公开(公告)号：US20190354026A1

公开(公告)日：2019-11-21

申请号：US16478068

申请日：2018-01-10

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Stefan Michiel WITTE ,  Alessandro ANTONCECCHI ,  Stephen EDWARD ,  Hao ZHANG ,  Paulus Clemens Maria PLANKEN ,  Kjeld Sijbrand Eduard EIKEMA ,  Sebastianus Adrianus GOORDEN ,  Simon Reinald HUISMAN ,  Irwan Dani SETIJA

IPC: G03F9/00 ,  G01B11/24 ,  G01B17/06

Abstract: As increasing numbers of layers, using increasing numbers of specific materials, are deposited on substrates, it becomes increasingly difficult to detect alignment marks accurately for, for example, applying a desired pattern onto a substrate using a lithographic apparatus, in part due to one or more of the materials used in one or more of the layers being wholly or partially opaque to the radiation used to detect alignment marks. In a first step, the substrate is illuminated with excitation radiation. In a second step, at least one effect associated with a reflected material effect scattered by a buried structure is measured. The effect may, for example, include a physical displacement of the surface of the substrate. In a third step, at least one characteristic of the structure based on the measured effect is derived.

公开(公告)号：US20170176879A1

公开(公告)日：2017-06-22

申请号：US15381980

申请日：2016-12-16

Applicant: Stichting VU ,  Universiteit van Amsterdam ,  Stichting voor Fundamenteel Onderzoek der Materie ,  ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Stefan Michiel WITTE ,  Kjeld Sijbrand Eduard EIKEMA

IPC: G03F9/00 ,  G01B15/00 ,  H05G2/00 ,  G01N23/205

CPC classification number: G03F9/7042 ,  G01B15/00 ,  G01N23/2055 ,  G03F7/70625 ,  H05G2/008

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a substrate, usually onto a target portion of the substrate. A lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). The lithographic apparatus has an inspection apparatus with an EUV radiation source. The radiation source emits a radiation beam that includes coherent radiation of a specific wavelength. The beam propagates to illumination optical system, which focuses the radiation beam into a focused beam of illuminating radiation. The illumination optical system illuminates a three-dimensional product structure on the substrate, which scatters the illuminating radiation. On the surface of a detector, the radiation scattered by the product structure forms a diffraction pattern that is used to reconstruct data describing the three-dimensional product structure.

公开(公告)号：US20160061750A1

公开(公告)日：2016-03-03

申请号：US14838268

申请日：2015-08-27

Applicant: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam ,  Universiteit van Amsterdam ,  Stichting voor Fundamenteel Onderzoek der Materie ,  ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Arie Jeffrey DEN BOEF ,  Simon Gijsbert Josephus MATHIJSSEN ,  Nitesh PANDEY ,  Stefan Michiel WITTE ,  Kjeld EIKEMA

IPC: G01N21/956 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G01B11/00

CPC classification number: G01N21/956 ,  G01B11/00 ,  G01N2201/12 ,  G03F7/70141 ,  G03F7/70625 ,  G03F7/70633 ,  G03F7/70641 ,  G03H1/0443 ,  G03H2001/0033 ,  G03H2001/0204 ,  G03H2001/0458

Abstract: Metrology targets are formed on a substrate (W) by a lithographic process. A target (T) comprising one or more grating structures is illuminated with spatially coherent radiation under different conditions. Radiation (650) diffracted by from said target area interferes with reference radiation (652) interferes with to form an interference pattern at an image detector (623). One or more images of said interference pattern are captured. From the captured image(s) and from knowledge of the reference radiation a complex field of the collected scattered radiation at the detector. A synthetic radiometric image (814) of radiation diffracted by each grating is calculated from the complex field. From the synthetic radiometric images (814, 814′) of opposite portions of a diffractions spectrum of the grating, a measure of asymmetry in the grating is obtained. Using suitable targets, overlay and other performance parameters of the lithographic process can be calculated from the measured asymmetry.

Abstract translation: 通过光刻工艺在基板（W）上形成计量目标。 包括一个或多个光栅结构的靶（T）在不同条件下被空间相干辐射照射。 从参考辐射（652）干涉的所述目标区域衍射的辐射（650）干扰以在图像检测器（623）处形成干涉图案。 捕获所述干涉图案的一个或多个图像。 从捕获的图像和参考辐射的知识中，在检测器处收集的散射辐射的复杂场。 从复场计算由每个光栅衍射的辐射的合成辐射图像（814）。 从光栅的衍射光谱的相对部分的合成辐射图像（814,814'）获得光栅中的不对称度。 使用合适的目标，可以从测量的不对称性计算光刻过程的覆盖层和其他性能参数。

公开(公告)号：US20240004312A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-04

申请号：US18253734

申请日：2021-10-28

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V. ,  STICHTING NEDERLANDSE WETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK INSTITUTEN ,  STICHTING VU ,  UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAM

