measurements in the calibration of a lithographic process utilized to image a target design having a plurality of features. According to some aspects, a method according to the invention includes transforming the space of model parametric space (based on CD sensitivity or Delta TCCs), then iteratively identifying the direction that is most orthogonal to existing gauges' CD sensitivities in this new space, and determining most sensitive line width/pitch combination with optimal assist feature placement which leads to most sensitive CD changes along that direction in model parametric space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Jun Ye, Yu Cao, Hanying Feng, Wenjin Shao