Imaging apparatus

• US 20040239909A1
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Bleeker, Arno Jan, Van Der Mast, Karel Diederick, De Jager, Pieter Willem Herman, Kruizinga, Borgert, Visser, Huibert, Hintersteiner, Jason Douglas, Ryzhikov, Lev, Oskotsky, Mark, Smirnov, Stanislav, Sakin, Lev, McCarthy, Matthew Eugene, Snijders, Bart
• Granted Patent: US 7,023,525 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/67
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70283 Mask effects on the imaging process
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70291 Addressable masks, e.g. spatial light modulators [SLMs], digital micro-mirror devices [DMDs] or liquid crystal display [LCD] patterning devices

Abstract

An imaging apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention includes a programmable patterning structure configured to pattern a projection beam of radiation according to a desired pattern. The programmable patterning structure includes a plurality of separate patterning sub-elements, each sub-element being configured to generate a patterned sub-beam. At least one of the separate patterning sub-elements is configured to generate a patterned sub-beam whose cross-section contains regions of different intensities. The imaging apparatus also includes a combining structure configured to combine the plurality of patterned sub-beams into a single patterned image, and a projection system configured to project the patterned image onto a target portion of a substrate.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a programmable patterning structure configured to pattern a beam of radiation, the programmable patterning structure including a plurality of separate patterning sub-elements, each sub-element being configured to generate a patterned sub-beam;

a combining structure configured to combine the plurality of patterned sub-beams into a single patterned image, the combining structure including at least one of the group consisting of a reflector and a beam splitter; and

a projection system configured to project the patterned image onto a target portion of a substrate,

wherein at least one of the patterned sub-beams is spatially modulated, and

wherein each of the plurality of separate patterned sub-elements includes an array of individually controllable radiation modulating devices, and

wherein at least a set of the plurality of separate patterned sub-elements is arranged on a carrier plate in a staggered configuration.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of separate patterning sub-elements includes first, second, and third separate patterning sub-elements, and

wherein said combining structure is configured to combine the patterned sub-beams from the first and second separate patterning sub-elements to form a combined beam, and

wherein said combining structure is configured to combine the patterned sub-beam from the third separate patterning sub-element with the combined beam.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of separate patterning sub-elements includes a fourth separate patterning sub-element, and

wherein said combining structure is configured to combine the patterned sub-beams from the third and fourth separate patterning sub-elements to form a second combined beam, and

wherein said combining structure is configured to combine the combined beam with the second combined beam.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of separate patterning sub-elements includes a fourth separate patterning sub-element, and

wherein said combining structure is configured to combine the patterned sub-beam from the third separate patterning sub-element with the combined beam to form a second combined beam, and

wherein said combining structure is configured to combine the patterned sub-beam from the fourth separate patterning sub-element with the second combined beam.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said individually controllable radiation modulating devices includes at least one of the group comprising a pixel of a liquid crystal device and a moveable mirror.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, said imaging apparatus comprising a substrate table configured to scan the substrate in a first direction during projection of the patterned image onto the target portion, and

wherein the patterned image includes a plurality of rows of sub-images, at least one pair of said plurality of rows being arranged in a staggered configuration with respect to each other, each sub-image in the plurality of rows corresponding to one among the plurality of patterned sub-beams, and

wherein each of the plurality of rows extends in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and

wherein the dimensions of the sub-images in the second direction are greater than the spaces between adjacent sub-images in the second direction, and

wherein the sub-images of a first one of the plurality of rows are aligned along the first direction with corresponding spaces between sub-images of a second one of the plurality of rows.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein sub-images of a third one of the plurality of rows are offset from sub-images of the first one of the plurality of rows along the second direction by a first offset distance, said first offset distance being less than the length in the second direction of one of the sub-images of the first one of the plurality of rows.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second one and a fourth one of the plurality of rows are on opposite sides of the third one of the plurality of rows, and

wherein sub-images of the fourth one are offset from sub-images of the second one along the second direction by the first offset distance.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the sub-images in the plurality of rows includes a staggered array of images of separate arrays of individually controllable radiation modulating devices.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said combining structure is configured to project the patterned image onto a segmented lens element.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said combining structure includes at least two reflectors.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a first reflector of the combining structure is arranged in an optical path of each of a first set of the plurality of patterned sub-beams, and

wherein a second reflector of the combining structure is arranged in an optical path of each of a second set of the plurality of patterned sub-beams different than the first set, said second reflector being different than the first reflector.

13. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a programmable patterning structure configured to pattern a beam of radiation, the programmable patterning structure including a plurality of separate patterning sub-elements, each sub-element being configured to generate a patterned sub-beam;

a combining structure configured to combine the plurality of patterned sub-beams into a single patterned image, the combining structure including at least one of the group consisting of a reflector and a beam splitter; and

a projection system configured to project the patterned image onto a target portion of a substrate,

wherein at least one of the patterned sub-beams is spatially modulated, and

wherein at least one of the plurality of separate patterned sub-elements includes a plurality of separate arrays of radiation modulating devices, said plurality of separate arrays being arranged on a carrier plate in a staggered configuration.

14. The imaging apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said plurality of separate patterning sub-elements includes first, second, and third separate patterning sub-elements, and

wherein said combining structure is configured to combine the patterned sub-beams from the first and second separate patterning sub-elements to form a combined beam, and

wherein said combining structure is configured to combine the patterned sub-beam from the third separate patterning sub-element with the combined beam.

15. The imaging apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said plurality of separate patterning sub-elements includes a fourth separate patterning sub-element, and

wherein said combining structure is configured to combine the patterned sub-beams from the third and fourth separate patterning sub-elements to form a second combined beam, and

wherein said combining structure is configured to combine the combined beam with the second combined beam.

16. The imaging apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said plurality of separate patterning sub-elements includes a fourth separate patterning sub-element, and

wherein said combining structure is configured to combine the patterned sub-beam from the third separate patterning sub-element with the combined beam to form a second combined beam, and

wherein said combining structure is configured to combine the patterned sub-beam from the fourth separate patterning sub-element with the second combined beam.

17. The imaging apparatus according to claim 13, wherein each of said individually controllable radiation modulating devices includes at least one of the group comprising a pixel of a liquid crystal device and a moveable mirror.

18. The imaging apparatus according to claim 13, said imaging apparatus comprising a substrate table configured to scan the substrate in a first direction during projection of the patterned image onto the target portion, and

wherein the patterned image includes a plurality of rows of sub-images, at least one pair of said plurality of rows being arranged in a staggered configuration with respect to each other, each sub-image in the plurality of rows corresponding to one among the plurality of patterned sub-beams, and

wherein each of the plurality of rows extends in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and

wherein the dimensions of the sub-images in the second direction are greater than the spaces between adjacent sub-images in the second direction, and

wherein the sub-images of a first one of the plurality of rows are aligned along the first direction with corresponding spaces between sub-images of a second one of the plurality of rows.

19. The imaging apparatus according to claim 18, wherein sub-images of a third one of the plurality of rows are offset from sub-images of the first one of the plurality of rows along the second direction by a first offset distance, said first offset distance being less than the length in the second direction of one of the sub-images of the first one of the plurality of rows.

20. The imaging apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the second one and a fourth one of the plurality of rows are on opposite sides of the third one of the plurality of rows, and

wherein sub-images of the fourth one are offset from sub-images of the second one along the second direction by the first offset distance.

21. The imaging apparatus according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the sub-images in the plurality of rows includes a staggered array of images of separate arrays of individually controllable radiation modulating devices.

22. The imaging apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said combining structure is configured to project the patterned image onto a segmented lens element.

23. The imaging apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said combining structure includes at least two reflectors.

