Patents Examined by Hung V Nguyen
  • Patent number: 12292685
    Abstract: A development device has a plurality of nozzles and a plurality of pipes. The plurality of nozzles supply a processing liquid to a substrate. Each of the plurality of pipes is connected to one of the plurality of nozzles and supplies a processing liquid to a nozzle to which the pipe is connected. The development device includes a support and a cover member. The support supports portions of the plurality of pipes. The cover member contains part of the plurality of nozzles and the plurality of pipes while allowing supply of the processing liquid to substrates from the plurality of nozzles. When the support moves or rotates, the plurality of nozzles move between a processing position and a waiting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jun Komori
  • Patent number: 12292388
    Abstract: A deterioration diagnosis device according to an example aspect of the present invention includes: a memory; and at least one processor coupled to the memory. The processor performs operations. The operations include: acquiring an image including a portion to be diagnosed in a structure; calculating, by using the image, deterioration degree that is a degree of deterioration of the portion; calculating reliability for the deterioration degree based on imaging information that is information related to capturing of the image; and outputting the deterioration degree and the reliability in association with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chisato Sugawara, Kazuki Inagaki
  • Patent number: 12295088
    Abstract: A droplet generator nozzle (800, 820/830) includes a metal body (802, 822), a metal fitting (812, 823/833) arranged adjacent to the metal body, and a capillary (804, 824/834) comprising a first end and a second end. The first end of the capillary is disposed within the metal fitting, and the capillary is configured to eject initial droplets of a material from the second end of the capillary. The droplet generator nozzle further includes an electromechanical element (808 828/838) disposed within the metal body and coupled to the first end of the capillary and a fastener element (810) configured to clamp around a portion of the metal body and around the metal fitting. The electromechanical element is configured to apply a change that affects droplet generation from the capillary. The second end of the capillary protrudes out from an opening in the fastener element of the droplet generator nozzle. Droplet generator nozzle 830 of FIG. 8C represents the embodiment shown in FIG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Benjamin Andrew Sams, Dietmar Uwe Herbert Trees, Theodorus Wilhelmus Driessen, Herman Harry Borggreve, Brandon Michael Johnson, Vikas Giridhar Telkar
  • Patent number: 12287580
    Abstract: A lithographic apparatus has a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate and a projection system configured to project a radiation beam onto the substrate held by the substrate holder. There is also a fluid handling system configured to confine immersion liquid to a space between a part of the projection system and a surface of the substrate so that the radiation beam can irradiate the surface of the substrate by passing through the immersion liquid. An excitation device is provided to generate surface acoustic waves in the substrate and propagating toward the immersion liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Cornelius Maria Rops, Christianus Wilhelmus Johannes Berendsen, Erik Henricus Egidius Catharina Eummelen, Dagmar Antoinette Wismeijer
  • Patent number: 12287583
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for modeling measurement data over a substrate area and associated apparatus. The method comprises obtaining measurement data relating to a first layout; modeling a second model based on said first layout; evaluating the second model on a second layout, the second layout being more dense than said first layout; and fitting a first model to this second model according to the second layout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventor: Edo Maria Hulsebos
  • Patent number: 12276916
    Abstract: A drive device includes: a drive unit configured to apply a drive voltage to a capacitive actuator to set a position of a capacitive actuator; a source controllable by an excitation signal and coupled to the first node to feed a time-dependent AC current signal into the first node so that an AC voltage arises at the capacitive actuator due to a superposition of the drive voltage and an AC voltage corresponding to a product of the AC current signal and an impedance of the capacitive actuator; a filter unit connected configured to filter an output signal of the capacitive actuator; and a determining unit configured to determine an impedance behaviour of the capacitive actuator depending on the filtered output signal, the determining unit configured to output the excitation signal to drive the source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Michel Aliman, Matthias Manger, Lars Berger, Mohammad Awad
  • Patent number: 12276615
    Abstract: This application relates to the technical field of confocal microscopy measurement, and provides a dark-field confocal microscopy measurement apparatus and method based on multi-fractional angular momentum demodulation. The apparatus includes a modulated illumination module and a signal collection and demodulation module. The modulated illumination module obtains vortex light with different fractional orders through modulation using vortex phase patterns with different fractional orders, so as to scan a to-be-measured sample. The vortex light with different fractional orders irradiates the to-be-measured sample and is reflected out. The signal collection and demodulation module collects the reflected light and generates dark-field images, and finally performs cross-correlation processing on the dark-field images generated under the vortex light with different fractional orders, to obtain high SNR data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: Harbin Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Jian Liu, Chenguang Liu, Zijie Hua, Kang Gu
