Method of determining focus, inspection apparatus, patterning device, substrate and device manufacturing method

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United States of America Patent

PATENT NO 9939735
SERIAL NO

15429952

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Abstract

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A method of determining focus of a lithographic apparatus has the following steps. Using the lithographic process to produce first and second structures on the substrate, the first structure has features which have a profile that has an asymmetry that depends on the focus and an exposure perturbation, such as dose or aberration. The second structure has features which have a profile that is differently sensitive to focus than the first structure and which is differently sensitive to exposure perturbation than the first structure. Scatterometer signals are used to determine a focus value used to produce the first structure. This may be done using the second scatterometer signal, and/or recorded exposure perturbation settings used in the lithographic process, to select a calibration curve for use in determining the focus value using the first scatterometer signal or by using a model with parameters related to the first and second scatterometer signals.

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddress
ASML NETHERLANDS B VP O BOX 324 VELDHOVEN 5500 AH

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Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Hinnen, Paul Christiaan Veldhoven, NL 62 456
Leewis, Christian Marinus Maastricht, NL 13 179
Pao, Kuo-Feng Taipei, TW 3 23
Wang, Shu-jin Breugel, NL 8 67

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