Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method using dose control
First Claim
1. A device manufacturing method, comprising:
- (a) patterning a beam of radiation with a patterning device to form a plurality of pixels;
(b) projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate;
(c) controlling the patterning device, 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 first value; and
(d) controlling the patterning device, such that at least one selected pixel in the plurality of pixels delivers a second radiation dose to the target that is greater than the first value to compensate at least partially for;
(1) an effect of a defective area in the patterning device on a pixel in the plurality of pixels adjacent the selected pixel, or (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 area of the patterning device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are used to manufacture a device using at least one exposure step. Each exposure step projects a patterned beam of radiation onto a substrate. The patterned beam includes a plurality of pixels. Each pixel delivers a radiation dose no greater than a predetermined normal maximum dose to the target portion in the exposure step and/or 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 or 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.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A device manufacturing method, comprising:
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(a) patterning a beam of radiation with a patterning device to form a plurality of pixels;
(b) projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate;
(c) controlling the patterning device, 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 first value; and
(d) controlling the patterning device, such that at least one selected pixel in the plurality of pixels delivers a second radiation dose to the target that is greater than the first value to compensate at least partially for;
(1) an effect of a defective area in the patterning device on a pixel in the plurality of pixels adjacent the selected pixel, or (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 area of the patterning device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
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an illumination system configured to process a beam of radiation;
a patterning device configured to pattern the beam;
a projection system configured to project 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 configured to control at least one area of the patterning device to selectively adopt one of at least three states, the states comprising;
a nominal black state, in which the at least one area interacts with the 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 at least one area interacts with the 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 at least one area interacts with the 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 patterning device, such that multiple ones of the at least one area adopts one of the nominal black state or the at least one nominal grey state, wherein the controller selectively controls the area to adopt the at least one nominal white state to provide compensation for effects of one or more pixels of the plurality of pixels when the one or more pixels are defective. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification