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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8189202 | Interferometer for determining overlay errors Systems are disclosed that include an interferometer configured to direct test light to an overlay test pad and subsequently combine it with reference light, the test and reference light being derived from a common source, one or more optics configured to direct at ... | 05/29/2012 |
| 7929150 | Alignment interferometer telescope apparatus and method An alignment interferometer telescope apparatus comprises a coherent laser source, a first beam splitter, a reference spherical mirror, a light source, first and second reticles, and a second beam splitter. At an interference location within the apparatus, a referen... | 04/19/2011 |
| 7835012 | Alignment interferometer telescope apparatus and method An alignment interferometer telescope apparatus comprises a coherent laser source, a first beam splitter, a reference spherical mirror, a light source, first and second reticles, and a second beam splitter. At an interference location within the apparatus, a referen... | 11/16/2010 |
| 7826064 | Interferometer system for monitoring an object System for monitoring a position of one or more optical elements in a projection objective (PO) include a plurality of sensors each configured to receive input light and to form output light, each sensor including a first sensor optic and a second sensor optic, the ... | 11/02/2010 |
| 7705996 | Methods and systems for ultra-precise measurement and control of object motion in six degrees of freedom by projection and measurement of interference fringes A system and method for active visual measurement and servo control using laterally sampled white light interferometry (L-SWLI) for real-time visual tracking of six-degree-of-freedom (6 DOF) rigid body motion with near-nanometer precision. The visual tracking system... | 04/27/2010 |
| 7489407 | Error correction in interferometry systems In general, in one aspect, the invention features methods that include using an interferometer to produce an output beam having a phase related to an optical path difference between a path of a first beam and a path of a second beam, wherein the first beam contacts ... | 02/10/2009 |
| 7411678 | Alignment apparatus, control method thereof, exposure apparatus and method of manufacturing semiconductor device by exposure apparatus controlled by the same control method An alignment apparatus which drives to a target position a stage capable of moving at least in a two-dimensional direction. A first measurement device and a second measurement device have a function of measuring positions of the stage in one direction from different... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7397039 | Real-time compensation of mechanical position error in pattern generation or imaging applications Improved systems, apparatus, and methods for detecting positions of moving stages and accurately compensating position error during operation (in “real time”) are provided. For some embodiments, rather than rely on two dimensional position measurements, measurem... | 07/08/2008 |
| 7382435 | Exposure apparatus An exposure apparatus which irradiates a photosensitive agent applied to a substrate to form a latent image pattern on the photosensitive agent. The exposure apparatus includes a substrate stage which drives the substrate, a focus measurement unit which obliquely ir... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7382469 | Exposure apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor device, method of exposing a layer of photoresist, and method of detecting vibrations and measuring relative position of substrate during an exposure process Defects are prevented from occurring during an exposure process by detecting vibration of and measuring the relative position of components of the exposure apparatus. The exposure apparatus includes an external frame on which a reference mirror is disposed, a projec... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7379183 | Apparatus and methods for detecting overlay errors using scatterometry Disclosed is a method of determining an overlay error between two layers of a multiple layer sample. For a plurality of periodic targets that each have a first structure formed from a first layer and a second structure formed from a second layer of the sample, an op... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7375823 | Interferometry systems and methods of using interferometry systems In general, in one aspect, the invention features methods that include interferometrically monitoring a distance between an interferometry assembly and a measurement object along each of three different measurement axes while moving the measurement object relative t... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7362446 | Position measurement unit, measurement system and lithographic apparatus comprising such position measurement unit A measurement unit to determine a position in a first and second dimension includes a diffraction type encoder and an interferometer. The diffraction type encoder determines by means of a diffraction on a first and a second diffraction grating the position in the fi... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7358516 | System and method for determining a position or/and orientation of two objects relative to each other as well as beam guiding arrangement, interferometer arrangement and device for changing an optical path length for use in such a system and method A system and a method for determining a position of two objects relative to each other is suggested, comprising: a source 43 of coherent radiation, a beam guidance for providing a measuring branch 49 for a measuring beam, which has an optical path leng... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7354699 | Method for producing alignment mark A method for producing an alignment mark is performed such that the alignment mark can be removed from the surface of a substrate without leaving any trace thereof after the alignment mark has been used for alignment. After a first photoresist layer has been formed ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7349105 | Method and apparatus for measuring alignment of layers in photolithographic processes According to a first embodiment of the invention, a first and second reticle are used to form layers using a photolithographic process. The first and second reticles each include a grating positioned so that when the reticles are printed, the two gratings will at le... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7330275 | Method and system for determining the position and alignment of a surface of an object in relation to a laser beam The present invention generally relates to a method and system for determining the position and alignment of a plane in relation to an intersecting axis and using that known position and alignment to allow for corrections to be made when using the plane as a referen... | 02/12/2008 |
| 7327446 | Self-compensating laser tracker An apparatus and method for compensating a coordinate measurement machine is provided, which may be a laser-based coordinate measurement machine, laser tracker, or other coordinate measurement device. In one exemplary method, such compensation comprises self-compens... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7321432 | Measurement and compensation of errors in interferometers In general, in one aspect, the invention features a method for determining the location of an alignment mark on a stage including measuring a location, x1, of a stage along a first measurement axis using an interferometer, measuring a location, x2 | 01/22/2008 |
