Patent · US Active

Apparatus and method for examining a surface of a mask

US9910065B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by

2References

39Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH · DE

Inventors

Michael Budach · Hanau, DE
Thorsten Hofmann · Rodgau, DE
Klaus Edinger · Lorsch, DE
Pawel Szych · Munich, DE
Gabriel Baralia · Darmstadt, DE

Key dates

Filing date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018
Priority date	—
Expiry date	May 19, 2036

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG03F1/84
WIPO fieldMeasurement
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for examining a surface of a test object, such as e.g. a lithography mask. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, an apparatus for examining a surface of a mask comprises a probe which interacts with the surface of the mask, and a measuring apparatus for establishing a reference distance of the mask from a reference point, wherein the measuring apparatus measures the reference distance of the mask in a measurement region of the mask which is not arranged on the surface of the mask.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.