Distortion Introducing Or Rectifying Patents (Class 355/52)
  • Patent number: 8203696
    Abstract: A projection apparatus for microlithography for imaging an object field includes an objective, one or a plurality of manipulators for manipulating one or a plurality of optical elements of the objective, a control unit for regulating or controlling the one or the plurality of manipulators, a determining device for determining at least one or a plurality of image aberrations of the objective, a memory comprising upper bounds for one or a plurality of specifications of the objective, including upper bounds for image aberrations and/or movements for the manipulators, wherein when determining an overshooting of one of the upper bounds by one of the image aberrations and/or an overshooting of one of the upper bounds by one of the manipulator movements by regulation or control of at least one manipulator within at most 30000 ms, or 10000 ms, or 5000 ms, or 1000 ms, or 200 ms, or 20 ms, or 5 ms, or 1 ms, an undershooting of the upper bounds can be effected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Boris Bittner, Holger Walter, Matthias Roesch
  • Patent number: 8203692
    Abstract: An alignment mark on a substrate includes a periodic structure of a plurality of first elements and a plurality of second elements. The elements are arranged in an alternating repetitive sequence in a first direction. An overall pitch of the periodic structure is equal to a sum of a width of the first element and a width of the second element in the first direction. Each first element has a first periodic sub-structure with a first sub-pitch and each second element has a second periodic sub-structure with second sub-pitch. An optical property of the first element for interaction with a beam of radiation having a wavelength ? is different from the optical property of the second element. The overall pitch is larger than the wavelength ?, and each of the first and the second sub-pitch is smaller than the wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Sami Musa, Richard Johannes Franciscus Van Haren, Sanjaysingh Lalbahadoersing
  • Patent number: 8203695
    Abstract: Several embodiments of photolithography systems and associated methods of focus correction are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method for characterizing focus errors in a photolithography system includes placing a microelectronic substrate onto a substrate support of the photolithography system. The microelectronic substrate is divided into a plurality of fields individually partitioned into a plurality of regions. The method also includes developing a raw focus error map that has a focus error corresponding to the individual regions of the plurality of fields and deriving at least one of an inter-field focus error map and an intra-field focus error map based on the raw focus error map. The inter-field focus error map has an inter-field focus error corresponding to the individual fields, and the intra-field focus error map has an intra-field focus error corresponding to the individual regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Woong Jae Chung
  • Patent number: 8199314
    Abstract: System and method for improving immersion scanner overlay performance are described. One embodiment is a method of improving overlay performance of an photolithography immersion scanner including a wafer table having lens cooling water (“LCW”) disposed in a water channel therein, the wafer table having an input for receiving the LCW into the water channel and an output for expelling the LCW from the water channel. The method includes providing a water tank that connects to at least one of the wafer table input and the wafer table output; monitoring a pressure of water in the water tank; and maintaining the pressure of the water in the water tank at a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jui-Chung Peng, Tzung-Chi Fu, Chin-Hsiang Lin, Chien-Hsun Lin, Chun-Hung Lin, Yao-Wen Guo, Shy-Jay Lin, Heng-Hsin Liu
  • Patent number: 8200731
    Abstract: A device for and method of determining a coherence measurement for a signal that includes a digitizer for digitizing the signal, a transformer connected to the digitizer, a first squarer connected to the transformer, a second squarer connected to the digitizer, an adder connected to the first squarer and the second squarer, a subtractor connected to the first squarer and the second squarer, a standard-deviation function block connected to the subtractor, a mean generator connected to the adder, a first multiplier connected to the standard-deviation function block, and a divider connected to the output of the mean generator and the first multiplier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Director, National Security Agency
    Inventor: Adolf Cusmariu
  • Patent number: 8194231
    Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition a beam of radiation, a support structure configured to hold a reticle, a substrate table configured to hold a substrate, and a projection system configured to project a beam onto the substrate table. The numerical aperture of the illumination system is larger than the numerical aperture of the projection system. The apparatus also includes a radiation redirection device configured to re-direct ?>1 components of the beam of radiation to within the numerical aperture of the projection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Heine Melle Mulder, Joost Cyrillus Lambert Hageman, Roland Johannes Wilhelmus Stas
  • Patent number: 8194242
    Abstract: A distortion measurement apparatus comprising a detector arranged to measure distortion of a substrate, and a processor arranged to receive distortion data indicating the measured distortion of the substrate and to transform the distortion data into a frequency domain representation. The distortion data may alternatively be transformed into an orthogonal polynomial or an orthonormal polynomial representation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Antonius Theodorus Anna Maria Derksen, Pieter Willem Herman De Jager, Erik Marie Jose Smeets
