Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method
First Claim
1. A device manufacturing method, comprising:
- (a) patterning a projection beam of radiation with an array of individually controllable elements;
(b) projecting the patterned projection beam onto a target portion of a substrate, the projected patterned projection beam comprising a plurality of pixels;
(c) controlling the elements such that each pixel in the plurality of pixels delivers a first radiation dose to the target portion that is below or equal to a predetermined dose; and
(d) controlling the elements such that at least one selected pixel in the plurality of pixels delivers a second radiation dose greater than the predetermined dose to compensate at least partially for at least one of;
(1) an effect of a defective element at a known position in the array of individually controllable elements on a pixel in the plurality of pixels adjacent the selected pixel, and (2) an underexposure of the target portion at a location corresponding to the selected pixel resulting from exposure of the location to a pixel in the plurality of pixels affected by a known defective element.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method to manufacturing a device provide a substrate and perform at least one exposure step. Each exposure step projects a patterned beam of radiation, which was patterned using an individually controllable elements, onto a target portion of the substrate. The projected patterned beam includes a plurality of pixels. Each exposure step also: (a) ordinarily controls the elements, such that each pixel delivers a radiation dose no greater than a predetermined normal maximum dose to the target portion in the exposure step; and (b) exceptionally controls the elements, such that at least one selected pixel delivers an increased radiation dose, greater than the normal maximum dose. The increased dose may be delivered to compensate for the effect of a defective element at a known position in the array on a pixel adjacent a selected pixel. Alternatively, it may compensate for underexposure of the target portion at the location of a selected pixel resulting from exposure of that location to a pixel affected by a known defective element in another exposure step. The invention uses doses up to the predetermined normal maximum for normal printing, but reserves at least one increased dose for compensation purposes. Accordingly, even when a dead black pixel falls in the middle of a group of surrounding white pixels it can be compensated for by increasing the radiation dose delivered by one or more of those neighboring white pixels, above the normal fully white value.
55 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A device manufacturing method, comprising:
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(a) patterning a projection beam of radiation with an array of individually controllable elements;
(b) projecting the patterned projection beam onto a target portion of a substrate, the projected patterned projection beam comprising a plurality of pixels;
(c) controlling the elements such that each pixel in the plurality of pixels delivers a first radiation dose to the target portion that is below or equal to a predetermined dose; and
(d) controlling the elements such that at least one selected pixel in the plurality of pixels delivers a second radiation dose greater than the predetermined dose to compensate at least partially for at least one of;
(1) an effect of a defective element at a known position in the array of individually controllable elements on a pixel in the plurality of pixels adjacent the selected pixel, and (2) an underexposure of the target portion at a location corresponding to the selected pixel resulting from exposure of the location to a pixel in the plurality of pixels affected by a known defective element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
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an illumination system that supplies a projection beam of radiation;
an array of individually controllable elements that patterns the projection beam;
a projection system that projects the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate, the patterned beam comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel delivering a respective radiation dose to the target portion; and
a controller that controls said elements to selectively adopt one of at least three states, said states comprising;
a nominal black state in which the element interacts with the projection beam to make a minimum contribution to the radiation dose delivered by a corresponding pixel in the plurality of pixels;
at least one nominal grey state in which the element interacts with the projection beam as to make an increased contribution, compared to the nominal black state, to the radiation dose delivered by the corresponding pixel in the plurality of pixels; and
at least one nominal white state in which the element interacts with the projection beam to make a contribution to the radiation dose delivered to the corresponding pixel in the plurality of pixels greater than that in the at least one nominal grey state, wherein the controller controls the elements, such that each element adopts one of the nominal black state or the at least one nominal grey state, wherein the controller selectively controls the elements to adopt the at least one nominal white state to provide compensation for effects of one or more pixel of the plurality of pixels when the one or more pixels are defective. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification