IP Library Granted Patent US 8,253,947
Granted Patent B2
US 8,253,947 · App. 12/518,968 · Granted Aug 28, 2012

Device and method for measuring lithography masks

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,253,947
App. No.
12/518,968
Granted
Aug 28, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device for measuring lithography masks is provided, comprising a reticle carrier for the lithography mask to be measured, a measurement objective for reproducing on a detector a section of said lithography mask held by said reticle carrier, a measurement module for measuring the position of said reticle carrier relative to said measurement objective, and a correction module by means of which said reticle carrier can be moved in order to bring it into a predetermined position relative to said measurement objective, wherein said measurement objective and said measurement module are fastened directly to an instrument carrier in a locally fixed manner.

Claims (22)

1. A device for measuring lithography masks, comprising

a reticle carrier for the lithography mask to be measured,

a measurement objective for reproducing on a detector a section of said lithography mask held by said reticle carrier,

a measurement module for measuring the position of said reticle carrier relative to said measurement objective,

and a correction module by means of which said reticle carrier can be moved in order to bring it into a predetermined position relative to said measurement objective,

wherein said measurement objective and said measurement module are fastened directly to an instrument carrier in a locally fixed manner.

2. The device as in claim 1 , wherein said correction module is not locally fixed directly to said instrument carrier.

3. The device as in claim 1 , wherein the first eigenmode of mechanical vibration of said instrument carrier occurs at more than 100 Hz.

4. The device as in claim 1 , wherein said instrument carrier is implemented in one piece.

5. The device as in claim 1 , wherein said instrument carrier is formed from a single material.

6. The device as in claim 1 , wherein said instrument carrier is formed from a glass ceramic material.

7. The device as in claim 1 , wherein said instrument carrier is formed from an athermal material.

8. The device as in claim 1 , wherein said measurement module measures the position of said reticle carrier relative to said instrument carrier in all six mutually independent degrees of freedom.

9. The device as in claim 1 , wherein said measurement module measures the position of said reticle carrier interferometrically.

10. The device as in claim 1 , wherein said correction module is able to adjust the position of said reticle carrier in all six mutually independent degrees of freedom.

11. The device as in claim 1 , wherein said instrument carrier is mounted in a statically determinate manner.

12. The device as in claim 1 , wherein said reticle carrier comprises an alternate frame that serves to receive said lithography mask and is mounted in said reticle carrier in a statically determinate manner.

13. The device as in claim 12 , wherein said alternate frame can be inserted in different angular positions about an axis and can be displaced by a few mm in at least one direction in a plane perpendicular to said axis.

14. The device as in claim 13 , wherein the displacement of said alternate frame with said lithography mask causes no shift in the center of gravity of said reticle carrier.

15. The device as in claim 1 , wherein a measurement volume in which said reticle carrier is disposed is filled with super-clean gas or super-clean air in order to perform the measurements.

16. The device as in claim 1 , wherein a measurement volume in which said reticle carrier is disposed is evacuated in order to perform the measurements.

17. A method for measuring lithography masks, wherein a reticle carrier with a lithography mask to be measured is brought into a predetermined position relative to a measurement objective, the position of said reticle carrier relative to said measurement objective is measured by means of a measurement module, and in this position a section of said reticle carrier is reproduced on a detector by means of said measurement objective, said measurement objective and said measurement module being fastened directly to an instrument carrier in a locally fixed manner.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Sep 19, 2016
From: CARL ZEISS SMS GMBH
To: CARL ZEISS SMT GMBH
Reel/Frame 040069/0705 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 7, 2009
From: HOF, ALBRECHT; MAUL, GUNTER; NEUGEBAUER, DIETMAR; BICH, ARMIN; FREY, MONIKA; SCHERM, WOLFGANG; OTTO, STEFAN; MAUL, RAINER; KRAUSE, HELMUT
To: CARL ZEISS SMS GMBH
Reel/Frame 023614/0218 →