Entries |
Document | Title | Date |
20080204696 | METHOD OF ALIGNMENT - The invention provides an alignment method for applying a one layer of shot exposure on and throughout a substrate, wherein a shot exposure area throughout the substrate is divided into N block areas B | 08-28-2008 |
20080239277 | Method of forming a substrate for use in calibrating a metrology tool, calibration substrate and metrology tool calibration method - The present invention provides a method for forming a substrate for use in calibrating a metrology tool in order to compensate for orientation-dependent variations within the metrology tool. | 10-02-2008 |
20080285006 | METHOD OF MANFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - To attain a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using an exposure system capable of obtaining preferable resolution while an adverse effect caused by a reduction in depth-of-focus margin is prevented, there is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising exposing a first portion of a wafer with a first lens aperture, and exposing a second portion of the wafer with a second lens aperture. | 11-20-2008 |
20080309912 | Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method - A lithographic apparatus includes a movable table constructed and arranged to transport an object to a position in a beam path in a vacuum chamber, a first capacitor electrode and a second capacitor electrode attached to the table, a first inductor assembly coupled to the capacitor electrodes, and configured to apply a voltage between the first capacitor electrode and the second capacitor electrode, and a second inductor assembly mounted at a position that remains fixed when the table is moved. The second inductor assembly is configured to generate a magnetic field. The presence of the object on the table is detected by applying a voltage on the second inductor assembly which will result in a magnetic field which when picked up by the first inductor assembly will create a magnetic field response in the first inductor assembly dependent on the capacitance of the capacitor electrodes. | 12-18-2008 |
20090027650 | ORIGINAL PLATE DATA GENERATION METHOD, ORIGINAL PLATE GENERATION METHOD, EXPOSURE METHOD, DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM FOR GENERATING ORIGINAL PLATE DATA - A method for generating original plate data includes calculating a two-dimensional transmission cross coefficient based on a function indicating an intensity distribution of light formed on a pupil plane of a projection optical system with illumination light and a pupil function for the projection optical system, calculating an approximate aerial image obtained by approximating an aerial image on an image plane of the projection optical system by at least one component of a plurality of components of the aerial image based on the two-dimensional transmission cross coefficient and a first pattern on an object plane of the projection optical system, generating a further pattern having the first pattern on the object plane and auxiliary patterns based on the approximate aerial image, and generating original plate data including a pattern generated by repeating the calculating and generating processing by using the further pattern as the first pattern on the object plane. | 01-29-2009 |
20090091736 | CALCULATION METHOD, GENERATION METHOD, PROGRAM, EXPOSURE METHOD, AND MASK FABRICATION METHOD - The present invention provides a calculation method of calculating, by a computer, a light intensity distribution formed on an image plane of a projection optical system, comprising a step of dividing an effective light source formed on a pupil plane of the projection optical system into a plurality of point sources, a step of shifting a pupil function describing a pupil of the projection optical system for each of the plurality of point sources in accordance with positions thereof, thereby generating a plurality of shifted pupil functions, a step of defining a matrix including the plurality of pupil functions, a step of performing singular value decomposition of the matrix, thereby calculating an eigenvalue and an eigenfunction, and a step of calculating the light intensity distribution, based on a distribution of the light diffracted by the pattern of the mask, and the eigenvalue and the eigenfunction. | 04-09-2009 |
20090128796 | Illumination optics apparatus, exposure method, exposure apparatus, and method of manufacturing electronic device - An illumination optical apparatus which constantly controls a plurality of polarization states with high accuracy. An illumination optical system, which illuminates a pattern surface of a mask with illumination light, includes a polarization optical system and a depolarizer. The polarization optical system includes a half wavelength plate and PBS, which varies a polarization state of the illumination light to form a linear polarization state having a predetermined polarization direction. The depolarizer is arranged toward the mask from the polarization optical system and varies the polarization state of the illumination light emitted from the polarization optical system. | 05-21-2009 |
20090168043 | Exposing method using variable shaped beam, and pattern forming method using the same - Provided is an exposing method using a variable shaped beam that may minimize a critical dimension (CD) distribution and a mean to target (MTT) difference generated during a process by correcting CD linearity of the design CD of a circuit pattern, and a pattern forming method using the exposing method. In the exposing method, a determination is made as to whether the design size of a beam shot used to expose a circuit pattern is less than a value, or greater than the value. If the design size is greater than the value, the size of the beam shot may be linearly corrected. When the design size is less than the value, the size of the beam shot may be non-linearly corrected. | 07-02-2009 |
20090168044 | LITHOGRAPHY APPARATUS AND LITHOGRAPHY METHOD - A lithography apparatus includes a generating unit configured, by receiving character information which specifies a shape of an identification figure representing identification information of a target object, to generate pattern writing data of the identification figure on the basis of the character information; a synthesizing unit configured, by receiving a pattern writing data of a pattern written on the target object, to synthesize the pattern writing data of the pattern and the pattern writing data of the identification figure; and a pattern writing unit configured to write the pattern and the identification figure on the target object on the basis of the synthesized pattern writing data. | 07-02-2009 |
20090180097 | EXPOSURE METHOD - An exposure method for exposing a pattern of a reticle onto a plate using a light from a light source and an optical system includes the steps of obtaining a relationship between an exposure parameter that determines a mode to expose a plate, and an electrical characteristic of a device derived from the device, determining whether the device obtained from the set exposure parameter has a predetermined electrical characteristic, and adjusting the set exposure parameter based on the relationship between the exposure parameter and the electrical characteristic, if the determining step determines that the device does not have the predetermined electrical characteristic. | 07-16-2009 |
20090190118 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS INSPECTION MASK, AND METHOD OF INSPECTING EXPOSURE APPARATUS USING EXPOSURE APPARATUS INSPECTION MASK - An exposure apparatus inspection mask has asymmetric diffraction grating regions for generating +1-order diffracted light and −1-order diffracted light having a different diffraction efficiency. The asymmetric diffraction grating region includes: a transparent substrate; semi-transparent phase shifter films selectively and periodically disposed on the transparent substrate at a predetermined pitch; and shade films selectively and periodically disposed on the phase shifter films at a predetermined pitch. The phase shifter films are formed to have such a thickness that the phase difference between the phase of first light passing through only the transparent substrate and the phase of second light passing through the phase shifter films and the transparent substrate is set to a value other than 180°×n (n is an integer equal to or larger than 0). | 07-30-2009 |
20090195768 | Alignment Mark and a Method of Aligning a Substrate Comprising Such an Alignment Mark - An alignment mark comprising a periodic structure formed by mark lines is described. In an embodiment, the alignment mark is formed in a scribe lane of a substrate, the scribe lane extending in a scribe lane direction. The alignment mark includes: a first area including a first periodic structure formed by first mark lines extending in a first direction, the first direction being at a first angle α with respect to the scribe lane direction: 0°<α<90° and a second area comprising second periodic structure formed by second mark lines extending in a second direction, the second direction being at a second angle β with respect to the scribe lane direction: −90°≦β<0°. | 08-06-2009 |
20090201485 | Method of preparing a substrate for lithography, a substrate, a device manufacturing method, a sealing coating applicator and a sealing coating measurement apparatus - A substrate for use in a lithographic projection apparatus. The substrate includes a sealing coating that covers at least a part of a first interface between two layers on the substrate, or between a layer and the substrate, and does not extend to a central portion of the substrate. | 08-13-2009 |
20090207400 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS AND DEVICE FABRICATION METHOD - The present invention provides an exposure apparatus including a measuring unit which includes an imaging optical system configured to guide light having propagated through a projection optical system to an image sensor, and is configured to measure the overall birefringence of the imaging optical system and the projection optical system, a calibration unit which is set on a side of an object plane of the projection optical system in order to measure a birefringence of the imaging optical system, and is configured to reflect the light from the measuring unit back to the measuring unit without using the projection optical system, and a calculation unit configured to isolate, from the result of measuring the overall birefringence, the birefringence of the imaging optical system measured by the measuring unit, thereby calculating the birefringence of the projection optical system. | 08-20-2009 |
20090231569 | EXPOSURE METHOD, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING DEVICE - The first evaluation value is obtained by evaluating an electrical signal containing the position information of a mark in accordance with an evaluation criterion. The first overlay error generated by the exposure apparatus is estimated based on the first evaluation value, the second evaluation value obtained by evaluating an electrical signal in a position detector of the another exposure apparatus in accordance with the evaluation criterion, and the second overlay error generated by another exposure apparatus. The exposure apparatus exposes a substrate while positioning it so as to reduce an overlay error generated by the exposure apparatus to an error smaller than the first overlay error based on the basis of an output from the position detector of the exposure apparatus, which detects the position of the mark, and the estimated first overlay error. | 09-17-2009 |
20090244512 | LITHOGRAPHY PROCESS WINDOW ANALYZING METHOD AND ANALYZING PROGRAM - A lithography process window analyzing method for setting a process window based on ranges of exposure amounts and focus positions, and giving evaluation of reliability of the set process window, includes setting, based on a plurality of process conditions including exposure amounts and focus positions in the performed exposure processing, analysis reliability M for process conditions including an arbitrary exposure amount and an arbitrary focus position; calculating reliability R of the process window based on the analysis reliability M concerning the process conditions included in the process window; and comparing a magnitude relation between the reliability R and a predetermined threshold and determining presence or absence of reliability of the process window according to a result of the comparison. | 10-01-2009 |
20090244513 | POSITION DETECTION APPARATUS, POSITION DETECTION METHOD, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, AND DEVICE FABRICATION METHOD - The present invention provides a position detection apparatus including a first obtaining unit configured to obtain imaging characteristics of an imaging optical system for a plurality of light beams, having different wavelength with each other, of the light having the wavelength width, a second obtaining unit configured to obtain optical images of a target object for the plurality of light beams, a restoration unit configured to restore optical images of the target object for the plurality of light beams by correcting, deterioration in the obtained optical images of the target object attributed to the imaging optical system, based on the obtained imaging characteristics of the imaging optical system, and a generation unit configured to generate an optical image of the target object for light including the plurality of light beams by synthesizing the restored optical images of the target object for the plurality of light beams. | 10-01-2009 |
20090257045 | MEASURING METHOD, ADJUSTMENT METHOD FOR STAGE MOVEMENT CHARACTERISTICS, EXPOSURE METHOD, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - Provided is a measuring method including: transferring a measuring mark disposed on an original to a substrate at a plurality of locations; moving a substrate stage for holding the substrate so that the substrate is rotated by 90 degrees about a rotation axis parallel to an optical axis of a projection optical system; then transferring the measuring mark to the substrate at a plurality of locations so that the measuring mark overlaps the transfer region; measuring positional deviations among the transferred measuring marks and a first overlap mark in a region where the transfer regions overlap each other; and calculating at least one of a positional error of a shot on the substrate, a rotational error of the same, and an orthogonality in shot arrangement based on a result of the measurement. | 10-15-2009 |
20090262328 | ILLUMINATION SYSTEM AND LITHOGRAPHIC METHOD - An illumination system of a lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes a first optical element to receive a radiation beam, the first optical element comprising first raster elements that partition the radiation beam into a plurality of radiation channels, and a second optical element to receive the plurality of radiation channels, the second optical element comprising second raster elements. For each of the radiation channels a raster element of said first raster elements is associated with a respective raster element of said second raster elements to provide a continuous beam path from said first optical element to an object plane. A filter is disposed in a path traversed by the radiation beam to create a desired spatial intensity distribution in a pupil of the illumination system, by, for example, reducing a transmittance of a selection of one or more of the radiation channels. | 10-22-2009 |
20090273768 | Liquid for immersion exposure, method of purifying the same,and immersion exposure method - A saturated hydrocarbon compound is brought into contact at least with a first adsorbent and a second adsorbent to obtain a liquid for immersion exposure containing the saturated hydrocarbon compound with a purity of 99.5 wt % or more. | 11-05-2009 |
20090279068 | Device and process for increasing the light transmission of optical elements for light having a wavelength close to the absorption edge - Described are a process and a device for increasing the light transmission of an optical element for light of a wavelength that is close to the absorption edge of the material constituting the optical element. The process involves cooling the optical element. The process is especially well suited for microlithography with immersion objectives. A preferred device is, for example, a stepper for producing electronic components. | 11-12-2009 |
