Stationary and dynamic radial transverse electric polarizer for high numerical aperture systems

• US 20050259324A1
• Filed: 07/25/2005
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Flagello, Donis, Straaijer, Alexander, Cummings, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,511,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/486
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3058 comprising electrically conductive elements, e.g. wire grids, conductive particles
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70566 Polarisation control

Abstract

A radial transverse electric polarizer device is provided. The device includes a first layer of material having a first refractive index, a second layer of material having a second refractive index, and a plurality of elongated elements azimuthally and periodically spaced apart, and disposed between the first layer and the second layer. The plurality of elongated elements interact with electromagnetic waves of radiation to transmit transverse electric polarization of electromagnetic waves of radiation. One aspect of the invention is, for example, to use such polarizer device in a lithographic projection apparatus to increase imaging resolution. Another aspect is to provide a device manufacturing method including polarizing a beam of radiation in a transverse electric polarization.

Claims

1. A radial transverse electric polarizer device which interacts with an electromagnetic radiation comprising first and second polarizations to reflect substantially all of the radiation of the first polarization and transmit substantially all of the radiation of the second polarization, the polarizer device comprising:

a plurality of sector-shaped linear polarizer plates, each defining a plurality of parallel linear polarization orientations,

wherein the plurality of sector-shaped linear polarizer plates are azimuthally arranged such that the plurality of parallel linear polarization orientations rotate to form a radial polarization configuration.

2. A radial transverse electric polarizer device according to claim 1,

wherein the first polarization is a transverse magnetic polarization and the second polarization is a transverse electric polarization.

3. A radial transverse electric polarizer device according to claim 1,

wherein a wavelength range of the electromagnetic radiation is in the ultraviolet spectrum.

4. A radial transverse electric polarizer device according to claim 3,

wherein the wavelength range is between 126 nm and 365 nm.

5. A radial transverse electric polarizer device according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of sector-shaped linear polarizer plates are arranged in a 360°

configuration.

6. A radial transverse electric polarizer device according to claim 1,

wherein the radial transverse polarizer is constructed and arranged to rotate around an axis perpendicular to a plane defined by the radial transverse electric polarizer.

7. A radial transverse electric polarizer device according to claim 6,

wherein a uniformity of the second polarization depends on a speed of rotation of the radial transverse electric polarizer.

8. A radial transverse electric polarizer device according to claim 6,

wherein the rotation randomizes optical path differences between the sector-shaped linear polarizer plates.

9. A lithographic projection apparatus, comprising:

a radiation system constructed and arranged to provide a projection beam of radiation, the projection beam comprising first and second polarizations;

a support constructed and arranged to support a patterning device, the patterning device configured to pattern the projection beam according to a desired pattern;

a substrate table configured to hold a substrate;

a projection system constructed and arranged to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate; and

a polarizer device constructed and arranged to interact with the projection beam to reflect substantially all of the radiation of the first polarization and transmit substantially all of the radiation of the second polarization, the polarizer device comprising;

a plurality of sector-shaped linear polarizer plates, each defining a plurality of parallel linear polarization orientations,

wherein the plurality of sector-shaped linear polarizer plates are azimuthally arranged such that the plurality of parallel linear polarization orientations rotate to form a radial polarization configuration.

10. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein a wavelength range of the projection beam of radiation is in the ultraviolet spectrum.

11. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the first polarization is a transverse magnetic polarization and the second polarization is a transverse electric polarization.

12. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the polarizer device is constructed and arranged to rotate around an axis perpendicular to a plane defined by the polarizer device.

13. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein a uniformity of the second polarization depends on a speed of rotation of the polarizer device.

14. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the rotation randomizes optical path differences between the sector-shaped linear polarizer plates.

15. A tangential polarizer device, comprising:

a cube beam-splitter polarizer constructed and arranged to polarize at least a portion of an incident radiation into a linear polarized radiation; and

a polarizing plate comprising two half-wave plates,

wherein the polarizing plate is disposed at an end of the cube beam-splitter polarizer to polarize the linear polarized radiation into a first s-polarized radiation and a second s-polarized radiation such that a wave vector of the first s-polarized radiation and a wave vector of the second s-polarized radiation are perpendicular to each other.

16. The tangential polarizer device according to claim 15,

wherein the first s-polarized radiation is used to print lines on a substrate in a horizontal direction and the second s-polarized radiation is used to print lines on the substrate in a vertical direction.

17. The tangential polarizer device according to claim 15,

wherein a wavelength range of the incident radiation is in the ultraviolet spectrum.

18. The tangential polarizer device according to claim 17,

wherein the wavelength range is between 126 nm and 365 nm.

19. A lithographic projection apparatus, comprising:

a radiation system constructed and arranged to provide a projection beam of radiation;

a support structure constructed and arranged to support a patterning device, the patterning device configured to pattern the projection beam according to a desired pattern;

a substrate table configured to hold a substrate;

a projection system constructed and arranged to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate; and

a tangential polarizer device, comprising;

a cube beam-splitter polarizer constructed and arranged to polarize at least a portion of the projection beam into a linear polarized radiation; and

a polarizing plate comprising two half-wave plates,

wherein the polarizing plate is disposed at an end of the cube beam-splitter polarizer to polarize the linear polarized radiation into a first s-polarized radiation and a second s-polarized radiation such that a wave vector of the first s-polarized radiation and a wave vector of the second s-polarized radiation are perpendicular to each other.

20. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 19,

wherein the first s-polarized radiation is used to print lines on the substrate in a horizontal direction and the second s-polarized radiation is used to print lines on the substrate in a vertical direction.

21. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 19,

wherein a wavelength range of the projection beam of radiation is in the ultraviolet spectrum.

22. A lithographic projection apparatus according to claim 21,

wherein the wavelength range is between 126 nm and 365 nm.

23. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

patterning a projection beam of radiation using a patterning device;

projecting the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of a layer of radiation-sensitive material applied on a surface of a substrate; and

polarizing the projection beam of radiation in a transverse electric polarization.

24. A device manufactured according to the method of claim 23.

25. A device manufacturing method according to claim 23,

wherein polarizing the projection beam of radiation comprises transmitting the transverse electric polarization through a polarizer device.