ASML Netherlands B.V.
`Application No. To Be Assigned
`
`Amendments to the Claims
`
`This listing of claims will replace all prior versions, andlistings, of claims in the application.
`
`1.-23.
`
`(Canceled)
`
`24.
`
`(New) A measurement system, comprising:
`
`a sensor apparatus;
`
`an illumination system arrangedto illuminate the sensor apparatus with radiation, the
`
`sensor apparatus comprising a patterned region arrangedto receive a radiation beam and to form a
`
`plurality of diffraction beams, the diffraction beams being separated in a shearing direction;
`
`the sensor apparatus comprising a radiation detector;
`
`wherein the patterned region is arranged suchthat at least some of the diffraction
`
`beamsform interference patterns on the radiation detector;
`
`wherein the sensor apparatus comprisesa plurality of patterned regions, and
`
`wherein pitches of the patterned regionsare different in adjacent patterned regions.
`
`25.
`
`(New) The measurement system of claim 24, wherein the measurementsystem is arranged
`
`such that the interference patterns from adjacent patterned regionsat least partially overlap at the
`
`radiation detector.
`
`26.
`
`(New) The measurement system of claim 24, wherein the pitches of alternating patterned
`
`regions are the same.
`
`Atty. Dkt. No. 3857.2990001
`
`

`

`ASML Netherlands B.V.
`Application No. To Be Assigned
`
`27.|(New) The measurement system of claim 24, wherein the pitches of the adjacent patterned
`
`regions are not even numberinteger multiples.
`
`28.|(New) The measurement system of claim 27, wherein the pitches of the adjacent patterned
`
`regions are not integer multiples.
`
`29.
`
`(New) The measurement system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of patterned regions
`
`comprise thirteen patterned regions.
`
`30.
`
`(New) The measurement system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of patterned regions are
`
`positioned at odd and evenfield point locations.
`
`31.
`
`(New) The measurement system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of patterned regions
`
`extend in an x direction and in a second direction orthogonalto the x direction.
`
`32.
`
`(New) The measurement system of claim 24, the measurement system further comprising:
`
`a patterning device;
`
`wherein the illumination system is arranged to illuminate the patterning device with
`
`radiation, the patterning device comprisinga first patterned region arranged to receive the radiation
`
`Atty. Dkt. No. 3857.2990001
`
`

`

`ASML Netherlands B.V.
`Application No. To Be Assigned
`
`beam and to form a plurality of first diffraction beams,the first diffraction beams being separated in
`
`the shearing direction;
`
`wherein the patterned region of the sensor apparatus comprises a second patterned
`
`region;
`
`the projection system being configured to project the first diffraction beams onto the
`
`sensor apparatus, the second patterned region being arrangedto receivethefirst diffraction beams
`
`from the projection system and to form a plurality of second diffraction beams from eachofthe first
`
`diffraction beams suchthat the first and second patterned regions formaset;
`
`wherein the first and second patterned regions in the set are matched by matchingthe pitches
`
`of the first and second patterned regions in the shearing direction such that at least some of the
`
`second diffraction beams formed from at least one ofthe first diffraction beamsare spatially
`
`coherent with a second diffraction beam formed from at least one otherfirst diffraction beam to
`
`form interference patterns on the radiation detector;
`
`wherein the patterning device comprises a plurality of first patterned regions and the
`
`sensor apparatus comprisesa plurality of second patterned regions such that there is a plurality of
`
`sets, each set comprising one ofthe plurality of first patterned regions and oneofthe plurality of
`
`second patterned regions, and
`
`wherein the pitches ofthe first patterned regions are different in adjacent sets and/or the
`
`pitches of the second patterned regionsare different in adjacent sets.
`
`Atty. Dkt. No. 3857.2990001
`
`

`

`33.|(New) The measurement system of claim 32, wherein the pitches ofthe first patterned
`
`regions and the second patterned regionsin at least one ofthe plurality of sets are the same.
`
`ASML Netherlands B.V.
`Application No. To Be Assigned
`
`34.
`
`(New) The measurement system of claim 32, further comprising a positioning apparatus
`
`configured to moveat least one of the patterning device and the sensor apparatus in the shearing
`
`direction; and
`
`a controller configuredto:
`
`control the positioning apparatus so as to moveat least one of the first patterning device and
`
`the sensor apparatus in the shearing direction such that an intensity of radiation received by each
`
`part of the radiation detector varies as a function of the movementin the shearing direction so as to
`
`form oscillating signals correspondingto the different pitches of the first patterned regions in
`
`adjacent sets and/or the different pitches of the second patterned regions in adjacentsets;
`
`determine from the radiation detector phases of harmonicsofthe oscillating signals at a
`
`plurality of positions on the radiation detector; and
`
`determine a set of coefficients that characterize an aberration map of the projection system
`
`from the phase of the harmonicsofthe oscillating signals at the plurality of positions on the
`
`radiation detector.
`
`35.
`
`(New) The measurement system of claim 34, wherein the set of coefficients that characterize
`
`the aberration map ofthe projection system are determined by equating the phases of the harmonics
`
`Atty. Dkt. No. 3857.2990001
`
`

