ASML Patente

A safety mechanism for a patterning device of a lithographic apparatus, the safety mechanism comprising: a support structure configured to secure the patterning device on a support region of the support structure; and a plurality of magnetic elements located outwardly of the support region, wherein the magnetic elements are arranged such that magnetic force between the magnetic elements and complementary magnetic members fixed relative to the patterning device exerts a force on the patterning device towards the support structure.

Disclosed herein is a thermal barrier element for a lens element. The thermal barrier element comprises a foil arrangement to be laminated to an outer surface of the lens element, and one or more conductive wires embedded in the foil arrangement. The conductive wires form strain gauges. A resistance of the one or more conductive wires changes as the foil arrangement delaminates from said outer surface.

The present invention provides a discharge damage mitigation unit for use in a charged particle beam assessment apparatus for projecting a beam of charged particles towards a sample. The discharge damage mitigation unit is configured for use in a high electric field environment. The discharge damage mitigation unit comprises one or more extension elements configured to receive a discharge from a high electric field element at a different electrical potential in the high electric field environment. Each extension element is arranged outside of a beam path region encompassing a beam path of the beam of charged particles. Each extension element is supported on a component of the charged particle beam assessment apparatus, wherein a distal region of the extension element is configured to protrude from a surface of the component.

A computer-implemented method of processing first metrology data of a patterned portion of a substrate patterned using a wafer processing apparatus to generate predicted second metrology data of the, or another corresponding, patterned portion of the substrate, the first metrology data comprising metrology data from a first metrology domain which obtains metrology data using a first metrology process. The method comprises obtaining the first metrology data of the patterned portion of the substrate, and generating predicted second metrology data of the patterned portion of the substrate, or of the corresponding patterned portion of the substrate, based on the output of a first trained diffusion model conditioned on the first metrology data, the predicted second metrology data comprising predicted metrology data from a second metrology domain which obtains metrology data using a second metrology process.

An apparatus for positioning a charged particle relative to a target location of a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a positioning magnetic field generator configured to generate a positioning magnetic field such that the charged particle follows a curved trajectory within the positioning magnetic field; and a substrate support configured to rotate the substrate so as to control a velocity of the charged particle relative to the target location.

The present invention provides a potential corrector unit for use in a charged particle beam assessment apparatus 41 for assessing a sample 208. The potential corrector unit comprises a potential corrector 300 configured to influence an electric potential at a peripheral region of a surface of the sample. The potential corrector is disposed upbeam of the sample.

There is provided a protective membrane (16) for an exposure apparatus (LA) for semiconductor manufacturing processes, the protective membrane (16) comprising boron nitride nanotubes. A component (15) of an exposure apparatus (LA) for semiconductor manufacturing processes comprising such protective membrane (16) is also described. Also provided is an exposure apparatus (LA) for semiconductor manufacturing processes comprising such a protective membrane (16) or component (15). Also described is the use of boron nitride nanotubes as a protective layer in semiconductor manufacturing processes or in an apparatus therefor.

There is provided a protective membrane for an exposure apparatus for semiconductor manufacturing processes, the protective membrane comprising a boron nitride nanotube core (203) and at least one containment layer (103) configured to contain particles (213) released from the core. Also provided is a component of an exposure apparatus for semiconductor manufacturing processes comprising such a protective membrane, as well as an exposure apparatus for semiconductor manufacturing processes comprising such a protective membrane or component. Also described is a method of manufacturing a protective membrane for an exposure apparatus for semiconductor manufacturing processes as well as a method of reconditioning a boron nitride nanotube protective membrane for an exposure apparatus for semiconductor manufacturing processes. Finally, the use of such a protective membrane, component, exposure apparatus or method in a semiconductor manufacturing process or apparatus therefor is also described.

