Patents by Inventor Heine Mulder
Heine Mulder 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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Publication number: 20120075603Abstract: A method for configuring an illumination source of a lithographic apparatus, the method including dividing the illumination source into pixel groups, each pixel group including one or more illumination source points in a pupil plane of the illumination source; changing a polarization state of each pixel group and determining an incremental effect on each of the plurality of critical dimensions resulting from the change of polarization state; calculating a first plurality of sensitivity coefficients for each of the plurality of critical dimensions using the determined incremental effects; selecting an initial illumination source; iteratively calculating a lithographic metric as a result of a change of polarization state using the calculated first plurality of sensitivity coefficients, the change of the polarization state of the pixel group in the initial illumination source creating a modified illumination source; and adjusting the initial illumination source based on the iterative results of calculations.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2011Publication date: March 29, 2012Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: George Steven HANSEN, Melle Heine Mulder, Tsann-Bim Chiou
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Publication number: 20070195305Abstract: A lithographic projection system has an illumination system with a polarization member. A plurality of directing elements reflect different sub-beams of an incident beam into adjustable, individually controllable directions. By means of re-directing optics any desired polarized spatial intensity distribution of the beam can be produced in its cross-sectional plane.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2006Publication date: August 23, 2007Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Heine Mulder, Markus Antonius Eurlings
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Publication number: 20070139634Abstract: Lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system for conditioning a radiation beam, a support for supporting a patterning device for imparting a cross-sectional pattern to the radiation beam to form a patterned radiation beam, and a substrate table for holding a substrate. A projection system is provided for projecting the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate. Conditioning optics and an adjustable aperture are provided to condition the radiation beam from the illumination system, and a detector is provided to detect the size and divergence of the radiation beam propagated through the aperture and to provide a feedback signal in dependence thereon. An actuator serves to effect adjustment of at least one of the optics and the aperture to vary at least one optical characteristic of the radiation beam, and a control device is provided to control the actuator in response to the feedback signal from the detector.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2005Publication date: June 21, 2007Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventor: Heine Mulder
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Publication number: 20070103789Abstract: An optical system is configured to process a radiation beam along an optical axis. The optical system includes an optical element. The optical system defines a numerical aperture, the numerical aperture being a measure of the ability of the optical system to gather and focus light. The numerical aperture has a first value in a first direction and a second value in a second direction differing from the first direction, the first direction and the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the optical axis and the first and second values being different.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2005Publication date: May 10, 2007Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventor: Heine Mulder
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Publication number: 20070103665Abstract: A system and method for uniformity correction is provided. The system includes a plurality of winged correction elements inserted into the illumination field in a defined configuration. Adjacent winged correction elements are overlapped to minimize induced uniformity ripple. Each winged correction element has a first protrusion on a longitudinal edge of the correction element and a second protrusion on the opposite longitudinal edge. The slope of a sloped edge of the first protrusion and the slope of a sloped edge of the second protrusion are tied to the slope of a gradient in the non-uniformity profile of the illumination field. In addition, the angles defined by the flat tip of the correction element and the sloped edge of the first and second protrusions are tied to the angle of a gradient of the illumination field.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2005Publication date: May 10, 2007Applicant: ASML Holding N.V.Inventors: Richard Zimmerman, Eric Catey, David Hult, Alexander Kremer, Heine Mulder, Hendrikus Greevenbroek, Roberto Wiener
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Publication number: 20070058151Abstract: An optical element for effecting a desired change in incident radiation at a plane of an illumination system of a lithographic apparatus comprises an array of cells manufactured as a single unit, each cell being arranged to redirect the incident radiation in a predetermined direction. An array of polarizing regions is also provided, each polarizing region being associated with a corresponding cell. Each cell arranged to redirect radiation in a first direction has associated with it a polarizing region ensuring that the redirected radiation has a first polarization, so that all of the radiation redirected in the first direction has the same polarization.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2005Publication date: March 15, 2007Applicants: ASML Netherlands B.V., Carl Zeiss SMT AGInventors: Markus Franciscus Eurlings, Marinus Van Dam, Hendrikus Van Greevenbroek, Edwin Knols, Heine Mulder, Gerardus Maria Swinkels, Damian Fiolka
