EUV Mask Inspection
AssigneeASML Holding N.V.
InventorsHarry SEWELL, Stoyan Nihtianov, Luigi Scaccabarozzi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for inspecting an extreme ultra violet (EUV) mask. The system includes an array of sensors and an optical system. The array of sensors is configured to produce analog data corresponding to received optical energy. The optical system is configured to direct EUV light from an inspection area of an EUV patterning device onto the array of sensors, whereby the analog data is used to determine defects or to compensate for irregularities found on the EUV mask.
Claims20
A system, comprising:
- an array of sensors configured to produce analog data corresponding to received optical energy;
- and
- an optical system configured to direct extreme ultra-violet (EUV) light from an inspection area of an EUV patterning device onto the array of sensors;
- whereby the analog data is used to determine defects or to compensate for irregularities found on the EUV mask.
An extreme ultra-violet (EUV) mask inspection system, comprising:
- a plurality of photosensitive elements arranged in a one-dimensional array having a longitudinal axis, and formed on a substrate,
- wherein each photosensitive element generates an electrical charge in response to illumination by a beam of EUV radiation that has been patterned by a scanning EUV mask, and
- wherein each photosensitive element is electrically coupled to an adjacent photosensitive element such that accumulated electrical charge in each photosensitive element is switchably transferable to the adjacent photosensitive element in synchronicity with the scanning EUV mask;
- and
- an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to one of the photosensitive elements disposed at an edge of the one-dimensional array.
An extreme ultra-violet (EUV) mask inspection method, comprising:
- projecting a beam of EUV radiation onto a scanning EUV mask resulting in a patterned beam of EUV radiation;
- projecting the patterned beam of radiation onto a EUV detector array, the EUV detector array comprising:
- a plurality of photosensitive elements arranged in a one-dimensional array having a longitudinal axis, and formed on a substrate,
- wherein each photosensitive element generates an electrical charge in response to illumination by the patterned beam of EUV radiation, and
- wherein each photosensitive element is electrically coupled to an adjacent photosensitive element such that accumulated electrical charge in each photosensitive element is switchably transferable to the adjacent photosensitive element in synchronicity with the scanning EUV mask;
- and
- an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to one of the photosensitive elements disposed at an edge of the one-dimensional array;
- and
- outputting an output signal from the ADC.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.