Patents by Inventor Joseph Cramer

Joseph Cramer 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).

  • Publication number: 20200319562
    Abstract: Disclosed is method of optimizing bandwidth of measurement illumination for a measurement application, and an associated metrology apparatus. The method comprises performing a reference measurement with reference measurement illumination having a reference bandwidth and performing one or more optimization measurements, each of said one or more optimization measurements being performed with measurement illumination having a varied candidate bandwidth. The one or more optimization measurements are compared with the reference measurement; and an optimal bandwidth for the measurement application is selected based on the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER, Seyed Iman MOSSAVAT, Paul Christiaan HINNEN
  • Publication number: 20200284578
    Abstract: A substrate having a plurality of features for use in measuring a parameter of a device manufacturing process and associated methods and apparatus. The measurement is by illumination of the features with measurement radiation from an optical apparatus and detecting a signal arising from interaction between the measurement radiation and the features. The plurality of features include first features distributed in a periodic fashion at a first pitch, and second features distributed in a periodic fashion at a second pitch, wherein the first pitch and second pitch are such that a combined pitch of the first and second features is constant irrespective of the presence of pitch walk in the plurality of features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Alok VERMA, Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER, Thomas THEEUWES, Anagnostis TSIATMAS, Bert VERSTRAETEN
  • Patent number: 10732514
    Abstract: Disclosed is method of optimizing bandwidth of measurement illumination for a measurement application, and an associated metrology apparatus. The method comprises performing a reference measurement with reference measurement illumination having a reference bandwidth and performing one or more optimization measurements, each of said one or more optimization measurements being performed with measurement illumination having a varied candidate bandwidth. The one or more optimization measurements are compared with the reference measurement; and an optimal bandwidth for the measurement application is selected based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer, Seyed Iman Mossavat, Paul Christiaan Hinnen
  • Publication number: 20200232933
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing or adjusting a reticle having a predetermined functionality, the method including obtaining a reticle having a first pattern, the first pattern representing a first functionality of structures provided to a substrate using the reticle, and patterning the reticle having the first pattern with a second pattern using a pattern generating tool, the combined first and second patterns having the predetermined functionality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Leo Maria HOOGENBOOM, Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER
  • Publication number: 20200192231
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to measuring a parameter of a lithographic process and a metrology apparatus. In one arrangement, radiation from a radiation source is modified and used to illuminate a target formed on a substrate using the lithographic process. Radiation scattered from a target is detected and analyzing to determine the parameter. The modification of the radiation comprises modifying a wavelength spectrum of the radiation to have a local minimum between a global maximum and a local maximum, wherein the power spectral density of the radiation at the local minimum is less than 20% of the power spectral density of the radiation at the global maximum and the power spectral density of the radiation at the local maximum is at least 50% of the power spectral density of the radiation at the global maximum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER, Hiiko Dirk BOS, Erik Johan KOOP, Armand Eugene Albert KOOLEN, Han-Kwang NIENHUYS, Alessandro POLO, Jin LIAN, Arie Jeffrey DEN BOEF
  • Publication number: 20200185281
    Abstract: A method of configuring a parameter determination process, the method including: obtaining a mathematical model of a structure, the mathematical model configured to predict an optical response when illuminating the structure with a radiation beam and the structure having geometric symmetry at a nominal physical configuration; using, by a hardware computer system, the mathematical model to simulate a perturbation in the physical configuration of the structure of a certain amount to determine a corresponding change of the optical response in each of a plurality of pixels to obtain a plurality of pixel sensitivities; and based on the pixel sensitivities, determining a plurality of weights for combination with measured pixel optical characteristic values of the structure on a substrate to yield a value of a parameter associated with change in the physical configuration, each weight corresponding to a pixel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Adriaan Johan VAN LEEST, Anagnostis TSIATMAS, Paul Christiaan HINNEN, Elliott Gerard MC NAMARA, Alok VERMA, Thomas THEEUWES, Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER
  • Patent number: 10677589
    Abstract: A substrate having a plurality of features for use in measuring a parameter of a device manufacturing process and associated methods and apparatus. The measurement is by illumination of the features with measurement radiation from an optical apparatus and detecting a signal arising from interaction between the measurement radiation and the features. The plurality of features include first features distributed in a periodic fashion at a first pitch, and second features distributed in a periodic fashion at a second pitch, wherein the first pitch and second pitch are such that a combined pitch of the first and second features is constant irrespective of the presence of pitch walk in the plurality of features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Alok Verma, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer, Thomas Theeuwes, Anagnostis Tsiatmas, Bert Verstraeten
  • Publication number: 20200126872
    Abstract: A method of determining overlay of a patterning process, the method including: obtaining a detected representation of radiation redirected by one or more physical instances of a unit cell, wherein the unit cell has geometric symmetry at a nominal value of overlay and wherein the detected representation of the radiation was obtained by illuminating a substrate with a radiation beam such that a beam spot on the substrate was filled with the one or more physical instances of the unit cell; and determining, from optical characteristic values from the detected radiation representation, a value of a first overlay for the unit cell separately from a second overlay for the unit cell that is also obtainable from the same optical characteristic values, wherein the first overlay is in a different direction than the second overlay or between a different combination of parts of the unit cell than the second overlay.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Adriaan Johan VAN LEEST, Anagnostis TSIATMAS, Paul Christiaan HINNEN, Elliott Gerard MC NAMARA, Alok VERMA, Thomas THEEUWES, Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER
  • Patent number: 10627213
    Abstract: A method including obtaining measurement results of a device manufacturing process or a product thereof, obtaining sets of one or more values of one or more parameters of a distribution by fitting the distribution against the measurement results, respectively, and obtaining, using a computer, a set of one or more values of one or more hyperparameters of a hyperdistribution by fitting the hyperdistribution against the sets of values of the parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B. V.