  • Patent number: 12278133
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a first process chamber in which a developing process is performed by supplying a developer to a substrate that is in a dry state; a second process chamber in which a drying process is performed on the substrate by supplying a supercritical fluid to the substrate on which the developing process is performed and which is in a wet state; a third process chamber in which a bake operation is performed on the substrate on which the drying operation is performed and is in a dry state; a fourth process chamber in which a cooling operation is performed on the substrate on which the bake operation is performed and is in a dry state; and a substrate transferring unit configured to transfer the substrate between the first to fourth process chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sangjine Park, Kuntack Lee, Jihwan Park, Seungmin Shin
  • Patent number: 12275231
    Abstract: An apparatus for exposure of a relief precursor having a first side and an opposite second side includes a light source to expose the relief precursor during relative movement between the light source and the relief plate precursor; a moving means to cause a first relative movement between the light source and the relief precursor to expose the first side of the relief precursor, to cause a second relative movement between the light source and the relief precursor to expose the second side of the relief precursor, and to move the light source between a first position and a second position. The first and second positions are on opposite sides of a plane of the relief precursor. At least one of the first and the second relative movement is a reciprocating movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: XSYS PREPRESS NV
    Inventor: Bart Marc Luc Wattyn
  • Patent number: 12271115
    Abstract: A method to detect a defect on a lithographic sample includes the following steps: detection light and a detector having at least one sensor pixel are provided. Further, a detection pattern is provided causing a light structure of the detection light being structured at least along one dimension (1D, x). The detection pattern is aligned such that the detector is aligned normal to an extension (xy) of the light structure. Further, a complimentary pattern is provided having a 1D structure which is complimentary to that of the detection pattern. The sample is moved relative to the detection pattern while gathering the detection light on the detector. Further, a reference sample without defects or with negligible defects is provided. The reference sample also is moved relative to the detection pattern while gathering the detection light on the detector. A defect (S1 to S4) localization on the sample is decoded by correlation using the complementary pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Toufic Jabbour, Lars Omlor
  • Patent number: 12259232
    Abstract: Methods for optically inspecting a surface (10) of an object (1) and an inspection device (9) including are described. With the method a temporally periodic pattern (13) with different illumination patterns (130) is generated on the surface (10) via a illumination device (8) of the inspection device (9) during an image recording sequence (13), and in the image recording sequence a number of images of the pattern (13) on the surface (10) are recorded via an image recording device (7) of the inspection device (9), wherein generating one of the different illumination patterns (130) is synchronised, respectively, with the image recording of one of the images of the pattern (13), the phase of the pattern (13) is determined from the succession of the recorded known illumination patterns (130) in at least one image point and defects (4, 5) on the surface (10) are detected from deviations of the recorded illumination pattern (130) from the generated known illumination pattern (130).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: ISRA VISION GMBH
    Inventors: Stefan Leute, Koichi Harada
  • Patent number: 12253807
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for calculating a corrected substrate height map of a first substrate using a height level sensor. The method comprises: sampling the first substrate by means of the height level sensor with the first substrate moving with a first velocity, wherein the first velocity is a first at least partially non-constant velocity of the first substrate with respect to the height level sensor, to generate a first height level data, generating a first height map based on the first height level data, and calculating a corrected substrate height map by subtracting a correction map from the first height map, wherein the correction map is calculated from the difference between a first velocity height map and a second velocity height map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Andrey Valerievich Rogachevskiy, Bastiaan Andreas Wilhelmus Hubertus Knarren, Doru Cristian Torumba, Arjan Gijsbertsen, Cristina Caresio, Raymund Centeno, Tabitha Wangari Kinyanjui, Jan Arie Den Boer
  • Patent number: 12248253
    Abstract: An optical device includes a plurality of laser light sources, an output module having an optical modulator, and a time divider that is disposed between the plurality of laser light sources and the output module and that is configured to divide laser beams emitted from the plurality of laser light sources in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushi Mizuno, Masaki Kato
  • Patent number: 12247927