20090296069 | Stage drive method and stage unit, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method - When a transition from a first state where one stage is positioned at a first area directly below projection optical system to which liquid is supplied to a state where the other stage is positioned at the first area, both stages are simultaneously driven while a state where both stages are close together in the X-axis direction is maintained. Therefore, it becomes possible to make a transition from the first state to the second state in a state where liquid is supplied in the space between the projection optical system and the specific stage directly under the projection optical system. Accordingly, the time from the completion of exposure operation on one stage side until the exposure operation begins on the other stage side can be reduced, which allows processing with high throughput. Further, because the liquid can constantly exist on the image plane side of the projection optical system, generation of water marks on optical members of the projection optical system on the image plane side is prevented. | 12-03-2009 |
20090310116 | RECORDING MEDIUM STORING PROGRAM FOR DETERMINING EXPOSURE PARAMETER, EXPOSURE METHOD, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING DEVICE - An exposure method comprises setting an exposure condition using a value of an exposure parameter when plural types of patterns are transferred onto a substrate. The method of determining a value of an exposure parameter comprises calculating an optical image, formed on an image plane upon illuminating a pattern on an object plane, for each of combinations of plural values of an exposure parameter and plural values of at least one of an exposure amount and a defocus amount, calculating, for each of the plural values of the exposure parameter, a deviation between a contour of a target optical image and a calculated contour of the optical image, in each of the plural types of patterns, and determining a value of the exposure parameter, at which a maximum value of the deviations among the plural types of patterns is minimum, as a value of the exposure parameter when exposing the substrate. | 12-17-2009 |
20100002221 | Systems and Methods for Minimizing Scattered Light in Multi-SLM Maskless Lithography - A lithography method is provided. The method includes generating a beam of radiation, patterning portions of the beam of radiation, projecting the patterned beam of radiation towards a substrate, and blocking scattered light from the beam of radiation from the substrate. | 01-07-2010 |
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 |
20100053589 | SYSTEM FOR ISOLATING AN EXPOSURE APPARATUS - A precision assembly ( | 03-04-2010 |
20100053590 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A FLAT PANEL DISPLAY - A method for manufacturing a flat panel display is presented. The method includes: transferring a first mask from a first mask loading/unloading part onto a main mask-stage by a first mask-transferer; transferring a second mask from a second mask loading/unloading part onto a second assistant mask-stage by a second mask-transferer; performing an exposure process for a predetermined time by the first mask on the main mask-stage; transferring the first mask from the main mask-stage onto the first assistant mask-stage, and transferring a second mask from the second assistant mask-stage onto the main mask-stage, after completing the exposure process for predetermined time; and performing an exposure process using the second mask on the main mask-stage for a predetermined time. | 03-04-2010 |
20100073663 | SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR FABRICATING SEMICONDUCTOR PACKAGES - A method of processing semiconductor chips includes measuring locations of semiconductor dies placed on a carrier with a scanner to generate die location information, and communicating the die location information to a photolithographic stepper. The method includes aligning the photolithographic stepper with the carrier only one time, and exposing at least one of the dies on the carrier with the photolithographic stepper based on the die location information generated by the scanner. | 03-25-2010 |
20100097596 | SCANNING EXPOSURE METHOD - A scanning exposure method is provided. A mask and a substrate are oppositely moved along a direction. The mask and the substrate are moved in at least two different uniform relative velocities during a one shot exposure, thus producing an exposed shot area of an expected size on the substrate. | 04-22-2010 |
20100103403 | WAVELENGTH SHIFT MEASURING APPARATUS, OPTICAL SOURCE APPARATUS, INTERFERENCE MEASURING APPARATUS, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A wavelength shift measuring apparatus of the present invention is a wavelength shift detection sensor (WLCD | 04-29-2010 |
20100110411 | ANTI-PIRACY CODING TECHNIQUE - An internegative duplicate ( | 05-06-2010 |
20100141925 | SCANNER MODEL REPRESENTATION WITH TRANSMISSION CROSS COEFFICIENTS - The present invention relates to a method for simulating aspects of a lithographic process. According to certain aspects, the present invention uses transmission cross coefficients to represent the scanner data and models. According to other aspects, the present invention enables sensitive data regarding various scanner subsystems to be hidden from third party view, while providing data and models useful for accurate lithographic simulation. | 06-10-2010 |
20100141926 | Optical system,exposure system, and exposure method - An optical system is able to achieve a substantially azimuthal polarization state in a lens aperture while suppressing loss of light quantity, based on a simple configuration. The optical system of the present invention is provided with a birefringent element for achieving a substantially circumferential distribution or a substantially radial distribution as a fast axis distribution in a lens aperture, and an optical rotator located behind the birefringent element and adapted to rotate a polarization state in the lens aperture. The birefringent element has an optically transparent member which is made of a uniaxial crystal material and a crystallographic axis of which is arranged substantially in parallel with an optical axis of the optical system. A light beam of substantially spherical waves in a substantially circular polarization state is incident to the optically transparent member. | 06-10-2010 |
20100149517 | PROJECTION OBJECTIVE AND METHOD FOR ITS MANUFACTURE - A method of manufacturing a projection objective ( | 06-17-2010 |
20100165319 | LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - An immersion lithographic projection apparatus is disclosed in which a liquid removal system surrounds a liquid supply system which provides liquid to a space between a projection system and a substrate. The liquid removal system is moveable relative to the liquid supply system and is controlled to have substantially zero velocity relative to the moving substrate table. The gap between the liquid supply system and the liquid removal system may be covered and the atmosphere between the liquid supply system and the liquid removal system above the substrate table may be maintained such that the vapor pressure of liquid is relatively high. | 07-01-2010 |
20100171942 | METHOD FOR WAFER ALIGNMENT - A method for wafer alignment includes the following steps. First, a wafer including a first material layer and a second material layer on the top of the first material layer is provided, wherein the first material layer includes a first alignment mark. Then, the wafer is aligned in an exposure tool. After that, the second material layer is patterned to form a second alignment mark. Finally, an offset distance between the first alignment mark and the second alignment mark is measured in the exposure tool. | 07-08-2010 |
20100182586 | LITHOGRAPHY APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING DEVICE USING SAME - The Lithography apparatus of the present invention includes a container conveyance unit configured to convey a sealed container accommodating a substrate from the exterior of the apparatus to the interior of the apparatus, an opener provided in the interior of the lithography apparatus for opening and closing a front door of the sealed container, and a substrate conveyance unit configured to convey the substrate accommodated in the sealed container to a processing section. The container conveyance unit is extendable and retractable so as to be accommodated in the interior of the apparatus when the sealed container is conveyed from the exterior of the apparatus to the interior of the apparatus. | 07-22-2010 |
20100208229 | Maskless exposure method - Disclosed is a maskless exposure method, where it is possible to perform a more precise optical alignment using a first pattern of a maskless exposure part and a second pattern of a main reference unit, and it is also possible to reduce generation of a blur in an exposed pattern. | 08-19-2010 |
20100208230 | METHOD FOR ARRANGING AN OPTICAL MODULE IN A MEASURING APPARATUS AND A MEASURING APPARATUS - A method for arranging an optical module in a measuring apparatus includes: providing the measuring apparatus with an irradiation system for irradiating the optical module with electromagnetic radiation, a reference component, and a detection element defining a detection surface, the detection element being disposed in a defined position in relation to the reference component, disposing the optical module in the measuring apparatus such that the radiation emitted by the irradiation system passes through the optical module and impinges onto the detection surface as an exit beam, measuring a position of the exit beam in relation to the detection surface, adjusting the position of the optical module within the measuring apparatus such that the position of the exit beam in relation to the detection surface is brought to correspond to a predetermined position, and establishing position parameters defining the position of the optical module in relation to the reference component. | 08-19-2010 |
20100214553 | EXPOSING METHOD AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - In an exposing method which illuminates, by illumination light, a mask having apertures arranged in matrix and a latticed light shielding portion, projects the mask on an object to be projected via a projection optical system, and thus forms a dark portion pattern image at a position conjugate in relation to intersections of a lattice of the light shielding portion, an available light source shape of the illumination satisfies a specific condition. Therefore, it is possible to exposure a two-dimensional periodic pattern to a theoretical limit pitch being the same as that of a one-dimensional periodic pattern, and it is also possible to secure a depth of focus sufficiently. | 08-26-2010 |
20100220308 | Apparatus for Angular-Resolved Spectroscopic Lithography Characterization and Device Manufacturing Method - To inspect all portions of the substrate, the substrate table can be moved rotationally and linearly. Furthermore, the detector can be moved rotationally. This allows all portions of a surface of the substrate to be inspected from all angles in a plane parallel to the substrate. In one example, as less linear motion is needed, the apparatus occupies a smaller volume and generates smaller vibrations. | 09-02-2010 |
20100231890 | Device Manufacturing Method, Lithographic Apparatus and a Computer Program - The invention relates to a device manufacturing method comprising exposing a substrate with a patterned beam of radiation formed by a reticle mounted on a displaceable reticle stage, wherein the method comprises the steps of determining a non-linear function for approximating a height and a tilt profile of a reticle surface with respect to the reticle stage and controlling a displacement of the reticle stage during exposure of the substrate in accordance with the non-linear function. The invention further relates to a lithographic apparatus and a computer program. | 09-16-2010 |
20100259745 | METHOD FOR OBTAINING FORCE COMBINATIONS FOR TEMPLATE DEFORMATION USING NULLSPACE AND METHODS OPTIMIZATION TECHNIQUES - The present invention is directed towards a method for determining deformation parameters that a patterned device would undergo to minimize dimensional variations between a recorded pattern thereon and a reference pattern, the method including, inter alia, comparing spatial variation between features of the recorded pattern with respect to corresponding features of the reference pattern; and determining deformation forces to apply to the patterned device to attenuate the dimensional variations, with the forces having predetermined constraints, wherein a summation of a magnitude of the forces is substantially zero and a summation of moment of the forces is substantially zero. | 10-14-2010 |
20100277709 | SUBSTRATE TABLE, IMMERSION LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A substrate table for an immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed having a recess, configured to receive a substrate of a given size, and a fluid extraction system, configured to extract fluid from a gap between the edge of the substrate and the edge of the recess, the fluid extraction system configured such that the rate of flow of fluid extracted from a localized section of the gap is greater than the rate of flow of fluid extracted from another section of the gap. | 11-04-2010 |
20100277710 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS - An apparatus includes a measurement station configured to perform a measurement including a reference mark measurement in which a position of a reference mark provided on a stage that supports a substrate is measured, an alignment measurement, and a focus measurement, and an exposure station configured to perform exposure of the substrate by using a result of the measurement, wherein the apparatus performs the measurement of (N+1)th substrate in parallel with exposure of the Nth substrate wherein N is a natural number, and wherein, when time taken to perform the exposure of the Nth substrate is longer than time taken to perform the measurement of (N+1)th substrate in parallel with the exposure, the apparatus performs again the reference mark measurement. | 11-04-2010 |
20100283987 | PATTERN FORMING METHOD - Using a mask in which line patterns are arranged in X and Y directions each at a pitch of P, first exposure is performed at a first position, and then the position of the mask is shifted in the X and Y directions by P/2 and second exposure is performed. | 11-11-2010 |
20100290024 | METHOD FOR IMPROVING THE IMAGING PROPERTIES OF A PROJECTION OBJECTIVE, AND SUCH A PROJECTION OBJECTIVE - The invention relates to a method-for improving the imaging properties of a micro lithography projection objective, wherein the projection objective has a plurality of lenses between an object plane and an image plane, a first lens of the plurality of lenses being assigned a first manipulator (ml, Mn) for actively deforming the lens, the first lens being deformed for at least partially correcting an aberration, at least one second lens of the plurality of lenses furthermore being assigned at least one second manipulator, and the second lens being deformed in addition to the first lens. Furthermore, a method is described for selecting at least one lens of a plurality of lenses of a projection objective as actively deformable element, and a projection objective. | 11-18-2010 |
20100296074 | EXPOSURE METHOD, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A lateral shift ΔX | 11-25-2010 |
20100321667 | CLEANING METHOD, EXPOSURE METHOD, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A cleaning method includes cleaning a member, used at the time of exposing a substrate via liquid, which is in contact with the liquid. The method includes cleaning the member with an alkali solution followed by cleaning the member with a solution including hydrogen peroxide. | 12-23-2010 |
