公开(公告)号：US12189313B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-07

申请号：US17680784

申请日：2022-02-25

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Chunguang Xia ,  Jonghoon Baek ,  John Tom Stewart, IV ,  Andrew David LaForge ,  Deniz Van Heijnsbergen ,  David Robert Evans ,  Nina Vladimirovna Dziomkina ,  Yue Ma

IPC: G03F7/00 ,  H01J37/32 ,  H05H1/46

Abstract: In some general aspects, a surface of a structure within a chamber of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source is cleaned using a method. The method includes generating a plasma state of a material that is present at a location adjacent to a non-electrically conductive body that is within the chamber. The generation of the plasma state of the material includes electromagnetically inducing an electric current at the location adjacent the non-electrically conductive body to thereby transform the material that is adjacent the non-electrically conductive body from a first state into the plasma state. The plasma state of the material includes plasma particles, at least some of which are free radicals of the material. The method also includes enabling the plasma particles to pass over the structure surface to remove debris from the structure surface without removing the structure from the chamber of the EUV light source.

公开(公告)号：US12189312B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-07

申请号：US17799652

申请日：2021-01-26

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

Inventor： Roberto B. Wiener ,  Peter Conrad Kochersperger ,  Boris Kogan ,  Martinus Agnes Willem Cuijpers ,  Robert Jeffrey Wade ,  Shaun Evans

IPC: G03F7/00 ,  H01L21/687

Abstract: Embodiments herein describe methods, devices, and systems for a reticle gripper damper and isolation system for handling reticles and reducing vibrations in a reticle handler for lithography apparatuses and systems. A reticle handler apparatus includes a reticle handler arm, a reticle baseplate configured to hold the reticle, and a gripper arranged to connect the reticle baseplate to the reticle handler arm. The gripper includes a static structure that is coupled to the reticle handler arm, an isolation structure that is coupled to the static structure, and one or more damping elements. The gripper is configured to reduce vibrations of the reticle in the reticle handler apparatus using the one or more damping elements.

公开(公告)号：US12189309B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-07

申请号：US17781411

申请日：2020-11-02

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Ronald Van Der Wilk ,  Tiannan Guan

IPC: G03F7/00

Abstract: A clamp assembly is disclose, the clamp assembly comprising a clamp (50) configurable to clamp a support member (110) to a lower base surface (49) of the clamp by electrostatic adhesion, and an arrangement configurable to direct a gas to the lower base surface (49) of the clamp. The arrangement is configurable to humidify the gas by exposing the gas to a liquid. Also disclosed is a method of discharging a lower base surface of a clamp, The method comprises the steps of humidifying a gas by exposing the gas to a liquid, and directing the humidified gas to a lower base surface of the clamp.

公开(公告)号：US12183543B2

公开(公告)日：2024-12-31

申请号：US17785890

申请日：2020-12-18

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Martinus Gerardus Johannes Maria Maassen

IPC: H01J37/28 ,  H01J37/04

Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods for multi-modal operations of a multi-beam inspection system are disclosed. An apparatus for generating multi-modal beamlets may include an aperture array which includes a first group of apertures having a first size and a second group of apertures having a second size different from the first size, the second group of apertures adjoining the first group of apertures, in which the first group of apertures and the second group of apertures are in different pass-or-block statuses. A multi-beam apparatus of multi-modal inspection operations may include the aforementioned apparatus, a source configured to emit charged particles, a condenser system configured to set a projection area of the charged particles, and circuitry for controlling the first and second groups of apertures.

公开(公告)号：US20240411222A1

公开(公告)日：2024-12-12

申请号：US18699574

申请日：2022-10-07

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Inci DONMEZ NOYAN ,  Ties Wouter VAN DER WOORD ,  Johan REININK ,  Tim Willem Johan VAN DE GOOR ,  Alexander Ludwig KLEIN ,  Zomer Silvester HOUWELING ,  Paul Alexander VERMEULEN ,  Adrianus Johannes Maria GIESBERS ,  Johan Hendrik KLOOTWIJK ,  Lambertus Idris Johannes Catharina BERGERS

IPC: G03F1/62 ,  C04B35/58

Abstract: A pellicle membrane includes a population of metal silicide crystals in a silicon-based matrix, wherein the pellicle membrane has an emissivity of 0.3 or more. Also a method of manufacturing a pellicle membrane, a pellicle assembly, a lithographic apparatus comprising such a pellicle membrane or pellicle assembly. Also the use of such a pellicle membrane, pellicle assembly, or lithographic apparatus in a lithographic apparatus or method.

