ASML Patente

A wavelength selection system comprising an actuatable reflector configured to reflect a radiation beam, and an optical filter configured to receive the reflected radiation beam, wherein the actuatable reflector is moveable between different orientations which direct the radiation beam to different positions on the optical filter, or at different angles of incidence on the optical filter, such that the optical filter selectively filters different wavelengths of the radiation beam, and wherein the wavelength selection system further comprises a dispersive element configured to apply wavelength dispersion to the radiation beam before the radiation beam is incident upon the optical filter.

Disclosed is an electrostatic object support for supporting an object. The electrostatic object support comprises a base layer; an electrode on said base layer and at least one dielectric layer extending fully over the electrode, wherein the at least one dielectric layer comprises a first coated dielectric sub-layer being comprised of a first dielectric material and a second coated dielectric sub-layer being comprised of a second dielectric material.

An arrangement for pumping a gain medium of a solid-state laser to produce laser radiation during production periods separated by dormant periods. The arrangement comprises at least one radiation source and a source driver. The at least one radiation source is configured to provide production radiation of a production wavelength and compensation radiation of a compensation wavelength different from the production wavelength. The source driver is configured to drive the at least one radiation source to provide the production radiation at least during the production periods, wherein the source driver is further configured to drive the at least one radiation source to provide the compensation radiation so as to increase temperature uniformity of the gain medium.

Disclosed is a method of determining a correction for performing a lithographic exposure on a reconstituted substrate, said reconstituted substrate comprising a base substrate with a plurality of substrate portions bonded thereto, said substrate portions having been diced from one or more pre-diced substrates The method comprises: obtaining positional data describing a position of features in at least an uppermost layer of said one or more pre-diced substrates; and using said positional data to determine said correction for performing the lithographic exposure on the reconstituted substrate.

Disclosed is a method for determining a spectral weighting for configuring spectral characteristics of broadband measurement illumination. The method comprises obtaining first metrology data comprising metrology data from at least a first proper subset of a plurality of targets on a substrate, respectively for each of a plurality of different illumination conditions; determining a respective first spectral weighting component for each target of at least a second proper subset of targets from said first metrology data, said first spectral weighting component being determined to provide a substantially wavelength independent mean intensity from each respective said target; determining a respective second spectral weighting component for each target of at least the second proper subset of targets from said first metrology data; and determining a respective spectral weighting for each target of at least the second proper subset of targets from said first spectral weighting component and said second spectral weighting component.

Method of determining a refractive index of a membrane associated with an image sensor, the method comprising the steps of obtaining a first diffraction pattern of a first patterned membrane section, the first patterned membrane section having a first membrane-to-open ratio, and obtaining a second diffraction pattern of a second patterned membrane section, the second patterned membrane section having a second membrane-to-open ratio, the second membrane-to-open ratio being different from the first membrane-to-open ratio, and determining a refractive index of the membrane based on the first diffraction pattern and the second diffraction pattern.

The present disclosure relates to a charged particle-optical element for a charged particle beam apparatus, wherein the charged particle-optical element is configured to operate on a plurality of beamlets of charged particles, and the charged particle-optical element comprises: a first electrode, wherein a plurality of first apertures for passage of the plurality of beamlets are defined in a beam area of the first electrode; and a second electrode, wherein a plurality of second apertures for passage of the plurality of beamlets are defined in a beam area of the second electrode, wherein the first electrode is configured to adopt a target curved profile upon application of a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Disclosed is a method for calibrating a prediction model for predicting a failure probability of a device manufactured by a semiconductor manufacturing process based on performance parameter data relating to a performance parameter of said device. The method comprises obtaining calibration performance parameter data and corresponding reference data; optimizing one or more calibration parameters of the prediction model so as to improve prediction performance of said prediction model,wherein said one or more calibration parameters comprises one or more of: an upper specification calibration parameter or an upper specification delta calibration parameter thereof, a lower specification calibration parameter or lower specification delta calibration parameter thereof, a scaling calibration parameter for scaling a scale parameter of the prediction model, a location parameter nuisance calibration parameter, a skewness calibration parameter and/or a kurtosis calibration parameter.

