Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090305171 | APPARATUS FOR SCANNING SITES ON A WAFER ALONG A SHORT DIMENSION OF THE SITES - An exposure apparatus ( | 12-10-2009 |
20100053583 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS WITH AN ILLUMINATION SYSTEM GENERATING MULTIPLE ILLUMINATION BEAMS - An exposure apparatus ( | 03-04-2010 |
20100053588 | Substrate Stage movement patterns for high throughput While Imaging a Reticle to a pair of Imaging Locations - A new and useful optical imaging process is provided for imaging of a plurality of substrates, in a manner that makes efficient use of an optical imaging system with the capability to image a single reticle to a pair of imaging locations, and addresses the types of substrate stage movement patterns to accomplish such imaging in an efficient and effective manner. At least three substrates are imaged by moving their substrate stages in patterns whereby (i) two of the substrates are completely imaged at respective imaging locations, (ii) a substrate on at least one of the three stages is partially imaged at one imaging location and then partially imaged at the other imaging location, and (iii) the movement of the stages of the three substrates is configured to avoid movement of the stages of the three substrates in paths that would cause interference between movement of any one substrate stage with movement of any of the other substrate stages. | 03-04-2010 |
20100245797 | Substrate Handling Structure - A substrate handling structure is provided that is particularly useful with an imaging optical system that images a single reticle to a pair of imaging locations. The principles of the present invention provide substrate handling structures with new and useful metrology structures, and new and useful ways of moving substrates in relation to the imaging locations, that are designed to provide benefits in providing information as to the substrate position as a substrate is being imaged, while reducing the size of the support structure. These features are believed to be important as imaging of substrates in the 450 mm diameter range is developing. | 09-30-2010 |
20100245829 | System and method for compensating instability in an autofocus system - An autofocus system and method designed to account for instabilities in the system, e.g. due to instabilities of system components (e.g. vibrating mirrors, optics, etc) and/or environmental effects such as refractive index changes of air due to temperature, atmospheric pressure, or humidity gradients, is provided. An autofocus beam is split into a reference beam component (the split off reference channel) and a measurement beam component, by a beam splitting optic located a predetermined distance from (and in predetermined orientation relative to) the substrate, to create a first space between the beam splitting optic and the substrate. A reflector is provided that is spaced from the beam splitting optic by the predetermined distance, to create a second space between the reflector and the beam splitting optic. The measurement beam component is directed at the substrate and a reflected measurement beam component through the first space between the substrate and the beam splitting optic, while the reference beam component is directed at the reflector and a reflected reference beam component is directed from the reflector through the second space between the beam splitting optic and the reflector. The reflected reference and measurement beam components are returned to the beam splitting optic, and emerge substantially collinear from the beam splitting optic. The reference and measurement beam components are then detected, and provide information that enables compensation for changes in the z position of the substrate that are due to instabilities in the autofocus system components and/or environmental factors. | 09-30-2010 |
20110071784 | Goos-Hanchen compensation in autofocus systems - A new and useful method is provided for Goos-Hanchen compensation in an optical autofocus (AF) system that uses light reflected from a substrate to determine changes in the z position of a substrate. According to the method of the invention reflected light from the substrate is provided at a plurality of wavelengths and polarizations, detected and used to make corrections that compensate for the errors due to the Goos-Hanchen effect. | 03-24-2011 |
20120008150 | Autofocus system and method - New and useful concepts for an autofocus system and method are provided. A basic concept uses fringe projection in an autofocus system and method. A further aspect provides spatial filtering concepts for the fringe projection concept. In yet another aspect, the fringe projection autofocus system and method is provided with temporal phase shifting using no moving parts. In a still further aspect, the fringe projection autofocus system and method is provided with unambiguous height measurement concepts. | 01-12-2012 |
20120032067 | Two dimensional encoder system and method - An encoder system and method are provided, that is designed to improve 2D encoder systems and methods in areas such as accuracy, compactness, stability, resolution, and/or light efficiency. Moreover, the system and method of this invention provides a new concept in a retroreflector that while particularly useful in applicants' system and method, is believed to have more general utility in optical imaging systems and methods. | 02-09-2012 |
20120186059 | TARGET FOR LARGE SCALE METROLOGY SYSTEM | 07-26-2012 |
