Patents by Inventor Sascha Perlitz
Sascha Perlitz 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).
-
Patent number: 11914303Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for characterizing a microlithographic mask. According to one aspect, an apparatus according to the invention comprises at least one light source which emits coherent light, an illumination optical unit which produces a diffraction-limited light spot on the mask from the coherent light of the at least one light source, a scanning device, by use of which it is possible to implement a scanning movement of the diffraction-limited light spot relative to the mask, a sensor unit, and an evaluation unit for evaluating the light that is incident on the sensor unit and has come from the mask, an output coupling element for coupling out a portion of the coherent light emitted by the at least one light source, and an intensity sensor for capturing the intensity of this output coupled portion.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2021Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Johannes Ruoff, Heiko Feldmann, Ulrich Matejka, Thomas Thaler, Sascha Perlitz, Shao-Chi Wei, Joerg Frederik Blumrich, Markus Deguenther
-
Publication number: 20240061328Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for characterizing a microlithography mask. In one aspect, in a method according to the invention, the mask to be characterized is illuminated with light from a light source via an illumination optics unit, said light having a wavelength of less than 30 nm, wherein light that passes in a used beam path from the light source via the mask to a sensor unit is evaluated, wherein, at least intermittently, a portion of the light emitted by the light source is outcoupled from the used beam path by use of a mirror array having a multitude of independently adjustable mirror elements, and wherein, intermittently by use of the mirror array, all light is outcoupled from the used beam path for establishment of a defined illumination time of the sensor unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2023Publication date: February 22, 2024Inventors: Ulrich Matejka, Sascha Perlitz, Markus Deguenther
-
Publication number: 20230221571Abstract: The invention relates to an optical system and, in particular for characterizing a microlithography mask, comprising a light source for generating light of a wavelength of less than 30 nm, an illumination beam path leading from the light source to an object plane, an imaging beam path leading from the object plane to an image plane and a beam splitter, via which both the illumination beam path and the imaging beam path run.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 10, 2023Publication date: July 13, 2023Inventors: Ulrich Matejka, Sascha Perlitz, Johannes Ruoff
-
Publication number: 20210397099Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for characterizing a microlithographic mask. According to one aspect, an apparatus according to the invention comprises at least one light source which emits coherent light, an illumination optical unit which produces a diffraction-limited light spot on the mask from the coherent light of the at least one light source, a scanning device, by use of which it is possible to implement a scanning movement of the diffraction-limited light spot relative to the mask, a sensor unit, and an evaluation unit for evaluating the light that is incident on the sensor unit and has come from the mask, an output coupling element for coupling out a portion of the coherent light emitted by the at least one light source, and an intensity sensor for capturing the intensity of this output coupled portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2021Publication date: December 23, 2021Inventors: Johannes Ruoff, Heiko Feldmann, Ulrich Matejka, Thomas Thaler, Sascha Perlitz, Shao-Chi Wei, Joerg Frederik Blumrich, Markus Deguenther
-
Patent number: 10634886Abstract: In a method for three-dimensionally measuring a 3D aerial image in the region around an image plane during the imaging of a lithography mask, which is arranged in an object plane, a selectable imaging scale ratio in mutually perpendicular directions (x, y) is taken into account. For this purpose, an electromagnetic wavefront of imaging light is reconstructed after interaction thereof with the lithography mask. An influencing variable that corresponds to the imaging scale ratio is included. Finally, the 3D aerial image measured with the inclusion of the influencing variable is output. This results in a measuring method with which lithography masks that are optimized for being used with an anamorphic projection optical unit during projection exposure can also be measured.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2018Date of Patent: April 28, 2020Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Ulrich Matejka, Christoph Husemann, Johannes Ruoff, Sascha Perlitz, Hans-Jürgen Mann
-
Publication number: 20180357758Abstract: In a method for three-dimensionally measuring a 3D aerial image in the region around an image plane during the imaging of a lithography mask, which is arranged in an object plane, a selectable imaging scale ratio in mutually perpendicular directions (x, y) is taken into account. For this purpose, an electromagnetic wavefront of imaging light is reconstructed after interaction thereof with the lithography mask. An influencing variable that corresponds to the imaging scale ratio is included. Finally, the 3D aerial image measured with the inclusion of the influencing variable is output. This results in a measuring method with which lithography masks that are optimized for being used with an anamorphic projection optical unit during projection exposure can also be measured.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2018Publication date: December 13, 2018Inventors: Ulrich Matejka, Christoph Husemann, Johannes Ruoff, Sascha Perlitz, Hans-Jürgen Mann
-
Patent number: 10068325Abstract: In a method for three-dimensionally measuring a 3D aerial image in the region around an image plane during the imaging of a lithography mask, which is arranged in an object plane, a selectable imaging scale ratio in mutually perpendicular directions (x, y) is taken into account. For this purpose, an electromagnetic wavefront of imaging light is reconstructed after interaction thereof with the lithography mask. An influencing variable that corresponds to the imaging scale ratio is included. Finally, the 3D aerial image measured with the inclusion of the influencing variable is output. This results in a measuring method with which lithography masks that are optimized for being used with an anamorphic projection optical unit during projection exposure can also be measured.Type: GrantFiled: January 20, 2017Date of Patent: September 4, 2018Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Ulrich Matejka, Christoph Husemann, Johannes Ruoff, Sascha Perlitz, Hans-Jürgen Mann