  • Patent number: 8189168
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate with an exposure light through an exposure liquid. The exposure apparatus includes an optical element from which the exposure light exits; a stage which is movable on the light-exit side of the optical element; a certain member which is provided on the stage; and a vibration generator which vibrates the certain member to apply vibration to the liquid in the liquid immersion space formed on the certain member. It is possible to suppress the deterioration of the performance which would be otherwise caused by any contamination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Nagasaka, Yasushi Yoda
  • Patent number: 8183544
    Abstract: A correcting substrate for a charged particle beam lithography apparatus includes a substrate body using a low thermal expansion material having a thermal expansion lower than that of a silicon oxide (SiO2) material; a first conductive film arranged above the substrate; and a second conductive film selectively arranged on the first conductive film and having a reflectance higher than the first conductive film, wherein the low thermal expansion material is exposed on a rear surface of the correcting substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kaoru Tsuruta, Takashi Kamikubo, Rieko Nishimura, Shusuke Yoshitake, Shuichi Tamamushi
  • Patent number: 8184265
    Abstract: A method that includes conditioning a radiation beam, imparting the radiation beam with a pattern to form a patterned radiation beam by a reticle having a pattern image area and a reticle mark, and projecting the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate by a projection system. The method further includes illuminating the reticle mark by the radiation beam for generating an aerial image of the reticle, projecting the aerial image on an image sensor, collecting image data from the image sensor, obtaining from the image data positional parameters of the aerial image, and correcting any deviation of the positional parameters from a required position of the aerial image by compensating an illumination induced thermal expansion of the reticle by an estimated correction of magnification settings of the projection system, the estimated correction being calculated from a prediction of the temporal thermal expansion of the reticle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventor: Peter Hanzen Wardenier
  • Patent number: 8184263
    Abstract: A measurement apparatus which measures spatial coherence in an illuminated plane illuminated by an illumination system, comprises a measurement mask which has at least three pinholes and is arranged on the illuminated plane, a detector configured to detect an interference pattern formed by lights from the at least three pinholes, and a calculator configured to calculate the spatial coherence in the illuminated plane based on a Fourier spectrum obtained by Fourier-transforming the interference pattern detected by the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasunori Furukawa
  • Publication number: 20120120379
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the distortion of a reticle (28) includes a temperature adjuster (258) and a control system (226). The temperature adjuster (258) includes a plurality of adjuster elements (258E) that individually adjust the temperature of a plurality of regions (28R) of the reticle (28). The control system (226) includes a state observer (250) and a controller (260). The state observer (250) estimates an estimated physical condition (250C) of the reticle (28). The controller (260) controls the adjuster elements (258E) of the temperature adjuster (258) based at least in part on the estimated physical condition (250C).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Inventors: Alton H. Phillips, Douglas C. Watson, Hiromitsu Yoshimoto, Hiroki Okuno
  • Patent number: 8179518
    Abstract: A scanning exposure apparatus projects a pattern of an original onto a substrate via a projection optical system and shifts the original and the substrate in synchronization with each other with respect to an optical axis of the projection optical system so as to transfer the pattern of the original to the substrate by exposure. The scanning exposure apparatus includes a unit configured to correct a relative position between the original and the substrate by a correction amount according to a shifting rate at which the original and the substrate are shifted in synchronization with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yukio Takabayashi
  • Patent number: 8179519
    Abstract: An adjusting device used to align two components of a microlithography projection exposure installation relative to each other. The adjusting device has an autocollimating device with a light source and a reflector. The light source and the reflector are each rigidly connected to one of the optical components. In one embodiment, the adjusting device has a laser light source which is different from the radiation source. A beam-splitter is downstream from the laser light source and carries useful adjustment light along a first optical path. A reflector can be rigidly connected to a reference component of an illuminating optics system or to a radiation source so that when an actual position of the reference component relative to the radiation source coincides with a desired position, the useful adjustment light is reflected back on itself. A bundle-sensitive component is sensitive to the direction and position of useful adjustment light in the optical path between bundle-sensitive component and reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Stuetzle
  • Patent number: 8174670
