Method for measuring the lateral aberrations of a lithographic projection system with mirror-symmetric FOCAL marks

A novel method for measuring the imaging quality of a projection system with mirror-symmetric FOCAL marks is proposed, and the principle of the method is described. Through experiments, it is demonstrated that not only the axial aberrations but also the lateral aberrations can be measured with high accuracy by the method. The advantages of the method include obtaining more aberrations than the FOCAL technique and making it much simpler to perform a full-scale measurement of the imaging quality of a lithographic projection system. (C) 2006 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Method for measuring the lateral aberrations of a lithographic projection system with mirror-symmetric FOCAL marks

A novel method for measuring the imaging quality of a projection system with mirror-symmetric FOCAL marks is proposed, and the principle of the method is described. Through experiments, it is demonstrated that not only the axial aberrations but also the lateral aberrations can be measured with high accuracy by the method. The advantages of the method include obtaining more aberrations than the FOCAL technique and making it much simpler to perform a full-scale measurement of the imaging quality of a lithographic projection system. (C) 2006 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

A novel method for measuring the coma of a lithographic projection system by use of mirror-symmetry marks

A novel method for measuring the coma of a lithographic projection system is proposed and the principle of the method is described. By utilizing mirror-symmetry marks, the adverse effects of axial aberrations on the coma measurement are avoided. Experimental results demonstrated that the method has high accuracy. Compared with TAMIS, the conventional technique used for coma measurement, the method is more reliable because the influences of the process factors on the lateral displacements have been considered. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Even aberration measurement of lithographic projection system based on optimized phase-shifting marks

In the present paper, we propose a novel method for measuring the even aberrations of lithographic projection optics by use of optimized phase-shifting marks on the test mask. The line/space ratio of the phase-shifting marks is optimized to obtain the maximum sensitivities of Zernike coefficients corresponding to even aberrations. Spherical aberration and astigmatism can be calculated from the focus shifts of phase-shifting gratings oriented at 0 degrees, 45 degrees, 90 degrees and 135 degrees at multiple illumination settings. The PROLITH simulation results show that, the measurement accuracy of spherical aberration and astigmatism obviously increase, after the optimization of the measurement mark. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Epigenetic marks in cloned rhesus monkey embryos: Comparison with counterparts produced in vitro

Until now, no primate animals have been successfully cloned to birth with somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) procedures, and little is known about the molecular events that occurred in the reconstructed embryos during preimplantation development. In man

Silicon bench for passive coupling and packaging of high-frequency optoelectronic devices

Coupling and packaging have become decisive factors in the final performance and cost of high-frequency optoelectronic devices. Here, we report the design and successful fabrication of a silicon bench that integrates a V-groove and high-frequency coplanar waveguide (CPW) on the same high-resistivity silicon wafer as an effective optoelectronic packaging solution.

Methane aromatization in the absence of an added oxidant and the bench scale reaction test

A bench scale reaction test for methane aromatization in the absence of an added oxidant was performed and its reaction result evaluated based on the carbon balance of the system. The result was compared with those obtained from the micro-reaction test to ensure the accuracy of the internal standard analyzing method employed in this paper. The catalytic performances of modified Mo/HZSM-5 catalysts were examined. It was found that pre-treatment by steam on HZSM-5 weakened the serious deposition of coke, and pre-impregnation of n-ethyl silicate on HZSM-5 could improve the conversion of CH4, but had little effect on coke formation. A low temperature activation procedure including pre-reduction of the catalyst with methane prevents the zeolite lattice from being seriously destroyed by high valence state Mo species when the Mo loading is high. It was suggested that Mo2C species detected by XRD spectra was the active phase for CH4 aromatization.

Dynamic properties and asymmetry of tension and compression of metal matrix composites under impact loading

The mechanical behaviors of 2124, Al-5Cu, Al-Li and 6061 alloys reinforced by silicon carbide particulates, together with 15%SiCw/6061 alloy, were studied under the quasi-static and impact loading conditions, using the split Hopkinson tension/compression bars and Instron universal testing machine. The effect of strain rate on the ultra tensile strength (UTS), the hardening modulus and the failure strain was investigated. At the same time, the SEM observations of dynamic fracture surfaces of various MMC materials showed some distinguished microstructures and patterns. Some new characteristics of asymmetry of mechanical behaviors of MMCs under tension and compression loading were also presented and explained in details, and they could be considered as marks to indicate, to some degree, the mechanism of controlling damage and failure of MMCs under impact loading. The development of new constitutive laws about MMCs under impact loading should benefit from these experimental results and theoretical analysis.

Interfacial microstructure and mechanical behaviour in laser clad TiCp/Ni alloy coatings

Coatings of TiCp reinforced composite have been produced by laser cladding. Two kinds of coating with different TiCp origins were investigated, i.e. undissolved TiCp and in situ TiCp. For undissolved TiCp, epitaxial growth of TiC, precipitation of CrB, and a chemical reaction occur at phase interfaces, and nanoindentation loading curves show pop in marks caused by the plastic deformation associated with crack formation or debonding of TiCp from the matrix. As for in situ TiCp, no pop in mark appears. Meanwhile, in situ TiCp produces hardness and elastic modulus values that are higher than those produced by the coating that contains undissolved TiCp.

基于镜像焦面检测对准标记的套刻性能原位测量技术

套刻性能是现代高精度步进扫描投影光刻机的重要性能指标之一。提出了一种基于镜像焦面检测对准标记（简称“镜像焦面检测对准标记”）的光刻机套刻性能原位测量技术。该技术通过对曝光在硅片上的镜像焦面检测对准标记图形进行光学对准，利用标记图形对准位置与理想位置偏差实现套刻性能的原位检测。实验结果表明该技术在进行套刻误差的精确测量的同时还可以全面、定量地计算影响光刻机单机套刻误差的场内参量及场间参量。与目前套刻性能原位测量技术相比，该技术有效地避免了测量精度对轴向像质限制的依赖，简化了光刻机整机性能检测的过程。

基于套刻误差测试标记的彗差检测技术

为了满足光刻机投影物镜彗差测量精度的要求，提出一种基于套刻误差测试标记的彗差检测技术，分析了彗差对套刻误差测试标记空间像的影响，详细叙述了该技术的测量原理，并利用PROLITH光刻仿真软件对不同数值孔径与部分相干因子设置下套刻误差相对于彗差的灵敏度系数进行了仿真实验。结果表明，与目前国际上通常使用的投影物镜彗差检测技术相比，该技术在传统照明条件下灵敏度系数Kz7与Kz14的变化范围分别增加了27．5％和34．3％，而在环形照明条件下则分别增加了20．4％和22．1％，因此彗差的测量精度可提高20％以上。

一种新的光刻机像质参数热漂移检测技术

提出了一种新的光刻机像质参数热漂移原位检测技术（TDFM）。详细分析了该技术利用镜像测试标记检测投影物镜最佳焦面热漂移与放大倍率热漂移的基本原理。实验结果表明TDFM技术可同时实现最佳焦面热漂移（FFT）与放大倍率热漂移（MFT）的精确测量。与现有的放大倍率热漂移检测技术相比，该技术有效地解决了放大倍率热漂移技术中放大倍率热漂移受最佳焦面热漂移影响的问题，简化了光刻机像质参数前馈校正的测试过程，测试成本与耗时均减少50％。