20110001956 | EXPOSURE METHOD, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING DEVICE - An exposure method comprises a calculation step of calculating a correction amount of a correction unit which corrects a change in imaging characteristics of a projection optical system based on at least one of parameters including a numerical aperture and effective light source of an illumination optical system, a numerical aperture of the projection optical system, and a size and pitch of a pattern, and an amount of change in environment condition in the projection optical system; and a correction step of making the correction unit operate in accordance with the correction amount calculated in the calculation step. | 01-06-2011 |
20110007298 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASUREMENT OF EXIT PUPIL TRANSMITTANCE - A method and apparatus for determining the state of the lens transmittance of an optical projection system are described. A lens or imaging objective transmission is determined as a function of exit pupil transverse direction cosine (nx,ny) at multiple field points thereby providing a more complete analysis and correction of a photolithographic exposure system. The entrance pupil of a projection imaging system is uniformly illuminated and the angular dependence of transmission through the imaging system as a function of exit pupil direction cosines is determined. The illumination source includes a light conditioner with an in-situ illumination structure (ISIS), which is an optical structure that can provide uniform illumination of the system's entrance pupil. | 01-13-2011 |
20110032506 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS, SYSTEM, UPDATING METHOD, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - An exposure apparatus comprises a first interface connected to a communication network to which a control apparatus for performing a control operation of the exposure apparatus is connected, a second interface connected, not via the communication network, to an information processing apparatus which updates a software installed on the exposure apparatus, and a controller configured to control the first interface and the second interface so that communication of the first interface with the communication network is disabled, and thereupon communication of the second interface with the information processing apparatus is enabled to enable the information processing apparatus to update the software. | 02-10-2011 |
20110051116 | Substrate Matrix To Decouple Tool And Process Effects - A method of characterizing a process by selecting the process to characterize, selecting a parameter of the process to characterize, determining values of the parameter to use in a test matrix, specifying an eccentricity for the test matrix, selecting test structures to be created in cells on a substrate, processing the substrate through the process using in each cell the value of the parameter as determined by the eccentric test matrix, measuring a property of the test structures in the cells, and developing a correlation between the parameter and the property. | 03-03-2011 |
20110075124 | Source and Mask Optimization By Changing Intensity and Shape of the Illumination Source - An illumination source is optimized by changing the intensity and shape of the illumination source to form an image in the image plane that maximizes the minimum ILS at user selected fragmentation points while forcing the intensity at the fragmentation points to be within a small intensity range. An optimum mask may be determined by changing the magnitude and phase of the diffraction orders to form an image in the image plane that maximizes the minimum ILS at user selected fragmentation points while forcing the intensity at the fragmentation points to be within a small intensity range. Primitive rectangles having a size set to a minimum feature size of a mask maker are assigned to the located minimum and maximum transmission areas ad centered at a desired location. The edges of the primitive rectangle are varied to match optimal diffraction orders O(m,n). The optimal CPL mask O | 03-31-2011 |
20110122393 | Substrate transport apparatus and method, exposure apparatus and exposure method, and device fabricating method - A method for exposing a substrate includes holding the substrate on a substrate holding member, irradiating, via a liquid, a light beam to the substrate on the substrate holding member, and removing, after the exposure of the substrate via the liquid, a liquid remained on the substrate before supporting the substrate by a transferring member. The transferring member transfers the exposed substrate from the substrate holding member to outside of the substrate holding member. | 05-26-2011 |
20110122394 | COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM INCLUDING EFFECTIVE LIGHT SOURCE CALCULATION PROGRAM, AND EXPOSURE METHOD - A storage medium includes a program which causes a computer to execute a method of calculating a light intensity distribution on a pupil plane of an illumination optical system. The method includes: determining an impulse response function of a projection optical system by performing Fourier transform on a pupil function of the projection optical system; setting a length to a second zero point of the impulse response function as a response length, extracting, from elements forming a target pattern, only elements inside am area within radius which is response length, and determining a function indicating the extracted pattern as an image function; and obtaining the light intensity distribution based on the pupil function, the determined impulse response function, and the determined image function. | 05-26-2011 |
20110134411 | LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING PLATE PRECURSOR, LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING METHOD AND PACKAGED BODY OF LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING PLATE PRECURSORS - (1) A packaged body of lithographic printing plate precursors, wherein an image-recording layer or a protective layer of the outermost surface layer contains an inorganic layered compound. (2) A lithographic printing plate precursor having a protective layer containing an inorganic layered compound, and an image-recording layer containing a binder polymer. (3) A lithographic printing plate precursor having a protective layer containing an inorganic layered compound, and an image-recording layer containing an infrared absorber and an iodonium compound. | 06-09-2011 |
20110141451 | DISPLACEMENT MEASUREMENT DEVICE, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, AND WORKING DEVICE - A device has a scale on which a grating pattern is formed, a light source to irradiate light on the scale, a wavelength plate to transform multiple diffracted lights from the light source into circular polarized light, respectively, an optical element to superposition and cause interference of the multiple diffracted lights, and a photodetector to receive the interfered light. Also, a generating unit to generate linearly polarized light by the light from the light source, so that the multiple diffracted lights input to the wavelength plate become linearly polarized light with a same mutual polarization direction. | 06-16-2011 |
20110164239 | Apparatus and method for recovering liquid droplets in immersion lithography - Immersion fluid remaining on a portion of a substrate after that portion has passed an immersion nozzle is removed by moving the substrate relative to an immersion nozzle so that the portion of the substrate on which the immersion fluid remains is passed by the immersion nozzle again. A path is determined along which the substrate is to be moved to remove the remaining immersion fluid. The path can be determined based upon previous movements of the substrate, including factors such as the speed and/or length of the previous movements. Alternatively, portions of the substrate on which immersion fluid remains can be detected, and then the substrate can be moved so that the portion of the substrate on which the immersion fluid remains is passed by the immersion nozzle based on the results of the detection. Immersion fluid also can be removed from the stage surface located beyond the substrate. | 07-07-2011 |
20110188023 | LITHOGRAPHIC IMAGING AND PRINTING WITHOUT DEFECTS OF ELECTROSTATIC ORIGIN - Embodiments of the present invention involve three-layer printing members having a central layer that is non-conductive yet abalatable at commercially realistic fluence levels. In various embodiments, the central layer is polymeric with a dispersion of nonconductive carbon black particles therein at a loading level sufficient to provide at least partial layer ablatability and water compatibility of the resulting ablation debris. | 08-04-2011 |
20110194096 | LIQUID FILLED LENS ELEMENT, LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS COMPRISING SUCH AN ELEMENT AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A lens element, for use in a projection system, includes a concave side. The lens element further includes a membrane and a nozzle, the membrane at least covering the concave side of the lens element. The nozzle is arranged for supplying and/or removing a liquid and/or a gas in between the concave side and the membrane. | 08-11-2011 |
20110211186 | Exposure apparatus, exposure method and device manufacturing method - An exposure method sequentially exposes a plurality of shot areas of a substrate. The method includes: (i) holding the substrate on a substrate holder such that a gap is formed along an edge of the substrate; (ii) exposing one of the shot areas, located near a center of the substrate, through a liquid of a liquid immersion area which covers only a portion of a surface of the substrate, while moving the substrate at a first scanning speed; and (iii) exposing an other one of the shot areas through the liquid of the liquid immersion area, while moving the substrate at a second scanning speed lower than the first scanning speed. The other one of the shot areas is located near the edge of the substrate and the gap is included in the liquid immersion area during the exposure of the other one of the shot areas. | 09-01-2011 |
20110216302 | ILLUMINATION METHODS AND DEVICES FOR PARTIALLY COHERENT ILLUMINATION - The technology disclosed relates to a partially coherent illuminators. In particular, it relates to a partially coherent illuminator that directs laser radiation across multiple areas of an illumination pupil. In some circumstances, this reduces spatial and/or temporal coherence of the laser radiation. It must be used with a continuous laser to provide partially coherent illumination from a coherent laser. It can be combined with a workpiece tracker that effectively freezes the workpiece and extends the time that laser radiation can be applied to expose a pattern stamp on the workpiece or, it can be used with a stepper platform, without a tracker. A dynamically controllable aperture architecture is a by product of the technology disclosed. | 09-08-2011 |
20110216303 | METHOD FOR ADJUSTING A PROJECTION OBJECTIVE - A projection objective having a number of adjustable optical elements is optimized with respect to a number of aberrations by specifying a set of parameters describing imaging properties of the objective, each parameter in the set having an, absolute value at each of a plurality of field points in an image plane of the projection objective. At least one of the optical elements is adjusted such that for each of the parameters in the set, the field maximum of its absolute value is minimized. | 09-08-2011 |
20110242520 | OPTICAL PROPERTIES MEASUREMENT METHOD, EXPOSURE METHOD AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - An image of a pattern used for measurement formed on a reticle for testing is transferred onto a wafer for testing via a projection optical system, while gradually changing a position in an optical axis direction of the projection optical system. The image of the pattern used for measurement which has been transferred is detected, and an amount corresponding to an expanse of the image of the pattern in a measurement direction is obtained. In this case, four images included in the image of the pattern used for measurement are detected in detection areas, respectively, or in other words, remaining sections except for both ends in a non-measurement direction are detected, and for example, area of the remaining sections is to be obtained as the corresponding amount. Optical properties of the projection optical system are to be obtained, based on the area which has been obtained. Because the area which has been obtained does not have sensitivity to the non-measurement direction, the optical properties of the projection optical system in the measurement direction can be precisely obtained. | 10-06-2011 |
20110249250 | ABLATION-TYPE LITHOGRAPHIC IMAGING WITH ENHANCED DEBRIS REMOVAL - Sequentially subjecting an imaged ablation-type printing member having a silicone topmost layer to, first, a cleaning liquid that is not a solvent for silicone, followed by subjecting to a second cleaning liquid that is a silicone solvent, conditions the printing member for subsequent printing with high-solids inks. | 10-13-2011 |
20110255069 | COMPOSITIONS AND PROCESSES FOR IMMERSION LITHOGRAPHY - New photoresist compositions are provided that are useful for immersion lithography. Preferred photoresist compositions of the invention comprise one or more materials that can be substantially non-mixable with a resin component of the resist. Further preferred photoresist compositions of the invention comprise 1) Si substitution, 2) fluorine substitution; 3) hyperbranched polymers; and/or 4) polymeric particles. Particularly preferred photoresists of the invention can exhibit reduced leaching of resist materials into an immersion fluid contacting the resist layer during immersion lithography processing. | 10-20-2011 |
20110261345 | Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method - A lithographic projection apparatus includes a substrate table configured to hold a substrate, a projection system arranged to project a patterned beam of radiation onto the substrate, a liquid supply system configured to supply liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate, and a residual liquid detector configured to detect liquid remaining on the substrate and/or the substrate table after an exposure is completed. | 10-27-2011 |
20110267597 | Method of Performing Model-Based Scanner Tuning - A model-based tuning method for tuning a first lithography system utilizing a reference lithography system, each of which has tunable parameters for controlling imaging performance. The method includes the steps of defining a test pattern and an imaging model; imaging the test pattern utilizing the reference lithography system and measuring the imaging results; imaging the test pattern utilizing the first lithography system and measuring the imaging results; calibrating the imaging model utilizing the imaging results corresponding to the reference lithography system, where the calibrated imaging model has a first set of parameter values; tuning the calibrated imaging model utilizing the imaging results corresponding to the first lithography system, where the tuned calibrated model has a second set of parameter values; and adjusting the parameters of the first lithography system based on a difference between the first set of parameter values and the second set of parameter values. | 11-03-2011 |
20120008127 | Method Of Calibrating A Lithographic Apparatus, Device Manufacturing Method and Associated Data Processing Apparatus and Computer Program Product - A lithographic apparatus is calibrated by reference to a primary reference substrate. Using an apparatus which need not be the same as the one being calibrated, there is obtained an apparatus-specific fingerprint of the primary reference substrate. Using the same set-up there is then obtained an apparatus-specific fingerprint of a secondary reference substrate. The apparatus-specific fingerprint of the primary reference substrate is subtracted from the apparatus-specific fingerprint of the secondary reference substrate to obtain and store an apparatus-independent fingerprint of the secondary reference substrate. The secondary reference substrate and stored apparatus-independent fingerprint are subsequently used together in place of the primary reference substrate as a reference for the calibration of the lithographic apparatus to be calibrated. Initial set-up for a cluster of lithographic tools can be performed with less use of the costly primary reference substrate, and with less interruption to normal production. The initial set-up can be integrated with on-going monitoring and re-calibration of the apparatuses. | 01-12-2012 |
