Patents Examined by Hung V Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11789364
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating the substrate includes a process chamber with a treating space therein, a support member located in the treating space to support the substrate, and a gas supply unit supplying a surface-modifying gas to the treating space. The gas supply unit includes a bubbler tank provided with an accommodating space for storing a liquid alkyne-based chemical, the bubbler tanks bubbling the liquid alkyne-based chemical by supplying an inert gas to the accommodating space to generate the surface-modifying gas, a heater heating the liquid alkyne-based chemical stored in the bubbler tank at a first temperature, and a gas supply line coupled between the process chamber and the bubbler tank to supply the surface modified gas to the treating space and provided with a first valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: SEMES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyun Min Kim, Young Seo An
  • Patent number: 11782351
    Abstract: Disclosed is a detection apparatus for a metrology device operable to measure a parameter of interest from scattered radiation having been scattered from a sample. The detection device comprises a detector comprising an array of pixels. The array of pixels comprises imaging pixels for detecting an image from which the parameter of interest is determined, and direction detecting pixels for detecting the angle of incidence of said scattered radiation on said detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventor: Nitesh Pandey
  • Patent number: 11774864
    Abstract: A carrier device that carries a substrate to a noncontact holder that is configured to support the substrate in a noncontact manner is equipped with: holding pads that hold a part of the substrate at a first position located above the noncontact holder; a drive section that moves downward the holding pads holding the substrate so that the substrate is supported in a noncontact manner by the noncontact holder; and adsorption pads that hold the substrate supported in a noncontact manner by the noncontact holder, after the substrate held by the holding pads is moved by the drive section, wherein the drive section moves the holding pads from the first position to a second position where the substrate can be delivered to the adsorption pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuo Aoki
  • Patent number: 11774854
    Abstract: A method of processing a substrate includes: performing a first developing process of moving a nozzle having one end surface and a discharge port opened at the end surface while making the end surface come into contact with a developer on a front surface of a substrate in a state in which the nozzle is disposed so that the end surface faces the front surface and the developer is discharged from the discharge port at a first flow rate while rotating the substrate; and after the first developing process, performing a second developing process of discharging the developer from the discharge port at a second flow rate higher than the first flow rate in a state in which the end surface is in contact with the developer on the front surface at a position facing a center of the front surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yusaku Hashimoto, Kouichirou Tanaka, Masahiro Fukuda, Atsushi Ookouchi
  • Patent number: 11774868
    Abstract: An image sensor for immersion lithography, the image sensor including: a grating; an absorber layer on the grating, the absorber layer configured to absorb radiation; and a liquidphobic coating at an upper surface of the image sensor, wherein a protective layer is provided between the absorber layer and the liquidphobic layer, the protective layer being less reactive than the absorber layer to an immersion liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Nirupam Banerjee, Johan Franciscus Maria Beckers, Peter Brakhage, Arend Johannes Donkerbroek, Daniel Grimm, Tim Rathje, Martin Tilke, Sandro Wricke
  • Patent number: 11768444
    Abstract: An imprint apparatus that cures an imprint material on a substrate in a state where a mold is in contact with the imprint material includes a substrate holding unit having a plurality of holding regions that holds the substrate, and a control unit configured to control a pressure in each of the holding regions independently, wherein the control unit controls the pressure based on at least one of shape information and distortion information of the substrate, at least when the imprint material is cured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuji Okada
  • Patent number: 11754510
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer inspection system includes a wafer chuck disposed inside a chamber and on which a wafer is disposed, a light source configured to emit light for inspecting a pattern on the wafer to the wafer, an inspection controller configured to control the driving of the light source, a cooling gas gun disposed adjacent to the light source and configured to spray a cooling gas on a surface of the wafer, and a cooling controller configured to supply cooling air to the wafer chuck before light is emitted to the wafer and supply the cooling gas to the cooling gas gun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Doyoung Yoon, Jeongho Ahn, Dongryul Lee, Dongchul Ihm, Chungsam Jun
  • Patent number: 11747741
    Abstract: A semiconductor substrate stage for carrying a substrate is provided. The semiconductor substrate stage includes a base layer, a magnetic shielding layer disposed on the base layer, a carrier layer disposed on the magnetic shielding layer, and a receiver disposed on the carrier layer. The receiver is configured to receive a microwave signal from a signal source electrically isolated from the receiver, and the microwave signal is used for controlling the movement of the semiconductor substrate stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yu-Huan Chen, Yu-Chih Huang, Ya-An Peng, Shang-Chieh Chien, Li-Jui Chen, Heng-Hsin Liu
  • Patent number: 11740558
    Abstract: A photoresist baking apparatus is provided. The photoresist baking apparatus includes a baking chamber, a hot plate disposed in the baking chamber, and a cover plate disposed over the hot plate. The cover plate has a plurality of exhaust holes. The exhaust holes include a first exhaust hole and a second exhaust hole arranged in a first direction. The first exhaust hole and the second exhaust hole have different sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Po-Hung Chen, Yu-Kai Chen
  • Patent number: 11733612
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes light source configured to irradiate a substrate having thereon a resist film made of a resist material for EUV lithography with light including vacuum ultraviolet light before an exposure process, and a light amount suppressing member provided in an optical path of the light from the light source and configured to suppress an amount of the light reaching a surface of the substrate such that the light becomes weak light as a whole in an irradiation region, wherein the light including the vacuum ultraviolet light contains a continuous spectral component of at least a portion of a band contained in a wavelength of 10 nm to 200 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuya Iwata, Norihisa Koga
  • Patent number: 11733615