A gas flow apparatus for use in an optical system comprising an optical element defining an optical surface, wherein the gas flow apparatus comprises a structure that is arranged to define an enclosure that is partially closed by the optical surface, when the gas flow apparatus is in use. The structure defines an aperture for radiation to propagate to or from the optical surface. A gas system is provided to provide a gas into the enclosure defined by the structure. Herewith, at least a portion of the gas is directed to swirl about an optical axis of the optical element. The gas has a component of velocity directed from the optical surface towards the aperture defined by the structure. A gas extractor may be arranged to extract gas from a volume that is in fluid communication with the optical surface. At least a portion of the gas is directed to swirl about a direction of net flow of the gas as it exits the volume.

The invention provides a shutter assembly for use in a lithographic apparatus that comprises a shutter and an actuator device for moving the shutter between a closed position and an opened position, wherein an opening duration during which the shutter is moved from the closed position to the opened position differs from a closing duration during which the shutter is moved from the opened position to the closed position.

A method of feed-forward correction comprising: determining feed-forward corrections based on measurements on a patterning device of a lithographic apparatus of a deformation parameter indicative of deformation of the patterning device before and after exposure by the lithographic apparatus of a substrate of a first series of substrates, wherein the feed-forward corrections are to be applied during exposure by the lithographic apparatus of a substrate of a second series of substrates.

A charged particle assessment system comprising a sample holder configured to hold a sample having a surface; a charged particle-optical device configured to project a charged particle beam towards the sample, the charged particle-optical device being configured to deflect the charged particle beam over a part of the surface of the sample, the charged particle-optical device having a device surface, the device surface facing, in use, the surface of the sample; a projection assembly arranged to direct a plurality of light beams along respective light paths, wherein the plurality of light beams include light beams having different wavelengths; and wherein the device surface comprises a plurality of redirecting elements, each of the redirecting elements being associated with one of the respective wavelengths, wherein each of the redirecting elements is configured to direct light onto the sample.

An electron-optical projection device for projecting at least one charged particle beam towards a sample, the device comprising: a beam directing element configured to project the at least one charged particle beam towards a sample location on the sample, wherein the electron-optical projection device further comprises an optical member configured to direct stimulation light towards the sample so that the stimulation light is at least partially coincident with the at least one charged particle beam, wherein the optical member comprises a first surface facing down-beam, at least part of the first surface comprising a coating layer being at least partially transparent for the stimulation light and being electrically conductive.

A method of determining an apodization modification of a fiducial for characterizing a pupil of an optical system of an apparatus, the fiducial comprising a plurality of reflective areas, the method comprising obtaining an apodization characteristic of a first reflective area, wherein during nominal operation of the apparatus the first reflective area is arranged outside an illumination field of the apparatus; performing in-situ a first pupil measurement of the optical system by arranging the first reflective area within the illumination field; performing in-situ a second pupil measurement of the optical system by arranging a second reflective area of the fiducial within the illumination field, wherein during nominal operation of the apparatus the second reflective area is arranged within the illumination field; and determining the apodization modification of the fiducial based on the obtained apodization characteristic and the first and second pupil measurements.

The application provides a metrology tool, and a method, for determining parameters of interest of a structure on an object. This metrology tool comprises: an illumination branch configured for providing an illumination beam; a spectral shaping device for spectrally shaping the illumination beam providing a spectrum comprising at least two disjunct wavelength bands; a controller and a detection branch configured for detecting signals relating to a diffracted beam, the beam comprising diffracted sub-beams, wherein the signals enable determining parameters of interest. The illumination branch is further configured for illuminating the structure on the object which results in the diffracted beam. Each of the diffracted sub-beams is associated with one of the at least two disjunct wavelength bands. The controller is configured for selecting the spectrum allowing distinguishably acquiring the signals from respective diffracted sub-beams and the controller is configured for controllably setting the spectral shaping device to provide the spectrum.

The present disclosure relates to methods for a lithographic apparatus comprising a fluid handling structure configured to confine a fluid to a region of a surface of a substrate. The methods are for determining a parameter associated with the fluid handling structure and/or the wettability of the substrate. Some methods comprise causing a movement of the fluid handling structure relative to the substrate, wherein a speed of the fluid handling structure relative to the substrate during the movement varies as a function of the position of the fluid handling structure relative to the substrate; and then inspecting the surface of the substrate, or wherein the fluid handling structure passes over a fluid-pinning feature during the movement of the fluid handling structure relative to the substrate; and then inspecting the surface of the substrate, or determining a thermal load on the substrate.

