PATENT CLAIM ANALYSIS

Application Number: 16246004
Application Type: Utility
Filing Date: 2019-01
Publication Date: 2019-07
Patent Classification: ["356", "401000"]

Abstract:
Disclosed is a method of measuring a target, and a metrology apparatus. In one arrangement the target comprises a layered structure. The layered structure has a first target structure in a first layer and a second target structure in a second layer. The method comprises illuminating the target with measurement radiation using an illumination profile in the illumination pupil (u) that is offset from an imaginary line (IL) in the illumination pupil passing through the optical axis, to allow propagation to a detection region of the detection pupil of an allowed order (v 2 , v 4 ) of a predetermined diffraction order while limiting propagation to the detection region of an equal and opposite order (v 1 ′, v 3 ′) of that predetermined diffraction order. Scattered radiation of plural double-diffracted allowed diffraction orders (w 2 , w 4 ) is detected. A characteristic of the lithographic process is calculated using the detected scattered radiation of the predetermined diffraction orders.

Claim (Index 30):
A metrology apparatus comprising:\n an illumination system configured to illuminate with measurement radiation a target produced using a lithographic process on a substrate; and a detection system configured to detect scattered radiation arising from illumination of the target, wherein: the metrology apparatus is operable to measure a target formed by a lithographic process, the target comprising a layered structure having a first target structure in a first layer and a second target structure in a second layer by:\n positioning the target in an optical axis of an optical system having an illumination pupil and a detection pupil in corresponding pupil planes of the optical system, \n illuminating the target with measurement radiation using an illumination profile in the illumination pupil that is offset from an imaginary line in the illumination pupil passing through the optical axis, the imaginary line corresponding to a direction of periodicity of a target structure, wherein the illumination profile is configured to allow propagation to a detection region of the detection pupil of an allowed order of a predetermined diffraction order while limiting propagation to the detection region of an equal and opposite order of that predetermined diffraction order; \n detecting scattered radiation of plural allowed diffraction orders, wherein the allowed diffraction orders are generated by diffraction of the measurement radiation from the first target structure and are subsequently diffracted from the second target structure; and \n calculating a characteristic of the lithographic process using the detected scattered radiation of the allowed diffraction orders.

Metadata:
- Claim Count in Document: 20.0
- Percentile: 99.0
- Lexical Diversity: 2.28205
- Patent Class: 356.0
- Transitional Phrase Type: open
- Component Type: 1
- Foreign Priority: True
- Related Applications: ['15654813', '15477602', '13533082', '15240781', '15683010']

Analysis Scores:
- 35 USC 101 Eligibility (BERT): 0.7471460867926705
- 35 USC 102 Novelty (BERT): 0.5511075739162296
- Combined Prediction Score: 0.7275422355050264
- Mean Citation Score: 351.68178
- Max Citation Score: 420.31308
- Similarity Product: 387.0978762916232

Labels:
- Claim Label 101: 1
- Claim Label 102: 0
- Claim Label 103: 1
- Claim Label 112: 1
- Combined Label: 0
- Label 101 Adjusted: 1

Dataset: test