20120019802 | CLEANING METHOD, IMMERSION EXPOSURE APPARATUS, DEVICE FABRICATING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An immersion exposure apparatus exposes a substrate with exposure light that transits an exposure liquid. A liquid immersion member has a first recovery port, which is capable of recovering the exposure liquid, and is disposed at least partly around an optical member and an optical path of the exposure light that passes through the exposure liquid between the optical member and the substrate. A cleaning method comprises: supplying a cleaning liquid to a recovery passageway, wherethrough the exposure liquid recovered via the first recovery port from a space, which the first recovery port faces, flows; and recovering the cleaning liquid from the recovery passageway. The liquid immersion member has a first discharge port, which is for discharging the exposure liquid from the recovery passageway, and a second discharge port, which hinders the discharge of the exposure liquid more than the first discharge port does and is for discharging a gas from the recovery passageway; and the cleaning liquid is not supplied to the space, which the first recovery port faces, via the first recovery port. | 01-26-2012 |
20120019803 | CLEANING METHOD, LIQUID IMMERSION MEMBER, IMMERSION EXPOSURE APPARATUS, DEVICE FABRICATING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - A liquid immersion member in an immersion exposure apparatus, which exposes a substrate with exposure light which transits an exposure liquid, has a first recovery port, which is capable of recovering the exposure liquid and that is disposed at least partly around an optical member and an optical path of the exposure light that passes through the exposure liquid between the optical member and the substrate. A cleaning method of cleaning the liquid immersion member comprises: supplying a cleaning liquid to a recovery passageway of the liquid immersion member, wherethrough the exposure liquid recovered via the first recovery port from a space, which the first recovery port faces, flows. The liquid immersion member has a first discharge port, which is for discharging the exposure liquid from the recovery passageway, and a second discharge port, which is for discharging a gas from the recovery passageway and hinders the discharge of the exposure liquid more than the first discharge port does. | 01-26-2012 |
20120019804 | CLEANING METHOD, CLEANING APPARATUS, DEVICE FABRICATING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - A liquid immersion member cleaning method used in an immersion exposure apparatus exposes a substrate with exposure light that transits an exposure liquid, wherein the liquid immersion member is disposed at least partly around an optical member and an optical path of the exposure light, which passes through the exposure liquid between the optical member and the substrate. The cleaning method comprises: loading a cleaning tool into the immersion exposure apparatus and disposing the cleaning tool at a position at which it opposes a first recovery port of the liquid immersion member, which is capable of recovering the exposure liquid; and supplying a cleaning liquid to a recovery passageway of the liquid immersion member, wherethrough the exposure liquid from the first recovery port flows. The liquid immersion member has a first discharge port, which is for discharging the exposure liquid from the recovery passageway, and a second discharge port, which is for discharging a gas from the recovery passageway and hinders the discharge of the exposure liquid more than the first discharge port does; and the cleaning liquid is recovered from a recovery part of the cleaning tool via the first recovery port. | 01-26-2012 |
20120019805 | CALCULATION METHOD, GENERATION METHOD, PROGRAM, EXPOSURE METHOD, AND MASK FABRICATION METHOD - The present invention provides a calculation method of calculating, by a computer, a light intensity distribution formed on an image plane of a projection optical system, comprising a step of dividing an effective light source formed on a pupil plane of the projection optical system into a plurality of point sources, a step of shifting a pupil function describing a pupil of the projection optical system for each of the plurality of point sources in accordance with positions thereof, thereby generating a plurality of shifted pupil functions, a step of defining a matrix including the plurality of pupil functions, a step of performing singular value decomposition of the matrix, thereby calculating an eigenvalue and an eigenfunction, and a step of calculating the light intensity distribution, based on a distribution of the light diffracted by the pattern of the mask, and the eigenvalue and the eigenfunction. | 01-26-2012 |
20120033194 | DECISION METHOD AND STORAGE MEDIUM - The present invention provides a decision method of causing a computer to decide an exposure condition to be set in an exposure apparatus including an illumination optical system that illuminates a pattern including a plurality of pattern elements, and a projection optical system that projects the pattern onto a substrate, including a step of obtaining a distance between intersections of a first line, used to evaluate dimensions of images of the pattern elements, and contours of the images of the pattern elements by obtaining the image of the pattern formed on the image plane of the projection optical system, and a step of determining whether there exist intersections of a second line, used to evaluate whether the images of the pattern elements are resolved, and the contours of the images of the pattern elements to evaluate whether the images of the pattern elements are resolved. | 02-09-2012 |
20120069318 | PROJECTION EXPOSURE METHOD AND PROJECTION EXPOSURE SYSTEM THEREFOR - The disclosure provides a projection exposure method for exposing a radiation-sensitive substrate with at least one image of a pattern of a mask. The mask has a first pattern area with a first subpattern, and at least one second pattern area, arranged laterally offset from the first pattern area, with a second subpattern. The first subpattern is irradiated during a first illumination time interval with a first angular distribution, adapted to the first subpattern, of the illumination radiation. Thereafter, the second subpattern is irradiated during the second illumination time interval with a second angular distribution, adapted to the second subpattern, of the illumination radiation, said second angular distribution differing from the first angular distribution. | 03-22-2012 |
20120075614 | EXPOSURE METHOD AND STORAGE MEDIUM - The present invention provides an exposure method including the steps of generating a plurality of element light sources formed on a pupil plane of an illumination optical system, setting a plurality of aberration states which are expected to exist in a projection optical system, calculating, for each of all combinations of the plurality of aberration states and the plurality of element light sources, an optical image of a pattern of a mask, which is formed in an evaluation area when one aberration state among the plurality of aberration states is produced in the projection optical system, and the pattern of the mask is illuminated with one element light source among the plurality of element light sources, determining, based on the calculated optical images, as a light intensity distribution to be formed on the pupil plane, a light source obtained by combining the plurality of element light sources applied with weights. | 03-29-2012 |
20120081688 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PREPARING LENTICULAR SHEET - An apparatus for preparing a lenticular sheet includes a photoconductor, a light emitting section for forming an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor, a developing section for forming a transparent toner layer by applying a transparent toner to the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor, a transferring section for transferring the transparent toner layer on a transparent sheet and a lens forming section for forming a lenticular lens by molding and fixing the transferred transparent toner layer on the transparent sheet. | 04-05-2012 |
20120081689 | METHOD FOR DETERMINING EXPOSURE CONDITION AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIA STORING PROGRAM FOR DETERMINING EXPOSURE CONDITION - A method for determining an exposure condition for use in projecting an image of a pattern of an original on a substrate includes a setting step of setting an exposure condition, an image calculating step of calculating a dimension of an image to be projected on the substrate under the set exposure condition, an electrical characteristic calculating step of calculating an electrical characteristic of at least one of a portion for use as an interconnection and a portion for use as a transistor in a pattern to be formed on the substrate in accordance with a result calculated in the image calculating step, a determining step of determining whether the electrical characteristic calculated in the electrical characteristic calculating step satisfies a requirement, and an adjusting step of adjusting the set exposure condition when the electrical characteristic is determined not to satisfy the requirement in the determining step. | 04-05-2012 |
20120105820 | VIBRATION CONTROL APPARATUS, LITHOGRAPHY APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING ARTICLE - A vibration control apparatus includes a first spring mechanism to support a first object as part of a first system. To control vibration of the first object, a first actuator applies a force to the first object via a command value generated by a first computing based on an output of a detection system. The detection system includes a second spring mechanism to support a second object as part of a second system. A third spring mechanism supports a third object as part of a third system. The first displacement detector detects displacement of the third object relative to the second object. The third object is prevented from being displaced relative to the second object. A second natural frequency of the second system is higher than a first natural frequency of the first system, and a third natural frequency of a third system is higher than the first natural frequency. | 05-03-2012 |
20120127454 | PATTERN FORMING METHOD - According to one embodiment, a pattern including first and second block phases is formed by self-assembling a block copolymer onto a film to be processed. The entire block copolymer present in a first region is removed under a first condition by carrying out energy beam irradiation and development, thereby leaving a pattern including the first and second block phases in a region other than the first region. The first block phase present in a second region is selectively removed under a second condition by carrying out energy beam irradiation and development, thereby leaving a pattern including the first and second block phases in an overlap region between a region other than the first region and a region other than the second region, and leaving a pattern of second block phase in the second region excluding the overlap region. The film is etched with the left patterns as masks. | 05-24-2012 |
20120133916 | WAFER LEVEL OPTICAL ELEMENTS AND APPLICATIONS THEREOF - In one aspect, the present invention provides a wafer level optical assembly comprising a first wafer level optical element, the first wafer level optical element comprising a first alignment structure and a second wafer level optical element, the second wafer level optical element comprising a second alignment structure, wherein the first alignment structure contacts the second alignment structure. | 05-31-2012 |
20120140200 | IMMERSION PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY SYSTEM AND METHOD USING MICROCHANNEL NOZZLES - A liquid immersion photolithography system includes an exposure system that exposes a substrate with electromagnetic radiation and includes a projection optical system that focuses the electromagnetic radiation on the substrate. A liquid supply system provides liquid flow between the projection optical system and the substrate. An optional plurality of micronozzles are arranged around the periphery of one side of the projection optical system so as to provide a substantially uniform velocity distribution of the liquid flow in an area where the substrate is being exposed. | 06-07-2012 |
20120170017 | ASYMMETRIC COMPLEMENTARY DIPOLE ILLUMINATOR - An apparatus, a method of designing the apparatus, a tool using the apparatus and a method of using the apparatus for optimizing optical photolithography during formation of integrated circuits. The apparatus includes: an asymmetrical complementary dipole element including: first and second openings being equidistant and mirror images about a first axis, the first and second openings having essentially a same first area and a same first optical density relative to a selected wavelength of light; third and fourth openings being equidistant and mirror images about a second axis, the third and fourth openings having essentially a same second area, and a same second optical density relative to the selected wavelength of light; and wherein the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis and the first and second optical densities are different. | 07-05-2012 |
20120176591 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE CORRECTION OF IMAGING DEFECTS - The disclosure relates to a microlithography projection exposure system having optical corrective elements configured to modify the imaging characteristics, as well as related systems and component. | 07-12-2012 |
20120194797 | LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING AN IMPROVED CONFIGURATION OF A LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS - A method to determine an improved configuration for a lithography apparatus, a computer-readable medium for use in carrying out the method, and a lithography apparatus are disclosed. In an example, the method involves intelligent selection of one or more device features to measure and use in a routine to optimize the configuration of the lithography apparatus. According to an example, the method comprises imposing a target error profile to one or more device features for which measurement data is not sufficient, for example in a regions where a selected device feature is sparsely distributed. | 08-02-2012 |
20120212726 | MOVABLE BODY DRIVE METHOD AND MOVABLE BODY DRIVE SYSTEM, PATTERN FORMATION METHOD AND APPARATUS, EXPOSURE METHOD AND APPARATUS, POSITION CONTROL METHOD AND POSITION CONTROL SYSTEM, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - Positional information of a movement plane of a wafer stage is measured using an encoder system such as, for example, an X head and a Y head, and the wafer stage is controlled based on the measurement results. At the same time, positional information of the wafer stage is measured using an interferometer system such as, for example, an X interferometer and a Y interferometer. When abnormality of the encoder system is detected or when the wafer stage moves off from a measurement area of the encoder system, drive control is switched to a drive control based on the measurement results of the interferometer system. Accordingly, drive control of the wafer stage can be performed continuously in the entire stroke area, even at the time when abnormality occurs in the encoder system. | 08-23-2012 |
20120224163 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING DEVICE - An apparatus includes original positioning mechanism which positions original stage, substrate positioning mechanism which positions substrate stage, measurement device mounted on the substrate stage, and controller. One of original and the original stage is provided with first measurement pattern including patterns, at least one of pitches and widths thereof being different from each other. The measurement device includes second measurement pattern, and sensor configured to detect light passed through the first and second measurement patterns, and a projection optical system. The controller determines illuminated region, within which the first measurement pattern is to be illuminated, using information related to the original, and obtains information related to an image of the first measurement pattern within the illuminated region based on an output from the sensor. | 09-06-2012 |
