Patents by Inventor Robert DOWNES

Robert DOWNES 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: 20220413391
    Abstract: A method for determining an input to a lens model to determine a setpoint for manipulation of a lens of a lithographic apparatus when addressing at least one of a plurality of fields of a substrate, the method including: receiving parameter data for the at least one field, the parameter data relating to one or more parameters of the substrate within the at least one field, the one or more parameters being at least partially sensitive to manipulation of the lens as part of an exposure performed by the lithographic apparatus; receiving lens model data relating to the lens; and determining the input based on the parameter data and on the lens model data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Michel Alphons Theodorus VAN HINSBERG, James Robert DOWNES, Erwin Josef Maria VERDURMEN, Jacob Fredrik Friso KLINKHAMER, Roy WERKMAN, Jochem Sebastiaan WILDENBERG, Adam Jan URBANCZYK, Lucas Jan Joppe VISSER
  • Patent number: 11237490
    Abstract: An apparatus including an illumination system to condition a radiation beam, a support to support a patterning device, the patterning device capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam, a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate, a projection system to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate, and a control system configured to: receive pattern data characterizing a pattern distribution, receive radiation data characterizing the radiation beam, determine a dissipation distribution of the pattern based on the pattern data and the radiation data, determine deformation of the pattern by applying the dissipation distribution in a thermo-mechanical model of the patterning device, and determine a control signal to control a component of the apparatus based on the deformation of the pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Bearrach Moest, Lowell Lane Baker, James Robert Downes, Wijnand Hoitinga, Hermen Folken Pen
  • Patent number: 11126091
    Abstract: A method of calibrating a projection system heating model to predict an aberration in a projection system in a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising passing exposure radiation through a projection system to expose one or more exposure fields on a substrate provided on a substrate table, making measurements of the aberration in the projection system caused by the exposure radiation, wherein the time period between measurements is less than the time period that would be taken to expose all exposure fields on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Martijn Cornelis Schaafsma, Mhamed Akhssay, James Robert Downes
  • Patent number: 11036144
    Abstract: A method of determining a configuration of a projection system for a lithographic apparatus as an implementation of a quadratic programming problem with a penalty function. The method includes: receiving dependencies of one or more optical properties of the projection system on a configuration of a plurality of manipulators of the projection system; receiving a plurality of constraints which correspond to physical constraints of the manipulators; finding an initial configuration of the manipulators; and iteratively finding an output configuration of the manipulators. The iteration includes repeating the following steps: determining a set of the plurality of constraints that are violated; determining an updated configuration of the manipulators, the updated configuration of the manipulators being dependent on the set of the plurality of constraints that are violated and a penalty strength; and increasing the penalty strength. These steps are repeated until a convergence criterion is met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B. V.
    Inventors: Przemyslaw Aleksander Klosiewicz, Bogathi Vishnu Vardhana Reddy, Syed Umar Hassan Rizvi, James Robert Downes
  • Patent number: 11022895
    Abstract: A method comprising determining aberrations caused by each lithographic apparatus of a set of lithographic apparatuses, calculating adjustments of the lithographic apparatuses which minimize differences between the aberrations caused by each of the lithographic apparatuses, and applying the adjustments to the lithographic apparatuses, providing better matching between the aberrations of patterns projected by the lithographic apparatuses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Pierluigi Frisco, Giovanni Imponente, James Robert Downes
  • Patent number: 10948832
    Abstract: A method of reducing an aberration arising during operation of a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising measuring the aberration to obtain an aberration signal, the aberration signal comprising a first component and a second component, wherein the first component of the aberration signal comprises a first frequency band and the second component of the aberration signal comprises a second frequency band, wherein the first frequency band comprises frequencies that are higher than frequencies comprised in the second frequency band, calculating a correction, wherein a first part of the correction is calculated based on the first component of the aberration signal, and applying the correction to the lithographic apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Nick Kant, Robertus Martinus Alphonsus Van Herpen, Mark Louwrens Beks, Lense Hendrik-Jan Maria Swaenen, Nico Vanroose, James Robert Downes
  • Publication number: 20210033979
    Abstract: A method of calibrating a projection system heating model to predict an aberration in a projection system in a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising passing exposure radiation through a projection system to expose one or more exposure fields on a substrate provided on a substrate table, making measurements of the aberration in the projection system caused by the exposure radiation, wherein the time period between measurements is less than the time period that would be taken to expose all exposure fields on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Martijn Cornelis SCHAAFSMA, Mhamed AKHSSAY, James Robert DOWNES
  • Publication number: 20210011389
