公开(公告)号：US12197139B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-14

申请号：US17802841

申请日：2021-02-25

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Bastiaan Lambertus Wilhelmus Marinus Van De Ven ,  Johannes Bernardus Charles Engelen ,  Arnoud Willem Notenboom ,  Jim Vincent Overkamp ,  Kjeld Gertrudus Hendrikus Janssen ,  Johannes Adrianus Cornelis Maria Pijnenburg ,  Jeroen Van Duivenbode ,  Erik Johannes Nieuwenhuis ,  Koos Van Berkel

IPC: G03F7/00

Abstract: An object holder configured to support an object, the object holder including: a core body comprising a plurality of burls having distal ends in a support plane for supporting the object; and an electrostatic sheet between the burls, the electrostatic sheet comprising an electrode sandwiched between dielectric layers, wherein the electrostatic sheet is bonded to the core body by a bonding material having a thickness of at least 100 nm.

公开(公告)号：US12197136B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-14

申请号：US18229984

申请日：2023-08-03

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Wim Tjibbo Tel ,  Mark John Maslow ,  Koenraad Van Ingen Schenau ,  Patrick Warnaar ,  Abraham Slachter ,  Roy Anunciado ,  Simon Hendrik Celine Van Gorp ,  Frank Staals ,  Marinus Jochemsen

IPC: G03F7/00 ,  G03F1/00 ,  G06F30/20 ,  G06F30/33 ,  G06F30/398 ,  G06T7/00 ,  G21K5/00 ,  H01L21/00 ,  H01L21/66 ,  G06F119/18

Abstract: A method including: obtaining an image of at least part of a substrate, wherein the image includes at least one feature manufactured on the substrate by a manufacturing process including a lithographic process and one or more further processes; determining one or more image-related metrics in dependence on a contour determined from the image, wherein one of the one or more image-related metrics is an edge placement error, EPE, of the at least one feature; and determining one or more control parameters of the lithographic process and/or the one or more further processes in dependence on the edge placement error, wherein at least one control parameter is determined so as to minimize the edge placement error of the at least one feature.

公开(公告)号：US12196692B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-14

申请号：US17769690

申请日：2020-09-30

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Weiming Ren ,  Xuedong Liu ,  Zhong-wei Chen ,  Xiaoyu Ji ,  Xiaoxue Chen ,  Weimin Zhou ,  Frank Nan Zhang

IPC: G01N23/2202 ,  G01N1/44 ,  G01N23/2251 ,  H01J37/02 ,  H01J37/244 ,  H01J37/28

Abstract: Systems and methods of providing a probe spot in multiple modes of operation of a charged-particle beam apparatus are disclosed. The method may comprise activating a charged-particle source to generate a primary charged-particle beam and selecting between a first mode and a second mode of operation of the charged-particle beam apparatus. In the flooding mode, the condenser lens may focus at least a first portion of the primary charged-particle beam passing through an aperture of the aperture plate to form a second portion of the primary charged-particle beam, and substantially all of the second portion is used to flood a surface of a sample. In the inspection mode, the condenser lens may focus a first portion of the primary charged-particle beam such that the aperture of the aperture plate blocks off peripheral charged-particles to form the second portion of the primary charged-particle beam used to inspect the sample surface.

公开(公告)号：US20250013158A1

公开(公告)日：2025-01-09

申请号：US18712671

申请日：2022-11-22

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Huaichen ZHANG ,  Ruben Cornelis MAAS ,  Syam Parayil VENUGOPALAN ,  Jan Wouter BIJLSMA

IPC: G03F7/00

Abstract: A method and system for designing a mark for use in imaging of a pattern on a substrate using a lithographic process in a lithographic apparatus. The method includes obtaining a mark construction, obtaining a spatial variation of a geometric parameter associated with the mark construction, and determining a geometry design of individual patterns of a mark based on the spatial variation and a spatial location of the mark.

公开(公告)号：US20250013142A1

公开(公告)日：2025-01-09

申请号：US18708573

申请日：2022-11-11

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Zomer Silvester HOUWELING ,  Paul Alexander VERMEULEN ,  Alexander Ludwig KLEIN

IPC: G03F1/62 ,  G03F7/00

Abstract: A method for forming a pellicle for use in a lithographic apparatus is disclosed. The method includes: providing a porous membrane formed from a first material; applying at least one layer of two-dimensional material to at least one side of the porous membrane; and applying a capping layer to the at least one layer of two-dimensional material on at least one side of the porous membrane such that the at least one layer of two-dimensional material is disposed between the or each capping layer and the porous membrane. The at least one layer of two-dimensional material may act to close the adjacent side of the porous membrane and to form a smoother and flatter exterior surface of the pellicle. Advantageously, this may allow the porous membrane to be protected from etching while reducing EUV flare, regardless of the material used for the capping layer.

