Systems for simulating high NA and polarization effects in aerial images
US7133119B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 15, 2003 |
| Grant date | Nov 7, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 22, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03F7/70666
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Reticle inspection systems are provided. One embodiment includes an optical subsystem configured to produce an aerial image of a reticle by simulating dose as a function of position that would be projected into a resist by an exposure system such that the aerial image is substantially equivalent to an image of the reticle that would be projected into the resist by the exposure system. Another embodiment includes an optical subsystem configured to alter one or more properties of light such as polarization transmitted by a reticle and to project the light onto a detector. An additional embodiment includes an optical subsystem configured to form an intermediate aerial image of a reticle at a numerical aperture approximately equal to a numerical aperture at which an exposure system projects an image of the reticle into a resist and to project the intermediate aerial image onto a detector.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.