20120188557 | Apparatus, optical assembly, method for inspection or measurement of an object and method for manufacturing a structure - An optical assembly for a system for inspecting or measuring of an object is provided that is configured to move as a unit with a system, as the system is pointed at a target, and eliminates the need for a large scanning (pointing) mirror that is moveable relative to other parts of the system. The optical assembly comprises catadioptric optics configured to fold the optical path of the pointing beam and measurement beam that are being directed through the outlet of the system, to compress the size of the optical assembly. | 07-26-2012 |
20120224172 | Optical components for use in measuring projection lens distortion or focus of an optical imaging system that images a substrate - New and useful optical components are provided, for use in measuring projection lens characteristics of an optical imaging system that images a substrate. The optical components comprise an array of full NA imagers located at the substrate plane, and a relay system for imaging the imagers to a detector that is remote from the substrate. | 09-06-2012 |
20120229817 | LIGHT SOURCE ASSEMBLY THAT GENERATES HETERODYNE OUTPUT BEAMS - A beam adjuster assembly ( | 09-13-2012 |
20130099957 | Optical Assembly for Laser Radar - A compact optical assembly for a laser radar system is provided, that is configured to move as a unit with a laser radar system as the laser radar system is pointed at a target and eliminates the need for a large scanning (pointing) mirror that is moveable relative to other parts of the laser radar. The optical assembly comprises a light source, a lens, a scanning reflector and a fixed reflector that are oriented relative to each other such that: (i) a beam from the light source is reflected by the scanning reflector to the fixed reflector; (ii) reflected light from the fixed reflector is reflected again by the scanning reflector and directed along a line of sight through the lens; and (iii) the scanning reflector is moveable relative to the source, the lens and the fixed reflector, to adjust the focus of the beam along the line of sight. | 04-25-2013 |
20130188084 | Apparatus and method for improving contrast detected in a fringe projection autofocus system - A method and apparatus are provided, for improving contrast detected in a fringe projection autofocus system that projects light from a substrate to a digital camera. The method and apparatus reduce the fill factor of the digital camera in a direction that improves the contrast at spatial frequencies near or above the Nyquist limit in that direction. | 07-25-2013 |
20130194563 | OPTICAL ASSEMBLY FOR LASER RADAR - A compact optical assembly for a laser radar system is provided, that is configured to move as a unit with a laser radar system as the laser radar system is pointed at a target and eliminates the need for a large scanning (pointing) mirror that is moveable relative to other parts of the laser radar. The optical assembly comprises a light source, a lens, a scanning reflector and a fixed reflector that are oriented relative to each other such that: (i) a beam from the light source is reflected by the scanning reflector to the fixed reflector; (ii) reflected light from the fixed reflector is reflected again by the scanning reflector and directed along A line of sight through the lens; and (iii) the scanning reflector is moveable relative to the source, the lens and the fixed reflector, to adjust the focus of the beam along the line of sight. | 08-01-2013 |
20130194583 | INTERFEROMETER DEVICES FOR DETERMINING INITIAL POSITION OF A STAGE OR THE LIKE - An exemplary device has a stationary portion and a movable portion. The stationary portion has a first corner-cube, an optical system including a beamsplitter, and a light detector. The movable portion comprises a second corner-cube mountable on an object that is displaceable in a principal direction relative to the stationary portion. The beamsplitter splits a beam of collimated broadband light into a reference beam and a measurement beam that are directed by the optical system to make multiple roundtrip passes from the optical system to the respective corner cubes and back. The reference beam and measurement beam interfere with each other to produce a coherence envelope sensed by the detector, wherein a detected displacement of the coherence envelope corresponds to a respective position of the object in the principal direction. | 08-01-2013 |
20130208104 | Custom color or polarization sensitive CCD for separating multiple signals in Autofocus projection system - An autofocus (AF) system and method is provided that maps the topography of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, in a manner that corrects for Goos Hanchen (GH) effect. In addition, a new and useful detector is provided that is particularly useful in an AF system and method. The detector preferably has both color and polarization filtering integrally associated with the detector, so that polarization and color filtering is provided at the detector, on a pixel by pixel basis. | 08-15-2013 |
20130241762 | LIGHT-BEAM SCANNING FOR LASER RADAR AND OTHER USES - A light beam is scanned, for use in laser radar and other uses, by an optical system of which an example includes a beam-shaping optical system that includes a first movable optical element and a second movable optical element. The first optical element forms and directs an optical beam along a nominal propagation axis from the beam-shaping optical system to a target, and the second optical element includes a respective actuator by which the second optical element is movable relative to the first optical element. A controller is coupled at least to the actuator of the second optical element and is configured to induce motion, by the actuator, of the second optical element to move the optical beam, as incident on the target, relative to the nominal propagation axis. | 09-19-2013 |
