Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method utilizing a datapath having a balanced calculation load

• US 20070009146A1
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Tinnemans, Patricius, Hendricus Hoeks, Martinus
• Granted Patent: US 7,965,373 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/141
• 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 7/70508 Data handling in all parts of the microlithographic apparatus, e.g. handling pattern data for addressable masks or data transfer to or from different components within the exposure apparatus

Abstract

A lithography apparatus with a data-path for converting a representation of a requested dose pattern to a sequence of control data suitable for controlling an array of individually controllable elements. The data path comprises a plurality of data manipulation devices and a calculation load controller for balancing a calculation load between the data manipulation devices. A device manufacturing method using elements of the lithography apparatus, and a flat panel display and integrated circuit device manufactured using the method.

Claims

1. A lithography apparatus, comprising:

an array of individually controllable elements that modulate a beam of radiation;

a data processing pipeline that converts a first data representation of a requested dose pattern to a sequence of control data suitable for controlling the array of individually controllable elements in order substantially to form the requested dose pattern on a substrate, the data processing pipeline comprising,

a plurality of data manipulation devices, and

a calculation load controller that divides the first data representation into a plurality of data packets, each corresponding to one of a set of sub-regions of the requested dose pattern, and forwards each of the data packets to a respective one of the data manipulation devices,

wherein the calculation load controller selects the data packets to forward to each of the data manipulation devices so as to balance a total calculation load between the data manipulation devices.

2. The lithography apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a pattern pre-processor that analyzes the first data representation and output data indicative of how each of a plurality of areas of the pattern are expected to contribute to the calculation load for at least one stage of the conversion carried out by the data manipulation devices, and wherein the calculation load controller selects the data packets based on the output data.

3. The lithography apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a data re-distribution device that receives and re-combines data output from the plurality of data manipulation devices in order to form the sequence of control data.

4. The lithography apparatus of claim 1, wherein the calculation load controller selects data packets for each of the plurality of data manipulation devices substantially at random.

5. The lithography apparatus of claim 4, wherein the sub-regions are selected to be small enough in comparison with features of the requested dose pattern to ensure that the total calculation load is substantially balanced.

6. The lithography apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the load controller controls a size of each of the sub-regions according to a nature of the requested dose pattern corresponding to that sub-region.

7. The lithography apparatus of claim 6, wherein the load controller controls the size of each of the sub-regions according at least one of the following properties of the portion of the requested dose pattern corresponding to that sub-region:

a degree of pattern irregularity, a pattern density, a pattern entropy, a pattern complexity, and an expected contribution from a respective one of the sub-regions to the total calculation load of the data manipulation devices.

8. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the load controller controls the size of each of the sub-regions in order substantially to balance the total calculation load between the data manipulation devices.

9. The lithography apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of the arrays of individually controllable elements, each modulating the beam of radiation;

wherein the data processing pipeline converts the first data representation of the requested dose pattern into a plurality of sequences of control data, each suitable for controlling one of the arrays of individually controllable elements in order together substantially to form the requested dose pattern on a substrate; and

wherein each of the data manipulation devices processes data packets in order to generate control data for any one of the arrays of individually controllable elements.

10. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a pattern pre-processor that analyzes the first data representation and output data indicative of how each of a plurality of areas of the pattern are expected to contribute to the calculation load for at least one stage of the conversion carried out by the data manipulation devices, and wherein the calculation load controller selects the data packets based on the output data.

11. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a data redistribution device that receives and re-arranges data output from the plurality of data manipulation devices in order to form the plurality of sequences of control data.

12. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the calculation load controller selects data packets for each data manipulation device substantially at random.

13. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the sub-regions are arranged to be small enough in comparison with features of the requested dose pattern to ensure that the total calculation load is substantially balanced.

14. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the calculation load controller forwards data packets to at least one of the data manipulation devices that correspond to a set of the sub-regions lying along at least one line oblique to a scanning direction of the substrate relative to the beam of radiation projected thereon.

15. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

using an array of individually controllable elements to modulate a beam of radiation;

converting a first data representation of a requested dose pattern to a sequence of control data suitable for controlling the array of individually controllable elements in order substantially to form the requested dose pattern on a substrate;

dividing the first data representation into a plurality of data packets, each corresponding to one of a set of sub-regions of the requested dose pattern, and forward each of the data packets to one of a plurality of data manipulation devices for the conversion; and

selecting the data packets to forward to each of the data manipulation devices in such a way that the total calculation load is balanced between the data manipulation devices.

16. A device manufacturing method according to claim 15, further comprising:

analyzing the first data representation in order to determine how sub-region contributions to the calculation load for the stage of the conversion carried out by the data manipulation devices are expected to vary as a function of the position of the sub-regions within the requested dose pattern; and

carrying out the selecting step based on the results of the analyzing step.

17. A device manufacturing method according to claim 15, further comprising:

controlling the size of each of the sub-regions according to a nature of the requested dose pattern corresponding to a respective one of the sub-regions.

18. A device manufacturing method according to claim 15, further comprising:

controlling the size of each of the sub-regions according to at least one of the following properties of the portion of the requested dose pattern corresponding to that sub-region;

a degree of pattern irregularity, a pattern density, a pattern entropy, a pattern complexity, and an expected contribution from that sub-region to the total calculation load of the data manipulation devices.

19. A device manufacturing method according to claim 15, further comprising:

controlling the size of each of the sub-regions in order substantially to balance the total calculation load between the data manipulation devices.

20. A device manufacturing method according to claim 15, comprising:

using a plurality of the array of individually controllable elements to modulate the beam of radiation;

converting the first data representation of the requested dose pattern into a plurality of sequences of control data, each suitable for controlling one of the arrays of individually controllable elements in order to substantially form the requested dose pattern on the substrate; and

using each of the data manipulation devices to process data packets from a plurality of the regions of the requested dose pattern, at least a subset of which are to be formed by different one of the arrays of individually controllable elements.

21. A flat panel display manufactured according to the method of claim 15.

22. An integrated circuit device manufactured according to the method of claim 15.