Patents by Inventor Timothy Allan Brunner
Timothy Allan Brunner 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: 20230296986Abstract: A lithographic system and a method for exposing a substrate are provided. The method includes providing a plurality of mask sets. Each mask set includes complementary masks corresponding to a respective pattern. The method further comprises exposing the substrate with the plurality of mask sets. A stitch location between the complementary masks of a mask set is different than a stitch location between the complementary masks of each other mask set of the plurality of mask sets.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2021Publication date: September 21, 2023Applicants: ASML Holding N.V., ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Timothy Allan BRUNNER, Marcus Adrianus VAN DE KERKHOF
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Patent number: 11703771Abstract: A calibration system includes a plate, a fixed alignment mark, and a variable diffraction grating. The plate is adjacent to a wafer alignment mark disposed on a wafer. The fixed alignment mark is disposed on the plate and is configured to act as a reference mark for an initial calibration of the calibration system. The variable diffraction grating is disposed on the plate and includes a plurality of unit cells configured to form a plurality of variable alignment marks. The variable diffraction grating is configured to calibrate a shift-between-orders of one of the variable alignment marks and the fixed alignment mark.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2020Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignees: ASML Holding N.V., ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Ali Alsaqqa, Fadi El-Ghussein, Lambertus Gerardus Maria Kessels, Roxana Rezvani Naraghi, Krishanu Shome, Timothy Allan Brunner, Sergei Sokolov
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Publication number: 20220390861Abstract: A calibration system includes a plate, a fixed alignment mark, and a variable diffraction grating. The plate is adjacent to a wafer alignment mark disposed on a wafer. The fixed alignment mark is disposed on the plate and is configured to act as a reference mark for an initial calibration of the calibration system. The variable diffraction grating is disposed on the plate and includes a plurality of unit cells configured to form a plurality of variable alignment marks. The variable diffraction grating is configured to calibrate a shift-between-orders of one of the variable alignment marks and the fixed alignment mark.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2020Publication date: December 8, 2022Applicants: ASML Holding N.V., ASML Netherlands B.V.Inventors: Ali ALSAQQA, Fadi EL-GHUSSEIN, Lambertus Gerardus Maria KESSELS, Roxana REZVANI NARAGHI, Krishanu SHOME, Timothy Allan BRUNNER, Sergei SOKOLOV
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Patent number: 10012898Abstract: Obtaining optimal focus for exposing a photoresist in an EUV lithography with an EUV mask containing a pattern with an assist feature is disclosed. The EUV mask contains a repeating pattern, wherein the repeating pattern has two different pitches, i.e. a first pitch and a second pitch, and contains an assist feature between main features. Because the two different pitches have different focus offsets, the difference between linewidths of said gratings provides a calibration curve which is a measure of focus. The method for monitoring focus is performing a EUV exposure using a focus position with a pre-determined focus position as calibrated using the linewidth difference between the two gratings. The EUV mask for monitoring focus of present invention is applicable to both test and product masks.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2017Date of Patent: July 3, 2018Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Timothy Allan Brunner, Martin Burkhardt
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Patent number: 9921466Abstract: Obtaining optimal focus for exposing a photoresist in an EUV lithography with an EUV mask containing a pattern with an assist feature is disclosed. The EUV mask contains a repeating pattern, wherein the repeating pattern has two different pitches, i.e. a first pitch and a second pitch, and contains an assist feature between main features. Because the two different pitches have different focus offsets, the difference between linewidths of said gratings provides a calibration curve which is a measure of focus. The method for monitoring focus is performing a EUV exposure using a focus position with a pre-determined focus position as calibrated using the linewidth difference between the two gratings. The EUV mask for monitoring focus of present invention is applicable to both test and product masks.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2017Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Timothy Allan Brunner, Martin Burkhardt
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Publication number: 20180074395Abstract: Obtaining optimal focus for exposing a photoresist in an EUV lithography with an EUV mask containing a pattern with an assist feature is disclosed. The EUV mask contains a repeating pattern, wherein the repeating pattern has two different pitches, i.e. a first pitch and a second pitch, and contains an assist feature between main features. Because the two different pitches have different focus offsets, the difference between linewidths of said gratings provides a calibration curve which is a measure of focus. The method for monitoring focus is performing a EUV exposure using a focus position with a pre-determined focus position as calibrated using the linewidth difference between the two gratings. The EUV mask for monitoring focus of present invention is applicable to both test and product masks.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2017Publication date: March 15, 2018Inventors: TIMOTHY ALLAN BRUNNER, MARTIN BURKHARDT
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Publication number: 20170192364Abstract: Obtaining optimal focus for exposing a photoresist in an EUV lithography with an EUV mask containing a pattern with an assist feature is disclosed. The EUV mask contains a repeating pattern, wherein the repeating pattern has two different pitches, i.e. a first pitch and a second pitch, and contains an assist feature between main features. Because the two different pitches have different focus offsets, the difference between linewidths of said gratings provides a calibration curve which is a measure of focus. The method for monitoring focus is performing a EUV exposure using a focus position with a pre-determined focus position as calibrated using the linewidth difference between the two gratings. The EUV mask for monitoring focus of present invention is applicable to both test and product masks.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2017Publication date: July 6, 2017Inventors: TIMOTHY ALLAN BRUNNER, MARTIN BURKHARDT
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Patent number: 9588440Abstract: This invention relates to a method of obtaining optimal focus for exposing a photoresist in an EUV lithography with an EUV mask containing a pattern with an assist feature. The invention also relates to an EUV mask with a special focus test target for monitoring focus in EUV lithography, and a method of fabricating this EUV mask by designing the special focus test target. The EUV mask contains a repeating pattern, wherein the repeating pattern has two different pitches, i.e. a first pitch and a second pitch, and contains an assist feature between main features. Because the two different pitches have different focus offsets, the difference between linewidths of said gratings provides a calibration curve which is a measure of focus. The method for monitoring focus is performing an EUV exposure using a focus position with a pre-determined focus position as calibrated using the linewidth difference between the two gratings.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2015Date of Patent: March 7, 2017Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATIONInventors: Timothy Allan Brunner, Martin Burkhardt