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Publication number: 20070013885Abstract: In order to improve the productivity of a lithographic apparatus, a stage apparatus to hold two patterning devices is described. The patterning devices are arranged such that the distance between the patterns in the scanning direction corresponds to the length of the pattern in the scanning direction. By doing so, an improved exposure sequence may be performed by exposing a first die with a first pattern, skipping a second die adjacent to the first die, and exposing a third die adjacent to the second die using a second pattern.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2006Publication date: January 18, 2007Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Erik Loopstra, Arno Bleeker, Heine Mulder, Oscar Franciscus Noordman, Timotheus Sengers, Laurentius Jorritsma, Mark Trentelman, Gerrit Streutker
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Publication number: 20070013890Abstract: In order to improve the productivity of a lithographic apparatus, a stage apparatus for holding two patterning devices is described. The patterning devices are arranged such that the distance between the patterns in the scanning direction corresponds to the length of the pattern in the scanning direction. By doing so, an improved exposure sequence may be performed by exposing a first die with a first pattern, skipping a second die adjacent to the first die, and exposing a third die adjacent to the second die using a second pattern.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2006Publication date: January 18, 2007Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Erik Loopstra, Arno Bleeker, Heine Mulder, Oscar Franciscus Noordman, Timotheus Sengers, Laurentius Jorritsma, Mark Trentelman, Gerrit Streutker
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Publication number: 20060139599Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to provide a radiation beam; a patterning device configured to pattern the radiation beam to form a patterned radiation beam; and a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a substrate. An optical assembly includes multiple optical elements two-dimensionally arranged between a radiation source and the patterning device to create a predetermined angular distribution of the radiation beam. In order to improve the uniformity of the radiation beam the optical elements are selected from a predetermined number of optical elements having different shapes and/or sizes.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2004Publication date: June 29, 2006Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Stefan Kruijswijk, Marcel Mathijs Marie Dierichs, Markus Franciscus Eurlings, Heine Mulder
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Publication number: 20050219494Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus includes an illumination system having a reflective integrator with a rectangular cross-section. An optical element is provided to redistribute an intensity distribution exiting the reflective integrator.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 2, 2004Publication date: October 6, 2005Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Heine Mulder, Hako Botma
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Publication number: 20050140957Abstract: An optical attenuator device operates to remove a part of a beam of radiation having a higher than average intensity using at least one optical attenuator element. The device has application in a radiation system, and/or a lithographic apparatus, in particular a scanning lithographic apparatus, wherein the optical attenuator element(s) are provided in a central part of the beam, for example perpendicularly to a scanning direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2003Publication date: June 30, 2005Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Cornelis Petrus Luijkx, Vadim Banine, Hako Botma, Martinus Van Duijnhoven, Markus Eurlings, Heine Mulder, Johannes Hendrik Everhardus Muijderman, Cornelis Van Duijn, Jan Krikke
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Publication number: 20050134820Abstract: A method using a lithographic apparatus comprising a reflective integrator is claimed that optimizes the exposure of features on a target area of a substrate, when the features make an angle between 5 and 85 degrees with respect to the target area. The method comprises rotating the reflective integrator with respect to the target area providing a rotated mirror-symmetric pupil shape, which is implemented by either rotating the substrate or rotating the reflective integrator with respect to the machine or the patterning device. The patterning device comprises a maximum usable area and a patterned area which are rotated with respect to each other if a rotated substrate is employed. The method can be used in single exposure or double exposure mode. A further advantage of the method of using a rotated wafer is that it can be used for exposing features on a substrate in any direction even when the projection system of the lithographic apparatus shows a preferred polarization direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2003Publication date: June 23, 2005Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.Inventors: Heine Mulder, Antonius Johannes Van Dijsseldonk, Erik Loopstra, Uwe Mickan, Johannes Catharinus Mulkens, Harm-Jan Voorma