ASML Holding N.V.

An inspection system includes a radiation source that generates a beam of radiation and irradiates a first surface of an object, defining a region of the first surface of the object. The radiation source also irradiates a second surface of the object, defining a region of the second surface, wherein the second surface is at a different depth level within the object than the first surface. The inspection system may also include a detector that defines a field of view (FOV) of the first surface including the region of the first surface, and receives radiation scattered from the region of the first surface and the region of the second surface. The inspection system may also include a processor that discards image data not received from the region of the first surface, and constructs a composite image comprising the image data from across the region of the first surface.

A system, method, a lithographic apparatus and a software product configured to determine a drift in an attribute of an illumination and a corresponding drift correction. The system includes a lithographic apparatus that includes at least two sensors, each configured to measure a property related to an illumination region provided for imaging a substrate. Furthermore, a processor is configured to: determine, based on a ratio of the measured property, a drift of the illumination region with respect to a reference position; determine, based on the drift of the illumination region, a drift in an attribute related to the illumination upstream of the illumination region measured by the at least two sensors, and determine, based on the drift in the attribute, the drift correction to be applied to the attribute to compensate for the drift in the attribute.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for manufacturing a wafer clamp having hard burls. The method can include providing a first layer that includes a first surface. The method can further include forming a plurality of burls over the first surface of the first layer. The forming of the plurality of burls can include forming a subset of the plurality of burls to a hardness of greater than about 6.0 gigapascals (GPa).

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for manufacturing an electrostatic clamp. An example method can include forming, during a first duration of time comprising a first time, a top clamp comprising a first set of electrodes and a plurality of burls. The method can further include forming, during a second duration of time comprising a second time that overlaps the first time, a core comprising a plurality of fluid channels configured to carry a thermally conditioned fluid. The method can further include forming, during a third duration of time comprising a third time that overlaps the first time and the second time, a bottom clamp comprising a second set of electrodes. In some aspects, the example method can include manufacturing the electrostatic clamp without an anodic bond.

Methods and systems are described for reducing particulate contaminants on a clamping face of a clamping structure in a lithographic system. A substrate such as a cleaning reticle is pressed against the clamping face. A temperature differential is established between the substrate and the clamping face either before or after clamping occurs to facilitate transfer of particles from the clamping face to the substrate.

An apparatus and system for determining alignment of a substrate in which a periodic alignment mark is illuminated with spatially coherent radiation which is then provided to a compact integrated optical device to create self images of the alignment mark which may be manipulated (e.g., mirrored, polarized) and combined to obtain information on the position of the mark and distortions within the mark. Also disclosed is a system for determining alignment of a substrate in which a periodic alignment mark is illuminated with spatially coherent radiation which is then provided to an optical fiber arrangement to obtain information such as the position of the mark and distortions within the mark.

Apparatus for, and method of, measuring a parameter of an alignment mark on a substrate in which an optical system is arranged to receive at least one diffraction order from the alignment mark and the diffraction order is modulated at a pupil or a wafer conjugate plane of the optical system, a solid state optical device is arranged to receive the modulated diffraction order, and a spectrometer is arranged to receive the modulated diffraction order from the solid state optical device and to determine an intensity of one or more spectral components in the modulated diffraction order.

A calibration system includes a plate, a fixed alignment mark, and a variable diffraction grating. The plate is adjacent to a wafer alignment mark disposed on a wafer. The fixed alignment mark is disposed on the plate and is configured to act as a reference mark for an initial calibration of the calibration system. The variable diffraction grating is disposed on the plate and includes a plurality of unit cells configured to form a plurality of variable alignment marks. The variable diffraction grating is configured to calibrate a shift-between-orders of one of the variable alignment marks and the fixed alignment mark.

A method for source mask optimization or mask only optimization used to image a pattern onto a substrate. The method includes determining a non-uniform illumination intensity profile for illumination; and determining one or more adjustments for the pattern based on the non-uniform illumination intensity profile until a determination that features patterned onto a substrate substantially match a target design. The non-uniform illumination intensity profile may be determined based on an illumination optical system and projection optics of a lithographic apparatus. In some embodiments, the lithographic apparatus includes a slit, and the non-uniform illumination profile is a through slit non-uniform illumination intensity profile. Determining the one or more adjustments for the pattern may include performing optical proximity correction, for example.

Methods and systems are described for reducing adhesion and controlling friction between a wafer and a wafer table during semiconductor photolithography wherein the tops of burls on the wafer table have a layer with a nanoscale topography.