| 7319506 | Alignment system and method An alignment system uses a self-referencing interferometer that produces two overlapping and relatively rotated images of an alignment marker. Detectors detect intensities in a pupil plane where Fourier transforms of the images are caused to interfere. The positiona... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7310889 | Method and device for the three-dimensional measurement of objects Disclosed is a method for three-dimensionally measuring objects, according to which the positions of a measuring element (14) are determined by means of a locating method (e.g. optically, electromagnetically, or acoustically), the positions being relative to ... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7304728 | Test device and method for laser alignment calibration A novel test device and method for calibrating the alignment of a laser beam emitted from a laser metrology tool with respect to a target area on a substrate. The test device includes a laser-sensitive material having a calibration pattern that includes a target poi... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7301643 | Arrangement for building a miniaturized fourier transform interferometer for optical radiation according to the michelson principle or a principle derived therefrom An arrangement for building a compact Fourier transform interferometer for optical radiation according to the Michelson principle or a principle derived therefrom. According to the invention, this arrangement is characterized in that the optical modulation of the ra... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7299557 | Tilt sensor A tilt sensor has a source for optical radiation, a pattern support having an optically effective pattern for the passage of the optical radiation generated by the source, a tilt-sensitive unit downstream of the pattern support in the direction of propagation of the... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7289224 | Low coherence grazing incidence interferometry for profiling and tilt sensing An optical system includes a photolithography system, a low coherence interferometer, and a detector. The photolithography system is configured to illuminate a portion of an object with a light pattern and has a reference surface. The low coherence interferometer ha... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7289226 | Characterization and compensation of errors in multi-axis interferometry systems In general, in one aspect, the invention features a method that includes monitoring a position of a stage along a first measurement axis and a second measurement axis of a multi-axis interferometry system and determining a position of the stage with respect to anoth... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7286308 | Laser diode bar beam reformatting prism array Asymmetry of output beams from a laser diode bar is significantly reduced by internally reflecting the beams from an array of roof prisms positioned and oriented to rotate the cross-sectional shape of each beam by 90°. An elongated retro prism is positioned to rece... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7283249 | Lithographic apparatus and a method of calibrating such an apparatus A lithographic apparatus includes an object support configured to support an object. The apparatus further includes X, Y and Z interferometer measurement systems, and an object support positioning system configured to position the object support in a number of degre... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7276718 | System and method for determining a position or/and orientation of two objects relative to each other as well as beam guiding arrangement, interferometer arrangement and device for changing an optical path length for use in such a system and method A system and a method for determining a position of two objects relative to each other is suggested, comprising: a source 43 of coherent radiation, a beam guidance for providing a measuring branch 49 for a measuring beam, which has an optical path leng... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7277811 | Calibration apparatus and process The invention discloses differing embodiments of calibration apparatus, and methods of use. In one embodiment, the calibration apparatus may be used to calibrate a tool, positioning system, robot, machine, or device. The calibration apparatus may include a first mem... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7277185 | Method of measuring overlay In a method of measuring, in a lithographic manufacturing process using a lithographic projection apparatus, overlay between a resist layer, in which a mask pattern is to be imaged, and a substrate, use is made of an alignment-measuring device forming part of the ap... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7274464 | Position measuring device A position measuring device for detecting the spatial position of a movable element in relation to a base body, the device including a linear measuring device that measures a distance between a movable element and a base body and an angle-measuring apparatus that me... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7245799 | Optical fiber connectors and systems including optical fiber connectors The invention features an apparatus including a first portion defining an optical axis and configured to connect to an optical fiber, a second portion having a reference surface configured to connect with a terminal, and a third portion between the first and second ... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7245384 | Sample inclination measuring method A sample inclination measuring method rotates, by a predetermined angle with respect to an interferometer apparatus, a columnar member having a leading end face in a planar form while the columnar member is held by a clamping apparatus, detects a relative angle betw... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7228747 | Device for detecting rail movement A device for holding a transmitter and a receiver for detecting a deformation state of a component. The device includes a first holding part and a first receptacle, the transmitter being disposed on the first holding part via the first receptacle, wherein the first ... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7230704 | Diffracting, aperiodic targets for overlay metrology and method to detect gross overlay A method for measuring overlay in semiconductor wafers includes a calibration phase in which a series of calibration samples are analyzed. Each calibration sample has an overlay that is known to be less than a predetermined limit. A difference spectrum for a pair of... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7224469 | Optical system alignment system and method with high accuracy and simple operation A system for aligning of optical components includes an interferometer and a first diffractive alignment element. A housing is used for positioning a first optical element being aligned. A detector is used for detecting fringes produced by reflections off surfaces o... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7221460 | Optical system in exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method Disclosed is an optical system having a plurality of optical elements, for use in an optical instrument or a projection exposure apparatus, arranged to maintain a best optical performance by controlling a relative position of the plurality of optical elements. The o... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7209217 | Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method utilizing plural patterning devices A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system, a patterning system, a projection system, and a combining system. The illumination system supplies a beam of radiation. The patterning system patterns the beam. The patterning system includes at least two arr... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7202491 | Method for sensing wafers located inside a closed wafer cassette Wafers in a cassette are mapped without having to open the cassette. The cassette is at least partially transparent to a particular type of radiation. A source of the radiation is directed into the cassette, through a transparent or translucent part of the cassette,... | 04/10/2007 |
