公开(公告)号：US10303064B2

公开(公告)日：2019-05-28

申请号：US15589958

申请日：2017-05-08

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Sebastianus Adrianus Goorden ,  Teunis Willem Tukker ,  Johannes Matheus Marie De Wit ,  Jonas Mertes ,  Gerbrand Van Der Zouw

IPC: G03B27/42 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G03F7/16 ,  G03F7/38 ,  G03F7/26 ,  G01B11/06 ,  G01B11/27 ,  G01N21/88 ,  G01N21/47 ,  G02B27/09

Abstract: Disclosed are an optical system for conditioning a beam of radiation, and an illumination system and metrology apparatus comprising such an optical system. The optical system comprises one or more optical mixing elements in an optical system. The optical system defines at least a first optical mixing stage, at least a second optical mixing stage, and at least one transformation stage, configured such that radiation entering the second optical mixing stage includes a transformed version of radiation exiting the first optical mixing stage. The first and second optical mixing stages can be provided using separate optical mixing elements, or by multiple passes through the same optical mixing element. The transformation stage can be a Fourier transformation stage. Both spatial distribution and angular distribution of illumination can be homogenized as desired.

公开(公告)号：US10126237B2

公开(公告)日：2018-11-13

申请号：US14850917

申请日：2015-09-10

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Gerbrand Van Der Zouw

IPC: G01N21/47 ,  G01N21/956 ,  G03F7/20

Abstract: An inspection apparatus comprises an illumination system (12) for illuminating a target structure with illuminating radiation and a collection system for collecting the illuminating radiation after it has been scattered by the target structure. A programmable spatial light modulator (713) comprises an array of movable mirror elements (742) in a conjugate pupil plane (P″) of the illumination system. Between the array of mirror elements and the target a common optical path is defined forming part of the illumination system and the collection system. Each mirror element is movable between a first position where it reflects illuminating radiation into the common optical path and a second position where it reflects radiation from the common optical path toward a detector (19, 23). Various combinations of illumination aperture and collection aperture can be defined without the light losses associated with beam splitters and transmissive spatial light modulators.

公开(公告)号：US10215954B2

公开(公告)日：2019-02-26

申请号：US15379918

申请日：2016-12-15

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Gerbrand Van Der Zouw

IPC: G02B7/28 ,  G01N21/47 ,  G02B7/32 ,  G02B21/24 ,  G03F9/00

Abstract: A focus monitoring arrangement (1000) is provided for a scatterometer or other optical system. A first focus sensor (510) provides a first focus signal (S1-S2) indicating focus relative to a first reference distance (z1). A second focus sensor (1510) for providing a second focus signal (C1-C2) indicating focus relative to a second reference distance (z2). A processor (1530) calculates a third focus signal by combining the first focus signal and the second focus signal. By varying the proportions of the first and second focus signals in calculating the third focus signal, an effective focus offset can be varied electronically, without moving elements.

公开(公告)号：US10191391B2

公开(公告)日：2019-01-29

申请号：US15279860

申请日：2016-09-29

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Nitesh Pandey ,  Zili Zhou ,  Armand Eugene Albert Koolen ,  Gerbrand Van Der Zouw

IPC: G03B27/42 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G01B11/27 ,  G01N21/47

Abstract: Disclosed is a metrology apparatus for measuring a parameter of a lithographic process, and associated computer program and method. The metrology apparatus comprises an optical system for measuring a target on a substrate by illuminating the target with measurement radiation and detecting the measurement radiation scattered by the target; and an array of lenses. Each lens of the array is operable to focus the scattered measurement radiation onto a sensor, said array of lenses thereby forming an image on the sensor which comprises a plurality of sub-images, each sub-image being formed by a corresponding lens of the array of lenses. The resulting plenoptic image comprises image plane information from the sub-images, wavefront distortion information (from the relative positions of the sub-images) and pupil information from the relative intensities of the sub-images.

公开(公告)号：US20180164699A1

公开(公告)日：2018-06-14

申请号：US15802701

申请日：2017-11-03

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Teunis Willem TUKKER ,  Gerbrand Van Der Zouw ,  Amandev Singh

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G01N21/956

CPC classification number: G03F7/70633 ,  G01N21/95607 ,  G03F7/7015 ,  G03F7/70625 ,  G03F9/7046 ,  G03F9/7069 ,  G03F9/7088

Abstract: A measurement system is disclosed in which a first optical system splits an input radiation beam into a plurality of components. A modulator receives the plurality of components and applies a modulation to at least one of the components independently of at least one other of the components. A second optical system illuminates a target with the plurality of components and directs radiation scattered by the target to a detection system. The detection system distinguishes between each of one or more components, or between each of one or more groups of components, of the radiation directed to the detection system based on the modulation applied to each component or each group of components by the modulator.