20130308140 | METHOD FOR SPATIALLY MULTIPLEXING TWO OR MORE FRINGE PROJECTION SIGNALS ON A SINGLE DETECTOR - Fringe patterns at first and second spatial frequencies are projected onto a work piece surface and a reference surface, respectively. An image of the projected fringe patterns is obtained and a measurement signal associated with work piece displacements and a reference signal are obtained based on the first and second spatial frequencies. The image of the projected fringe patterns can exhibit substantial or complete overlap of the fringe patterns at the first and second spatial frequencies, and the overlapping patterns can be separated based on the spatial frequencies. Fringe pattern shifts at one or both of the first and second spatial frequencies can be used to adjust a pattern transfer system to permit accurate pattern transfer. | 11-21-2013 |
20130330662 | COLOR TIME DOMAIN INTEGRATION CAMERA HAVING A SINGLE CHARGE COUPLED DEVICE AND FRINGE PROJECTION AUTO-FOCUS SYSTEM - A detector ( | 12-12-2013 |
20140049761 | DESIGN RULES FOR REDUCING THE SENSITIVITY OF FRINGE PROJECTION AUTOFOCUS TO AIR TEMPERATURE CHANGES - Fringe projection autofocus systems are provided with variable pitch diffraction gratings or multiple diffraction gratings so that a reference beam and a measurement beam propagate along a common path. Alternatively, an input beam can be directed to a diffraction grating so that the selected diffraction orders propagate along a common path. In some examples, distinct spectral bands are used for reference and measurement beams. | 02-20-2014 |
20140049762 | TWO AXIS ENCODER HEAD ASSEMBLY - A measurement system for measuring the position of a work piece ( | 02-20-2014 |
20140183345 | HIGH RESOLUTION ENCODER HEAD - A measurement system ( | 07-03-2014 |
20140233011 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMPENSATING INSTABILITY IN AN AUTOFOCUS SYSTEM - An autofocus system and method designed to account for instabilities in the system, e.g. due to instabilities of system components (e.g. vibrating mirrors, optics, etc) and/or environmental effects such as refractive index changes of air due to temperature, atmospheric pressure, or humidity gradients, is provided. An autofocus beam is split into a reference beam component (the split off reference channel) and a measurement beam component, by a beam splitting optic located a predetermined distance from (and in predetermined orientation relative to) the substrate, to create a first space between the beam splitting optic and the substrate. A reflector is provided that is spaced from the beam splitting optic by the predetermined distance, to create a second space between the reflector and the beam splitting optic. The measurement beam component is directed at the substrate and a reflected measurement beam component through the first space between the substrate and the beam splitting optic, while the reference beam component is directed at the reflector and a reflected reference beam component is directed from the reflector through the second space between the beam splitting optic and the reflector. The reflected reference and measurement beam components are returned to the beam splitting optic, and emerge substantially collinear from the beam splitting optic. The reference and measurement beam components are then detected, and provide information that enables compensation for changes in the z position of the substrate that are due to instabilities in the autofocus system components and/or environmental factors. | 08-21-2014 |
20140293278 | COMPENSATION FOR GOOS-HANCHEN ERROR IN AUTOFOCUS SYSTEMS - A new and useful method is provided for Goos-Hanchen compensation in an optical autofocus (AF) system that uses light reflected from a substrate to determine changes in the z position of a substrate. According to the method of the invention reflected light from the substrate is provided at a plurality of wavelengths and polarizations, detected and used to make corrections that compensate for the errors due to the Goos-Hanchen effect. | 10-02-2014 |
20140374579 | TWO-DIMENSIONAL ENCODER SYSTEM AND METHOD - Two dimensional encoder system and method designed to improve accuracy, compactness, stability, resolution, and/or light efficiency of metrology carried out with such system and method. Embodiments employ a novel retroreflector which while particularly useful in present invention, is believed to have more general utility in optical imaging systems and methods. | 12-25-2014 |
20150070670 | CORRECTION OF ERRORS CAUSED BY AMBIENT NON-UNIFORMITIES IN A FRINGE-PROJECTION AUTOFOCUS SYSTEM IN ABSENCE OF A REFERENCE MIRROR - Fringe-projection autofocus system devoid of a reference mirror. Contributions to error in determination of a target surface profile caused by air non-uniformities measured based on multiple measurements of the target surface performed at different wavelengths, and/or angles of incidence, and/or grating pitches and subtracted from the measured profile, rendering the system substantially insensitive to presence of air turbulence. Same optical beams forming a fringe irradiance pattern on target surface are used for measurement of the surface profile and reduction of measurement error by the amount attributed to air turbulence. | 03-12-2015 |