20120242970 | Metrology Method and Apparatus, and Device Manufacturing Method - Methods are disclosed for measuring target structures formed by a lithographic process on a substrate. A grating or other structure within the target is smaller than an illumination spot and field of view of a measurement optical system. The position of an image of the component structure varies between measurements, and a first type of correction is applied to reduce the influence on the measured intensities, caused by differences in the optical path to and from different positions. A plurality of structures may be imaged simultaneously within the field of view of the optical system, and each corrected for its respective position. The measurements may comprise first and second images of the same target under different modes of illumination and/or imaging, for example in a dark field metrology application. A second type of correction may be applied to reduce the influence of asymmetry between the first and second modes of illumination or imaging, for example to permit a more accurate overly measurement in a semiconductor device manufacturing process. | 09-27-2012 |
20120249994 | LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND A DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - An immersion lithographic apparatus includes a surface having at least one active group (e.g., lyophobic group) which, during use, comes into contact with immersion liquid, and an immersion liquid supply system configured to provide immersion liquid comprising a protection component which is more reactive with a product of photoionization of the immersion liquid than the active group of the surface, the protection component being present in an amount of between 1 ppm and 0.1 ppm. | 10-04-2012 |
20120249995 | RESIST PROTECTIVE FILM MATERIAL AND PATTERN FORMATION METHOD - The invention is a protective film material for immersion lithography that enables desirable immersion lithography, can be removed simultaneously with development of a photoresist layer, and has excellent process adaptability. The invention also includes a method for forming a pattern using the material. More specifically, the invention is a protective film material comprising (i) a blend of a polymer comprising a repeating unit having a fluorine-containing alkyl or alkylene group which contains at least one fluorine atom and an optional alkali soluble repeating unit and a polymer comprising a repeating unit having a fluorine-free alkyl group and an optional alkali soluble repeating unit, or (ii) a polymer comprising a repeating unit having a fluorine-containing alkyl or alkylene group which contains at least one fluorine atom and a repeating unit having a fluorine-free alkyl group and an optional alkali-soluble repeating unit. | 10-04-2012 |
20120293787 | METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE ELECTRONIC BEAM EXPOSURE OF WAFERS AND MASKS USING PROXIMITY CORRECTION - A method of electron beam lithography for producing wafers and masks. To reduce the impacts of the disturbing proximity effect, an expanded correction algorithm that enables a more accurate correction is used to control the electron beam. To create an improved correction method by means of which the contrast and the feature width (CD) of all figures of a pattern can be optimally controlled additional contrast frames (KR) and remaining figures (R) are produced using a geometric method for the purpose of contrast control with respect to all figures (F). Then smaller figures (KRsize-S and Rsize-S) are produced from the contrast frame figures (KR) and remaining figures (R) by means of a negative sizing operation, and subsequently figures (KRsize-S and Rsize-S) are transferred to the proximity correction algorithm with the condition that the resist threshold is reached at the edges of the figures (KR, R) by the dose assignment. | 11-22-2012 |
20120293788 | MOVABLE BODY DRIVE METHOD AND MOVABLE BODY DRIVE SYSTEM, PATTERN FORMATION METHOD AND APPARATUS, EXPOSURE METHOD AND APPARATUS, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD FOR CONTINUOUS POSITION MEASUREMENT OF MOVEABLE BODY BEFORE AND AFTER SWITCHING BETWEEN SENSOR HEADS - A controller uses two Z heads, which are positioned above a reflection surface installed on the ±X ends of the upper surface of a table, to measure the height and tilt of the table. According to the XY position of the table, the Z heads to be used are switched from ZsR and ZsL to ZsR′ and ZsL. On the switching of the heads, the controller applies a coordinate linkage method to set an initial value of the Z heads which are to be newly used. Accordingly, although the Z heads to be used are sequentially switched according to the XY position of the table, measurement results of the height and the tilt of the table are stored before and after the switching, and it becomes possible to drive the table with high precision. | 11-22-2012 |
20120314198 | METHODS OF ESTIMATING POINT SPREAD FUNCTIONS IN ELECTRON-BEAM LITHOGRAPHY PROCESSES - In a method of estimating a PSF in the electron-beam lithography process, a linear resist test pattern may be formed on a substrate. A line response function (LRF) may be determined using a cross-sectional profile of the linear resist test pattern. A development rate distribution in a first direction, the first direction may be substantially perpendicular to an extending direction of the linear resist test pattern, may be calculated using the LRF. A line spread function (LSF), which may represent an exposure distribution in the first direction, may be calculated using the development rate distribution. The PSF may be estimated using the LSF. | 12-13-2012 |
20120327388 | LASER EXPOSURE METHOD AND PRODUCT - Provided are a high-resolution laser exposure method and a product manufactured with use of the laser exposure method, the laser exposure method being capable of performing high-resolution laser plate-making in gravure plate-making, offset plate-making, flexo plate-making, and the like, and being usable in laser exposure of a circuit pattern in an electronic component such as a printed circuit board, a liquid crystal display, and a plasma display, or in special printing for prevention of forgery of banknotes and the like. The laser exposure method, which uses a laser exposure apparatus, includes: scanning laser beams to form a laser spot array having a predetermined length on a photosensitive film; and exposing the photosensitive film coated on a plate surface to light, to thereby form a photosensitized part and a non-photosensitized part. The scanning includes sequentially scanning, for exposure, a subsequent laser spot array so that at least a half region of a previously scanned laser spot array in a width direction thereof is subjected to superimposed exposure. | 12-27-2012 |
20130016333 | FLUID HANDLING STRUCTURE, A LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND A DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A fluid handling structure for a lithographic apparatus, the fluid handling structure having, at a boundary from a space configured to contain immersion fluid to a region external to the fluid handling structure: a meniscus pinning feature to resist passage of immersion fluid in a radially outward direction from the space; a plurality of gas supply openings in a linear array at least partly surrounding and radially outward of the meniscus pinning feature; and a gas recovery opening radially outward of the plurality of gas supply openings in a linear array. | 01-17-2013 |
20130033692 | FLUID HANDLING STRUCTURE, A LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND A DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A fluid handling structure for a lithographic apparatus, the fluid handling structure having, at a boundary of a space configured to contain immersion fluid to a region external to the fluid handling structure: a meniscus pinning feature to resist passage of immersion fluid in a radially outward direction from the space; a gas supply opening at least partly surrounding and radially outward of the meniscus pinning feature; and optionally a gas recovery opening radially outward of the gas supply opening, wherein the gas supply opening, or the gas recovery opening, or both the gas supply opening and the gas recovery opening, has an open area per meter length which has a variation peripherally around the space. | 02-07-2013 |
20130033693 | MOVABLE BODY DRIVE METHOD, MOVABLE BODY DRIVE SYSTEM, PATTERN FORMATION METHOD, PATTERN FORMING APPARATUS, EXPOSURE METHOD, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - Positional information of a movable body in a Y-axis direction is measured using an interferometer and an encoder whose short-term stability of measurement values excels when compared with the interferometer, and based on the measurement results, a predetermined calibration operation for obtaining correction information for correcting measurement values of the encoder is performed. Accordingly, by using measurement values of the interferometer, correction information for correcting the measurement values of the encoder whose short-term stability of the measurement values excels the interferometer is obtained. Then, based on the measurement values of the encoder and the correction information, the movable body is driven in the Y-axis direction with good precision. | 02-07-2013 |
20130044308 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AN ADJUSTING OPTICAL PROXIMITY EFFECT FOR AN EXPOSURE APPARATUS - A method for matching a first OPE curve ( | 02-21-2013 |
20130094010 | LITHOGRAPHIC SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES OF MAKING AND USING SAME - A lithographic system includes a projection system for projecting an object field through a projection system's pupil onto an image field. The projection system includes an optical element located at the projection system's pupil. The projection system's pupil is manipulable with respect to normalized pupil heights by the optical element. Related processes are also disclosed. | 04-18-2013 |
20130120733 | POSITION MEASUREMENT APPARATUS AND EXPOSURE APPARATUS WHICH MEASURE POSITION OF OBJECT USING REFERENCE MARK, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING DEVICE - A position measurement apparatus that measures a position of an object using a reference mark includes a first illumination optical system configured to illuminate the object using measurement light from a light source which emits light of a first wavelength band, a second illumination optical system configured to illuminate the reference mark using reference light of a second wavelength band, and a position measurement unit configured to detect light from the object and light from the reference mark and to obtain the position of the object based on the detection result, and the second wavelength band of the reference light is set between an upper limit and a lower limit of the first wavelength band of the measurement light from the light source. | 05-16-2013 |
20130188166 | IMAGE READING AND WRITING USING A COMPLEX TWO-DIMENSIONAL INTERLACE SCHEME - The current invention relates to writing or reading a pattern on a surface, such as in microlithography or inspection of mircrolithographic patterns. In particular, Applicant discloses systems recording or reading images by scanning sparse 2D point arrays or grids across the surface, e.g., multiple optical, electron or particle beams modulated in parallel. The scanning and repeated reading or writing creates a dense pixel or spot grid on the workpiece. The grid may be created by various arrays: arrays of light sources, e.g., laser or LED arrays, by lenslet arrays where each lenslet has its own modulator, by aperture plates for particle beams, or arrays of near-field emitters or mechanical probes. For reading systems, the point grid may be created by a sparse point matrix illumination and/or a detector array where each detector element sees only one spot. The idea behind the use of large arrays is to improve throughput. However, the throughput does not scale with the array size, since above a certain size of arrays, previously known schemes fall into in their own tracks and start repeating the same data over and over again. This application discloses methods to scan workpieces with large arrays while preserving the scaling of throughput proportional to array size, even for very large arrays, in fact essentially without limits. | 07-25-2013 |
20130201467 | LARGE-MESH CELL-PROJECTION ELECTRON-BEAM LITHOGRAPHY METHOD - A lithography method based on the projection of cells, notably direct-write electron-beam lithography. One of the main limitations of the methods of this type in the prior art is the writing time. To overcome this limitation, according to the method of the invention, the size of the cells is increased to the maximum aperture of the lithography device. Advantageously, this size increase is obtained by modifying the size of the apertures of the projection stencil level closest to the substrate to be etched. Advantageously, a strip is added to the outside of the block to be etched onto which is radiated a dose calculated to optimize the process energy latitude. Advantageously, this strip is spaced apart from the edge of the block to be etched. Advantageously, the projected cells are not adjoining | 08-08-2013 |
20130201468 | LITHOGRAPHY METHOD WITH COMBINED OPTIMIZATION OF RADIATED ENERGY AND DESIGN GEOMETRY - A lithography method for a pattern to be etched on a support, notably to a method using electron radiation with direct writing on the support. Hitherto, the methods for correcting the proximity effects for dense network geometries (line spacings of 10 to 30 nm) have been reflected in a significant increase in the radiated doses and therefore in the exposure time. According to the invention, the patterns to be etched are modified as a function of the energy latitude of the process, which allows a reduction of the radiated doses. | 08-08-2013 |
20130235363 | DEVICE-SPECIFIC MARKINGS - Producing a plurality of electronic devices by a technique including photolithographically patterning a layer of conductive material ( | 09-12-2013 |
20130242282 | POSITION MANIPULATOR FOR AN OPTICAL COMPONENT - A device for adjustably positioning an optical component includes a holding unit, which is which at least partly composed of a magnetostrictive material, and a mechanism for generating a magnetic field having a predetermined directional and amplitude distribution in the region of the holding unit. The holding unit has, in a predefined direction, an expansion which can be varied by a specific absolute value by the effect of the magnetic field. | 09-19-2013 |
20130258310 | Metrology Method and Apparatus, Lithographic System and Device Manufacturing Method - A lithographic process is used to form a plurality of target structures (T) on a substrate (W). Each target structure comprises overlaid gratings each having a specific overlay bias. Asymmetry (A) of each grating, measured by scatterometry, includes contributions due to (i) the overlay bias, (ii) an overlay error (OV) in the lithographic process and (iii) bottom grating asymmetry within the overlaid gratings. Asymmetry measurements are obtained for three or more target structures having three or more different values of overlay bias (e.g., −d, 0, +d). Knowing the three different overlay bias values and a theoretical curve relationship between overlay error and asymmetry, overlay error (OV) can be calculated while correcting the effect of bottom grating asymmetry. Bias schemes with three and four different biases are disclosed as examples. Gratings with different directions and biases can be interleaved in a composite target structure. | 10-03-2013 |
20130321789 | MASK DATA GENERATION METHOD - A mask data generation method includes obtaining data of a pattern including a plurality of pattern elements, dividing a region of the pattern into a plurality of sections so that each pattern element is arranged in each section by using the obtained data of the pattern and generating map data including information indicative of presence or absence of the pattern element in each section, setting one piece of mask individual information out of a plurality pieces of mask individual information for each section including the pattern element by using a constraint condition, which inhibits setting of same mask individual information in a constraint region including one section and surrounding sections thereof, and the map data, and generating the data of the plurality of masks corresponding to the plurality pieces of mask individual information by using the set mask individual information. | 12-05-2013 |