24. The imaging apparatus according to claim 23, wherein a first reflector of the combining structure is arranged in an optical path of each of a first set of the plurality of patterned sub-beams, and

wherein a second reflector of the combining structure is arranged in an optical path of each of a second set of the plurality of patterned sub-beams different than the first set, said second reflector being different than the first reflector.

25. A device manufacturing method, said method comprising:

providing a beam of radiation;

generating a plurality of patterned sub-beams based on the beam of radiation, at least one sub-beam being spatially modulated;

combining the plurality of patterned sub-beams into a single patterned image; and

projecting the patterned image onto a target portion of a layer of radiation-sensitive material that at least partially covers a surface of a substrate,

wherein said generating a plurality of patterned sub-beams includes generating at least one of the plurality of patterned sub-beams from a plurality of separate arrays of radiation modulating devices, said plurality of separate arrays being arranged in a staggered configuration, and

wherein said combining includes at least one of the group consisting of (1) using a reflector to reflect at least one of the patterned sub-beams and (2) passing at least one of the patterned sub-beams through a beam splitter.

26. The device manufacturing method according to claim 25, wherein said plurality of separate patterning sub-elements includes first, second, and third separate patterning sub-elements, and

wherein said combining includes (1) combining the patterned sub-beams from the first and second separate patterning sub-elements to form a combined beam and (2) combining the patterned sub-beam from the third separate patterning sub-element with the combined beam.

27. The device manufacturing method according to claim 26, wherein said plurality of separate patterning sub-elements includes a fourth separate patterning sub-element, and

wherein said combining includes (3) combining the patterned sub-beams from the third and fourth separate patterning sub-elements to form a second combined beam and (4) combining the combined beam with the second combined beam.

28. The device manufacturing method according to claim 26, wherein said plurality of separate patterning sub-elements includes a fourth separate patterning sub-element, and

wherein said combining includes (3) combining the patterned sub-beam from the third separate patterning sub-element with the combined beam to form a second combined beam and (4) combining the patterned sub-beam from the fourth separate patterning sub-element with the second combined beam.

29. The device manufacturing method according to claim 25, wherein said generating at least one of the plurality of patterned sub-beams from a plurality of separate arrays of radiation modulating devices includes controlling at least one of a pixel of a liquid crystal device and a moveable mirror.

30. The device manufacturing method according to claim 25, said method comprising scanning the substrate in a first direction during said projecting, and

wherein the patterned image includes a plurality of rows of sub-images, at least one pair of said plurality of rows being arranged in a staggered configuration with respect to each other, each sub-image in the plurality of rows corresponding to one among the plurality of patterned sub-beams, and

wherein each of the plurality of rows extends in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and

wherein the dimensions of the sub-images in the second direction are greater than the spaces between adjacent sub-images in the second direction, and

wherein the sub-images of a first one of the plurality of rows are aligned along the first direction with corresponding spaces between sub-images of a second one of the plurality of rows.

31. The device manufacturing method according to claim 30, wherein sub-images of a third one of the plurality of rows are offset from sub-images of the first one of the plurality of rows along the second direction by a first offset distance, said first offset distance being less than the length in the second direction of one of the sub-images of the first one of the plurality of rows.

32. The device manufacturing method according to claim 30, wherein the second one and a fourth one of the plurality of rows are on opposite sides of the third one of the plurality of rows, and

wherein sub-images of the fourth one are offset from sub-images of the second one along the second direction by the first offset distance.

33. The device manufacturing method according to claim 30, wherein at least one of the sub-images in the plurality of rows includes a staggered array of images of separate arrays of individually controllable radiation modulating devices.

34. The device manufacturing method according to claim 25, wherein said combining includes projecting the patterned image onto a segmented lens element.

35. The device manufacturing method according to claim 25, wherein said combining includes using at least two reflectors to reflect the patterned sub-beams.

36. The device manufacturing method according to claim 25, wherein said combining includes (3) reflecting each of a first set of the plurality of patterned sub-beams using a first reflector and (4) reflecting each of a second set of the plurality of patterned sub-beams different than the first set using a second reflector different than the first reflector.