    Abstract: A method of measuring an optical characteristic of an optical system using a measurement apparatus, comprises determining a position of each of object points by arranging, on a side of the object plane, an object point measurement device array, and sequentially inserting the object point measurement devices in an optical path, determining a position of each of image points by arranging, on a side of the image plane, an image point measurement device array, and sequentially inserting the image point measurement devices in the optical path, calculating an error attributed to the measurement apparatus based on the positions of object points and the positions of the image points, obtaining a measured value by measurement to obtain information representing the optical characteristic of the optical system using the measurement apparatus, and correcting the measured value based on the error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Taro Tezuka, Yoshiyuki Kuramoto
  • Patent number: 8169593
    Abstract: A system and method use a substrate with a pattern of individual, indiscrete alignment marks, i.e., the marks are separate and distinct from each other, and each mark is not divided into component parts. The pattern of marks is distributed over an area of the substrate, and the method also comprises the steps of providing a beam of radiation using an illumination system and an array of individually controllable elements to impart the beam with a pattern in its cross-section, providing a projection system to project the patterned beam onto the substrate, and providing a movement system to effect relative movement between the substrate and the projection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Franciscus Godefridus Casper Bijnen, Joannes Theodoor De Smit
  • Publication number: 20120099089
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring thermo-mechanically induced reticle distortion or other distortion in a lithography device enables detecting distortion at the nanometer level in situ. The techniques described use relatively simple optical detectors and data acquisition electronics that are capable of monitoring the distortion in real time, during operation of the lithography equipment. Time-varying anisotropic distortion of a reticle can be measured by directing slit patterns of light having different orientations to the reticle and detecting reflected, transmitted or diffracted light from the reticle. In one example, corresponding segments of successive time measurements of secondary light signals are compared as the reticle scans a substrate at a reticle stage speed of about 1 m/s to detect temporal offsets and other features that correspond to spatial distortion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Inventor: Michael Sogard
  • Patent number: 8164736
    Abstract: An exposure method includes measuring coordinates of alignment marks before and after exposing a first wafer to determine a fluctuation amount of a parameter of the alignment; measuring coordinates of alignment marks before exposing a second wafer to determine a parameter of the alignment; and aligning and exposing the second wafer based on a parameter obtained by correcting the parameter with the fluctuation amount determined for the first wafer. A high overlay accuracy can be obtained even when the alignment information is gradually changed, for example, due to the linear expansion and contraction of the substrate during the exposure of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Yuichi Shibazaki
  • Patent number: 8159647
    Abstract: A maskless lithography system has a patterning array assembly formed by a plurality of patterning arrays, each patterning array having a substrate. Each patterning array has a plurality of individually controllable elements to endow an incoming radiation beam with a patterned cross-section. To reduce the global unflatness of the patterning array assembly that is oriented in a first plane, the position of at least one substrate of a patterning array is adjusted to a second orientation. Reduction of the global unflatness of the patterning array assembly reduces a telecentricity error without introducing additional error into the maskless lithography system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignees: ASML Holding N.V., ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Arno Jan Bleeker, Dominicus Jacobus Petrus Adrianus Franken, Peter C. Kochersperger, Kars Zeger Troost
  • Patent number: 8159648
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a microlithography projection exposure system having optical corrective elements configured to modify the imaging characteristics, as well as related systems and components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Franz Sorg, Peter Deufel, Toralf Gruner
  • Patent number: 8149383
    Abstract: A method for determining the lateral correction as a function of the substrate topology and/or the geometry of the substrate holder is disclosed. The substrate is placed on a measuring stage traversable in the X coordinate direction and Y coordinate direction, which carries the substrate to be measured. The substrate is supported on at least three support points which define a plane. An apparatus is provided for determining the position of a plurality of positions on the surface of the substrate in the in the X, Y and Z coordinate directions. The substrate is tiltable about an axis parallel to the X/Y plane, to enable the substrate to be measured in a tilted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Vistec Semiconductor Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Slawomir Czerkas
  • Patent number: 8149380
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus is configured to expose a pattern of an original on a substrate by using light from a light source. The exposure apparatus includes an illumination optical system configured to illuminate the original by polarized light by using the light from the light source, and a correction unit configured to correct misalignment of the optical axis of the light from the light source and the optical axis of the illumination optical system. The correction unit includes a first lens and a deflecting member, the first lens can move in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens, and a deflecting direction of the light deflected by the deflecting member is variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiromi Suda