    Abstract: A method of determining a configuration of a projection system for a lithographic apparatus as an implementation of a quadratic programming problem with a penalty function. The method includes: receiving dependencies of one or more optical properties of the projection system on a configuration of a plurality of manipulators of the projection system; receiving a plurality of constraints which correspond to physical constraints of the manipulators; finding an initial configuration of the manipulators; and iteratively finding an output configuration of the manipulators. The iteration includes repeating the following steps: determining a set of the plurality of constraints that are violated; determining an updated configuration of the manipulators, the updated configuration of the manipulators being dependent on the set of the plurality of constraints that are violated and a penalty strength; and increasing the penalty strength. These steps are repeated until a convergence criterion is met.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Przemyslaw Aleksander KLOSIEWICZ, Bogathi Vishnu Vardhana REDDY, Syed Umar Hassan RIZVI, James Robert DOWNES
  • Publication number: 20200272059
    Abstract: A method comprising determining aberrations caused by each lithographic apparatus of a set of lithographic apparatuses, calculating adjustments of the lithographic apparatuses which minimize differences between the aberrations caused by each of the lithographic apparatuses, and applying the adjustments to the lithographic apparatuses, providing better matching between the aberrations of patterns projected by the lithographic apparatuses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Pierluigi FRISCO, Giovanni IMPONENTE, James Robert DOWNES
  • Patent number: 10638852
    Abstract: A bedsheet-holder for securing bedding materials together when in use on a mattress. The bedsheet-holder includes an elongated flexible member having a first end and a second end designed to secure a plurality of bedding materials in place. A plurality of fasteners positioned along the length of the elongated member are designed to secure the elongated member to the plurality of bedding materials, such that the plurality of bedding materials remain attached to one another and are prevented from falling off of a bed when in use. The bedsheet-holder further includes a first mating fastener on the first end of the member designed to removably attach the member to a first side of a frame of a bed, and a second mating fastener on the second end of the member designed to removably attach the elongated member to an opposite second side of a frame of a bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Inventors: Kimberly K. Downes, Robert Downes
  • Publication number: 20200117092
    Abstract: A method of reducing an aberration arising during operation of a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising measuring the aberration to obtain an aberration signal, the aberration signal comprising a first component and a second component, wherein the first component of the aberration signal comprises a first frequency band and the second component of the aberration signal comprises a second frequency band, wherein the first frequency band comprises frequencies that are higher than frequencies comprised in the second frequency band, calculating a correction, wherein a first part of the correction is calculated based on the first component of the aberration signal, and applying the correction to the lithographic apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Publication date: April 16, 2020
    Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Nick KANT, Robertus VAN HERPEN, Mark Louwrens BEKS, Lense Hendrik-Jan Maria SWAENEN, Nico VANROOSE, James Robert DOWNES
  • Patent number: 10620548
    Abstract: A method comprising illuminating a patterning device (MA?) comprising a plurality of patterned regions (15a-15c) of which each patterns a measurement beam (17a-17c), projecting, with a projection system (PL), the measurement beams onto a sensor apparatus (21) comprising a plurality of detector regions (25a-25c), making a first measurement of radiation when the patterning device and the sensor apparatus are positioned in a first relative configuration, moving at least one of the patterning device and the sensor apparatus so as to change the relative configuration of the patterning device to a second relative configuration, making a second measurement of radiation when the patterning device and the sensor apparatus are positioned in the second relative configuration in which at least some of the plurality of detector regions receive a different measurement beam to the measurement beam which was received at the respective detector region in the first relative configuration and determining aberrations caused by t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Johannes Jacobus Matheus Baselmans, Pieter Bart Aloïs De Buck, Nico Vanroose, Giovanni Imponente, Roland Johannes Wilhelmus Stas, Chanpreet Kaur, James Robert Downes
  • Publication number: 20190125091
    Abstract: A bedsheet-holder for securing bedding materials together when in use on a mattress. The bedsheet-holder includes an elongated flexible member having a first end and a second end designed to secure a plurality of bedding materials in place. A plurality of fasteners positioned along the length of the elongated member are designed to secure the elongated member to the plurality of bedding materials, such that the plurality of bedding materials remain attached to one another and are prevented from falling off of a bed when in use. The bedsheet-holder further includes a first mating fastener on the first end of the member designed to removably attach the member to a first side of a frame of a bed, and a second mating fastener on the second end of the member designed to removably attach the elongated member to an opposite second side of a frame of a bed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Kimberly K. Downes, Robert Downes
  • Publication number: 20190079420
    Abstract: An apparatus including an illumination system to condition a radiation beam, a support to support a patterning device, the patterning device capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam, a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate, a projection system to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate, and a control system configured to: receive pattern data characterizing a pattern distribution, receive radiation data characterizing the radiation beam, determine a dissipation distribution of the pattern based on the pattern data and the radiation data, determine deformation of the pattern by applying the dissipation distribution in a thermo-mechanical model of the patterning device, and determine a control signal to control a component of the apparatus based on the deformation of the pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Applicants: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V., ASML HOLDING N.V.
