Dynamic illumination uniformity and shape control for lithography

• US 20060087634A1
• Filed: 10/25/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Precision Incorporated (Nikon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nikon Precision Incorporated (Nikon Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Koichi, Brown, Jay M.
• Application Number:
  US10/971,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20060087634A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/69
• 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

Abstract

A subsystem for an exposure apparatus has at least one array of tilting mirrors placed in either an image reticle plane or a conjugate image plane to provide dynamic control of an illumination beam through an exposure field. In the system, an optical subsystem and a plurality of mirrors directs light to a reticle and a sensor senses the illumination distribution of the light at a wafer stage. When the at least one array of tilting mirrors is placed in the image reticle plane, a control is used to interpolate data of the illumination distribution sensed by the sensor, and then control movement of at least one mirror of the array of mirrors based on the interpolated data.

Claims

1. A subsystem for a lithographic tool, comprising at least one array of controllable tilting mirrors placed in either an image reticle plane or a conjugate image plane to provide dynamic control of an illumination beam through an exposure field.

2. The subsystem of claim 1, wherein the at least one array of controllable tilting mirrors in the image reticle plane reduces illumination non-uniformity across the exposure field.

3. The subsystem of claim 1, wherein the at least one array of controllable tilting mirrors in the image reticle plane compensates for illumination uniformity drift.

4. The subsystem of claim 1, wherein the at least one array of controllable tilting mirrors in the image reticle plane compensates for illumination non-uniformity signatures across an illumination field and provides dynamic illumination control in the exposure field.

5. The subsystem of claim 4, wherein the at least one array of controllable tilting mirrors in the image reticle plane supports continuously adjustable uniformity feedback control.

6. The subsystem of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor for sensing illumination intensity within areas of the exposure field; and

a feedback control in communication with the sensor for providing feedback to the at least one array of controllable tilting mirrors, in a continuously adjustable feedback control.

7. The subsystem of claim 1, further comprising a feedback control which interpolates illumination distribution data over the exposure field to provide illumination uniformity data used to control adjustment of the one or more mirrors of the at least one array of controllable tilting mirrors to reduce illumination non-uniformity over the exposure field.

8. The subsystem of claim 7, wherein the feedback control controls tilt time of the one or more mirrors to provide gray scale adjustments in the illumination field to dim any sensed bright spots in the illumination distribution.

9. The subsystem of claim 1, further comprising a sensor positioned between a fixed wheel turret and a relay lens, wherein

the sensor senses illumination intensity or power to determine a required exposure time needed to obtain a predetermined illumination intensity at the exposure field, and

the at least one array of controllable tilting mirrors positioned in the image reticle plane is positioned before the sensor or between the fixed wheel turret and the sensor to dynamically provide a reduction in illumination non-uniformity.

10. The subsystem of claim 1, wherein the array of controllable tilting mirrors includes two arrays of tilting mirrors.

11. The subsystem of claim 10, wherein the two arrays of tilting mirrors is positioned between an expansion optical subsystem and reduction optical subsystem.

12. The subsystem of claim 1, wherein the at least one array of controllable tilting mirrors in the conjugate image plane controls source shape.

13. The subsystem of claim 12, wherein the at least one array of controllable tilting mirrors in the conjugate image plane is an electronic aperture.

14. The subsystem of claim 12, wherein the at least one array of controllable tilting mirrors in the conjugate image plane controls the source shape to modulate the frequency plane of an image.

15. The subsystem of claim 1, wherein the at least one array of controllable tilting mirrors in the conjugate image plane filters a frequency plane to improve a resolution for a printed feature.

16. A subsystem for a lithographic tool, comprising:

an optical subsystem and a plurality of mirrors directing light to a reticle;

an array of tilting mirrors placed in an image reticle plane of the light;

a sensor for sensing the illumination distribution of the light at a wafer stage; and

a control for interpolating data of the illumination distribution sensed by the sensor, and controlling movement of at least one mirror of the array of mirrors based on the interpolated data.

17. The subsystem of claim 16, wherein the control reduces illumination non-uniformity by providing instructions to move the at least one mirror to reflect light away from the reticle.

18. The subsystem of claim 17, wherein the control controls tilt time of the at least one mirror to provide gray scale adjustments in an illumination field to adjust for any sensed bright spots at the wafer stage.

19. A subsystem for a lithographic tool, comprising:

an optical subsystem and a plurality of mirrors directing light to an exposure field; and

an array of tilting mirrors placed in a conjugate image plane of the light to control the source shape to modulate the frequency plane of an image.

20. A method for reducing illumination non-uniformity, comprising the steps of:

illuminating an exposure field with light;

measuring brightness of the light throughout the exposure field;

interpolating the measured brightness to provide data of illumination uniformity over the exposure field; and

adjusting at least one mirror element based on the data to manipulate the light thereby reducing illumination non-uniformity as measured in the measuring step.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one mirror element is adjusted at a defined time to reduce the illumination non-uniformity and achieve a predetermined illumination uniformity.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the adjusting step provides gray scale in portions of the exposure field by adjusting tilt cycling time of the at least one mirror element.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein when the illumination distribution exceeds a predefined limit, the interpolating step provides data of illumination uniformity within the predefined limit and the adjusting step adjusts the at least one mirror element to within the predefined limit to thereby reduce illumination non-uniformity.

24. An exposure apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system that projects radiant energy on a reticle R that is supported by and scanned using a wafer positioning stage;

at least one linear motor that positions the wafer positioning stage; and

at least one array of tilting mirrors placed in either an image reticle plane or a conjugate image plane of the illumination system to provide dynamic control of an illumination beam through an exposure field.

25. A device manufactured with the exposure apparatus of claim 24.

26. A wafer on which an image has been formed by the exposure apparatus of claim 24.

27. The exposure apparatus of claim 24, wherein the at least one array of tilting mirrors in the image reticle plane reduces illumination non-uniformity across the exposure field and supports continuously adjustable feedback control.

28. The exposure apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a feedback control which interpolates illumination distribution over the exposure field and controls adjustment of the one or more mirrors of the at least one array of tilting mirrors to reduce illumination non-uniformity in the exposure field, wherein the feedback control controls tilt time of the one or more mirrors to provide gray scale adjustments.

29. The exposure apparatus of claim 24, wherein the at least one array of tilting mirrors in the conjugate image plane controls source shape.