| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080198363 | System and Method to Align and Measure Alignment Patterns on Multiple Layers - A system and method are used to increase alignment accuracy of feature patterns through detection of alignment patterns on both a surface layer and at least one below surface layers of an object. A first frequency of light, such as visible light, is used to detect alignment patterns on the surface layer and a second frequency of light, such as infrared light, is used to detect patterns one layer below the surface. For example, reflected light of a first frequency and transmitted light of a second frequency are co-focused onto detector after impinging on respective alignment patterns. The co-focused light is then used to determine proper alignment of the object for subsequent pattern features. This substantially increases accuracy of alignment of pattern features between layers, as compared to conventional systems. | 08-21-2008 |
| 20090046373 | Illumination System with Low Telecentricity Error and Dynamic Telecentricity Correction - An illuminator with substantially reduced telecentricity error relative to conventional illuminators includes one or more modules having movable optical elements with low telecentricity error that may be adjusted to compensate for telecentricity errors. The modules may include a zoom zoom axicon, a condenser, and a multi field relay. The zoom zoom axicon may include one or more lenses adjustable in up to six degrees of freedom. The condenser and the multi field relay may include one or more lenses adjustable in up to six degrees of freedom or a set of two or more mirrors with one or more of the mirrors adjustable in up to six degrees of freedom. The illuminator may also include a control system to control the adjustments of the movable optical elements. A lithography system including such an illuminator is also presented, along with a method of providing illumination with low telecentricity error. | 02-19-2009 |
| 20090091734 | Illumination System - A coherence remover is provided. In an embodiment the coherence remover includes a first mirror and a second mirror coupled to the first mirror. The coherence remover is configured to receive an input beam. Each of the first and second mirrors is configured to reflect a respective portion of the input beam to produce respective one or more intermediate beams. The intermediate beams collectively form an output beam that has a reduced coherence compared to the input beam. | 04-09-2009 |
| 20090122289 | Thin Film Continuous Spatially Modulated Grey Attenuators and Filters - A system and method for use of a lithography apparatus having a substrate and an absorbing film formed on the substrate. A thickness of the absorbing film is spatially modulated across at least a part of the substrate to reduce a non-uniform intensity of a radiation beam transmitted through the substrate. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20090168072 | Illumination System - A coherence remover includes a first partially reflective surface and a second partially reflective surface. The coherence remover is configured to receive an input beam. Each of the first and second reflective surfaces is configured to reflect a respective portion of the input beam to produce respective one or more intermediate beams. The intermediate beams collectively form an output beam that has a reduced coherence compared to the input beam. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090251786 | Optical System for Transforming Numerical Aperture - A system is provided to form illumination light beams having desirable divergence and directivity. For instance, the system can include an optical element and a relay. The optical element can include a pupil defining element. Further, the relay can have a first and second lens array arranged in series and configured to receive the plurality of beams and to re-image the plurality of beams into a corresponding plurality of beams in an image plane. Each of the plurality of corresponding beams can have a numerical aperture less than a numerical aperture of each of the plurality of beams. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20100079748 | Inspection Apparatus, Lithographic Apparatus and Method for Sphero-Chromatic Aberration Correction - A semiconductor inspection system and method are described. The system includes an illumination system transmitting light at a given wavelength and an optical system receiving light from the illumination system and transmit light at the given wavelength to a surface. The optical system includes at least one lens that is moveable (for example, a zoomable lens) to change the nominal wavelength of the semiconductor inspection system to correspond to the illumination wavelength of the illumination system so that the sphero-chromatic aberration of the semiconductor inspection system meets a user-defined tolerance. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20110279805 | OPTICAL SYSTEM, INSPECTION SYSTEM AND MANUFACTURING METHOD - Systems and methods for inspection are provided utilizing a wide angle optical system. The optical system includes a wide angle input lens group and an output lens group. The wide angle input lens group is configured to receive wide-angle radiation, e.g., having an angular spread of 60 degrees or more, from an object surface, and produce imageable radiation. The wide angle input lens group is arranged such that no intermediate focused image is formed within or after the wide angle input lens group. The output lens group is configured to receive the imageable radiation from the wide angle input lens group and focus the imageable radiation onto an image plane to image at least part of the object surface. A detector receives the image of the at least part of the object surface and, based on the received image, detects, for example, contamination on the object surface. | 11-17-2011 |
