Abstract:
An imprint apparatus (100, 100', 200, 220) and method 300 employ an effective pressure P eff in imprint lithography. The imprint apparatus (100, 100', 200, 220) includes a compressible chamber (111) that encloses an imprint mold (120, 228a) having a mold pattern (122) and a sample (130, 228b) to be imprinted (300). The chamber (111) is compressed (330, 340, 350) to imprint (360) the mold pattern (122) on the sample (130, 228b). The mold (120, 228a) is pressed (350) against the sample (130, 228b) with the effective pressure P eff . The effective pressure P eff is controlled by a selected ratio A cavity /A contact of a cavity area A cavity of the chamber (111) to a contact area A contact between the mold (120, 228a) and the sample (130, 228b).
Abstract:
Using an imaging system (104) in relation to a plurality of material layers (114, 116) is described, the material layers being separated by a distance greater than a depth of field of the imaging system. A focal plane (106) of the imaging system and a first (114) of the plurality of material layers are brought into correspondence. A first image including at least a portion of the first material layer (114) having a first feature of interest thereon (116) is stored. The focal plane (106) of the imaging system and a second (118) of the plurality of material layers are brought into correspondence. A second image including at least a portion of the second material layer (118) having a second feature of interest thereon (120) is acquired. The first and second images are processed for automatic computation of an alignment measurement between the first and second features of interest.
Abstract:
A system (100 / 700 / 900) comprising a data acquisition system (106) and a processing system (108) is provided. The data acquisition system is configured to capture an image (112) that includes a first instance of a pattern (104A) and a second instance of the pattern (104B) from at least a first substrate (102), and the processing system is configured to calculate a displacement between the first instance and the second instance using the image.
Abstract:
Using an imaging system (104) in relation to a plurality of material layers (114, 116) is described, the material layers being separated by a distance greater than a depth of field of the imaging system. A focal plane (106) of the imaging system and a first (114) of the plurality of material layers are brought into correspondence. A first image including at least a portion of the first material layer (114) having a first feature of interest thereon (116) is stored. The focal plane (106) of the imaging system and a second (118) of the plurality of material layers are brought into correspondence. A second image including at least a portion of the second material layer (118) having a second feature of interest thereon (120) is acquired. The first and second images are processed for automatic computation of an alignment measurement between the first and second features of interest.
Abstract:
An imprint apparatus (100, 100', 200, 220) and method 300 employ an effective pressure P eff in imprint lithography. The imprint apparatus (100, 100', 200, 220) includes a compressible chamber (111) that encloses an imprint mold (120, 228a) having a mold pattern (122) and a sample (130, 228b) to be imprinted (300). The chamber (111) is compressed (330, 340, 350) to imprint (360) the mold pattern (122) on the sample (130, 228b). The mold (120, 228a) is pressed (350) against the sample (130, 228b) with the effective pressure P eff . The effective pressure P eff is controlled by a selected ratio A cavity /A contact of a cavity area A cavity of the chamber (111) to a contact area A contact between the mold (120, 228a) and the sample (130, 228b).
Abstract translation:压印装置(100,100',200,220)和方法300在压印光刻中使用有效压力P eff。 压印装置(100,100',200,220)包括可压缩室(111),其包围具有模具图案(122)和待压印的样本(130,228b)的压印模具(120,228a) )。 腔室(111)被压缩(330,340,350)以将模具图案(122)压印(360)在样本(130,228b)上。 将模具(120,228a)以有效压力P eff按压(350)在样品(130,228b)上。 有效压力P eff由空腔区域A cavity的选定比例A cavity / A sub contact控制, (111)向模具(120,228a)和样品(130,228b)之间的接触区域接触。 sub> sub>
Abstract:
Measurement systems (100) and methods (300) extend the use of optical navigation to measure displacements smaller than a wavelength of the light used to capture images of an object (110) measured. Nanometer-scale movements can thus be measured, for example, in equipment used for manufacture of integrated circuits or nanometer scale devices.
Abstract:
A displacement estimation system (100 / 400 / 600) comprising a data acquisition system (106) and a processing system (108) is provided. The data acquisition system is configured to capture a first frame (112A) from a first substrate (102) including a first pattern (104) at a first time and capture a second frame (112B) from a second substrate (102) including a second pattern (104) at a second time subsequent to the first time. The first pattern and the second pattern are substantially identical. The processing system is configured to calculate a displacement (306) between the first pattern and the second pattern using the first frame and the second frame.
Abstract:
Determining a displacement of a substantially rigid item (106) relative to a frame of reference (110) between a first time and a second time is described. At the first time, a first set of pointwise measurements of a physical property of the item taken at a plurality of fixed locations relative to the frame of reference (110) is acquired (202). At the second time, a second set of pointwise measurements of the physical property taken at the plurality of fixed locations is acquired (208). A first matrix derived from the first set of pointwise measurements is compared (212) to a second matrix derived from the second set of pointwise measurements to determine the displacement.
Abstract:
A displacement estimation system (100 / 400 / 600) comprising a data acquisition system (106) and a processing system (108) is provided. The data acquisition system is configured to capture a first frame (112A) from a first substrate (102A) including a first pattern (104A) and a second substrate (102B) including a second pattern (104B) at a first time and capture a second frame (112B) from a third substrate (102A) including a third pattern (104A) and a fourth substrate (102B) including a fourth pattern (104B) at a second time subsequent to the first time. The first pattern and the third pattern are substantially identical, and the second pattern and the fourth pattern are substantially identical. The processing system is configured to calculate a first displacement (312) between the first pattern and the third pattern using the first frame and the second frame and calculate a second displacement (314) between the second pattern and the fourth pattern using the first frame and the second frame.
Abstract:
A measurement process (300) or system (100) transforms image data corresponding to images of an object (110) to the frequency domain and analyzes the frequency domain data to determine a displacement of the object (110) occurring between first and second images. Analysis in the frequency domain simplifies identification and handling of data expected to be noisy. In particular, frequencies corresponding to modes of vibration, lighting variation, or sensor error characteristic of a measurement system (136) or frequencies corresponding to small magnitude frequency-domain data can be given little or no weighting in analysis that provides the displacement measurement. In one embodiment, Fourier transforms of shifted and unshifted images (200 and 250) differ by a phase delay. A least square fit slope of the phase values associated with the phase delay can indicate displacements to accuracies less than 1% of a pixel width, thereby providing nanometer scale precision using imaging systems (130) having a pixel width of about 1 µm.