20140016112 | Electrophotographic Patterning of an Image Definition Material - A method is disclosed in the context of a system comprises an electrophotographic subsystem, a transfer subsystem, an imaging member, and an inking subsystem. The electrophotographic subsystem comprises a photoreceptor, a charging subsystem, an exposure subsystem, and a development subsystem. In operation, the photoreceptor is charged areawise. An exposure pattern is formed by the exposure subsystem on the surface of the charged photoreceptor to thereby write a latent charge image onto the photoreceptor surface. The image is developed with an image defining material, such as a dampening fluid. The image defining material forms a negative pattern of the image to be printed. This negative image is then transferred to the reimageable surface. The negative image is then developed with ink. The inked image may be transferred to a substrate. | 01-16-2014 |
20140028993 | PROCESS CONTROL USING NON-ZERO ORDER DIFFRACTION - A method of controlling a manufacturing process, the method including the steps of a) providing a testing area with a periodic structure, where the periodic structure includes a series of sets of patterned features, b) illuminating the periodic structure with a light, thereby producing a non-zero order diffraction signal, c) collecting the diffraction signal to produce a test signature, d) matching the test signature with a reference signature, where the reference signature was previously produced by performing steps a), b), and c) with respect to a reference structure that is at least similar to the periodic structure, and e) controlling a manufacturing process using a control setting set associated with the matching reference signature. | 01-30-2014 |
20140055769 | Method For Nanolithography - A method of performing nanolithography is disclosed, comprising use of an optical printing head that enables a super-resolution lithographic exposures compatible with conventional optical lithographic processes. The super-resolution exposures are carried out using light transmitted through specially designed super-resolution apertures, of which the “bow-tie” and “C-aperture” are examples. These specially designed apertures create small but bright images in the near-field transmission pattern. A printing head comprising an array of these apertures is held in close proximity to the object to be exposed. A data processing system is provided to re-interpret the layout data into a modulation pattern used to drive the multiple individual channels and the multiple exposures. | 02-27-2014 |
20140125962 | STAGE APPARATUS AND ADJUSTMENT METHOD THEREOF, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING DEVICE - A stage apparatus includes a stage, an interferometric measurement device which is arranged to be able to measure a position of a surface of a mirror arranged on a side surface of the stage, and a driving unit configured to position the stage based on a measurement result of the interferometric measurement device. The interferometric measurement device includes: a varying unit configured to periodically vary an incident position where measurement light is incident on the mirror; and a detecting unit configured to detect rotation of the mirror based on a variation amount of the measurement result of the interferometric measurement device, which is generated upon a periodic variation of the incident position. | 05-08-2014 |
20140125963 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS RECOVERY METHOD AND EXPOSURE APPARATUS - A recovery method for recovering an exposure apparatus that exposes a pattern image onto a substrate in a case that certain processing has not normally ended is provided that includes the steps of registering a plurality of processing methods to the processing in advance; determining whether or not the processing has normally ended each time the processing is performed; associating and storing the number of times the processing has been performed and the number of times the processing has normally ended with the processing method employed when the processing has been performed, as history information; and selecting the processing method to be next employed from the plurality of processing methods based on the history information in a case that the processing has not normally ended. | 05-08-2014 |
20140146302 | DEVICE FOR HOMOTHETIC PROJECTION OF A PATTERN ONTO THE SURFACE OF A SAMPLE, AND LITHOGRAPHY METHOD USING SUCH A DEVICE - The invention relates to a device for homothetic projection of a pattern onto the surface of a sample ( | 05-29-2014 |
20140160457 | DISPLAY MANUFACTURING METHOD AND PHOTO ALIGNMENT PROCESS - A display manufacturing method comprises steps of: moving a first substrate and a second substrate by a conveying apparatus; and implementing a first exposure and a second exposure of the first substrate and a first exposure and a second exposure of the second substrate by at least one light emitting element when the conveying apparatus drives the first and second substrates to pass through the light source module. When the first exposures of the first and second substrates are implemented, the moving directions of the first and second substrates are opposite, or when the second exposures of the first and second substrates are implemented, the moving directions of the first and second substrates are opposite. A photo alignment process is also disclosed. | 06-12-2014 |
20140168627 | Method of Operating a Lithographic Apparatus, Device Manufacturing Method and Associated Data Processing Apparatus and Computer Program Product - A reticle is loaded into a lithographic apparatus. The apparatus performs measurements on the reticle, so as to calculate alignment parameters for transferring the pattern accurately to substrates. Tests are performed to detect possible contamination of the reticle or its support. Either operation proceeds with a warning, or the patterning of substrates is stopped. The test uses may use parameters of the alignment model itself, or different parameters. The integrity parameters may be compared against reference values reflecting historic measurements, so that sudden changes in a parameter are indicative of contamination. Integrity parameters may be calculated from residuals of the alignment model. In an example, height residuals are used to calculate parameters of residual wedge (Rx′) and residual roll (Ryy′). From these, integrity parameters expressed as height deviations are calculated and compared against thresholds. | 06-19-2014 |
20140168628 | DRAWING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING ARTICLE - The present invention provides a drawing apparatus for performing drawing on a substrate with a charged particle beam, the apparatus including a first member in which an aperture, through which the charged particle beam passes, is formed, a chamber including a first space and a second space which are partitioned by the first member, and a removing device including a first supply device configured to supply a first gas containing unsaturated hydrocarbon to the first space and a second supply device configured to supply a second gas containing ozone to the second space, and configured to remove contamination on the first member by active species generated by reaction of the first gas with the second gas. | 06-19-2014 |
20140168629 | DRAWING APPARATUS, AND ARTICLE MANUFACTURING METHOD - Provided is a drawing apparatus including a plurality of drawing devices each of which is configured to draw a pattern on a substrate with a plurality of charged particle beams, the plurality of drawing devices performing respective drawings in parallel, the drawing apparatus comprising: a measuring device configured to measure a flatness of the substrate, wherein each of the plurality of drawing devices comprises: a charged particle optical system configured to irradiate the substrate with the plurality of charged particle beams; and a controller configured to control an operation of the charged particle optical system so as to compensate for distortion of the pattern which is determined by data of inclination of a charged particle beam of the charged particle beams with respect to an axis of the charged particle optical system and data of the flatness measured by the measuring device. | 06-19-2014 |
20140185030 | ASYMMETRIC RETICLE HEATING OF MULTILAYER RETICLES ELIMINATED BY DUMMY EXPOSURES AND RELATED METHODS - Asymmetric heating and/or thermal expansion of a reticle or an image field is reduced. Embodiments include exposing a wafer with an actual image field (including a pattern for a chip layer) on a multilayer reticle, and performing a dummy exposure with another image field of the reticle. Other embodiments include exposing a wafer with a reticle area including both the actual and one or more other image fields of a multilayer reticle, sacrificing any die on the wafer that is exposed with substantial illumination with an image field other than the actual image field. Further embodiments include dummy exposures or enlargement of the illuminated reticle area of a single layer reticle with variation in pattern density between regions of the image field. Further embodiments include changing the image field geometry of a multilayer or single layer reticle. | 07-03-2014 |
20140204359 | EXPOSURE METHOD, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, EXPOSURE SYSTEM AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - When exposing a same resist layer of a wafer a plurality of times, at least in one exposure of the plurality of exposures, by filling a space between a projection optical system, which projects an exposure light on the wafer, and the wafer with water by a liquid supply/drainage unit, a substantial wavelength of exposure light that reaches the wafer is made to differ from a substantial wavelength of exposure light in another exposure. Accordingly, exposure with high precision and high throughput can be achieved. | 07-24-2014 |
20140218713 | Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Process - A process of an extreme ultraviolet lithography is disclosed. The process includes receiving an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask, an EUV radiation source and an illuminator. The process also includes exposing the EUV mask by a radiation, originating from the EUV radiation source and directed by the illuminator, with a less-than-three-degree chief ray angle of incidence at the object side (CRAO). The process further includes removing most of the non-diffracted light and collecting and directing the diffracted light and the not removed non-diffracted light by a projection optics box (POB) to expose a target. | 08-07-2014 |
20140218714 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND RETICLE FOR IMPROVED PATTERN QUALITY IN EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET (EUV) LITHOGRAPHY AND METHOD FOR FORMING THE RETICLE - A reticle for use in an extreme ultraviolet (euv) lithography tool includes a trench formed in the opaque border formed around the image field of the reticle. The trench is coated with an absorber material. The reticle is used in an euv lithography tool in conjunction with a reticle mask and the positioning of the reticle mask and the presence of the trench combine to prevent any divergent beams of radiation from reaching any undesired areas on the substrate being patterned. In this manner, only the exposure field of the substrate is exposed to the euv radiation. Pattern integrity in neighboring fields is maintained. | 08-07-2014 |
20140247438 | RETICLE DEFECT CORRECTION BY SECOND EXPOSURE - Correction of reticle defects, such as EUV reticle defects, is accomplished with a second exposure. Embodiments include obtaining a reticle with a first pattern corresponding to a design for a wafer pattern, detecting dark defects and/or design/OPC weak spots in the first pattern, exposing a resist covered wafer using the reticle, and exposing the wafer using a second reticle with a second pattern or a second image field with openings corresponding to the dark defects, with a repair pattern on the reticle or on another reticle, or with a programmed e-beam or laser writer. | 09-04-2014 |
20140253901 | Two-Dimensional Marks - A method for controlling semiconductor production through use of a Focus Exposure Matrix (FEM) model includes taking measurements of characteristics of a two-dimensional mark formed onto a substrate, the two-dimensional mark including two different patterns along two different cut-lines, and comparing the measurements with a FEM model to determine focus and exposure conditions used to form the two-dimensional mark. The FEM model was created using measurements taken of corresponding two-dimensional marks formed onto a substrate under varying focus and exposure conditions. | 09-11-2014 |
20140253902 | MULTIPLE PATTERNING PROCESS FOR FORMING TRENCHES OR HOLES USING STITCHED ASSIST FEATURES - One illustrative method disclosed herein involves identifying an overall target pattern comprised of at least one hole-type feature, decomposing the overall target pattern into at least a first sub-target pattern and a second sub-target pattern, wherein the first sub-target pattern and the second sub-target pattern each comprise at least one common hole-type feature, generating a first set of mask data information corresponding to the first sub-target pattern, and generating a second set of mask data information corresponding to the second sub-target pattern. | 09-11-2014 |
20140268090 | CROSS TECHNOLOGY RETICLE (CTR) OR MULTI-LAYER RETICLE (MLR) CDU, REGISTRATION, AND OVERLAY TECHNIQUES - Methods for reducing reticle transmission differences and for optimizing layer placement for overlay in MTRs and CTRs are disclosed. Embodiments include providing a reticle having a prime area and a frame area surrounding the prime area; determining RT differences across the prime area; and providing RT adjustment structures on the reticle to decrease the RT differences. Other embodiments include grouping multiple layers of a semiconductor production flow, the layers for each group having an RT difference less than a predetermined value; and placing the layers on plural ordered reticles of a reticle set, each reticle having multiple image fields, by selecting, for each reticle, layers from a single group and optimizing placement of the layers for overlay. Other embodiments include selectively rotating image fields on a reticle having multiple image fields to improve overlay, or optimizing placement of DDLs on CTRs by placing each design orientation on a different reticle. | 09-18-2014 |
20140268091 | Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Process and Mask - A system and process of an extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) is disclosed. The system and process includes receiving a mask with two states, which have 180 degree phase difference to each other. These different states are assigned to adjacent main polygons and adjacent assist polygons of the mask. A nearly on-axis illumination (ONI) with partial coherence σ less than 0.3 is utilized to expose the mask to produce diffracted lights and non-diffracted lights. A majority portion of the non-diffracted lights and diffracted light with diffraction order higher than 1 are removed. Diffracted light having +1-st and −1-st diffracted order are collected and directed by a projection optics box (POB) to expose a target. | 09-18-2014 |
20140268092 | Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Process and Mask - A process of an extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) is disclosed. The process includes receiving an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask with multiple states. These different states of the EUV mask are assigned to adjacent polygons and adjacent assist polygons. The EUV mask is exposed by a nearly on-axis illumination (ONI) with partial coherence σ less than 0.3 to produce diffracted lights and non-diffracted lights. Most of the non-diffracted lights reflected from main polygons and reflected lights from assist polygons are removed. The diffracted lights and the not removed non-diffracted lights reflected from main polygons are collected and directed to expose a target by a projection optics box. | 09-18-2014 |