Inventor： Peter Michael KRAUS ,  Sylvianne Dorothea Christina ROSCAM ABBING ,  Filippo CAMPI ,  ZhuangYan ZHANG ,  Petrus Wilhelmus SMORENBURG ,  Nan LIN ,  Stefan Michiel WITTE ,  Arie Jeffrey DEN BOEF

IPC: G03F7/00 ,  G02F1/35 ,  H05G2/00

CPC classification number: G03F7/70641 ,  G03F7/706849 ,  G02F1/353 ,  G02F1/3505 ,  G02F1/3507 ,  H05G2/00

Abstract: Disclosed is a metrology apparatus for measurement of a target formed on a substrate by a lithographic process and associated method. The metrology apparatus comprises a radiation source operable to provide first radiation; a configured solid high harmonic generation medium being configured to receive and be excited by said first radiation to generate high harmonic second radiation from an output surface of the configured solid high harmonic generation medium; and a detection arrangement operable to detect said second radiation, at least a portion of which having been scattered by said target. The configured solid high harmonic generation medium is configured to shape the beam of said second radiation and/or separate said first and second radiation.

公开(公告)号：US20180348145A1

公开(公告)日：2018-12-06

申请号：US15979990

申请日：2018-05-15

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V. ,  Stichting Nederlandse Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Instituten ,  Stichting VU ,  Universiteit van Amsterdam

Inventor： Stefan Michiel WITTE ,  Gijsbert Simon Matthijs Jansen ,  Lars Christian Freisem ,  Kjeld Sijbrand Eduard Eikema ,  Simon Gijsbert Josephus Mathijssen

IPC: G01N21/88 ,  G01N21/95 ,  G01J1/42

CPC classification number: G03F7/706 ,  G01J9/00 ,  G03F7/70133 ,  G03F7/70141 ,  G03F7/70191

Abstract: A metrology apparatus (302) includes a higher harmonic generation (HHG) radiation source for generating (310) EUV radiation. Operation of the HHG source is monitored using a wavefront sensor (420) which comprises an aperture array (424, 702) and an image sensor (426). A grating (706) disperses the radiation passing through each aperture so that the image detector captures positions and intensities of higher diffraction orders for different spectral components and different locations across the beam. In this way, the wavefront sensor can be arranged to measure a wavefront tilt for multiple harmonics at each location in said array. In one embodiment, the apertures are divided into two subsets (A) and (B), the gratings (706) of each subset having a different direction of dispersion. The spectrally resolved wavefront information (430) is used in feedback control (432) to stabilize operation of the HGG source, and/or to improve accuracy of metrology results.

公开(公告)号：US20200232931A1

公开(公告)日：2020-07-23

申请号：US16751104

申请日：2020-01-23

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V. ,  Stichting Nederlandse Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Instituten ,  Stichting VU ,  Universiteit van Amsterdam

Inventor： Stefan Michiel WITTE ,  Gijsbert Simon Matthijs JANSEN ,  Lars Christian FREISEM ,  Kjeld Sijbrand Eduard EIKEMA ,  Simon Gijsbert Josephus MATHIJSSEN

IPC: G01N21/88 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G01J9/00 ,  G01J1/42 ,  G01N21/95

Abstract: A metrology apparatus (302) includes a higher harmonic generation (HHG) radiation source for generating (310) EUV radiation. Operation of the HHG source is monitored using a wavefront sensor (420) which comprises an aperture array (424, 702) and an image sensor (426). A grating (706) disperses the radiation passing through each aperture so that the image detector captures positions and intensities of higher diffraction orders for different spectral components and different locations across the beam. In this way, the wavefront sensor can be arranged to measure a wavefront tilt for multiple harmonics at each location in said array. In one embodiment, the apertures are divided into two subsets (A) and (B), the gratings (706) of each subset having a different direction of dispersion. The spectrally resolved wavefront information (430) is used in feedback control (432) to stabilize operation of the HGG source, and/or to improve accuracy of metrology results.

公开(公告)号：US20180246423A1

公开(公告)日：2018-08-30

申请号：US15754470

申请日：2016-08-22

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Simon Gijsbert Josephus MATHIJSSEN ,  Arie Jeffrey DEN BOEF ,  Nitesh PANDEY ,  Patricius Aloysius Jacobus TINNEMANS ,  Stefan Michiel WITTE ,  Kjeld Sijbrand Eduard EIKEMA

IPC: G03F9/00 ,  G06T7/73 ,  G01B11/27

CPC classification number: G03F9/7003 ,  G01B11/272 ,  G03F9/7046 ,  G03F9/7088 ,  G03F9/7092 ,  G06T7/73

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus comprises comprise a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate; and a sensor configured to sense a position of an alignment mark provided onto the substrate held by the substrate table. The sensor comprises a source of radiation configured to illuminate the alignment mark with a radiation beam, a detector configured to detect the radiation beam, having interacted with the alignment mark, as an out of focus optical pattern, and a data processing system. The data processing system is configured to receive image data representing the out of focus optical pattern, and process the image data for determining alignment information, comprising applying a lensless imaging algorithm to the out of focus optical pattern.