Disclosed is a method of metrology comprising: illuminating a periodic structure with measurement illumination, the periodic structure comprising a pitch greater than 17 nm and detecting resultant scattered radiation comprising a plurality of diffraction orders. The measurement illumination comprises an illumination profile configured to either: substantially prevent overlap of the diffraction orders while providing a plurality of angles of incidence on the periodic structure which span a range greater than 10 degrees in at least one direction; or impose discontinuities in a measurement signal described by the scattered radiation as represented in pupil space, the discontinuities enabling the diffraction orders to be distinguished at least at respective locations in the pupil space of a plurality of illumination edges of the illumination profile.

A metrology system comprises: a substrate support; a sensor support; a plurality of position sensors; and a processor. The plurality of position sensors are supported by the sensor support and each one is operable to: project a radiation beam onto a substrate; receive a portion of the radiation beam scattered from a target on the substrate; and generate a measurement signal that is indicative of a position of the target relative to that position sensor. The processor is configured to: receive the measurement signal from each of the plurality of position sensors; and to combine the measurement signals from at least two different of the plurality of position sensors to at least partially correct at least one of the measurement signals for a position error so as to determine a corrected position of the target relative to the substrate support.

Disclosed is a substrate support for a substrate processing apparatus, wherein the substrate support is configured to: support a substrate on a first side of the substrate support; receive fluid under pressure at a second side of the substrate support; and direct the fluid under pressure to edges of, and to openings in, the substrate to prevent a conditioning substance applied to a first part of the substrate from contaminating a second part of the substrate, wherein the substrate comprises a wafer clamp, a wafer table, or subcomponents thereof.

The present invention provides a system for detecting a break in a pellicle for use with a patterning device in a lithographic apparatus, the system comprising: a support structure for holding a patterning device, the support structure being electrically coupled to the patterning device; a sensor configured to measure, via the electrical coupling, a property associated with potential induced on the patterning device due to photons reaching the patterning device during exposure, wherein the system is configured to detect the break in the pellicle based on the measured property.

An optical coupler for a photonic integrated circuit comprising a first channel waveguide configured to guide electromagnetic radiation comprising a first wavelength. The optical coupler comprises a second channel waveguide configured to guide electromagnetic radiation comprising a second wavelength that is different to the first wavelength. The optical coupler comprises a slab waveguide optically coupled to the first and second channel waveguides and configured to guide electromagnetic radiation comprising both the first and second wavelengths. The optical coupler comprises a computer generated waveguide hologram optically coupled to the slab waveguide. The optical coupler comprises a metasurface optically coupled to the computer generated waveguide hologram.

A detector module configured to detect charged particles emitted by a sample, the detector module comprising a detector unit electrically coupled to a conversion unit; the detector unit comprising a detector substrate, comprising a detector element and a pre-amplifier circuit electrically connected to the detector element, the detector substrate comprising a first metal material for conducting signals in the detector substrate; the conversion unit comprising a conversion circuit and/or a data routing circuit, the conversion circuit and/or the data routing circuit integrated into a conversion substrate, the conversion substrate comprising a second metal material for conducting signals in the conversion substrate;wherein the first conducting metal material is different from the second conducting metal material.

An optical beam member is for a charged particle-optical device configured to direct a charged particle beam along a charged particle-optical axis of the charged particle-optical device and towards a sample location. The optical beam member comprises a plurality of emitter arrangements configured to emit respective optical beams towards the sample location. A first beam aperture is defined in the optical beam member for passage of the charged particle beam towards the sample location. The plurality of emitter arrangements are arranged adjacent the first beam aperture and are configured to emit the respective optical beams to form a combined optical beam towards the sample location.

An optical beam member is for a charged particle-optical device configured to direct a charged particle beam along a charged particle-optical axis of the charged particle-optical device and towards a sample location. The optical beam member comprises a plurality of emitter arrangements configured to emit respective optical beams that combine into a combined optical beam towards the sample location. The plurality of emitter arrangements are adjacent a first beam aperture defined in the optical beam member for passage of the charged particle beam towards the sample location. The optical beam member is configured such that at least one of phase and power of the respective optical beams is controllable.