  • Publication number: 20120062862
    Abstract: In a method for generating a pattern on a workpiece having at least one die placed thereon, positions of the at least one die and at least two global alignment marks on the workpiece are measured, pattern adjustment data is generated, pattern image data associated with the pattern to be written is adjusted based on the generated pattern adjustment data, and the pattern is generated on the workpiece based on the modified pattern adjustment data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: MICRONIC MYDATA AB
    Inventor: Mikael Wahlsten
  • Patent number: 8134683
    Abstract: In a lithographic projection apparatus, adjustment of the projection system, e.g. to compensate for lens heating effects, is performed by determining a region of interest for a given pattern and illumination arrangement, the region of interest being a non-circular region of a pupil plane of the projection system through which substantially all of the radiation of the modulated beam that contributes to formation of the image passes; obtaining a set of basis functions that are orthogonal over the region of interest; expressing the wavefront in the pupil plane in terms of the basis functions that are orthogonal over the region of interest and a set of coefficients; and determining a value of a control setting to minimize the values of the coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Hans Van Der Laan, Laurentius Cornelius De Winter
  • Patent number: 8130360
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an image sensor, a measurement optical system configured to guide measurement light to obliquely enter the projection optical system, and further, to guide the measurement light returned from the projection optical system to the image sensor, and a control unit configured to calculate surface position information of the substrate based on the output from the image sensor. The control unit calculates the surface position information of the substrate based on an interval between the image, of a mark arranged on the original stage, formed by the measurement light, which has passed through the mark, and the image of the mark formed by the measurement light reflected by the mark.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichiro Hirai, Tetsuya Mori, Seiya Miura, Yoshinori Ohsaki
  • Patent number: 8130362
    Abstract: At Step 602, the grid of a wafer loaded into an exposure apparatus is approximated by a mathematical function fitting up to, for example, a cubic function, and at Step 612, the magnitude of a residual error between the position of a sample shot area obtained by the function and an actually measured position is compared with a predetermined threshold value. GCM measurement is performed in a mathematical function mode in a subroutine 616, or it is performed in a map mode in a subroutine 616, on the basis of the result of the comparison. In addition, it is determined whether to extract non-linear components from the wafer in each lot on the basis of a variation in the temperature of the wafer (Step 622) and a variation in random error between the wafers (Step 624).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Masaharu Kawakubo
  • Publication number: 20120044468
    Abstract: An immersion lithography apparatus comprises a temperature controller configured to adjust a temperature of a projection system, a substrate and a liquid towards a common target temperature. Controlling the temperature of these elements and reducing temperature gradients may improve imaging consistency and general lithographic performance. Measures to control the temperature may include controlling the immersion liquid flow rate and liquid temperature, for example, via a feedback circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Bob STREEFKERK, Antonius Theodorus Anna Maria Derksen, Joeri Lof, Klaus Simon, Alexander Straaijer
  • Patent number: 8111378
    Abstract: Disclosed is an exposure method which illuminates a first object with an exposure beam and exposes a second object with the exposure beam through the first object and a projection optical system, wherein at least a part of one of the first object and the projection optical system is irradiated with a light beam having a wavelength range different from that of the exposure beam through a space waveguide mechanism, to correct an imaging characteristic of the projection optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Uchikawa
  • Patent number: 8111376
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for process control in a lithographic process are described. Metrology may be performed on a substrate either before or after performing a lithographic patterning process on the substrate. One or more correctables to the lithographic patterning process may be generated based on the metrology. The lithographic patterning process performed on the substrate (or a subsequent substrate) may be adjusted with the correctables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: KLA-TENCOR Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Adel, John Fielden, Amir Widmann, John Robinson, Dongsub Choi
  • Patent number: 8111380
    Abstract: A method for generating a write pattern to be used in a maskless-lithography process is described. During the method, a computer system determines a one-to-one correspondence between pixels in the write pattern and at least a subset of elements in a spatial-light modulator used in the maskless-lithography process. Furthermore, the computer system generates the write pattern. Note that the write pattern includes features corresponding to at least the subset of elements in the spatial-light modulator, and the generating is in accordance with a characteristic dimension of an element in the spatial-light modulator and a target pattern that is to be printed on a semiconductor wafer during the maskless-lithography process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Luminescent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel S. Abrams, Timothy Lin
