Illumination optical assembly, exposure device, and device manufacturing method

• US 10,564,550 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2019
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Miyake, Norio, Kato, Kinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Persaud, Deoram
• Application Number:
  US16/244,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20190163068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0816 by means of one or more reflecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0927 Systems for changing the beam intensity distribution, e.g. Gaussian to top-hat
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/286 for controlling or changing the state of polarisation, e.g. transforming one polarisation state into another G02B5/3083 takes precedence; light guide coupling means utilising polarising elements G02B6/34
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3083 Birefringent or phase retarding elements G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence; systems for polarisation control G02B27/286; manufacturing phase modulating patterns by lithographic processes G03F7/001
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/20 Exposure; Apparatus therefor photographic printing apparatus for making copies G03B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70075 Homogenization of illumination intensity in the mask plane by using an integrator, e.g. fly's eye lens, facet mirror or glass rod, by using a diffusing optical element or by beam deflection
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70116 Off-axis setting using a programmable means, e.g. liquid crystal display [LCD], digital micromirror device [DMD] or pupil facets
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7015 Details of optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70566 Polarisation control

Abstract

An illumination optical system includes a first spatial light modulator having a plurality of optical elements into which the light from the light source comes, a polarizing member having a first polarizing element into which a first light of a light from the first spatial light modulator comes and a second polarizing element into which a second light of the light from the first spatial light modulator comes, so as to allow the first light traveled via the first polarizing element and the second light traveled via the second polarizing element to have polarizing states different from each other, the first and second lights traveling through positions relative to an optical axis of the illumination optical system different from each other, and a second spatial light modulator having a plurality of optical elements into which the first and second lights from the polarizing member come.

Claims

1. An illumination optical system for illuminating an illumination objective surface with a light from a light source, the illumination optical system comprising:

a first spatial light modulator having a plurality of optical elements into which the light from the light source comes;

a polarizing member having a first polarizing element into which a first light of a light from the first spatial light modulator comes and a second polarizing element into which a second light of the light from the first spatial light modulator comes, so as to allow the first light traveled via the first polarizing element and travelling through a first position to have a first polarization state and allow the second light traveled via the second polarizing element and travelling through a second position different from the first position to have a second polarization state, the first and second positions being positions on a crossing plane crossing an optical axis of the illumination optical system, the first polarization state being a linear polarization having a polarization direction in a first direction within the crossing plane or a second direction, within the crossing plane, orthogonal to the first direction, and the second polarization state being different from a linear polarization having a polarization direction in the first or second direction; and

a second spatial light modulator having a plurality of optical elements into which the first and second lights from the polarizing member come,

wherein a size of an incident surface of the first polarizing element is larger than a size of an incident surface of the second polarizing element.

2. The illumination optical system according to claim 1, further comprising a condenser optical system which is arranged between the first spatial light modulator and the polarizing member, and which is configured to condense the light from the first spatial light modulator.

3. The illumination optical system according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control the first spatial light modulator so as to control a position of the first light on the incident surface of the first polarizing element and a position of the second light on the incident surface of the second polarizing element.

4. The illumination optical system according to claim 3, further comprising a distribution forming optical system configured to condense a light from the second spatial light modulator to form a pupil intensity distribution on an illumination pupil plane.

5. The illumination optical system according to claim 1, wherein the polarizing member includes at least one of an optical rotation element and a wavelength plate.

6. An exposure apparatus comprising the illumination optical system as defined in claim 1 for illuminating a pattern, the exposure apparatus being configured to expose the pattern onto a photo-sensitive substrate.

7. A device manufacture method comprising:

exposing the pattern onto the photo-sensitive substrate by using the exposure apparatus as defined in claim 6;

developing the photo-sensitive substrate onto which the pattern has been transferred so as to form a mask layer having a shape corresponding to the pattern on a surface of the photo-sensitive substrate; and

processing the surface of the photo-sensitive substrate via the mask layer.

8. An illumination optical system for illuminating an illumination objective surface with a light from a light source, the illumination optical system comprising:

a first spatial light modulator having a plurality of optical elements into which the light from the light source comes;

a second spatial light modulator having a plurality of optical elements into which a light from the first spatial light modulator comes; and

a polarizing member having a first polarizing element into which a first light of a light from the second spatial light modulator comes and a second polarizing element into which a second light of the light from the second spatial light modulator comes, so as to allow the first light traveled via the first polarizing element and travelling through a first position to have a first polarization state and allow the second light traveled via the second polarizing element and travelling through a second position different from the first position to have a second polarization state, the first and second positions being positions on a crossing plane which crosses an optical axis of the illumination optical system, the first polarization state being a linear polarization having a polarization direction in a first direction within the crossing plane or a second direction, within the crossing plane, orthogonal to the first direction, and the second polarization state being different from a linear polarization having a polarization direction in the first or second direction,

wherein a size of an incident surface of the first polarizing element is larger than a size of an incident surface of the second polarizing element.

9. The illumination optical system according to claim 8, further comprising a condenser optical system which is arranged between the first spatial light modulator and the polarizing member, and which is configured to condense the light from the first spatial light modulator.

10. The illumination optical system according to claim 8, further comprising a controller configured to control the first spatial light modulator so as to control a position of the first light on the incident surface of the first polarizing element and a position of the second light on the incident surface of the second polarizing element.

11. The illumination optical system according to claim 10, further comprising a distribution forming optical system configured to condense a light from the second spatial light modulator to form a pupil intensity distribution on an illumination pupil plane.

12. The illumination optical system according to claim 8, further comprising a controller configured to control the second spatial light modulator so as to control a position of the first light on the incident surface of the first polarizing element and a position of the second light on the incident surface of the second polarizing element.

13. The illumination optical system according to claim 8, wherein the polarizing member includes at least one of an optical rotation element and a wavelength plate.

14. An exposure apparatus comprising the illumination optical system as defined in claim 8 for illuminating a pattern, the exposure apparatus being configured to expose the pattern onto a photo-sensitive substrate.

15. A device manufacture method comprising:

exposing the pattern onto the photo-sensitive substrate by using the exposure apparatus as defined in claim 14;

developing the photo-sensitive substrate onto which the pattern has been transferred so as to form a mask layer having a shape corresponding to the pattern on a surface of the photo-sensitive substrate; and

processing the surface of the photo-sensitive substrate via the mask layer.