    Inventors: Bearrach MOEST, Lowell Lane BAKER, James Robert DOWNES, Wijnand HOITINGA, Hermen Folken PEN
  • Patent number: 10078272
    Abstract: A method of correcting aberrations caused by a projection system of a lithographic apparatus, the method including performing a measurement of an aberration caused by the projection system using a sensor located in the lithographic apparatus, determining, based on a history of operation of the lithographic apparatus since a change of machine state, whether to average the measured aberration with one or more aberration measurements previously obtained using the sensor, calculating a correction to be applied to the lithographic apparatus using the measured aberration if it is determined that averaging should not be performed, calculating a correction to be applied to the lithographic apparatus using an averaged aberration measurement if it is determined that averaging should be performed, and applying the calculated correction to the lithographic apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: James Robert Downes, Johannes Jacobus Matheus Baselmans
  • Publication number: 20180088467
    Abstract: A method comprising illuminating a patterning device (MA?) comprising a plurality of patterned regions (15a-15c) of which each patterns a measurement beam (17a-17c), projecting, with a projection system (PL), the measurement beams onto a sensor apparatus (21) comprising a plurality of detector regions (25a-25c), making a first measurement of radiation when the patterning device and the sensor apparatus are positioned in a first relative configuration, moving at least one of the patterning device and the sensor apparatus so as to change the relative configuration of the patterning device to a second relative configuration, making a second measurement of radiation when the patterning device and the sensor apparatus are positioned in the second relative configuration in which at least some of the plurality of detector regions receive a different measurement beam to the measurement beam which was received at the respective detector region in the first relative configuration and determining aberrations caused by t
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Johannes Jacobus Matheus BASELMANS, Pieter Bart Aloïs DE BUCK, Nico VANROOSE, Giovanni IMPONENTE, Roland Johannes Wilhelmus STAS, Chanpreet KAUR, James Robert DOWNES
  • Patent number: 9774589
    Abstract: A management method for outpatient electrocardiography on a patient using an ECG recorder, an administration network, a first mobile device and at least one second mobile device is provided. In order to initialize outpatient electrocardiography on a patient, the first mobile device is connected to the ECG recorder and to the administration network and in the process an identification code assigned to the ECG recorder is transmitted from the ECG recorder to the administration network. After the verification of the authorizations of the mobile device, at least one certificate assigned to the ECG recorder is provided by the administration network and is transmitted to the ECG recorder for storage via the mobile device. The second mobile device is connected to the ECG recorder and to the administration network and in the process the identification code assigned to the ECG recorder is transmitted from the ECG recorder to the administration network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: GETEMED MEDIZIN—UND INFORMATIONSTECHNIK AG
    Inventors: Tilo Borchardt, Winfried Scharner, Michael Scherf, Robert Downes
  • Publication number: 20170261863
    Abstract: A method of correcting aberrations caused by a projection system of a lithographic apparatus, the method including performing a measurement of an aberration caused by the projection system using a sensor located in the lithographic apparatus, determining, based on a history of operation of the lithographic apparatus since a change of machine state, whether to average the measured aberration with one or more aberration measurements previously obtained using the sensor, calculating a correction to be applied to the lithographic apparatus using the measured aberration if it is determined that averaging should not be performed, calculating a correction to be applied to the lithographic apparatus using an averaged aberration measurement if it is determined that averaging should be performed, and applying the calculated correction to the lithographic apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: James Robert DOWNES, Johannes Jacobus Matheus BASELMANS
  • Publication number: 20160127354
    Abstract: A management method for outpatient electrocardiography on a patient using an ECG recorder, an administration network, a first mobile device and at least one second mobile device is provided. In order to initialize outpatient electrocardiography on a patient, the first mobile device is connected to the ECG recorder and to the administration network and in the process an identification code assigned to the ECG recorder is transmitted from the ECG recorder to the administration network. After the verification of the authorizations of the mobile device, at least one certificate assigned to the ECG recorder is provided by the administration network and is transmitted to the ECG recorder for storage via the mobile device. The second mobile device is connected to the ECG recorder and to the administration network and in the process the identification code assigned to the ECG recorder is transmitted from the ECG recorder to the administration network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Tilo BORCHARDT, Winfried SCHARNER, Michael SCHERF, Robert DOWNES
  • Publication number: 20160066805
    Abstract: The invention relates to an assembly for providing a long-term ECG. The assembly comprises a portable ECG device (1), which is designed and intended to record, for a defined or definable time period, an ECG of a patient who can be associated with the ECG device (1), and an application software (2) for the ECG device (1) that can be executed on a mobile device (3) or on a computer. By means of the application software (2), parameters of the ECG device (1) can be set and data recorded by the ECG device (1) can be read out and displayed. Furthermore, the application software (2) is designed to visually instruct an operating person in the electrode placement for an ECG and to detect and evaluate parameters of the ECG device (1) and/or of an ECG cable (41-43) connected to the ECG device (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Michael SCHERF, Robert DOWNES, Christian KLERX