`

`ASML Netherlands B.V.
`Application No. To Be Assigned
`
`of the oscillating signals to a difference in the aberration map betweenpositions in the pupil plane
`
`that are separated in the shearing direction by twice a shearing distance which corresponds to the
`
`distance in the pupil plane between two adjacentfirst diffraction beams and solvingto find the set
`
`of coefficients.
`
`36.
`
`(New) The measurement system of claim 35, wherein the set of coefficients that characterize
`
`the aberration map ofthe projection system are determined by simultaneously solving constraints
`
`for the shearing direction and for a second, orthogonal direction.
`
`37.
`
`(New) The measurement system of claim 35, wherein the plurality of first patterned regions
`
`and the plurality of second patterned regionsare gratings.
`
`38.
`
`(New)A lithographic apparatus comprising the measurementsystem of claim 32.
`
`39.
`
`(New) A method for measurement, the method comprising:
`
`illuminating a sensor apparatus with radiation, wherein the sensor apparatus
`
`comprises a patterned region arranged to receive at least a portion of the radiation and to form a
`
`plurality of diffraction beams, the diffraction beams being separated in a shearing direction;
`
`wherein the sensor apparatus comprises a radiation detector arranged to receive at
`
`least a portion of the diffraction beams,
`
`Atty. Dkt. No. 3857.2990001
`
`

`

`ASML Netherlands B.V.
`Application No. To Be Assigned
`
`wherein the patterned region is arranged suchthat at least some ofthe diffraction
`
`beamsform interference patterns on the radiation detector;
`
`wherein the sensor apparatus comprisesa plurality of patterned regions, and
`
`wherein pitches of the patterned regionsare different in adjacent patterned regions.
`
`40.
`
`(New) The methodof claim 39, the method further comprising:
`
`illuminating a patterning device with radiation, wherein the patterning device
`
`comprisesa first patterned region arranged to receive at least a portion of the radiation and to form a
`
`plurality of first diffraction beams,the first diffraction beams being separated in the shearing
`
`direction;
`
`projecting, with the projection system,at least part of the plurality offirst diffraction
`
`beams onto the sensor apparatus comprising:
`
`the patterned region comprising a second patterned region arranged to receive thefirst
`
`diffraction beams from the projection system and to form a plurality of second diffraction beams
`
`from eachofthe first diffraction beams; and
`
`a radiation detector arranged to receive at least a portion of the second diffraction beams,
`
`wherein the first and second patterned regions in the set are matched by matching the
`
`pitches of the first and second patterned regions in the shearing direction such that at least some of
`
`the second diffraction beams formed from at least one ofthe first diffraction beamsare spatially
`
`Atty. Dkt. No. 3857.2990001
`
`

`

`ASML Netherlands B.V.
`Application No. To Be Assigned
`
`coherent with a second diffraction beam formed from at least one otherfirst diffraction beam to
`
`form interference patterns on the radiation detector;
`
`wherein the patterning device comprises a plurality of first patterned regions and the
`
`sensor apparatus comprisesa plurality of second patterned regions such that there is a plurality of
`
`sets, each set comprising one ofthe plurality of first patterned regions and oneofthe plurality of
`
`second patterned regions, and
`
`wherein the pitches ofthe first patterned regions are different in adjacent sets and/or the
`
`pitches of the second patterned regionsare different in adjacent sets.
`
`Al.
`
`(New) The method of claim 40, further comprising movingat least one of the patterning
`
`device and the sensor apparatus in the shearing direction such that an intensity of radiation received
`
`by each part of the radiation detector varies as a function of the movementin the shearing direction
`
`so as to form a plurality of oscillating signals corresponding to the different pitches ofthe first
`
`patterned regions in adjacent sets and/or the different pitches of the second patterned regionsin
`
`adjacentsets;
`
`determining from the radiation detector phases of harmonicsofthe oscillating signals
`
`at a plurality of positions on the radiation detector; and
`
`determining a set of coefficients that characterize an aberration map ofthe projection system
`
`from the phase of the harmonicsofthe oscillating signals at the plurality of positions on the
`
`radiation detector.
`
`Atty. Dkt. No. 3857.2990001
`
`

`

`ASML Netherlands B.V.
`Application No. To Be Assigned
`
`42.
`
`(New) The method of claim 41, further comprising determiningthe set of coefficients that
`
`characterize the aberration map ofthe projection system by equating the phases of the harmonics of
`
`the oscillating signals to a difference in the aberration map between positions in the pupil plane that
`
`are separated in the shearing direction by twice a shearing distance which corresponds to the
`
`distance in the pupil plane between twoadjacentfirst diffraction beamsand solvingto find the set
`
`of coefficients.
`
`43.
`
`(New) The method ofclaim 40, further comprising determining the set of coefficients that
`
`characterize the aberration map ofthe projection system by simultaneously solving constraints for
`
`the shearing direction and for a second, orthogonal direction.
`
`Atty. Dkt. No. 3857.2990001
`
`

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