Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

• US 20060023192A1
• Filed: 07/30/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Gui, Cheng-Qun
• Granted Patent: US 7,251,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/67
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/54 Lamp housings; Illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70275 Multiple projection paths, e.g. array of projection systems, microlens projection systems or tandem projection systems

Abstract

A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system that supplies a beam of radiation, an array of individually controllable elements that pattern the beam, a substrate table for supporting a substrate, and a projection system that projects the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The projection system comprises an array of lenses arranged to receive the patterned beam, divide the patterned beam into a plurality of substantially polygonal portions, and focus each substantially polygonal portion to form a respective radiation spot on the target portion of the substrate. In one example, the illumination system comprises an illuminator arranged to receive a beam of radiation from a radiation source, the illuminator comprising an array of lenses arranged to divide the beam of radiation from the source into a plurality of substantially polygonal portions and to focus each substantially polygonal portion onto a respective one of the array of individually controllable elements.

Claims

1. A lithographic apparatus comprising:

an illumination system that supplies a beam of radiation;

an array of individually controllable elements that pattern the beam; and

a projection system that projects the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate,

wherein the projection system comprises an array of lenses that receive the patterned beam, divide the patterned beam into a plurality of substantially polygonal portions, and focus each substantially polygonal portion to form a respective beam spot on the target portion of the substrate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the polygonal portions are substantially rectangular.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the polygonal portions are substantially square.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the array of lenses comprises:

a first array of cylindrical lenses that receive a respective portion of the patterned beam and focus the respective portion towards respective focal lines, the focal lines being substantially parallel to each other and to a first axis that is transverse to a beam direction.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the focal lines are coplanar.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the array of lenses further comprises:

a second array of cylindrical lenses that receive the focused, patterned beam from the first array, the cylindrical lenses of the second array receive a respective portion of the focused, patterned beam and direct the respective portion towards second respective focal lines, the second focal lines being substantially parallel to each other and to a second axis that is transverse to the beam direction and substantially perpendicular to the first axis.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second focal lines of are coplanar.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the cylindrical lenses of the first array have a first common focal length;

the cylindrical lenses of the second array have a second common focal length; and

the first common focal length is longer than the second common focal length.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first and second cylindrical lens arrays are arranged such that the first and second focal lines lie in a same plane.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the second array of cylindrical lenses comprises a second transparent substrate; and

the cylindrical lenses of the second array are formed by respective portions of the second substrate.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the first array of cylindrical lenses comprises a first transparent substrate;

the cylindrical lenses of the first array are formed by respective portions of the first substrate;

the second array of cylindrical lenses comprises a second transparent substrate;

the cylindrical lenses of the second array are formed by respective portions of the second substrate; and

the second substrate is attached to the first substrate.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein;

the array of lenses comprises a transparent substrate; and

the cylindrical lenses of the first and second arrays are formed by respective portions of the substrate.

13. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the first array of cylindrical lenses comprises a first transparent substrate; and

the cylindrical lenses of the first array are formed by a respective portion of the first substrate.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the array of lenses comprises:

a first parallel array of cylindrical lenses, which extend across the patterned beam in a first direction; and

a second parallel array of cylindrical lenses, which extend across the patterned beam in a second direction, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the projection system further comprises an aperture array that blocks a portion of the patterned beam.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the array of lenses focuses at least 90% of the patterned beam onto the target portion of the substrate.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the array of individually controllable elements is a rectangular array; and

the array of lenses is arranged such that the projected spots form a rectangular array, each spot corresponding to a respective one of the controllable elements.

18. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:

an illuminator that receives a beam of radiation from a radiation source;

an array of lenses that receive the beam from the illuminator, divide the beam into a plurality of substantially polygonal portions, and focus each substantially polygonal portion onto a respective one of an array of individually controllable elements to pattern the polygonal portions; and

a projection system that projects the patterned beams onto a target portion of a substrate.

19. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

(a) patterning a beam of radiation with an array of individually controllable elements;

(b) projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate;

(c) dividing the patterned beam into a plurality of substantially polygonal portions; and

(d) focusing the substantially polygonal portions to form respective beam spots on the target portion of the substrate.

20. A device manufacturing method comprising the steps of:

(a) dividing a beam received from a radiation source into a plurality of substantially polygonal portions;

(b) focusing the substantially polygonal portions onto respective individually controllable element in an array of individually controllable elements;

(c) patterning the focused beams with the respective individually controllable elements in the array of individually controllable elements; and

(d) projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate.