公开(公告)号：US20230341813A1

公开(公告)日：2023-10-26

申请号：US18034356

申请日：2021-10-07

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Nitesh PANDEY ,  Arie Jeffrey DEN BOEF ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER ,  Vasco Tomas TENNER

IPC: G03H1/26 ,  G03H1/04

CPC classification number: G03H1/0443 ,  G03H1/265 ,  G03H2001/005

Abstract: A dark field digital holographic microscope and associated metrology method is disclosed which is configured to determine a characteristic of interest of a structure. The dark field digital holographic microscope includes an illumination branch for providing illumination radiation to illuminate the structure; a detection arrangement for capturing object radiation resulting from diffraction of the illumination radiation by the structure; and a reference branch for providing reference radiation for interfering with the object radiation to obtain an image of an interference pattern formed by the illumination radiation and reference radiation. The reference branch has an optical element operable to vary a characteristic of the reference radiation so as to reduce and/or minimize variation in a contrast metric of the image within a field of view of the dark field digital holographic microscope at a detector plane.

公开(公告)号：US20230064193A1

公开(公告)日：2023-03-02

申请号：US17796641

申请日：2021-01-20

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Patricius Aloysius Jacobus TINNEMANS ,  Patrick WARNAAR ,  Vasco Tomas TENNER ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER ,  Bram Antonius Gerardus LOMANS ,  Bastiaan Lambertus Wilhelmus Marinus VAN DE VEN ,  Ahmet Burak CUNBUL ,  Alexander Prasetya KONIJNENBERG

IPC: G06T7/00 ,  G01N21/47 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G06T5/00

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of measuring a periodic structure on a substrate with illumination radiation having at least one wavelength, the periodic structure having at least one pitch. The method comprises configuring, based on a ratio of said pitch and said wavelength, one or more of: an illumination aperture profile comprising one or more illumination regions in Fourier space; an orientation of the periodic structure for a measurement; and a detection aperture profile comprising one or more separated detection regions in Fourier space. This configuration is such that: i) diffracted radiation of at least a pair of complementary diffraction orders is captured within the detection aperture profile, and ii) said diffracted radiation fills at least 80% of the one or more separated detection regions. The periodic structure is measured while applying the configured one or more of illumination aperture profile, detection aperture profile and orientation of the periodic structure.

公开(公告)号：US20220350260A1

公开(公告)日：2022-11-03

申请号：US17761475

申请日：2020-09-03

Applicant: ASML Holding N.V. ,  ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Armand Eugene Albert ,  Justin Lloyd KREUZER ,  Nikhil MEHTA ,  Patrick WARNAAR ,  Vasco Tomas TENNER ,  Patricius Aloysius Jacobus TINNEMANS ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G01N21/95

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for a metrology measurement on an area of a substrate comprising at least a portion of a target structure. The method comprises receiving a radiation information representing a portion of radiation scattered by the are, and using a filter in a Fourier domain for removing or suppressing at least a portion of the received radiation information that does not relate to radiation that has been scattered by the target structure for obtaining a filtered radiation information for the metrology measurement, wherein characteristics of the filter are based on target information about the target structure.

公开(公告)号：US20220121127A1

公开(公告)日：2022-04-21

申请号：US17562446

申请日：2021-12-27

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Nitesh PANDEY ,  Arie Jeffrey DEN BOEF ,  Duygu AKBULUT ,  Marimus Johannes Maria VAN DAM ,  Hans BUTLER ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER ,  Engelbertus Antonius Franciscus VAN DER PASCH ,  Ferry ZIJP ,  Jeroen Arnoldus Leonardus Johannes RAAYMAKERS ,  Marinus Petrus REIJNDERS

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G01N21/956

Abstract: A metrology tool for determining a parameter of interest of a structure fabricated on a substrate, the metrology tool comprising: an illumination optical system for illuminating the structure with illumination radiation under a non-zero angle of incidence; a detection optical system comprising a detection optical sensor and at least one lens for capturing a portion of illumination radiation scattered by the structure and transmitting the captured radiation towards the detection optical sensor, wherein the illumination optical system and the detection optical system do not share an optical element.

公开(公告)号：US20210035871A1

公开(公告)日：2021-02-04

申请号：US17072391

申请日：2020-10-16

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Adriaan Johan VAN LEEST ,  Anagnostis TSIATMAS ,  Paul Christiaan HINNEN ,  Elliott Gerard Mc NAMARA ,  Alok VERMA ,  Thomas THEEUWES ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER ,  Maria Isabel DE LA FUENTE VALENTIN ,  Koen VAN WITTEVEEN ,  Martijn Maria ZAAL ,  Shu-jin WANG

IPC: H01L21/66 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G03F9/00 ,  G01N21/95

Abstract: A metrology target includes: a first structure arranged to be created by a first patterning process; and a second structure arranged to be created by a second patterning process, wherein the first structure and/or second structure is not used to create a functional aspect of a device pattern, and wherein the first and second structures together form one or more instances of a unit cell, the unit cell having geometric symmetry at a nominal physical configuration and wherein the unit cell has a feature that causes, at a different physical configuration than the nominal physical configuration due to a relative shift in pattern placement in the first patterning process, the second patterning process and/or another patterning process, an asymmetry in the unit cell.

公开(公告)号：US20200185281A1

公开(公告)日：2020-06-11

申请号：US16790809

申请日：2020-02-14

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Adriaan Johan VAN LEEST ,  Anagnostis TSIATMAS ,  Paul Christiaan HINNEN ,  Elliott Gerard MC NAMARA ,  Alok VERMA ,  Thomas THEEUWES ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER

IPC: H01L21/66 ,  G01N21/95 ,  G03F9/00 ,  G03F7/20

Abstract: A method of configuring a parameter determination process, the method including: obtaining a mathematical model of a structure, the mathematical model configured to predict an optical response when illuminating the structure with a radiation beam and the structure having geometric symmetry at a nominal physical configuration; using, by a hardware computer system, the mathematical model to simulate a perturbation in the physical configuration of the structure of a certain amount to determine a corresponding change of the optical response in each of a plurality of pixels to obtain a plurality of pixel sensitivities; and based on the pixel sensitivities, determining a plurality of weights for combination with measured pixel optical characteristic values of the structure on a substrate to yield a value of a parameter associated with change in the physical configuration, each weight corresponding to a pixel.

公开(公告)号：US20190242782A1

公开(公告)日：2019-08-08

申请号：US16253338

申请日：2019-01-22

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Mariya Vyacheslavivna MEDVEDYEVA ,  Anagnostis TSIATMAS ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER ,  Martinus Hubertus Maria VAN WEERT ,  Bastiaan Onne FAGGINGER AUER ,  Xiaoxin SHANG ,  Johan Maria VAN BOXMEER ,  Bert VERSTRAETEN

IPC: G01M11/02

CPC classification number: G01M11/0228 ,  G02B7/38 ,  G03F7/70625 ,  G03F7/70633 ,  G03F7/70641

Abstract: Methods of determining an optimal focus height are disclosed. In one arrangement, measurement data from a plurality of applications of the metrology process to a target are obtained. Each application of the metrology process includes illuminating the target with a radiation spot and detecting radiation redirected by the target. The applications of the metrology process include applications at different nominal focus heights. The measurement data includes, for each application of the metrology process, at least a component of a detected pupil representation of an optical characteristic of the redirected radiation in a pupil plane. The method includes determining an optimal focus height for the metrology process using the obtained measurement data.

公开(公告)号：US20190086810A1

公开(公告)日：2019-03-21

申请号：US16075696

申请日：2017-02-17

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Wim Tjibbo TEL ,  Frank STAALS ,  Mark John MASLOW ,  Roy ANUNCIADO ,  Marinus JOCHEMSEN ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER ,  Thomas THEEUWES ,  Paul Christiaan HINNEN

IPC: G03F7/20

Abstract: A method including: computing a value of a first variable of a pattern of, or for, a substrate processed by a patterning process by combining a fingerprint of the first variable on the substrate and a certain value of the first variable; and determining a value of a second variable of the pattern based at least in part on the computed value of the first variable.

公开(公告)号：US20180129140A1

公开(公告)日：2018-05-10

申请号：US15796298

申请日：2017-10-27

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER ,  Bastiaan Onne Fagginger Auer

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G01N21/47

CPC classification number: G03F7/70625 ,  G01N21/47 ,  G03F7/705 ,  G03F7/70616 ,  G03F7/7085

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of measuring a parameter of interest relating to a structure on a substrate, and associated metrology apparatus. The method comprises determining a correction to compensate for the effect of a measurement condition on a measurement signal from a plurality of measurement signals, wherein each of said measurement signals results from a different measurement of the structure performed under a different variation of said measurement condition. The correction is then used in a reconstruction of a mathematical model of said structure to suppress an influence of variations of said measurement condition on the reconstruction.

公开(公告)号：US20170160074A1

公开(公告)日：2017-06-08

申请号：US15365576

申请日：2016-11-30

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Seyed Iman MOSSAVAT ,  Remco DIRKS ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph CRAMER

IPC: G01B11/02

CPC classification number: G01B11/02 ,  G03F7/705 ,  G03F7/70625

Abstract: A method including obtaining measurement results of a device manufacturing process or a product thereof, obtaining sets of one or more values of one or more parameters of a distribution by fitting the distribution against the measurement results, respectively, and obtaining, using a computer, a set of one or more values of one or more hyperparameters of a hyperdistribution by fitting the hyperdistribution against the sets of values of the parameters.