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for selecting a structure for focus monitoring. The method comprises: simulating a Bossung response with focus of a focus dependent parameter, for one or more different structures; and selecting a structure for focus monitoring in a manufacturing process based on the results of said simulating step. The simulating step may be performed using a computational lithography simulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Frank Staals, Christoph Rene Konrad Cebulla Hennerkes
  • Patent number: 11720013
    Abstract: A multilayer stack in the form of a Bragg reflector comprising a graded interfacial layer and a method of manufacturing are disclosed. The graded interfacial layer eliminates the formation of low-reflectivity interfaces in a multilayer stack and reduces roughness of interfaces in a multilayer stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Wen Xiao, Vibhu Jindal, Weimin Li, Shuwei Liu
  • Patent number: 11720032
    Abstract: A process tool for processing production substrates, the process tool including: a movable stage configured to perform long-stroke movements in an X-Y plane; an imaging device mounted to a fixed part of the tool and having an optical axis substantially parallel to the X-Y plane; and a mirror mounted on the movable stage and oriented at a predetermined angle of inclination to the X-Y plane so that by moving the movable stage to a predetermined position a part of a component to be inspected can be imaged by the imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Raphael Nico Johan Stegen, Erik Henricus Egidius Catharina Eummelen, Christianus Wilhelmus Johannes Berendsen, Theodorus Wilhelmus Polet, Giovanni Luca Gattobigio
  • Patent number: 11720031
    Abstract: Combined electron beam overlay and scatterometry overlay targets include first and second periodic structures with gratings. Gratings in the second periodic structure can be positioned under the gratings of the first periodic structure or can be positioned between the gratings of the first periodic structure. These overlay targets can be used in semiconductor manufacturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: KLA Corporation
    Inventors: Inna Steely-Tarshish, Stefan Eyring, Mark Ghinovker, Yoel Feler, Eitan Hajaj, Ulrich Pohlmann, Nadav Gutman, Chris Steely, Raviv Yohanan, Ira Naot
  • Patent number: 11714356
    Abstract: The inventive concept provides a bake unit. The bake unit comprising: a housing having an upper cover and a lower frame, the upper cover and the lower cover in combination providing a treatment space for heat treatment of a substrate; a heater provided in the treatment space for heating a substrate placed thereon; a heater cup configured to surround the heater; and a first purge gas supply unit for providing a first purge gas flow to block inflow of outer air through a gap between the lower frame and the heater cup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: SEMES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Ho Kim, Sang Hoon Lee, Jong Seok Seo, Ho Jin Jang, Gyeong Won Song
  • Patent number: 11714358
    Abstract: Provided is an intelligent correction device control system for a super-resolution lithography precision mask, including: a sixteen-way pneumatic fine-tuning mask deformation control subsystem configured to deform a mask, detect a force value of a mask deformation, compare the force value of the mask deformation with an output force set value, and generate a first control feedback quantity to adjust a force deforming the mask, so as to control a deformation quantity of the mask; and an alignment subsystem configured to acquire images of the mask and a substrate, and adjust a position between the mask and the substrate according to the images, so as to align the mask with the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: The Institute of Optics and Electronics, The Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Inventors: Xiangang Luo, Ping Gao, Mingbo Pu, Xiaoliang Ma, Xiong Li
  • Patent number: 11709435
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes dividing a number of dies along an x axis in a die matrix in each exposure field in an exposure field matrix delineated on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the x axis is parallel to one edge of a smallest rectangle enclosing the exposure field matrix. A number of dies is divided along a y axis in the die matrix, wherein the y axis is perpendicular to the x axis. Sequences SNx0, SNx1, SNx, SNxr, SNy0, SNy1, SNy, and SNyr are formed. p*(Nbx+1)?2 stepping operations are performed in a third direction and first sequence exposure/stepping/exposure operations and second sequence exposure/stepping/exposure operations are performed alternately between any two adjacent stepping operations as well as before a first stepping operation and after a last stepping operation. A distance of each stepping operation in order follows the sequence SNx.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shinn-Sheng Yu, Ru-Gun Liu, Hsu-Ting Huang, Kenji Yamazoe, Minfeng Chen, Shuo-Yen Chou, Chin-Hsiang Lin
  • Patent number: 11709434
    Abstract: A device manufacturing method including: performing a first exposure on a substrate using a first lithographic apparatus to form a first patterned layer including first features; processing the substrate to transfer the first features into the substrate; and performing a second exposure on the substrate using a second lithographic apparatus to form a second patterned layer including second features, wherein: the first lithographic apparatus has first and second control inputs effective to control first and second parameters of the first features at least partly independently; the second lithographic apparatus has a third control input effective to control the first and second parameters of the second features together; and the first exposure is performed with the first and/or second control input set to pre-bias the first and/or second parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Rizvi Rahman, Cornelis Johannes Henricus Lambregts, Wolfgang Helmut Henke
  • Patent number: 11703458
    Abstract: A detecting device for detecting liquid or colloid, comprising: a light emitting device, configured to emit first light, wherein a first angle between a first emitting direction of the first light and a surface when the detecting device is located on the surface, wherein the first angle is larger than 0° and smaller than 90°; an optical sensor, configured to detect first optical data generated based on the first light; and a processing circuit, configured to determine if the liquid or the colloid exists in a predetermined range of the detecting device based on the first optical data. An automatic cleaner applying the detecting device is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: PixArt Imaging Inc.
    Inventors: Guo-Zhen Wang, Hung-Ching Lai
  • Patent number: 11703768
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising: a position monitoring system configured to determine the position of the substrate with respect to a projection system configured to project a radiation beam through an opening in the projection system and onto a substrate, wherein a component of the position monitoring system is located beneath the projection system in use; and a baffle disposed between the opening and the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Alisia Mariska Willems-Peters, Sander Baltussen, Zhuangxiong Huang, Reinier Theodorus Martinus Jilisen, Sietse Wijtvliet