A method that comprises determining a dynamic common grid based on a location of structures at a bonding interface of a bonded substrate and/or obtaining target substrate distortion data associated with a second substrate that is to be bonded to a first substrate to obtain the bonded substrate. The dynamic common grid and/or target substrate distortion data is used in determining at least a first control action for exposing the first substrate, wherein the control action balances at least first substrate overlay and bonding overlay.

A method of processing pattern data to data to generate description data is provided. The pattern data is informative about a patterned portion of a substrate, and the description data characterizes a model of the patterned portion of the substrate or of a lithographic apparatus operative to produce the patterned portion of the substrate. The method comprises i) obtaining the pattern data, ii) generating initial description data, and iii) at each of a plurality of iterations, updating the current description data by providing the current description data to an input of a trained controller module conditioned on the pattern data to generate first adjustment data to the current description data, randomly selecting second adjustment data to the current description data; and determining updated description data based on the current description data and the first and the second adjustment data.

A gas sensor calibration system, comprising:an environment;a gas sensor, wherein the gas sensor is configured to measure a first signal of a first gas when the environment is filled with the first gas, and a second signal of a second gas when the environment is filled with the second gas;a pressure gauge, configured to measure a first pressure within the environment when the environment is filled with the first gas, and to measure a second pressure within the environment when the environment is filled with the second gas;a data processor, configured to calculate a sensitivity correction factor for the second gas based on the first signal, second signal, first pressure and second pressure.

An apparatus comprising: a diffractive optical element; a primary radiation source configured to illuminate the diffractive optical element with primary radiation; and a reference radiation source configured to illuminate the diffractive optical element with reference radiation; wherein the diffractive optical element has a first periodicity configured to diffract the primary radiation, and a second periodicity configured to diffract the reference radiation. The apparatus further comprises: a detector arranged to detect the primary radiation diffracted by the diffractive optical element and the reference radiation diffracted by the diffractive optical element; and a processor configured to determine a wavelength related parameter of the detected primary radiation based on a wavelength related parameter of the detected radiation. A method for calibrating an apparatus, such as a metrology apparatus, is also described.

Disclosed is a method for operating an exposure apparatus comprising: initiating a transition mode responsive to an instruction for the exposure apparatus to transition from a low energy mode to a production mode, the transition mode comprising; measuring at least one operating parameter; and operating the exposure apparatus while performing a compensation procedure based on the at least one operating parameter, wherein the compensation procedure compensates for a reduced performance of the exposure apparatus associated with the low energy mode.

A method of calibrating a cleaning position of an object to be cleaned with respect to a cleaning unit, the cleaning unit being configured to emit electromagnetic radiation measurable by a sensor, the method comprising the following steps: a) moving the sensor and/or the cleaning unit for the sensor to receive the electromagnetic radiation; b) measuring the electromagnetic radiation using the sensor; c) determining an alignment-improved position of the sensor with respect to the cleaning unit based on the measured electromagnetic radiation; d) determining the cleaning position of the object to be cleaned in accordance with the alignment-improved position of the sensor.

Disclosed is a method of estimating values of a performance parameter on a substrate: providing a plurality of first differences between measured values of the performance parameter obtained after having measured the performance parameter at multiple different locations across at least a first portion of the substrate and estimated values of the performance parameter obtained at the same respective locations using a first fitted fingerprint model for estimating a first spatial distribution of the performance parameter over the at least a first portion of the substrate; defining one or more zones within the at least a first portion of the substrate, wherein each zone comprises a first exposure field and at least part of one or more second exposure fields; and estimating the values of the performance parameter over the first exposure field of each of the one or more zones from said plurality of first differences.

A method of using a graph neural network to process metrology data of a patterned portion of a substrate patterned using a lithographic apparatus, to generate characterization information characterizing the patterned portion of the substrate. The method comprises obtaining metrology data, defining a graph of a graph neural network, defining feature data for each node of the graph based on the metrology data, and at least once generating, using the graph neural network and for each node, corresponding message data for each node associated with the node and updating, for each node, the feature data for the node based on the corresponding one or more message data, to form updated feature data. The method further comprises generating the characterization information from the updated feature data.