    Abstract: A method of evaluating a semiconductor wafer by a laser surface inspection device. The method includes performing evaluation of the wafer by detecting a defect kind of one of a deposit and a non-deposited convex defect present on a surface of a coating layer as a light point defect based on a plurality of measurement results including three kinds of low incidence angle measurement results obtained by, on the surface of the coating layer, reception of a radiated light radiated by reflection or scattering of a light incident from a first incident system at the surface by three kinds of light receiving systems, and at least one high incidence angle measurement result obtained by reception of a radiated light radiated by reflection or scattering of a light incident from a second incident system at the surface by at least one of the three kinds of light receiving systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Motoi Kurokami, Keiichiro Mori
  • Patent number: 12247928
    Abstract: An inspection device includes a scanning device, a first recognition unit, and a second recognition unit. The scanning device includes a laser sensor that emits laser slit light for measuring a two-dimensional shape, and a movement mechanism that moves the laser sensor in a predetermined direction. The first recognition unit obtains three-dimensional shape data of an inspection object and a workpiece by associating a plurality of two-dimensional shape data obtained by the laser sensor with position data of the laser sensor at the time of measuring the two-dimensional shape. The second recognition unit derives a three-dimensional shape of the workpiece by obtaining a difference between first three-dimensional shape data indicating a three-dimensional shape before the workpiece is laminated on the mold and second three-dimensional shape data indicating a three-dimensional shape after the workpiece is laminated on the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masataka Koyama, Tomohiro Kinoshita, Hiroharu Suzuki, Motohiro Nakagami, Yuki Hanawa, Shogo Kojima, Yusaku Ishida
  • Patent number: 12242203
    Abstract: Disclosed is target arrangement comprising a first target region having at least a first pitch and at least a second pitch a second target region having at least a third pitch, wherein a portion of the first target region having a second pitch overlaps with a portion of the second target region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Maurits Van Der Schaar, Patrick Warnaar, Franciscus Godefridus Casper Bijnen, Olger Victor Zwier
  • Patent number: 12242206
    Abstract: A method for preparing a substrate for an exposure process of a lithographic manufacturing method, the method including imposing different local temperatures across the substrate so as to induce different thermal expansion across the substrate before the exposure process. This method is for compensating for deformation of the substrate induced when the substrate is positioned on a substrate table of a lithographic apparatus. There is also provided a local temperature applicator to implement this technique and to a lithographic apparatus including such a local temperature applicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Dennis Dominic Van Der Voort, Nicolaas Ten Kate
  • Patent number: 12242199
    Abstract: A method of controlling a wafer stage includes moving the wafer stage to position an immersion hood over a first sensor in the wafer stage. The method further includes moving the wafer stage to position the immersion hood over a second sensor in the wafer stage. The method further includes moving the wafer stage to position the immersion hood over a first particle capture area on the wafer stage after moving the wafer stage to position the immersion hood over the second sensor. The method further includes moving the wafer stage to define a routing track over the first particle capture area. The method further includes moving the wafer stage to position the immersion hood over an area for receiving a wafer on the wafer stage after defining the routing track over the first particle capture area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yung-Yao Lee, Wei Chih Lin, Chih Chien Lin
  • Patent number: 12243761
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, and system for identifying and obtaining information related to a substrate support and/or a pre-heat ring in a process chamber via imaging and image processing. In an embodiment, a substrate support is provided. The substrate support generally includes a top surface configured to receive a substrate in a process chamber and a marking feature disposed on the top surface of the substrate support, the marking feature configured to be detectable by an imaging apparatus coupled to the process chamber to provide information related to the substrate support via imaging when the substrate support is disposed within the process chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Jeffrey Salinas, Zhepeng Cong, Hui Chen, Xinning Luan, Ashur J. Atanos
  • Patent number: 12241846
    Abstract: A detection apparatus for detecting a mark formed on a substrate uses a detection optical system that irradiates light on the mark on the substrate held by a stage and detects an image of the mark, and a processor that performs a detection process of the mark based on the image of the mark. The processor finds a detection value indicating a position of the mark in an observation field of the detection optical system based on the image of the mark, finds a subregion in which the mark is located among a plurality of subregions in the observation field, and corrects the detection value based on a correction value corresponding to the found subregion among correction values predetermined for the plurality of subregions, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuya Kijima