公开(公告)号：US10983445B2

公开(公告)日：2021-04-20

申请号：US16268564

申请日：2019-02-06

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Nitesh Pandey ,  Zili Zhou ,  Gerbrand Van Der Zouw ,  Arie Jeffrey Den Boef ,  Markus Gerardus Martinus Maria Van Kraaij ,  Armand Eugene Albert Koolen ,  Hugo Augustinus Joseph Cramer ,  Paul Christiaan Hinnen ,  Martinus Hubertus Maria Van Weert ,  Anagnostis Tsiatmas ,  Shu-jin Wang ,  Bastiaan Onne Fagginger Auer ,  Alok Verma

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G01N21/21 ,  G01N21/88

Abstract: An inspection apparatus, method, and system are described herein. An example inspection apparatus includes an optical system and an imaging system. The optical system may be configured to output an illumination beam incident on a target including one or more features, the illumination beam polarized with a first polarization when incident on the target. The imaging system may be configured to obtain intensity data representing at least a portion of the illumination beam scattered by the one or more features, where the portion of the illumination beam has a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization. The inspection apparatus may be further configured to generate image data representing an image of each of the feature(s) based on the intensity data, and determine a measurement of a parameter of interest associated with the feature(s) based on an amount of the portion of the illumination beam having the second polarization.

公开(公告)号：US10795269B2

公开(公告)日：2020-10-06

申请号：US16170786

申请日：2018-10-25

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Zili Zhou ,  Gerbrand Van Der Zouw ,  Nitesh Pandey ,  Markus Gerardus Martinus Maria Van Kraaij ,  Martinus Hubertus Maria Van Weert ,  Anagnostis Tsiatmas ,  Sergey Tarabrin ,  Hilko Dirk Bos

IPC: G01J4/00 ,  G03F7/20

Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods of determining a value of a parameter of interest of a patterning process, and of cleaning a signal containing information about the parameter of interest. In one arrangement, first and second detected representations of radiation are obtained. The radiation is provided by redirection of polarized incident radiation by a structure. The first and second detected representations are derived respectively from first and second polarization components of the redirected radiation. An asymmetry in the first detected representation comprises a contribution from the parameter of interest and a contribution from one or more other sources of asymmetry. An asymmetry in the second detected representation comprises a larger contribution from said one or more other sources of asymmetry relative to a contribution from the parameter of interest. A combination of the first and second detected representations is used to determine a value of the parameter of interest.

公开(公告)号：US20180088347A1

公开(公告)日：2018-03-29

申请号：US15694398

申请日：2017-09-01

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Gerbrand Van Der Zouw ,  Martin Jacobus Johan Jak ,  Martin Ebert

IPC: G02B27/28 ,  G01J1/08 ,  G01N21/88 ,  G02F1/01 ,  G01N21/95 ,  G03F7/20

CPC classification number: G02B27/283 ,  G01J1/08 ,  G01N21/8806 ,  G01N21/9501 ,  G01N2021/8848 ,  G01N2201/0675 ,  G02F1/01 ,  G03F7/70633

Abstract: In an illumination system (12, 13) for a scatterometer, first and second spatial light modulators lie in a common plane and are formed by different portions of a single liquid crystal cell (260). Pre-polarizers (250) apply polarization to first and second radiation prior to the spatial light modulators. A first spatial light modulator (236-S) varies a polarization state of the first radiation in accordance with a first programmable pattern. Second spatial light modulator (236-P) varies a polarization state of the second radiation accordance with a second programmable pattern. A polarizing beam splitter (234) selectively transmits each of the spatially modulated first and second radiation to a common output path, depending on the polarization state of the radiation. In an embodiment, functions of pre-polarizers are performed by the polarizing beam splitter.

公开(公告)号：US20190146356A1

公开(公告)日：2019-05-16

申请号：US16223372

申请日：2018-12-18

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Nitesh Pandey ,  Zili Zhou ,  Armand Eugene Albert Koolen ,  Gerbrand Van Der Zouw

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G01B11/27 ,  G01N21/47

CPC classification number: G03F7/70625 ,  G01B11/272 ,  G01N21/47 ,  G03F7/7015 ,  G03F7/706 ,  G03F7/70633

Abstract: Disclosed is a metrology apparatus for measuring a parameter of a lithographic process, and associated computer program and method. The metrology apparatus comprises an optical system for measuring a target on a substrate by illuminating the target with measurement radiation and detecting the measurement radiation scattered by the target; and an array of lenses. Each lens of the array is operable to focus the scattered measurement radiation onto a sensor, said array of lenses thereby forming an image on the sensor which comprises a plurality of sub-images, each sub-image being formed by a corresponding lens of the array of lenses. The resulting plenoptic image comprises image plane information from the sub-images, wavefront distortion information (from the relative positions of the sub-images) and pupil information from the relative intensities of the sub-images.

公开(公告)号：US20180107124A1

公开(公告)日：2018-04-19

申请号：US15723820

申请日：2017-10-03

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Teunis Willem TUKKER ,  Amandev Singh ,  Gerbrand Van Der Zouw

IPC: G03F7/20 ,  G01B11/27 ,  G01N21/956

Abstract: Metrology apparatus and methods are disclosed. In one arrangement, a substrate is inspected. A source beam of radiation emitted by a radiation source is split into a measurement beam and a reference beam. A first target is illuminated with the measurement beam, the first target being on the substrate. A second target is illuminated with the reference beam, the second target being separated from the substrate. First scattered radiation is collected from the first target and delivered to a detector. Second scattered radiation is collected from the second target and delivered to the detector. The first scattered radiation interferes with the second scattered radiation at the detector. The first target comprises a first pattern. The second target comprises a second pattern, or a pupil plane image of the second pattern. The first pattern is geometrically identical to the second pattern, the first pattern and the second pattern are periodic and a pitch of the first pattern is identical to a pitch of the second pattern, or both.