  • Patent number: 8107051
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes each of a plurality of regions arranged on a substrate. The apparatus includes a processor configured to i) cause a measurement device to acquire an image signal of an alignment mark formed in each of plural regions which are at least a part of the plurality of regions and to measure a position of the alignment mark under a plurality of measurement conditions, ii) calculate a feature value of the signal acquired with respect to each of the plural regions under each of the plurality of measurement conditions, and iii) calculate, with respect to each of the plurality of measurement conditions, a coefficient of a transformation equation which transforms a coordinate of a designed position of the alignment mark to a value that approximate the feature value corresponding to the designed position, and a console configured to display information of the calculated coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinichi Egashira
  • Patent number: 8107052
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus is configured to expose a substrate to light while the substrate is scanned. The apparatus comprises a stage configured to hold the substrate and to move, a measuring device configured to measure a position of a surface of the substrate held by the stage, a controller configured to define an arrangement of measurement points with respect to each of a plurality of shot regions arranged along a straight line, and to cause the measuring device to sequentially measure positions of the surface with respect to the defined measurement points in the plurality of shot regions while causing the stage to move to scan the substrate along the straight line. The controller is configured to define the arrangement such that the plurality of shot regions have the arrangement in common with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuji Kosugi
  • Patent number: 8107054
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, as well as related components, methods and articles made by the methods. The microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes an illumination system and a projection objective. The illumination system can illuminate a mask arranged in an object plane of the projection objective. The mask can have structures which are to be imaged. The method can include illuminating a pupil plane of the illumination system with light. The method can also include modifying, in a plane of the projection objective, the phase, amplitude and/or polarization of the light passing through that plane. The modification can be effected for at least two diffraction orders in mutually different ways. A mask-induced loss in image contrast obtained in the imaging of the structures can be reduced compared to a method without the modification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Totzeck, Aksel Goehnermeier, Wolfgang Singer, Helmut Beierl, Heiko Feldmann, Hans-Juergen Mann, Jochen Hetzler
  • Patent number: 8102503
    Abstract: The present invention provides an exposure apparatus comprising a projection optical system including an optical element of which at least one of a position, orientation, and shape can be regulated, a regulator configured to regulate the at least one of the position, orientation, and shape of the optical element, and a controller configured to calculate, using quadratic programming, a regulation amount of the optical element that minimizes a value of an objective function expressed by a first dummy variable serving as an upper limit of a linear optical characteristic value of the projection optical system, and a second dummy variable serving as an upper limit of a quadratic optical characteristic value of the projection optical system, and to control the regulator based on the calculated regulation amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Yoshihara, Yuji Shinano
  • Patent number: 8102512
    Abstract: To provide a substrate holding apparatus which can prevent a liquid from entering into a rear surface side of a substrate. A substrate holding apparatus (PH) is provided with a base material (PHB), a first holding portion (PH1) formed on the base material (PHB) for holding the substrate (P), and a second holding portion (PH2) formed on the base material (PHB) for holding a plate member (T) by surrounding the circumference of a processing substrate (P) held by the first holding portion (PH1). The second holding portion (PH2) holds the plate member (T) so as to form a second space (32) on the side of the rear surface (Tb) of the plate member (T). On the rear surface (Tb) of the plate member (T), an absorbing member (100) is arranged for absorbing the liquid (LQ) entered from a gap (A) between the substrate (P) held by the first holding portion (PH1) and the plate member (T) held by the second holding portion (PH2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Shibuta, Yuichi Yoshida, Hiroaki Takaiwa
  • Patent number: 8081292
    Abstract: In an exposure system and semiconductor device manufacturing method relating to the present invention, an image of spatial image mark body through a reduction projection lens is projected onto a spatial image projection plate arranged on a wafer stage by irradiating the spatial image mark body arranged on a reticle stage with an exposure light. The spatial image mark body has a plurality of spatial image marks arranged in a same plane. At projection positions of images of each spatial image mark on the spatial image projection plate, spatial image openings are equipped with differing positions in an optical axis direction of the exposure light. A focus curve with a single exposure can be obtained, without moving the wafer stage in the optical axis direction, by respective measurements of optical intensities of images of each spatial image mark through each opening thereby enabling to calculate the best focus position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Nishino, Takatsugu Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8077291