Disclosed is a method of measuring a topography of a substrate support. The method comprises obtaining metrology data describing a topography of a substrate when clamped to the substrate support; obtaining top surface topography data and bottom surface topography data; applying a first transfer function to the bottom surface topography data to obtain processed bottom surface topography data, the first transfer function removing and/or damping topography from the bottom surface which does not transfer to the top surface when the substrate is clamped; determining corrected metrology data, corrected for a contribution of the metrology data attributable to the substrate, from a combination of the top surface topography data and the processed bottom surface topography data; and determining the topography of the substrate support from the corrected metrology data.

The disclosure provides a lithography projection method, comprising:providing a radiation beam,imparting the radiation beam with a pattern of a patterning device in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam,projecting the patterned radiation beam on multiple exposure fields of a substrate,wherein imparting the radiation beam with the pattern of the patterning device comprises moving the patterning device with a scanning movement in a scanning direction with respect to an exposure slit mainly extending in a slit direction perpendicular to the scanning direction,wherein the lithography projection method further comprises:splitting in the slit direction at least one of the multiple exposure fields in two or more partial exposure fields, andprojecting the patterned radiation beam on the two or more partial exposure fields in two or more separate scanning movements of the patterning device in the scanning direction.

A method of improving contrast in an exposure apparatus is disclosed. The exposure apparatus receives a plurality of radiation pulses from a radiation source, the method comprises modulating an intensity of the radiation pulses. In an embodiment, the intensity of the radiation pulses is modulated according to a time profile. The modulation may set an intensity of the pulses to maximize at least one image quality parameter of at least one critical feature of a pattern of the patterning device.

A charged particle-optical device configured to direct a plurality of charged particle beams along respective beam paths towards a sample surface, the charged particle-optical device comprising:an objective lens arrangement having a plurality of electrode plates arranged to focus the plurality of charged particle beams onto the sample surface in a grid; anda deflector array located adjacent one of the plurality of electrode plates, wherein the deflector array is configured to deflect one or more of the plurality of charged particle beams so that at least one of the plurality of charged particle beams has a different pitch with respect to its nearest neighbors.

A substrate device for being held by an electrostatic clamp, the substrate device having a bottom side configured to face a substrate support surface of the clamp in use, the substrate device comprising a plasma generating part configured to form a plasma space between a first portion of the bottom side and an associated first portion of the substrate support surface of the clamp, wherein the plasma generating part is configured to generate a plasma within the plasma space, and a connection part electrically connected to the plasma generating part and configured to provide an electrically conductive connection between one or more substrate conductors provided on a second portion of the bottom side and one or more clamp conductors on the clamp during use.

A diagnostic substrate, such as a wafer or reticle, is disclosed for use in determination of a charge on a surface of an electrostatic clamp configured to support the diagnostic substrate, the substrate comprising a stack of: a dielectric light reflector layer, an electro-optic crystal layer, and a transparent electrode layer. The electro-optic crystal layer is between the dielectric light reflector layer and the transparent electrode layer. A Pockels sensor may comprise the diagnostic substrate.

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There is provided a method of predicting a parameter of interest (POI) for each target of a first set of targets formed by a patterning process on a substrate comprising a plurality of targets comprising the first set of targets and a second set of targets. The method comprises obtaining i) a first dataset comprising, for each target of the second set, a respective POI value generated from metrology data obtained by a first metrology process, ii) obtaining a second dataset comprising, for each target of the first set and each target of the second set, a respective POI value generated from metrology data obtained by a second metrology process, and iii) processing the first dataset and the second dataset to predict the respective POI value for each target of the first set, wherein the predicted value is a prediction of the POI generated from metrology data obtained by applying the second metrology process to the first set of targets.

The disclosure provides a method of determining an aerial image position using at least one sensor on a substrate table of a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising: performing a first alignment measurement at a measure station of the lithographic apparatus to determine a position of the substrate relative to the at least one sensor; determining a first temperature of the at least one sensor during the first alignment measurement; performing a second alignment measurement at the expose station to determine a position of an aerial image of a reticle mark with respect to the at least one sensor; anddetermining a second temperature of the at least one sensor during the second alignment measurement. The method includes correcting the second alignment measurement based on a difference between the first temperature and the second temperature.

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An assessment apparatus for assessing a sample, the assessment apparatus comprising:a sample holder for holding the sample;an electron-optical device for directing a charged particle beam on to the sample; anda detector module for detecting signal particles from the sample in response to the charged particle beam;wherein the electron-optical device comprises a quantum sensor (301, 302, 310, 320) configured to measure a physical field in the assessment apparatus.

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