20140293258 | MANUFACTURING APPARATUS OF ELECTRONIC COMPONENT AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - A first alignment mark is given to a substrate, and a second alignment mark is given to a mask. The mask forms an electronic circuit pattern on the substrate. A control unit performs alignment of the mask and the substrate based on the first and second alignment marks. The second alignment mark is formed to surround the first alignment mark. The second alignment mark has a step pattern therein. | 10-02-2014 |
20140293259 | METHOD OF MAKING NOZZLE CHIP - A method of making a nozzle chip includes a step of reduction-projection-exposing a photosensitive resin material to exposure light through a mask by using a reduction-projection-exposure apparatus, the mask having a light-transmitting pattern formed thereon; and a step of forming an ejection orifice pattern corresponding to the light-transmitting pattern on the photosensitive resin material by performing a developing operation. The exposure light in the step of reduction-projection-exposing is passed through a correction mechanism before the exposure light reaches the photosensitive resin material, the correction mechanism being configured to suppress an inclination of a chief ray due to off-axis telecentricity that occurs in the reduction-projection-exposure apparatus. | 10-02-2014 |
20140293260 | Method of manufacturing printed circuit boards - Methods and apparatus are provided to fabricate massive monolithic arrays of individually addressable light emitting diodes, assemble a plurality of such massive monolithic arrays of individually addressable light emitting diodes, control each individual light emitting diode, and to assemble the same in manner to achieve the accuracy and stability for a massive number of individually controlled light emitting diodes that can then be focused using projection optics on to a photoreceptive surface. In addition methods and apparatus are provided to move the imaging system thus described relative to the photoreceptive surface in two axes orthogonal to each other thus exposing the photoreceptive surface. | 10-02-2014 |
20140293261 | Lithographic Method to Apply a Pattern to a Substrate and Lithographic Apparatus - A slit shaped area of a patterning device is illuminated to impart a radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section. A projection system projects the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate. As the radiation beam is scanned across the target portion of the substrate, a configuration of the projection system is adjusted and applies a pattern to the target portion. The adjusting may affect a magnitude of an image magnification component of the projection system, along the length of the slit shaped area, or an image distortion in a scan direction. The adjusting is arranged to compensate an effect on pattern overlay accuracy of a distortion of the patterning device. | 10-02-2014 |
20140300883 | LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A porous member is used in a liquid removal system of an immersion lithographic projection apparatus to smooth uneven flows. A pressure differential across the porous member may be maintained at below the bubble point of the porous member so that a single-phase liquid flow is obtained. Alternatively, the porous member may be used to reduce unevenness in a two-phase flow. | 10-09-2014 |
20140313501 | CONTROLLER FOR OPTICAL DEVICE, EXPOSURE METHOD AND APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING DEVICE - An exposure method for exposing a mask pattern, which includes plural types of patterns, with a high throughput and optimal illumination conditions for each type of pattern. The method includes guiding light from a first spatial light modulator illuminated with pulse lights of illumination light to a second spatial light modulator and exposing a wafer with light from the second spatial light modulator, accompanied by: controlling a conversion state of the second spatial light modulator including a plurality of second mirror elements; and controlling a conversion state of the first spatial light modulator including a plurality of first mirror elements to control intensity distribution of the illumination light on a predetermined plane between the first spatial light modulator and the second spatial light modulator. | 10-23-2014 |
20140320842 | IMPRINT METHOD, IMPRINT APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING ARTICLE - The present invention provides an imprint method comprising a deformation step of deforming a pattern surface of a mold so that the mold is gradually brought into contact with the imprint material outward from a central portion of the pattern surface, an obtaining step of obtaining a shift amount indicating how much a mark on the mold shifts in a direction parallel to a substrate surface due to deformation of the pattern surface, a detection step of detecting the mark on the mold and a mark on the substrate while the pattern surface is deformed, and obtaining relative positions of the mold and the substrate from a detection result, and an alignment step of aligning the mold and the substrate using the shift amount and the relative positions while the pattern surface is deformed. | 10-30-2014 |
20140362363 | METHODS FOR MONITORING SOURCE SYMMETRY OF PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY SYSTEMS - A method for monitoring the source symmetry of a photolithography system is provided. The method includes providing a first reticle; and providing a second reticle. The method also includes forming first bottom overlay alignment marks on a first wafer using the first reticle; and forming first top overlay alignment marks on the first bottom overlay alignment marks using the second reticle. Further, the method includes forming second bottom overlay alignment marks on a second wafer using the first reticle; and forming second top overlay alignment marks on the second bottom overlay alignment marks using the second reticle. Further, the method also include measuring a first overlay shift; measuring a second overlay shift; and obtaining an overlay shift caused by the source asymmetry based on the first overlay shift and the second overlay shift. | 12-11-2014 |
20140368805 | DESIGN METHOD OF EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET LITHOGRAPHY PROJECTION OBJECTIVE - A design method of extreme ultraviolet lithography projection objective comprises: determining the optical design parameters of the lithography projection objective, setting the projection objective to include six lenses and an aperture diaphragm, and dividing the six lenses into the three groups according to the beam propagation direction; determining the radii and the intervals of the first and third groups, respectively; and determining the radii and the intervals of the second group of lenses according to the parameters of the foregoing two groups of lenses. The design method has the advantage of avoiding the blindness in revising and error testing of the existing structure of the conventional optical design method by calculating lens structures that meet the parameter conditions, so that light rays can be selected conveniently according to the special requirements of optical processing detection, and a mass of searches and judgments can be avoided. | 12-18-2014 |
20140368806 | Grid Refinement Method - The present disclosure provides an embodiment of a method, for a lithography process for reducing a critical dimension (CD) by a factor n wherein n<1. The method includes providing a pattern generator having a first pixel size S1 to generate an alternating data grid having a second pixel size S2 that is 12-18-2014 | |
20150049324 | ADAPTIVE PHOTOMASKS AND METHODS FOR USING THE SAME - The embodiments described herein relate to methods, devices, and systems for masking a substrate using a photomasking process. An adaptive photomask configured to generate a photomasking pattern in accordance with dimensions of a surface feature on substrate is described. The adaptive photomask can be used to create customized photomask patterns for individual substrates. Methods and devices described herein can be used in manufacturing processes where similar parts having slight differences due to built-in tolerances are manufactured. Methods and a devices described herein can also be used in manufacture processes involving masking of three-dimensional portions of a part. A photomasking system that includes a translational mechanism for scanning a substrate surface is described. | 02-19-2015 |
20150055114 | LAYERED RADIATION-SENSITIVE MATERIALS WITH VARYING SENSITIVITY - A method for fabricating a radiation-cured structure is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a first radiation-sensitive material and applying a second radiation-sensitive material to the first radiation-sensitive material. The first radiation-sensitive material has a first sensitivity. The second radiation-sensitive material has a second sensitivity different from the first sensitivity. At least one mask is placed between at least one radiation source and the first and second radiation-sensitive materials. The mask has a plurality of substantially radiation-transparent apertures. The first and second radiation-sensitive materials are then exposed to a plurality of radiation beams through the radiation-transparent apertures in the mask to form a first construct in the first radiation-sensitive material and a second construct in the second radiation-sensitive material. The first construct and the second construct cooperate to form the radiation-cured structure. | 02-26-2015 |
20150070681 | PATTERN GENERATING METHOD, PATTERN FORMING METHOD, AND PATTERN GENERATING PROGRAM - In general, according to one embodiment, a pattern generating method evaluates an amount of flare generated through a mask during an EUV exposure; calculates optimal coverage of a mask pattern for enhancing uniformity of the amount of flare in an exposure region by applying an optimization algorithm; and generates a dummy pattern of the mask based upon the coverage of the mask pattern. | 03-12-2015 |
20150116690 | BIT PATTERNED MEDIA TEMPLATE INCLUDING ALIGNMENT MARK AND METHOD OF USING SAME - A method is disclosed that includes forming at least one substrate alignment mark and at least one lithography alignment mark in a substrate; forming a seed layer on the substrate; and forming a guide pattern and at least one guide pattern alignment mark in the seed layer, where the at least one guide pattern alignment mark is formed over the at least one substrate alignment mark. The method further includes determining an alignment error of the at least one guide pattern alignment mark relative to the at least one substrate alignment mark; and patterning features on at least one region of the substrate, where the features are positioned on the substrate based on the at least one lithography alignment mark and the alignment error. | 04-30-2015 |
20150124236 | LIGHT EXPOSURE SYSTEM AND LIGHT EXPOSURE PROCESS - A light exposure system includes a light source device, a shutter device and a control device. The light source device is capable of emitting a light to an assembly liquid crystal cell. The shutter device is located on an optical path of the light. The control device controls the light source device or the shutter device to control the illuminance on the assembly liquid crystal cell. The control device makes the assembly liquid crystal cell have a plurality of first exposure times receiving a first illuminance and a plurality of second exposure times receiving a second illuminance during the light exposure process. The first exposure times and the second exposure times are arranged alternately. The sum of the first exposure times and the second exposure times is substantially equal to the default continuous exposure time. | 05-07-2015 |
20150131074 | Method for the Construction of a Shaped Body - The invention relates to a method for the construction of a shaped body from photopolymerizable material by using lithography-based generative production (rapid prototyping), in which a layer of liquid photopolymerizable material is defined on a production platform ( | 05-14-2015 |
20150131075 | DRAWING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING ARTICLE - A drawing apparatus includes: a blanker; a deflector; a stage configured to hold the substrate and to be movable; and a controller configured to control the deflector and the stage so as to perform drawing by scanning the charged particle beam on the substrate by causing the deflector to deflect the charged particle beam in a first direction and moving the stage in a second direction. The controller is configured to cause the stage moving in the second direction to move in the first direction based on a pattern to be drawn and to control a scan width of the charged particle beam in the first direction by the deflector based on a moving amount of the stage in the first direction and the pattern. | 05-14-2015 |
20150131076 | Inspection Method and Apparatus, Lithographic Apparatus, Lithographic Processing Cell and Device Manufacturing Method - A lithographic apparatus is disclosed. The lithographic apparatus includes a scatterometer configured to measure a property of the substrate. The scatterometer includes a radiation source configured to produce a radiated spot on a target on the substrate, where the radiated spot includes positions on the target. The scatterometer further includes a detector configured to generate measurement signals that correspond to respective ones of the positions of the radiated spot and a processor configured to output, based on the measurement signals, a single value that is representative of the property of the substrate. | 05-14-2015 |
20150131077 | ELECTRON BEAM LITHOGRAPHY METHODS INCLUDING TIME DIVISION MULTIPLEX LOADING - An embodiment of a method of lithography includes generating a beam of electrons. A first pixel and a second pixel are each configured to pattern the beam. Using time domain multiplex loading, the first and second pixels are controlled such that the beam is patterned. The patterning includes receiving a first clock signal and using the first clock signal to generate a second clock signal and a third clock signal. The second clock signal is sent to the first pixel and sending the third clock signal is sent to the second pixel. | 05-14-2015 |
20150138526 | INSTANT FILM PRINTER INCORPORATING OPTICAL COLLIMATION LAYER - Disclosed is a printing device comprising a collimation layer disposed between a display screen and a sheet of instant film. The printing device quickly and compactly prints the display screen contents to the instant film, using a collimation layer that may be embedded in an opaque ribbon and drawn across the instant film. The collimation layer blocks any light not parallel to the normal vector of the display screen, thereby eliminating the need for traditional lenses to focus light. This in turn allows the printing device to yield high resolution photos with very short printing timeframes. | 05-21-2015 |
20150146188 | METHOD TO DETERMINE THE USEFULNESS OF ALIGNMENT MARKS TO CORRECT OVERLAY, AND A COMBINATION OF A LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND AN OVERLAY MEASUREMENT SYSTEM - A method to determine the usefulness of an alignment mark of a first pattern in transferring a second pattern to a substrate relative to the first pattern already present on the substrate includes measuring the position of the alignment mark, modeling the position of the alignment mark, determining the model error between measured and modeled position, measuring a corresponding overlay error between first and second pattern and comparing the model error with the overlay error to determine the usefulness of the alignment mark. Subsequently this information can be used when processing next substrates thereby improving the overlay for these substrates. A lithographic apparatus and/or overlay measurement system may be operated in accordance with the method. | 05-28-2015 |
