Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method utilizing a blazing portion of a contrast device

• US 20060227069A1
• Filed: 04/08/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Baselmans, Johannes Jacobus Matheus, Vink, Henri Johannes Petrus, Visser, Huibert
• Granted Patent: US 7,330,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/32
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70308 Optical correction elements, filters or phase plates for manipulating imaging light, e.g. intensity, wavelength, polarisation, phase or image shift

Abstract

A system and method utilize a lithographic apparatus comprising an illumination system, an array of individually controllable elements, and a projection system. The illumination system conditions a radiation beam. The array of individually controllable elements modulates the beam. At least one group of elements in the array of individually controllable elements being tilted to at least a same tilt direction with a same tilt sign. For example, the tilting can form one or more blazing portions (e.g., blazing super-pixel portions) in the array of individually controllable elements. The projection system projects the modulated beam onto a target portion of a substrate. The projection system includes an aperture that filters out undesired diffraction orders of the modulated beam.

Claims

1. A apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system that conditions a radiation beam;

an array of individually controllable elements that modulates the beam, at least a group of elements in the array of individually controllable elements being tilted to at least a same tilt direction with a same tilt sign; and

a projection system that projects the modulated beam onto a target portion of an object, the projection system including an aperture that filters out undesired diffraction orders of the modulated beam.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tilting of the group of elements at the same direction and sign forms a blazing portion, which substantially increases intensity of reflected light in a desired diffraction order of the modulated beam projected onto the substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a beam splitter positioned to direct the radiation beam onto the array of individually controllable elements and to direct the modulated beam from the array of individually controllable elements towards the projection system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radiation beam impinges on the array of individually controllable elements at a blazing angle.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

a desired diffraction order of the modulated beam is directed through a pupil of the projection system; and

the undesired orders of the modulated beam are scattered outside of the pupil of the projection system.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the blazing angle is defined as sin(θ

)=kλ

/p, wherein θ

is the predetermined angle, λ

is a wavelength of the radiation beam, k equals the diffraction order which will be perpendicular to the an array of individually controllable elements and which will be used within the projection system, and p is one of a width or length of each of the individually controllable elements.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a microlens array positioned between the projection system and the substrate, wherein the microlens array is used to perform pixel grid imaging of the substrate.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the array of individually controllable elements comprises one or more super-pixel sections; and

each of the super-pixel sections tilts its associated individually controllable elements at a same or different one of the tilt direction and the tilt sign with respect to other ones of the super-pixel sections.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

a positive first diffraction order of the modulated beam reflecting from the array of individually controllable elements is directed towards the projection system;

a negative first diffraction order is substantially eliminated by the array of individually controllable elements; and

a zero diffraction order of the modulated beam reflecting from the array of individually controllable elements is directed towards a beam dump.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an optical system including a first mirror and a second mirror,

wherein the radiation beam is reflected from the first mirror onto the array of individually controllable elements; and

wherein the modulated beam is reflected off the first mirror, then the second mirror, and back off the first mirror before impinging on the projection system.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

a positive first diffraction order of the modulated beam reflecting from the array of individually controllable elements is directed towards the projection system;

a negative first diffraction order substantially eliminated by the array of individually controllable elements; and

a zero diffraction order of the modulated beam reflecting from the array of individually controllable elements is directed towards a beam dump.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the illumination source system is positioned on a first side of the second mirror; and

the beam dump is positioned on a second side of the second mirror.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the object and the array of individually controllable elements lie along a same plane.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the object is one of a substrate, a work piece, or a display device.

15. A device manufacturing method comprising:

(a) tilting at least one group of elements in the array of individually controllable elements to at least a same tilt direction with a same tilt sign;

(b) modulating a beam of radiation using the array of individually controllable elements;

(c) projecting the modulated beam onto a target portion of an object; and

(d) filtering out undesired diffraction orders of the modulated beam before they reach the object.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the tilting of the group of elements at the same direction and sign forms a blazing portion, which substantially increases intensity of reflected light in a desired diffraction order of the modulated beam projected onto the object.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein step (d) comprises:

directing a desired diffraction order of the modulated beam through a pupil of a projection system; and

scattering the undesired orders of the modulated beam outside of the pupil of the projection system.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

positioning a microlens array adjacent the object to perform pixel grid imaging of the object.

19. Forming a flat panel display using the method of claim 15.

20. Forming an integrated circuit device using the method of claim 15.