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Publication number: 20160238939Abstract: This invention relates to a method of obtaining optimal focus for exposing a photoresist in an EUV lithography with an EUV mask containing a pattern with an assist feature. The invention also relates to an EUV mask with a special focus test target for monitoring focus in EUV lithography, and a method of fabricating this EUV mask by designing the special focus test target. The EUV mask contains a repeating pattern, wherein the repeating pattern has two different pitches, i.e. a first pitch and a second pitch, and contains an assist feature between main features. Because the two different pitches have different focus offsets, the difference between linewidths of said gratings provides a calibration curve which is a measure of focus. The method for monitoring focus is performing an EUV exposure using a focus position with a pre-determined focus position as calibrated using the linewidth difference between the two gratings.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2015Publication date: August 18, 2016Inventors: Timothy Allan Brunner, Martin Burkhardt
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Patent number: 8227180Abstract: An anti-reflective coating material, a microelectronic structure that includes an anti-reflective coating layer formed from the anti-reflective coating material and a related method for exposing a resist layer located over a substrate while using the anti-reflective coating layer provide for attenuation of secondary reflected vertical alignment beam radiation when aligning the substrate including the resist layer located thereover. Such enhanced vertical alignment provides for improved dimensional integrity of a patterned resist layer formed from the resist layer, as well as additional target layers that may be fabricated while using the resist layer as a mask.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2011Date of Patent: July 24, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Timothy Allan Brunner, Sean David Burns, Kuang-Jung Chen, Wu-Song Huang, Kafai Lai, Wai-Kin Li, Bernhard R. Liegl
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Patent number: 7074525Abstract: Non-uniformity and image shortening are substantially reduced in an image printed on a substrate using a photolithographic mask in which the mask pattern includes at least one lines and spaces array adjacent to at least one clear region. At least one line feature is incorporated within the clear region of the mask pattern and is disposed in proximity to the lines and spaces array. The line feature has a line width that is smaller than a minimum resolution of the optical projection system. The image is printed by illuminating the photolithographic mask and projecting light transmitted through the photolithographic mask onto the substrate using the optical projection system.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2003Date of Patent: July 11, 2006Assignees: Infineon Technologies AG, International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Chung-Hsi J. Wu, Timothy Allan Brunner, Shahid Butt, Patrick Speno
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Publication number: 20040219435Abstract: Non-uniformity and image shortening are substantially reduced in an image printed on a substrate using a photolithographic mask in which the mask pattern includes at least one lines and spaces array adjacent to at least one clear region. At least one line feature is incorporated within the clear region of the mask pattern and is disposed in proximity to the lines and spaces array. The line feature has a line width that is smaller than a minimum resolution of the optical projection system. The image is printed by illuminating the photolithographic mask and projecting light transmitted through the photolithographic mask onto the substrate using the optical projection system.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2003Publication date: November 4, 2004Applicants: Infineon Technologies North America Corp., International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Chung-Hsi J. Wu, Timothy Allan Brunner, Shahid Butt, Patrick Speno
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Patent number: 6436605Abstract: The reactive ion etching resistance of radiation sensitive resist composition is enhanced by adding at least one organometallic compound to a radiation sensitive polymer. The resist composition can be patterned and used as mask for patterning an underlying layer.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 1999Date of Patent: August 20, 2002Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Marie Angelopoulos, Ari Aviram, Edward D. Babich, Timothy Allan Brunner, Thomas Benjamin Faure, C. Richard Guarnieri, Ranee W. Kwong, Karen E. Petrillo
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Patent number: 6114096Abstract: A photo mask and a method for using the photo mask to make asymmetric resist patterns are provided. A wafer having a resist coating thereon is exposed using the mask of the invention under specially controlled defocus conditions to provide the asymmetric resist pattern profile. The mask which comprises phase shifter means on one or both sides of a light shielding pattern forming material on the mask provides light passing through the mask having a different phase on each side of the light shielding material which produces an asymmetric resist pattern profile.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 1998Date of Patent: September 5, 2000Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Rebecca Dora Mih, Donald Coughlin Wheeler, Timothy Allan Brunner
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Patent number: 5948571Abstract: A photo mask and a method for using the photo mask to make asymmetric resist patterns are provided. A wafer having a resist coating thereon is exposed using the mask of the invention under specially controlled defocus conditions to provide the asymmetric resist pattern profile. The mask which comprises phase shifter means on one or both sides of a light shielding pattern forming material on the mask provides light passing through the mask having a different phase on each side of the light shielding material which produces an asymmetric resist pattern profile.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 1997Date of Patent: September 7, 1999Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Rebecca Dora Mih, Donald Coughlin Wheeler, Timothy Allan Brunner
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Patent number: 5805290Abstract: A process for determining critical dimension bias or overlay error in a substrate formed by a lithographic process initially provides an array of elements on a substrate, the array comprising a plurality of spaced, substantially parallel elements having a length and a width. The sum of the width of an element and the spacing of adjacent elements define a pitch of the elements. Edges of the elements are aligned along a line forming opposite array edges, with the distance between array edges comprising the array width. An optical metrology tool used for measurement of the array is adjustable for one or more of i) wavelength of the light source, ii) numerical aperture value or iii) partial coherence.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 1996Date of Patent: September 8, 1998Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Christopher Perry Ausschnitt, Timothy Allan Brunner