    Inventors: Seyed Iman Mossavat, Remco Dirks, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer
  • Publication number: 20200110341
    Abstract: Methods for calibrating metrology apparatuses and determining a parameter of interest are disclosed. In one arrangement, training data is provided that comprises detected representations of scattered radiation detected by each of plural metrology apparatuses. An encoder encodes each detected representation to provide an encoded representation, and a decoder generates a synthetic detected representation from the respective encoded representation. A classifier estimates from which metrology apparatus originates each encoded representation or each synthetic detected representation. The training data is used to simultaneously perform, in an adversarial relationship relative to each other, a first machine learning process involving the encoder or decoder and a second machine learning process involving the classifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Seyed Iman MOSSAVAT, Bastiaan Onne Fagginger Auer, Remco Dirks, Alexandru Onose, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer
  • Patent number: 10615084
    Abstract: A method of configuring a parameter determination process, the method including: obtaining a mathematical model of a structure, the mathematical model configured to predict an optical response when illuminating the structure with a radiation beam and the structure having geometric symmetry at a nominal physical configuration; using, by a hardware computer system, the mathematical model to simulate a perturbation in the physical configuration of the structure of a certain amount to determine a corresponding change of the optical response in each of a plurality of pixels to obtain a plurality of pixel sensitivities; and based on the pixel sensitivities, determining a plurality of weights for combination with measured pixel optical characteristic values of the structure on a substrate to yield a value of a parameter associated with change in the physical configuration, each weight corresponding to a pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Adriaan Johan Van Leest, Anagnostis Tsiatmas, Paul Christiaan Hinnen, Elliott Gerard McNamara, Alok Verma, Thomas Theeuwes, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer
  • Publication number: 20200073254
    Abstract: A substrate has first and second target structures formed thereon by a lithographic process. Each target structure has two-dimensional periodic structure formed in a single material layer on a substrate using first and second lithographic steps, wherein, in the first target structure, features defined in the second lithographic step are displaced relative to features defined in the first lithographic step by a first bias amount that is close to one half of a spatial period of the features formed in the first lithographic step, and, in the second target structure, features defined in the second lithographic step are displaced relative to features defined in the first lithographic step by a second bias amount close to one half of said spatial period and different to the first bias amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Maurits VAN DER SCHAAR, Youping ZHANG, Hendrik Jan Hidde SMILDE, Anagnostis TSIATMAS, Adriaan Johan VAN LEEST, Alok VERMA, Thomas THEEUWES, Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER, Paul Christiaan HINNEN
  • Patent number: 10571363
    Abstract: Methods of determining an optimal focus height are disclosed. In one arrangement, measurement data from a plurality of applications of the metrology process to a target are obtained. Each application of the metrology process includes illuminating the target with a radiation spot and detecting radiation redirected by the target. The applications of the metrology process include applications at different nominal focus heights. The measurement data includes, for each application of the metrology process, at least a component of a detected pupil representation of an optical characteristic of the redirected radiation in a pupil plane. The method includes determining an optimal focus height for the metrology process using the obtained measurement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Mariya Vyacheslavivna Medvedyeva, Anagnostis Tsiatmas, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer, Martinus Hubertus Maria Van Weert, Bastiaan Onne Fagginger Auer, Xiaoxin Shang, Johan Maria Van Boxmeer, Bert Verstraeten
  • Patent number: 10546790
    Abstract: A method of determining overlay of a patterning process, the method including: obtaining a detected representation of radiation redirected by one or more physical instances of a unit cell, wherein the unit cell has geometric symmetry at a nominal value of overlay and wherein the detected representation of the radiation was obtained by illuminating a substrate with a radiation beam such that a beam spot on the substrate was filled with the one or more physical instances of the unit cell; and determining, from optical characteristic values from the detected radiation representation, a value of a first overlay for the unit cell separately from a second overlay for the unit cell that is also obtainable from the same optical characteristic values, wherein the first overlay is in a different direction than the second overlay or between a different combination of parts of the unit cell than the second overlay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Adriaan Johan Van Leest, Anagnostis Tsiatmas, Paul Christiaan Hinnen, Elliott Gerard McNamara, Alok Verma, Thomas Theeuwes, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer
  • Publication number: 20200013685
    Abstract: A method of determining a parameter of a patterning process, the method including: obtaining a detected representation of radiation redirected by a structure having geometric symmetry at a nominal physical configuration, wherein the detected representation of the radiation was obtained by illuminating a substrate with a radiation beam such that a beam spot on the substrate was filled with the structure; and determining, by a hardware computer system, a value of the patterning process parameter based on optical characteristic values from an asymmetric optical characteristic distribution portion of the detected radiation representation with higher weight than another portion of the detected radiation representation, the asymmetric optical characteristic distribution arising from a different physical configuration of the structure than the nominal physical configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Adriaan Johan VAN LEEST, Anagnostis TSIATMA, Paul Christiaan HINNEN, Elliott Gerard McNAMARA, Alok VERMA, Thomas THEEUWES, Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER
  • Publication number: 20190384184
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: 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
  • Patent number: 10488768
    Abstract: A target formed on a substrate, the target having: an alignment structure; and a metrology structure; wherein the alignment structure comprises structures that are arranged to generate a beat pattern when the alignment structure is illuminated with source radiation. Advantageously, when the target is illuminated, the beat pattern that appears in an image of the target allows the target to be easily identified using a pattern recognition technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Bastiaan Onne Fagginger Auer, Paul Christiaan Hinnen, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer, Anagnostis Tsiatmas, Mariya Vyacheslavivna Medvedyeva
  • Patent number: 10481503
    Abstract: A substrate has first and second target structures formed by a lithographic process. Each target structure has a two-dimensional periodic structure formed in a single layer using first and second lithographic steps. The first target structure has features defined in the second lithographic step displaced relative to features defined in the first lithographic step by a first bias amount. The second target structure has features defined in the second lithographic step displaced relative to features defined in the first lithographic step by a second bias amount. An angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the first target structure and an angle-resolved scatter spectrum of the second target structure is obtained. A measurement of a parameter of a lithographic process is derived from the measurements using asymmetry found in the scatter spectra of the first and second target structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Maurits Van Der Schaar, Youping Zhang, Hendrik Jan Hidde Smilde, Anagnostis Tsiatmas, Adriaan Johan Van Leest, Alok Verma, Thomas Theeuwes, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer, Paul Christiaan Hinnen
  • Patent number: 10453758
    Abstract: A method of determining a parameter of a patterning process, the method including: obtaining a detected representation of radiation redirected by a structure having geometric symmetry at a nominal physical configuration, wherein the detected representation of the radiation was obtained by illuminating a substrate with a radiation beam such that a beam spot on the substrate was filled with the structure; and determining, by a hardware computer system, a value of the patterning process parameter based on optical characteristic values from an asymmetric optical characteristic distribution portion of the detected radiation representation with higher weight than another portion of the detected radiation representation, the asymmetric optical characteristic distribution arising from a different physical configuration of the structure than the nominal physical configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Adriaan Johan Van Leest, Anagnostis Tsiatmas, Paul Christiaan Hinnen, Elliott Gerard McNamara, Alok Verma, Thomas Theeuwes, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer
  • Publication number: 20190265028
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method and associated apparatus for measuring a characteristic of interest relating to a structure on a substrate. The method comprises calculating a value for the characteristic of interest directly from the effect of the characteristic of interest on at least the phase of illuminating radiation when scattered by the structure, subsequent to illuminating said structure with said illuminating radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Applicants: Stichting VU, Stichting Nederlandse Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Instituten, Universiteit van Amsterdam, ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Patricius Aloysius Jacobus TINNEMANS, Vasco Tomas Tenner, Arie Jeffrey Den Boef, Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer, Patrick Warnaar, Grzegorz Grzela, Martin Jacobus Johan Jak