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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7643150 | Optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method An optical apparatus includes a first element, a second element, a support which supports the first element, a first measuring device which measures the position of the first element relative to the support, a second measuring device which measures the position of t... | 01/05/2010 |
| 7433018 | Pattern alignment method and lithographic apparatus A method for aligning a substrate in a lithographic apparatus, the method including irradiating a first target portion of the substrate with a first patterned beam to form a first pattern on the substrate. Then, a second target portion of the substrate is irradiated... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7372630 | Laser, irradiation apparatus, laser irradiation method, and method for manufacturing semiconductor device Providing a method and apparatus for efficiently irradiating a uniform laser light on an irradiation surface even when a laser light of high coherence or a large size substrate is used. The laser irradiation apparatus of the invention comprises a laser; means for di... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7359577 | Differential method for layer-to-layer registration A system for precisely measuring layer-to-layer mis-registration is provided. The system includes a new type of mark and a comparison system, which compare the right and left signals from the mark to eliminate non-alignment noise, to enlarge the alignment informatio... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7333175 | Method and system for aligning a first and second marker According to one embodiment, a method for aligning a first alignment marker with respect to a second alignment marker, a lens being positioned in between the markers, includes providing an alignment beam and imaging the first alignment marker on the second alignment... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7289212 | Lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method and device manufacturing thereby The X, Y and Rx positions of a mask stage are measured using two optical encoder-reading heads measuring displacements of respective grid gratings mounted on the mask stage. The grid gratings are preferably provided on cut-away portions of the mask table so as to be... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7289276 | Illumination optical system, exposure device using the illumination optical system, and exposure method In an illumination optical system constituted to uniformize the intensity distribution of illumination light by use of an optical integrator, the overall length thereof is shortened. The illumination optical system includes: a light source including a laser irradiat... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7262852 | Wafer-level testing of optical and optoelectronic chips This application describes, among others, wafer designs, testing systems and techniques for wafer-level optical testing by coupling probe light from top of the wafer. ... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7260500 | Method and apparatus for monitoring and verifying equipment status An equipment status monitoring system having at least one multi-modal resonator included as a part of a semiconductor processing system and a power source coupled to the at least one multi-modal resonator. The power source is configured to produce a microwave excita... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7253428 | Apparatus and method for feature edge detection in semiconductor processing A system for identifying a mark or other recess formed in a substrate and at least partially covered by at least one layer of opaque or visibly opaque material. The system includes a radiation source configured and positioned to direct incident electromagnetic radia... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7248351 | Optimizing light path uniformity in inspection systems An inspection system includes an illumination source configured to illuminate a blazed phase grating sample, image collection pathways and an imaging system configured to capture an image of a sample point of the blazed phase grating sample, and a controller configu... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7218435 | Reconfigurable spatial light modulators This invention relates to reconfigurable spatial light modulators (SLM) incorporating a scatter plate. Computer generated diffraction patterns or holograms may be loaded on the (SLM) either as a single frame or as a series of frames for observation by an observer. I... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7136163 | Differential evaluation of adjacent regions for change in reflectivity A semiconductor wafer having two regions of different dopant concentration profiles is evaluated by performing two (or more) measurements in the two regions, and comparing measurements from the two regions to obtain a reflectivity change measure indicative of a diff... | 11/14/2006 |
| 7109458 | Confocal wafer depth scanning inspection method A semiconductor wafer inspection system and method is provided which uses a multiple element arrangement, such as an offset fly lens array. The preferred embodiment uses a laser to transmit light energy toward a beam expander, which expands the light energy to creat... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7092095 | Method and apparatus for observing and inspecting defects A defect inspecting apparatus can detect finer defects with high resolution optical images of those defects. The apparatus includes a sample mounting device for mounting a sample; lighting and detecting apparatus for illuminating a patterned sample mounted on a moun... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7070405 | Alignment systems for imprint lithography Described are systems for patterning a substrate by imprint lithography. Imprint lithography systems include an imprint head configured to hold a template in a spaced relation to a substrate. The imprint lithography system is configured to dispense an activating lig... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7068371 | Methods and apparatus for aligning a wafer in which multiple light beams are used to scan alignment marks A wafer, having alignment marks formed thereon, is aligned by radiating a first light beam onto the alignment marks so as to generate a first diffracted light beam. The first diffracted light beam is sensed at a first position. A second light beam is radiated onto t... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7069182 | Database interpolation method for optical measurement of diffractive microstructures A database interpolation method is used to rapidly calculate a predicted optical response characteristic of a diffractive microstructure as part of a real-time optical measurement process. The interpolated optical response is a continuous and (in a preferred embodim... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7061615 | Spectroscopically measured overlay target An overlay target for spectroscopic measurement includes at least two diffraction gratings, one grating overlying the other. The diffraction gratings may include an asymmetry relative to each other in order to improve resolution of the presence as well as the direct... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7062010 | Method for adjusting gap between two objects and exposure method using the same, gap adjusting apparatus, and exposure apparatus There is provided a method of making a gap between first and second objects have a predetermined value. The method includes steps of introducing light to an entry window on the first object, detecting an intensity of light from an exit window on the first object, th... | 06/13/2006 |