    Abstract: A method for determining an offset between a center of a substrate and a center of a depression in a chuck includes providing a test substrate to the depression, the test substrate having a dimension smaller than a dimension of the depression, measuring a position of an alignment mark of the test substrate while in the depression, and determining the offset between the center of the substrate and the center of the depression from the position of the alignment mark.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Christiaan Alexander Hoogendam, Gerrit Johannes Nijmeijer, Minne Cuperus, Petrus Anton Willern Cornelia Maria Van Eijck
  • Patent number: 8072575
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a lithographic apparatus is arranged to transfer a pattern from a patterning device onto a substrate, wherein the lithographic apparatus includes an air shower and a temperature sensor positioned near the air shower for measuring the temperature of an air stream in the air shower. The temperature sensor is a thermocouple sensor, e.g., of a thermopile arrangement type. The thermocouple sensor includes a plurality of thermocouples in series, wherein a cold junction and a hot junction are provided, the cold junction being connected to a heat sink, and the hot junction being positioned into the air stream of the air shower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Tjarko Adriaan Rudolf Van Empel, Paulus Bartholomeus Johannes Schaareman
  • Patent number: 8072579
    Abstract: Provided is a measuring method including: transferring a measuring mark disposed on an original to a substrate at a plurality of locations; moving a substrate stage for holding the substrate so that the substrate is rotated by 90 degrees about a rotation axis parallel to an optical axis of a projection optical system; then transferring the measuring mark to the substrate at a plurality of locations so that the measuring mark overlaps the transfer region; measuring positional deviations among the transferred measuring marks and a first overlap mark in a region where the transfer regions overlap each other; and calculating at least one of a positional error of a shot on the substrate, a rotational error of the same, and an orthogonality in shot arrangement based on a result of the measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Tokuyama
  • Publication number: 20110292362
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus which forms a predetermined mask pattern on a target workpiece through exposure by: casting exposure light upon a mask in which the pattern and a mask-side alignment mark are formed, and forming an image of the mask on the target workpiece by projecting the exposure light, which passes the mask, on the target workpiece through a projection lens, includes: an alignment lighting unit configured to cast, as alignment light, light in a wavelength range included in the exposure light onto the mask-side alignment mark of the mask; and an alignment camera unit including an image pickup device for capturing images, and configured to receive the incident alignment light coming from the alignment lighting unit through the mask and the projection lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Enomoto, Hirohide Minakawa
  • Publication number: 20110292361
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus including a warp deformation forming mechanism having a plane-parallel plate for warp deformation provided on a projection optical path of a mask pattern to be projected to a work substrate, and configured to be deformed by warping, a restraint member configured to cause an intermediate part of the plane-parallel plate between neighboring two of corner parts to serve as a fulcrum, each corner part formed by two intersecting sides of the plane-parallel plate, and a pressure member configured to warp and deform the plane-parallel plate with the restraint member used as a fulcrum by applying a pressurizing force to the corner parts of the plane-parallel plate in an optical axis direction of the projection optical path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
    Inventors: Koji Watanabe, Yukio Ishiba, Kenichi Nakano
  • Patent number: 8068208
    Abstract: System and method for improving immersion scanner overlay performance are described. One embodiment is a method of improving overlay performance of an photolithography immersion scanner including a wafer table having lens cooling water (“LCW”) disposed in a water channel therein, the wafer table having an input for receiving the LCW into the water channel and an output for expelling the LCW from the water channel. The method includes providing a water tank that connects to at least one of the wafer table input and the wafer table output; monitoring a pressure of water in the water tank; and maintaining the pressure of the water in the water tank at a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jui-Chung Peng, Tzung-Chi Fu, Chin-Hsiang Lin, Chien-Hsun Lin, Chun-Hung Lin, Yao-Wen Guo, Shy-Jay Lin, Heng-Hsin Liu
  • Patent number: 8064041
    Abstract: A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus contains a plurality of optical elements arranged in N?2 successive sections A1 to AN of the projection objective which are separated from one another by pupil planes or intermediate image planes. According to the invention, in order to correct a wavefront deformation, at least two optical elements each have an optically active surface locally reprocessed aspherically. A first optical element is in this case arranged in one section Aj, j=1 . . . N and a second optical element is arranged in another section Ak, k=1 . . . N, the magnitude difference |k?j| being an odd number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Wabra, Robert Eder
  • Patent number: 8048614