An actuator (26) comprising a first magnetic assembly attached to a long stroke module (22) and comprising at least two first permanent magnets (36), a second magnetic assembly attached to a short stroke module and comprising at least one second permanent magnet (38). The first and second magnetic assemblies are configured to support the short stroke module with respect to the long stroke module (22) in a first direction (z). The second magnetic assembly is located between the first permanent magnets (36). The actuator includes an electrically conductive element (40) connectable to a power supply. The first magnetic assembly is longer than the second magnetic assembly in a second direction (x) to enable relative displacement of the short stroke module against the long stroke module (22), and the first magnetic assembly is geometrically configured such that a substantially homogeneous parallel magnetic field is provided.

An exposure apparatus arranged for preparing a current wafer for creation of microbumps in a subsequent volume-additive process, wherein the exposure apparatus comprises a wafer table arranged for holding the current wafer having a photoresist layer provided on top of the wafer, a patterning device arranged for exposing the photoresist according to a pattern such that, after a further processing step of the photoresist layer, a plurality of openings in the photoresist layer, thereby exposing corresponding sections of the current wafer through the plurality of openings and a controller arranged for receiving dimension data of a plurality of microbumps created in a volume-additive process for a previous wafer and adjusting one or more exposure parameters of the patterning device based on the dimension data.

Disclosed is a method of correcting a metrology image. The method comprises obtaining a degraded metrology image of a structure on a substrate, having been degraded due to motion-induced effects resulting from the motion of a substrate support system; obtaining a substrate stage trajectory prediction model and an image correction model; using the substrate support system trajectory prediction model to predict at least one substrate support system trajectory responsible for the degradation of the degraded metrology image; and using the image correction model to predict a corrected metrology image from the degraded metrology image and the predicted substrate support system trajectory.

The present disclosure provides a sensor system, comprising: a first sensor for determining a position of an aerial image as formed by a projection system, the first sensor comprising at least one first grating (66), and a detector (64) configured to record first radiation (82) transmitted through the first grating (66); and a second sensor (AS) for detecting second radiation (94) as reflected from the at least one first grating (66).

The present invention provides a method of determining data representative of a focal surface of an array of charged particle beams and/or a height of a sample surface in a multi-beam charged particle-optical device, the method comprising: projecting beams onto a sample location at a first relative position; determining first individual focus values for individual beams; displacing the sample relative to the array of beams along a distance to a second relative position; determining second individual focus values for individual beams; displacing the sample relative to the array of beams along a distance to a third relative position; determining third individual focus values for individual beams in the array; and determining the data representative of the focal surface of the array of beams and/or the height of the sample surface based on the first individual focus values, the second individual focus values and the third individual focus values.

The present invention provides an optical component for a charged particle-optical device. The device is configured to project one or more charged particle beams towards a sample. The optical component is configured to receive optical radiation from an external waveguide and to direct the optical radiation towards a sample. The optical component comprises a photonic element and a coupling element. The photonic element is configured to project optical radiation towards the sample. The coupling element is configured to optically couple an external waveguide to the photonic element, the coupling element comprising two facets that are mutually angled and an optical path between the two facets.

A method of selecting a focal position of a charged particle-optical device, the method comprising: directing a charged particle beam towards a target surface and detecting a detection signal resulting therefrom while varying the focal position of the charged particle beam through a range of focal positions, thereby generating a plurality of detection signals associated with the respective focal positions; and selecting a focal position of the charged particle-optical device, wherein the selected focal position corresponds to a dip in the detection signal across the range of focal positions.

A charged particle-optical element configured to operate on a plurality of charged particle beams in a beam grid, the charged particle-optical element comprises: a first surface and a second surface, wherein each of the first surface and the second surface: has a plurality of apertures defined in it for allowing the beams to pass through, is angled relative to a plane perpendicular to an axis of the beam grid; and faces another surface of the charged particle-optical element at a potential difference, such that the charged particle-optical element is configured to apply a deflection to the beams by controlling the potential difference.