公开(公告)号：US12189308B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-07

申请号：US18129169

申请日：2023-03-31

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Richard Johannes Franciscus Van Haren ,  Leon Paul Van Dijk ,  Oktay Yildirim ,  Orion Jonathan Pierre Mouraille

IPC: G03F7/00 ,  G03F1/70

Abstract: A method for determining a target feature in a model of a patterning process based on local electric fields estimated for the patterning process. The method includes obtaining a mask stack region of interest. The mask stack region of interest has one or more characteristics associated with propagation of electromagnetic waves through the mask stack region of interest. The mask stack region of interest includes the target feature. The method includes estimating a local electric field based on the one or more characteristics associated with the propagation of electromagnetic waves through the mask stack region of interest. The local electric field is estimated for a portion of the mask stack region of interest in proximity to the target feature. The method includes determining the target feature based on the estimated local electric field.

公开(公告)号：US12189302B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-07

申请号：US17738093

申请日：2022-05-06

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Wim Tjibbo Tel ,  Bart Peter Bert Segers ,  Everhardus Cornelis Mos ,  Emil Peter Schmitt-Weaver ,  Yichen Zhang ,  Petrus Gerardus Van Rhee ,  Xing Lan Liu ,  Maria Kilitziraki ,  Reiner Maria Jungblut ,  Hyunwoo Yu

IPC: G03F7/07 ,  G03F7/00 ,  G06F30/20 ,  G06N3/02 ,  G06F119/18 ,  G06F119/22

Abstract: A method, involving determining a first distribution of a first parameter associated with an error or residual in performing a device manufacturing process; determining a second distribution of a second parameter associated with an error or residual in performing the device manufacturing process; and determining a distribution of a parameter of interest associated with the device manufacturing process using a function operating on the first and second distributions. The function may include a correlation.

公开(公告)号：US20250004362A1

公开(公告)日：2025-01-02

申请号：US18293851

申请日：2022-07-28

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Franciscus Theodorus AGRICOLA ,  Lourdes FERRE LLIN ,  Dennis DE GRAAF ,  Chaitanya Krishna ANDE ,  Inci DONMEZ NOYAN ,  Fai Tong SI ,  Ties Wouter VAN DER WOORD ,  Anne-Sophie ROLLIER ,  Maxime BIRON ,  Adrianus Johannes Maria GIESBERS

IPC: G03F1/62 ,  G03F1/24

Abstract: A pellicle membrane for a lithographic apparatus, wherein the pellicle membrane includes metal silicide and a reinforcing network. The reinforcing network can be located between metal silicide layers. The reinforcing network can be irregular. The reinforcing network includes windows with a maximum dimension of up to 20 microns. The reinforcing network includes windows having an average size of at least 5 microns.

公开(公告)号：US20240427251A1

公开(公告)日：2024-12-26

申请号：US18704337

申请日：2022-10-24

Applicant: ASML Netherlands B.V.

Inventor： Douglas C. CAPPELLI

IPC: G03F7/00

Abstract: An inspection apparatus includes a radiation source, an optical system, and a detector. The radiation source generates a beam of radiation. The optical system directs the beam along an optical axis and toward a target so as to produce scattered radiation from the target. The optical system includes a beam displacer including four reflective surfaces having a spatial arrangement. The beam displacer receives the beam along the optical axis, performs reflections of the beam so as to displace the optical axis of the beam, rotates to shift the displaced optical axis, and preserves polarization of the beam such that a polarization state of the beam along the deflected optical axis is invariant to the rotating based on the spatial arrangement of the four reflective surfaces. The detector receives the scattered radiation to generate a measurement signal based on the received scattered radiation.

公开(公告)号：US20240427216A1

公开(公告)日：2024-12-26

申请号：US18699041

申请日：2022-09-30

Applicant: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.

Inventor： Sebastian Thomas BAUERSCHMIDT ,  Patrick Sebastian UEBEL ,  Peter Maximilian GÖTZ

IPC: G02F1/35 ,  G01J3/02 ,  G02F1/365 ,  G03F7/00

Abstract: A broadband radiation source device configured for generating broadband output radiation upon receiving substantially linearly polarized input radiation, the source device including: a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber; at least a first polarization element operable to impose a substantially circular or elliptical polarization on the input radiation prior to being received by the hollow-core photonic crystal fiber; and a second polarization element operable in combination with the first polarization element to impose a substantially elliptical polarization on the input radiation, wherein the second polarization element and the first polarization element are oriented such that the elliptical polarization compensates at least partially for birefringence of the hollow-core photonic crystal fiber.