| 7046361 | Positioning two elements using an alignment target with a designed offset An alignment system for aligning two elements includes an alignment target with periodic patterns on each element. The alignment target includes two locations, at least one of which has a designed in offset. If desired, both locations may have designed in offsets of... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7016051 | Reticle focus measurement system using multiple interferometric beams A first set of interferometric measuring beams is used to determine a location of a patterned surface of a reticle and a reticle focus plane for a reticle that is back clamped to a reticle stage. A second set of interferometric measuring beams is used to determine a... | 03/21/2006 |
| 7006693 | Object recognition method The object of the present invention is to quickly and easily recognize the position, quantity, and kind of the object, which takes unspecified forms according to the angle in which the object is positioned. Points are arranged at regular intervals on an image. For e... | 02/28/2006 |
| 6992764 | Measuring an alignment target with a single polarization state An alignment target includes periodic patterns on two elements. The periodic patterns are aligned when the two elements are properly aligned. By measuring the two periodic patterns with an incident beam having a single polarization state and detecting the intensity ... | 01/31/2006 |
| 6962825 | Exposure apparatus Disclosed is an exposure apparatus for printing, by exposure, a pattern of an original on a substrate, which includes a housing tightly filled with a predetermined ambience and for accommodating therein at least a portion of an exposure light optical axis, and a det... | 11/08/2005 |
| 6961130 | Heterodyne beam delivery with active control of two orthogonal polarizations A polarization control system includes a beam source that generates a first beam component containing light with a first polarization and a first frequency and a second beam component containing light with a second polarization and a second frequency. A polarization... | 11/01/2005 |
| 6954275 | Methods for high-precision gap and orientation sensing between a transparent template and substrate for imprint lithography Described are high precision gap and orientation measurement methods between a template and a substrate used in imprint lithography processes. Gap and orientation measurement methods presented here include uses of broad-band light based measuring techniques. ... | 10/11/2005 |
| 6949732 | Optical apparatuses using the near-field light Optical apparatuses are provided that use near-field light, where high spatial resolution and high sensitivity are made compatible. Highly intense near-field light is generated in a narrow area using localized plasmons that are produced in a metal pattern 106 | 09/27/2005 |
| 6914664 | Lithographic apparatus, alignment method and device manufacturing method To align between layers having a large Z separation, an alignment system which illuminates reference markers with normally incident radiation is used. The alignment system has an illumination system that is telecentric on the substrate side. ... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6882430 | Spatial filtering in interferometry Spatial filtering of beams in interferometry systems is used to reduce a displacement of the beams from an optical path corresponding to the path of the beams in an optimally-aligned system. By reducing beam displacement from the optical path, the system reduces the... | 04/19/2005 |
| 6714691 | Exposure method and apparatus, and device manufacturing method using the same An exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern of a first object onto a second object. The apparatus includes a holding member for holding the first object. The first object is positioned on the holding member and then is held thereon, and the first object as held... | 03/30/2004 |
| 6628390 | Wafer alignment sensor using a phase-shifted microlens array A wafer alignment sensor uses a microlens array for sensing the position of an alignment pattern on a semiconductor wafer. Phase interactions between adjacent microlenses are suppressed--or alternatively, enhanced--by inducing a π/2 optical phase shift o... | 09/30/2003 |
| 6535272 | Position transducer and exposure apparatus with same The exposure apparatus is provided in its main body portion with laser diodes each having different wave-lengths, for illuminating light for alignment onto a mark of a grating form arranged on each of a reticle and a wafer. The main body portion of the ex... | 03/18/2003 |
| 6496267 | Scanning microscope A scanning microscope allowing fluorescence observation and morphological observation to be simultaneously performed on the same region of interest and permitting both a fluorescence observation image and a morphological observation image to be obtained w... | 12/17/2002 |
| 6046792 | Differential interferometer system and lithographic step-and-scan apparatus provided with such a system A differential interferometer system for measuring the mutual positions and movements of a first object (WH) and a second object (MH). The system comprises a first interferometer unit (1, 2, 3, 4) having a first measuring reflector (RW) and a second inter... | 04/04/2000 |
| 5859439 | Apparatus for aligning semiconductor wafer using mixed light with different wavelengths An alignment system of a lithography apparatus which is capable of obtaining an alignment mark without being influenced the height of the alignment mark and the thickness of the photoresist, includes a plurality of light sources emitting a light having ea... | 01/12/1999 |
| 5796483 | Method and apparatus for position sensing Using an LIA alignment sensor, consecutive sensings of a reference-mark position are taken. I(ω), the power spectrum of the fluctuations of these sensings in a time period is computed. I'(ω), the power spectrum of the averaged fluctuations for an averag... | 08/18/1998 |
| 5682239 | Apparatus for detecting positional deviation of diffraction gratings on a substrate by utilizing optical heterodyne interference of light beams incident on the gratings from first and second light emitters Apparatus for detecting a positional deviation of two diffraction gratings of each of first and second pairs of diffraction gratings formed on a substrate, by utilizing an optical heterodyne interference method. The apparatus includes a first light emitte... | 10/28/1997 |
| 5610718 | Apparatus and method for detecting a relative displacement between first and second diffraction gratings arranged close to each other wherein said gratings have different pitch sizes A method and device for measuring the relative displacement between first and second diffraction gratings includes an interference optical system forming first and second interference rays of light from light diffracted from the first and second diffracti... | 03/11/1997 |
| 5602644 | Alignment apparatus utilizing a plurality of wavelengths Two-colored illumination light emitted from first and second laser beam sources illuminates a reticle mark and a wafer mark. Diffraction light from the reticle mark and the wafer mark is received by two photoelectric detection elements, respectively. The ... | 02/11/1997 |