Disclosed is a constrained layer damper component, comprising: a base layer having a lower surface and an upper surface; a constraining layer; a viscoelastic layer positioned between the base layer and the constraining layer; and a weakening feature arranged to provide a localized portion of the constrained layer damper component having a reduced bending stiffness compared to remaining portions of the constrained layer damper component.

A computer implemented method for modeling metrology data comprising obtaining first layer measurement data sampled on a first layer measurement layout, fitting a first layer model to the first layer measurement data as sampled on the first layer measurement layout to obtain a first fitted first layer model, fitting the first layer model to the first layer measurement data as sampled on a second layer measurement layout to obtain a second fitted first layer model, determining a difference model as the difference of the first fitted first layer model and the second fitted first layer model; and correcting a fitted second layer model using the difference model.

A new metrology target configured for measuring a parameter of a patterning process comprises first and second portions. The first and second portions comprise substantially the same pattern in a first direction, the first and second portions are each periodic in a first direction, have a first pitch (p₁) in the first direction and have a unit cell in the first direction comprising a set of at least two gratings. The first and second portions are generally mutually interleaved such that at least in a central portion of the metrology target, each set of at least two gratings of one of the first and second portions is positioned between two adjacent sets of at least two gratings of the other one of the first and second portions. The first and second portions have the different pattern (for example one or more cuts) in a second direction that is generally perpendicular to the first direction.

Assembly for determining a characteristic of a structure on a substrate, comprising a radiation illumination dipole having first and second sources that are angularly offset to a transverse direction in an illumination pupil plane. The first and second sources irradiate a structure having a periodically repeating pattern along a transverse. A multi-part wedge is located in an exit pupil of the assembly, configured to receive from the structure: a lower radiation order and a higher radiation order of diffracted radiation of the first source on a first part of the multi-part wedge, and a lower radiation order and a higher radiation order of diffracted radiation of the second source on a second part of the multi-part wedge. A detector receives a first and second spatially separated images formed from first and second source radiation incident on the first and second parts of the wedge, respectively.

A substrate support configured to support a substrate. The substrate support, comprises a main body. The main body has a first side configured to support the substrate, and a second side opposite to the first side. A plurality of grooves is formed in the main body. The plurality of grooves comprises a first groove and a second groove longer than the first groove. The first groove is configured to impede a flow of fluid through the first groove in a first direction and to allow the flow of fluid through the first groove in a second direction, opposing the first direction.

Disclosed is a method of deforming a first patterned substrate or one or more first substrate portions thereof, configured to be bonded to a second patterned substrate, the method comprising providing at least said first patterned substrate or one or more first substrate portions thereof with a layer comprising a material that changes its phase when exposed to a radiation; and irradiating the layer with the radiation, wherein the radiation imposes a stress within the first patterned substrate or one or more first substrate portions thereof, the stress causing deformation of the first patterned substrate or one or more first substrate portions thereof that at least partially corrects a position error of a pattern of the first patterned substrate or one or more first substrate portions thereof.

Provided is a method of determining a performance parameter comprising determining a plurality of regions on a substrate; determining a plurality of performance parameter estimation models corresponding to the plurality of regions; determining performance parameter estimation model parameters for the plurality of performance parameter estimation models and applying at least one of the plurality of performance parameter estimation models with the determined model parameters to determine the performance parameter for the corresponding region of the plurality of regions.

There is provided a radiation source comprising a laser system, wherein the laser system is arranged to transport a laser beam from a source to a target region along a beam path, the beam path including at least one optical element in thermal communication with a vapour chamber arranged to distribute thermal energy provided by the laser beam and to cool the optical element in combination with a heat sink. Also provided is an EUV utilization apparatus including the radiation as well as a method of operating the radiation. Also described is the use of such a radiation source, EUV utilization apparatus or method in an EUV utilization method or apparatus.