    Abstract: A circuit pattern having a size finer than a half of a wavelength of an exposure beam is transferred on a semiconductor wafer plane with an excellent accuracy by means of a mask whereupon an integrated circuit pattern is formed and a reduction projection aligner. The accuracy of transferring the circuit pattern on the semiconductor wafer is improved by synergic effects of super-resolution exposure, wherein a mask cover made of a transparent medium is provided on a pattern side of the integrated circuit mask so as to suppress the aberration of reduction projection alignment, and a method of increasing the number of actual apertures of the optical reduction projection lens system provided with the wafer cover made of the transparent medium on a photoresist side of the semiconductor wafer to which planarizing process is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Okamoto, Masami Ogita
  • Patent number: 8049191
    Abstract: A method includes setting a target pattern to be formed on a substrate using a reticle, obtaining a first pattern using the reticle and a first illumination condition, calculating, a second illumination condition under which the target pattern is transferred onto the substrate using the reticle, and a third illumination condition under which the first pattern is transferred onto a substrate using the reticle, using mathematical models each of which defines the relationship between an illumination condition and a virtual pattern transferred onto a substrate using the illumination condition, determining a fourth illumination condition, obtained by adding the difference between the calculated second illumination condition and third illumination condition to the first illumination condition, as the illumination condition, and transferring the pattern of the reticle onto the substrate by illuminating the reticle using the determined illumination condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kouichirou Tsujita, Koji Mikami, Hiroyuki Ishii
  • Patent number: 8027023
    Abstract: There is provided an optical imaging device, in particular for microlithography, comprising at least one optical element and at least one holding device associated to the optical element (109), wherein the holding device holds the optical element and a first part (109.1) of the optical element contacts a first atmosphere and a second part (109.2) of the optical element at least temporarily contacts a second atmosphere. There is provided a reduction device at least reducing dynamic fluctuations in the pressure difference between the first atmosphere and the second atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Hembacher, Bernhard Gellrich, Jens Kugler, Sascha Bleidistel
  • Publication number: 20110228242
    Abstract: An alignment method for the of patterning a work piece in a direct write machine, wherein a reference board provided with board reference features is used to coordinate calibration of a measurement station and a writing station against a common reference. An adjusted pattern is for writing on the work piece is calculated relative to the position of the reference board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Inventors: Mikael Wahlsten, Raoul Zerne
  • Patent number: 8023102
    Abstract: Methods, systems and apparatus for monitoring the state of a reticle by providing a reticle having a device exposure region in an imaging tool, defining one or more image fields across the device exposure region, and transmitting energy through the device exposure region. A detector detects the energy in the image field(s) at one or more testing intervals and a system control generates a transmission profile of average energy transmissions for each image field. Using this transmission profile, the state of the reticle is then determined at each testing interval followed by taking action based on the reticle state. The state of the reticle identifies whether the device exposure region has been deleteriously degraded, and as such, the reticle is no longer suitable for use. This is accomplished by determining if any average energy transmission of any image field across the reticle exceeds an allowable energy transmission threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy A. Brunner, Colin J. Brodsky, Michael B. Pike
  • Publication number: 20110216293
    Abstract: A method controls a scanning function of a lithographic apparatus. A first alignment strategy is used. A monitor wafer is exposed to determine baseline control parameters pertaining to the scanning function. The baseline control parameters are periodically retrieved from the monitor wafer. Parameter drift is determined from the baseline control parameters. Corrective action is taken based on the determination. A production wafer is exposed using a second alignment strategy, different to the first alignment strategy. The corrective action is modified so as to be substantially closer to the correction that would have been made had the second alignment strategy been used in exposing the monitor wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Alexander Viktorovych Padiy, Boris Menchtchikov
  • Patent number: 8013976
    Abstract: The present invention provides an exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate via a liquid, comprising a measurement substrate including a transmission part configured to transmit a light beam having passed through a projection optical system, a light-receiving unit including a light-receiving surface configured to receive the light beam transmitted through the liquid and the transmission part, and a calculator configured to arithmetically convert a light intensity distribution, on the light-receiving surface, of the light beam received by the light-receiving surface into a light intensity distribution on a pupil plane of the projection optigottacal system, based on information indicating a correlation between a position coordinate on the light-receiving surface and a position coordinate on the pupil of the projection optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takafumi Miyaharu