20150293352 | METHOD FOR IMPROVING THE IMAGING PROPERTIES OF A PROJECTION OBJECTIVE, AND SUCH A PROJECTION OBJECTIVE - The invention relates to a method for improving the imaging properties of a micro lithography projection objective, wherein the projection objective has a plurality of lenses between an object plane and an image plane, a first lens of the plurality of lenses being assigned a first manipulator for actively deforming the lens, the first lens being deformed for at least partially correcting an aberration, at least one second lens of the plurality of lenses furthermore being assigned at least one second manipulator, and the second lens being deformed in addition to the first lens. Furthermore, a method is described for selecting at least one lens of a plurality of lenses of a projection objective as actively deformable element, and a projection objective. | 10-15-2015 |
20150309411 | Methods of Forming Pattern by Using Dual Tone Development Processes - Methods of forming a pattern are provided. The methods may include forming a dual tone photoresist layer on a support layer, forming a low light exposure region, a middle light exposure region, and a high light exposure region in a first region of the dual tone photoresist layer and forming a low light exposure region and a middle light exposure region in a second region of the dual tone photoresist layer by exposing the dual tone photoresist layer to light by using a mask comprising a gray feature. The method may also include forming preliminary patterns in the first region by performing a positive development process and forming first patterns which are spaced apart from one another in the first region and second patterns which are spaced apart from one another in the second region by performing a negative development process. | 10-29-2015 |
20150309416 | METHOD FOR FORMING PATTERN AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING DEVICE - A pattern forming method which includes: forming a plurality of first line patterns of which longitudinal direction is a first direction and a plurality of second line patterns of which longitudinal direction is the first direction and of which etching characteristic is different from etching characteristic of the plurality of first line patterns, so that at least one edge portion of each of the plurality of first line patterns and at least one edge portion of each of the plurality of second line patterns are adjacent to each other; and removing at least a portion of the plurality of first line patterns by etching. | 10-29-2015 |
20150331336 | Substrate and Patterning Device for Use in Metrology, Metrology Method and Device Manufacturing Method - A pattern from a patterning device is applied to a substrate by a lithographic apparatus. The applied pattern includes product features and metrology targets. The metrology targets include large targets which are for measuring overlay using X-ray scattering and small targets which are for measuring overlay by diffraction of visible radiation. Some of the smaller targets are distributed at locations between the larger targets, while other small targets are placed at the same locations as a large target. By comparing values measured using a small target and large target at the same location, parameter values measured using all the small targets can be corrected for better accuracy. The large targets can be located primarily within scribe lanes while the small targets are distributed within product areas. | 11-19-2015 |
20150338745 | EVALUATION METHOD AND DEVICE, PROCESSING METHOD, AND EXPOSURE SYSTEM - Using a substrate on which a structure has been formed with a plurality of sets of processing conditions, the present disclosure provides an evaluation device that evaluates one of said sets of processing conditions with high precision. This evaluation device is provided with an illumination system that uses illuminating light to illuminate a wafer on which a pattern has been provided via exposure using a plurality of sets of exposure conditions, including first exposure conditions and second exposure conditions; a light-receiving system and an imaging unit the detect light coming from the surface of the wafer; and a computation unit that, on the basis of detection results obtained by the imaging unit using first diffraction conditions and second diffraction conditions that differ in terms of illumination conditions and/or detection conditions, and that estimates the first exposure conditions used when the wafer is exposed. | 11-26-2015 |
20150346609 | Inspection Apparatus and Method - A spectroscopic scatterometer detects both zero order and higher order radiation diffracted from an illuminated spot on a target grating. The apparatus forms and detects a spectrum of zero order (reflected) radiation, and separately forms and detects a spectrum of the higher order diffracted radiation. Each spectrum is formed using a symmetrical phase grating, so as to form and detect a symmetrical pair of spectra. The pair of spectra can be averaged to obtain a single spectrum with reduced focus sensitivity. Comparing the two spectra can yield information for improving height measurements in a subsequent lithographic step. The target grating is oriented obliquely so that the zero order and higher order radiation emanate from the spot in different planes. Two scatterometers can operate simultaneously, illuminating the target from different oblique directions. A radial transmission filter reduces sidelobes in the spot and reduces product crosstalk. | 12-03-2015 |
20150370175 | IN-LINE WAFER EDGE INSPECTION, WAFER PRE-ALIGNMENT, AND WAFER CLEANING - Disclosed are methods and apparatus for inspecting and processing semiconductor wafers. The system includes an edge detection system for receiving each wafer that is to undergo a photolithography process. The edge detection system comprises an illumination channel for directing one or more illumination beams towards a side, top, and bottom edge portion that are within a border region of the wafer. The edge detection system also includes a collection module for collecting and sensing output radiation that is scattered or reflected from the edge portion of the wafer and an analyzer module for locating defects in the edge portion and determining whether each wafer is within specification based on the sensed output radiation for such wafer. The photolithography system is configured for receiving from the edge detection system each wafer that has been found to be within specification. The edge detection system is coupled in-line with the photolithography system. | 12-24-2015 |
20150378262 | DISCRETE SOURCE MASK OPTIMIZATION - A method for improving a lithographic process for imaging a portion of a design layout onto a substrate using a lithographic projection apparatus, the method including: calculating a discrete pupil profile based on a desired pupil profile; selecting a discrete change to the discrete pupil profile; and applying the selected discrete change to the discrete pupil profile. The methods according to various embodiments disclosed herein may reduce the computational cost of discrete optimization from O(a | 12-31-2015 |
20150378264 | A LITHOGRAPHY MODEL FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL PATTERNING DEVICE - A computer-implemented method for simulating a scattered radiation field of a patterning device including one or more features, in a lithographic projection apparatus, the method including: determining a scattering function of the patterning device using one or more scattering functions of feature elements of the one or more features; wherein at least one of the one or more features is a three-dimensional feature, or the one or more scattering functions characterize scattering of incident radiation fields at a plurality of incident angles on the feature elements. | 12-31-2015 |
20160004165 | IMAGING OPTICAL SYSTEM AND PROJECTION EXPOSURE SYSTEM FOR MICROLITHOGRAPHY - An imaging optical system includes a plurality of mirrors that image an object field in an object plane into an image field in an image plane. At least one of the mirrors is obscured, and thus has a opening for imaging light to pass through. The fourth-last mirror in the light path before the image field is not obscured and provides, with an outer edge of the optically effective reflection surface thereof, a central shadowing in a pupil plane of the imaging optical system. The distance between the fourth-last mirror and the last mirror along the optical axis is at least 10% of the distance between the object field and the image field. An intermediate image, which is closest to the image plane, is arranged between the last mirror and the image plane. The imaging optical system can have a numerical aperture of 0.9. These measures, not all of which must be effected simultaneously, lead to an imaging optical system with improved imaging properties and/or reduced production costs. | 01-07-2016 |
20160011523 | Inspection Apparatus and Methods, Methods of Manufacturing Devices | 01-14-2016 |
20160033872 | METHOD OF PERFORMING MODEL-BASED SCANNER TUNING - A model-based tuning method for tuning a first lithography system utilizing a reference lithography system, each of which has tunable parameters for controlling imaging performance. The method includes the steps of defining a test pattern and an imaging model; imaging the test pattern utilizing the reference lithography system and measuring the imaging results; imaging the test pattern utilizing the first lithography system and measuring the imaging results; calibrating the imaging model utilizing the imaging results corresponding to the reference lithography system, where the calibrated imaging model has a first set of parameter values; tuning the calibrated imaging model utilizing the imaging results corresponding to the first lithography system, where the tuned calibrated model has a second set of parameter values; and adjusting the parameters of the first lithography system based on a difference between the first set of parameter values and the second set of parameter values. | 02-04-2016 |
20160048072 | LAYOUT PATTERN DECOMPOSITION METHOD - A layout pattern decomposition method includes following steps. A layout pattern is received. The layout pattern includes a plurality of features, and an edge-to-edge space is respectively defined in between two adjacent features. A sum of a width of the edge-to-edge space and a width of the feature on a left side of the edge-to-edge space and a sum of the width of the edge-to-edge space and a width of the feature on a right side of the edge-to-edge space are respectively calculated. The sums and a predetermined value are respectively compared. When any one of the sums is smaller than the predetermined value, the two features on the two sides of the edge-to-edge space are colored by a first color and alternatively a second color. The features including the first color are assigned to a first pattern and the features including the second color to a second pattern. | 02-18-2016 |
20160054647 | LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A lithographic apparatus includes a projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate. The projection system has a final element. The apparatus also includes a barrier member surrounding a space between the projection system and, in use, the substrate, to define in part with the final element a reservoir for liquid. The barrier member is spaced from the final element to define a gap therebetween. The apparatus further includes a deformable seal between a radially outer surface of the final element and a radially outer surface of the barrier member. The deformable seal is configured to substantially prevent a gas from flowing past the seal towards or away from the reservoir of liquid. | 02-25-2016 |
20160077443 | Rapid Exchange Device for Lithography Reticles - Provided is a method and apparatus for moving and exchanging reticles within a vacuum lithographic system with minimum particle generation and outgassing. In an example of the method, a first arm of a rotational exchange device (RED) receives a first baseplate holding a first reticle. A second arm of the RED supports and buffers a second baseplate. The first and second baseplates are located substantially equidistant from an axis of rotation of the RED. | 03-17-2016 |
20160091794 | DRAWING METHOD - A drawing method is to draw a pattern on a substrate. First, cumulative exposure amount distribution data containing a cumulative exposure amount to be applied to each position on the substrate is read. Next, a region R | 03-31-2016 |
20160103396 | DOUBLE PATTERNING METHOD - A double patterning method comprises the following steps. First of all, a target layer and a mask layer stacked thereon are provided. Next, a first pattern opening is formed in the mask layer, and a width of the first pattern opening is measured to obtain a measuring value. Then, a second pattern opening is formed in the mask layer based on the measuring value, wherein the second pattern opening and the first pattern opening are co-planar. Finally, a bias trimming process is performed to trim the first pattern opening and the second pattern opening. | 04-14-2016 |
20160165734 | CONTROLLABLE CONSTANT CURRENT SUPPLY INTEGRATED CIRCUITS FOR DRIVING DENSE ARRAYS - A controllable current driver integrated circuit is provided. The controllable current driver includes a multitude of different current value output transistors digitally controlled and combined to provide a controllable current output. The different current value transistors are each provided as single lithographic devices on a same substrate in proximity to each other having weighted drain and source areas corresponding to the different current values. The weighted drivers reduce the implementation area required on the semiconductor die for decoding and driving the output transistors substantially increasing the density of current drivers which can be integrated in one semiconductor die. | 06-09-2016 |
20160377769 | SUBSTRATE WITH MULTILAYER REFLECTIVE FILM, MASK BLANK, TRANSFER MASK AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A substrate with a multilayer reflective film capable of facilitating the discovery of contaminants, scratches and other critical defects by inhibiting the detection of pseudo defects attributable to surface roughness of a substrate or film in a defect inspection using a highly sensitive defect inspection apparatus. | 12-29-2016 |
20170235227 | ELECTRON BEAM RESIST COMPOSITION | 08-17-2017 |
20180024375 | RETICLE WITH REDUCED TRANSMISSION REGIONS FOR DETECTING A DEFOCUS CONDITION IN A LITHOGRAPHY PROCESS | 01-25-2018 |
20220137520 | EXPOSURE METHOD AND EXPOSURE DEVICE - Provided are an exposure method and an exposure device. The method includes: extracting an exposure rule of a first layer pattern or a previous layer pattern of each wafer in the current wafer group; acquiring the serial number of at least one absent wafer in the current wafer group according to actual exposure information of the current layer pattern of each wafer in the current wafer group; removing the serial number of at least one absent wafer in the exposure rule of the current layer pattern, sequentially advancing the serial number of a wafer having the serial number posterior to the serial number of each of the at least one absent wafer in a sequence corresponding to the same bearing platform, and filling serial number vacancies to obtain the exposure rule of the current layer pattern; and exposing the current layer pattern of each wafer in the current wafer group. | 05-05-2022 |
20220137521 | POSITIONING METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PARTICLES ON RETICLE, STORAGE MEDIUM, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE - A positioning method for particles on a reticle includes: data of positions passed by a target reticle within a preset period of time is determined according to path data of the target reticle that includes particle information of the target reticle at each scan moment; position information of the target reticle when particles are present on a surface of the target reticle is determined according to the data of positions, to obtain target position data of the target reticle; reticle position data of the target reticle within adjacent scan moments is determined according to the target position data, and a particle source position of the particles on the surface of the target reticle is determined from the reticle position data according to position priorities; and a particle position analysis report of the target reticle within the preset period of time is generated according to the particle source position. | 05-05-2022 |