ASML Holding

About: ASML Holding is a company organization based out in Veldhoven, Netherlands. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Substrate (printing) & Extreme ultraviolet lithography. The organization has 5170 authors who have published 5078 publications receiving 59255 citations. The organization is also known as: ASM Lithography & ASML.

Spatial light modulator, method of spatially modulating a radiation beam, lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

Abstract: Each pixel of a spatial light modulator comprises a movable mirror, a light sensitive element and control circuitry to drive an actuator set the movable mirror to a state determined by a signal received by the light sensitive element

Method for two dimensional adaptive process control of critical dimensions during spin coating process

Abstract: A process for drying a polymeric material present on a substrate is provided. Temperatures of the polymeric material is measured and the ambient temperature in the vicinity of the substrate. A temperature of the substrate is also measured. A variation in the measured ambient temperature is detected. The substrate temperature, polymeric temperature, ambient temperature or a substrate drying spin speed is adjusted in response to the detected variation in the measured ambient temperature.

A method for performing full-chip manufacturing reliability checking and correction

Abstract: A method of generating a mask for use in an imaging process pattern. The method includes the steps of: (a) obtaining a desired target pattern having a plurality of features to be imaged on a substrate; (b) simulating a wafer image utilizing the target pattern and process parameters associated with a defined process; (c) defining at least one feature category; (d) identifying features in the target pattern that correspond to the at least one feature category, and recording an error value for each feature identified as corresponding to the at least one feature category; and (e) generating a statistical summary which indicates the error value for each feature identified as corresponding to the at least one feature category.

Characterization and control of dynamic lens heating effects under high volume manufacturing conditions

Abstract: The desire to reduce cost in volume manufacturing has driven up the throughput in the lithographic exposure machines. As a result the power transmitted in the projection optics increases. Although small, the absorption levels in the lens materials are not zero, which leads to localized heating of the lens and hence lens aberrations. To squeeze out the maximum process windows, the pupil shapes have transformed from simple annular shapes to shapes with very concentrated poles. As a result, the exposure energy transported through the lens is no longer equally distributed over the lenses of the projection options. Instead only a fraction of the lens gets to transport the total power. This concentration of power further aggravates the lens heating induced aberrations and enhances the importance of advanced lens heating control schemes which are available on ASML scanners. To analyze the effects of lens heating on the final imaging, a model was developed by the lens manufacturer Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH, and incorporated into a litho simulation environment by ASML BRION. This tool can be used to analyze the impact of dose/throughput, illumination shapes and reticle layout on aberrations. It provides a means to assess potential lens heating issues even before production masks are manufactured. Moreover, this computational tool opens the possibility to calculate parameters for lens heating correction, rather than measuring them, saving valuable machine time. In this paper, the performance of the novel computational lens heating control is demonstrated on wafer and compared with the traditional way of measuring the relevant parameters. In addition, a modeling study is performed to assess possible lens heating effects for freeform or non-traditional source shapes, thereby demonstrating the advanced correction potential of ASML latest aberration manipulator, called FlexWaveTM.

3D mask effects in high NA EUV imaging

Abstract: Understanding, characterization and management of 3D mask effects, including non-telecentricity, contrast fading and best focus shifts, become increasingly important for the performance optimization of future extreme ultraviolet (EUV) projection systems and mask designs. Novel imaging configuration and central obscuration in high NA EUV projection systems introduce additional imaging effects. A simplified coherent imaging model, rigorous mask diffraction simulations, images for individual source areas and a hybrid mask model are employed to analyze the root causes of observed imaging artifacts. Based on this, several image enhancement strategies including modifications of mask and source are devised and investigated for lines/spaces.