-
Publication number: 20170132782Abstract: In a method for three-dimensionally measuring a 3D aerial image in the region around an image plane during the imaging of a lithography mask, which is arranged in an object plane, a selectable imaging scale ratio in mutually perpendicular directions (x, y) is taken into account. For this purpose, an electromagnetic wavefront of imaging light is reconstructed after interaction thereof with the lithography mask. An influencing variable that corresponds to the imaging scale ratio is included. Finally, the 3D aerial image measured with the inclusion of the influencing variable is output. This results in a measuring method with which lithography masks that are optimized for being used with an anamorphic projection optical unit during projection exposure can also be measured.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2017Publication date: May 11, 2017Inventors: Ulrich Matejka, Christoph Husemann, Johannes Ruoff, Sascha Perlitz, Hans-Jürgen Mann
-
Patent number: 9605946Abstract: A method is provided for characterizing a mask having a structure, comprising the steps of: illuminating said mask under at least one illumination angle with monochromatic illuminating radiation, so as to produce a diffraction pattern of said structure that includes at least two maxima of adjacent diffraction orders, capturing said diffraction pattern, determining the intensities of the maxima of the adjacent diffraction orders, and determining an intensity quotient of the intensities. A mask inspection microscope for characterizing a mask in conjunction with the performance of the inventive method is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2015Date of Patent: March 28, 2017Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventor: Sascha Perlitz
-
Publication number: 20160091300Abstract: A method is provided for characterizing a mask having a structure, comprising the steps of: illuminating said mask under at least one illumination angle with monochromatic illuminating radiation, so as to produce a diffraction pattern of said structure that includes at least two maxima of adjacent diffraction orders, capturing said diffraction pattern, determining the intensities of the maxima of the adjacent diffraction orders, determining an intensity quotient of the intensities. A mask inspection microscope for characterizing a mask in conjunction with the performance of the inventive method is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2015Publication date: March 31, 2016Inventor: Sascha Perlitz
-
Patent number: 9297994Abstract: There is provided an autofocus device for an imaging device which has an imaging lens system with a first focal plane, an object stage for holding an object and a first movement module for the relative movement of object stage and imaging lens system, wherein the autofocus device comprises an image-recording module with a second focal plane the position of which relative to the first focal plane is known, a second movement module for the relative movement of object stage and image-recording module, a focus module for producing a two-dimensional, intensity-modulated focusing image in a focus module plane which intersects the second focal plane and a control module which controls the image-recording module for focusing the imaging device, which then records a first two-dimensional image of the object together with the focusing image during a predetermined first exposure time, and wherein the control module, using the first two-dimensional image recorded by means of the image-recording module and taking intoType: GrantFiled: September 7, 2012Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignees: Carl Zeiss SMS GmbH, Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Sascha Perlitz, Michael Arnz, Dirk Seidel
-
Patent number: 9213003Abstract: A method is provided for characterizing a mask having a structure, comprising the steps of: —illuminating said mask under at least one illumination angle with monochromatic illuminating radiation, so as to produce a diffraction pattern of said structure that includes at least two maxima of adjacent diffraction orders, —capturing said diffraction pattern, —determining the intensities of the maxima of the adjacent diffraction orders, —determining an intensity quotient of the intensities. A mask inspection microscope for characterizing a mask in conjunction with the performance of the inventive method is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2011Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMS GmbHInventor: Sascha Perlitz
-
Publication number: 20130308125Abstract: A method is provided for characterizing a mask having a structure, comprising the steps of: —illuminating said mask under at least one illumination angle with monochromatic illuminating radiation, so as to produce a diffraction pattern of said structure that includes at least two maxima of adjacent diffraction orders, —capturing said diffraction pattern, —determining the intensities of the maxima of the adjacent diffraction orders, —determining an intensity quotient of the intensities. A mask inspection microscope for characterizing a mask in conjunction with the performance of the inventive method is also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2011Publication date: November 21, 2013Applicant: CARL ZEISS SMS GMBHInventor: Sascha Perlitz
-
Publication number: 20130062501Abstract: There is provided an autofocus device for an imaging device which has an imaging lens system with a first focal plane, an object stage for holding an object, and a first movement module for the relative movement of object stage and imaging lens system. The autofocus device comprises an image-recording module with a second focal plane, a second movement module for the relative movement of object stage and image-recording module, and a control module which controls the image-recording module for focusing the imaging device. The control module controls the first movement module such that evaluated change in distance between the object stage and the imaging lens system is carried out, and controls the second movement module such that, during the first exposure time for recording the first two-dimensional image, the object stage is moved relative to the image-recording module in a plane parallel to the second focal plane.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2012Publication date: March 14, 2013Applicants: CARL ZEISS SMT GMBH, CARL ZEISS SMS GMBHInventors: Sascha Perlitz, Michael Arnz, Dirk Seidel