公开(公告)号：US12165837B2

公开(公告)日：2024-12-10

申请号：US17901767

申请日：2022-09-01

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Martinus Gerardus Maria Johannes Maassen ,  Joost Jeroen Ottens ,  Long Ma ,  Youfei Jiang ,  Weihua Yin ,  Wei-Te Li ,  Xuedong Liu

IPC: H01J37/26 ,  H01J37/147 ,  H01J37/22 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: An improved system and method for inspection of a sample using a particle beam inspection apparatus, and more particularly, to systems and methods of scanning a sample with a plurality of charged particle beams. An improved method of scanning an area of a sample using N charged particle beams, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to two, and wherein the area of the sample comprises a plurality of scan sections of N consecutive scan lines, includes moving the sample in a first direction. The method also includes scanning, with a first charged particle beam of the N charged particle beams, first scan lines of at least some scan sections of the plurality of scan sections moving towards a probe spot of the first charged particle beam. The method further includes scanning, with a second charged particle beam of the N charged particle beams, second scan lines of at least some scan sections of the plurality of scan sections moving towards a probe spot of the second charged particle beam.

公开(公告)号：US20240403537A1

公开(公告)日：2024-12-05

申请号：US18806274

申请日：2024-08-15

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Christophe David FOUQUET ,  Bernardo KASTRUP ,  Arie Jeffrey DEN BOEF ,  Johannes Catharinus Hubertus MULKENS ,  James Benedict KAVANAGH ,  James Patrick KOONMEN ,  Neal Patrick CALLAN

IPC: G06F30/398 ,  G03F7/00 ,  G06F30/20 ,  G06N7/01 ,  H01L21/66

Abstract: A defect prediction method for a device manufacturing process involving processing a portion of a design layout onto a substrate, the method including: identifying a hot spot from the portion of the design layout; determining a range of values of a processing parameter of the device manufacturing process for the hot spot, wherein when the processing parameter has a value outside the range, a defect is produced from the hot spot with the device manufacturing process; determining an actual value of the processing parameter; determining or predicting, using the actual value, existence, probability of existence, a characteristic, or a combination thereof, of a defect produced from the hot spot with the device manufacturing process.

公开(公告)号：US12147167B2

公开(公告)日：2024-11-19

申请号：US15775602

申请日：2016-09-30

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Junichi Kanehara ,  Hans Butler ,  Paul Corné Henri De Wit ,  Engelbertus Antonius Fransiscus Van Der Pasch

IPC: G03F9/00 ,  G03F7/00

Abstract: A method of operating a lithographic apparatus that comprises: a projection system configured to provide exposure radiation for patterning a substrate underneath the projection system; a first stage configured to support a first substrate; a second stage configured to support a second substrate; and a third stage accommodating a component that includes at least one of a sensor and a cleaning device; wherein the method comprises starting a pre-exposure scrum sweep operation after starting a substrate exchange operation; wherein during the pre-exposure scrum sweep operation, the third stage moves away from underneath the projection system while the second stage moves to underneath the projection system; wherein during the substrate exchange operation, the first substrate is unloaded from the first stage.

公开(公告)号：US12142535B2

公开(公告)日：2024-11-12

申请号：US15445465

申请日：2017-02-28

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Adriaan Johan Van Leest ,  Anagnostis Tsiatmas ,  Paul Christiaan Hinnen ,  Elliott Gerard McNamara ,  Alok Verma ,  Thomas Theeuwes ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer

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

Abstract: A method of determining overlay of a patterning process, the method including: illuminating a substrate with a radiation beam such that a beam spot on the substrate is filled with one or more physical instances of a unit cell, the unit cell having geometric symmetry at a nominal value of overlay; detecting primarily zeroth order radiation redirected by the one or more physical instances of the unit cell using a detector; and determining, by a hardware computer system, a non-nominal value of overlay of the unit cell from values of an optical characteristic of the detected radiation.

公开(公告)号：US12140875B2

公开(公告)日：2024-11-12

申请号：US17910118

申请日：2021-03-03

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Ilse Van Weperen ,  Han-Kwang Nienhuys ,  Teis Johan Coenen

IPC: G03F7/00 ,  G01B11/27 ,  G01B15/00

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining a parameter of a structure fabricated in or on a substrate and compensated for a drift error. The methods comprising: illuminating, at a plurality of times, at least part of the structure with electromagnetic radiation, the at least part of the structure being at a first orientation; sensing, at the plurality of times, a plurality of average reflectances of the at least part of the structure; and determining, based on the plurality of average reflectances, an estimation of the parameter at one or more further times.