Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

• US 20070206172A1
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Gui, Cheng-Qun, Bleeker, Arno, De Jager, Pieter, Sytsma, Joost
• Granted Patent: US 7,428,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/69
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70208 Multiple illumination paths, e.g. radiation distribution devices, microlens illumination systems, multiplexers or demultiplexers for single or multiple projection systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70275 Multiple projection paths, e.g. array of projection systems, microlens projection systems or tandem projection systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70283 Mask effects on the imaging process
• 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

Abstract

Provided is a radiation distribution system for distributing the radiation from an illumination system to two or more patterning means, each for patterning beams of radiation, which are subsequently projected onto a substrate.

Claims

1. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system that supplies a projection beam of radiation;

patterning means for imparting the projection beam with a pattern in its cross-section;

second patterning means for imparting a second beam of radiation supplied by the illumination system with a second pattern;

a substrate table that supports a substrate;

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

a radiation distribution device that distributes the radiation from the illumination system to the patterning means;

wherein the radiation distribution device has a duty cycle during which it sequentially directs substantially all of the radiation from the illumination system to each of a plurality of radiation distribution channels in turn, and wherein the radiation distribution channels provide the beams of radiation to the patterning means.

1-1. (canceled)

2. A system, comprising:

an illuminator configured to produce a beam of radiation;

a radiation distribution device configured to receive the beam of radiation and produce at least first and second beams therefrom, the radiation distribution device configured to sequentially direct the beams of radiation from the illuminator to corresponding distribution paths to form the at least first and second beams;

a first patterning device configured to pattern the first beam with a first pattern;

a second patterning device configured to pattern the second beam with a second pattern; and

a projection system configured to project the first and second patterned beams onto a target portion of a substrate.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a third patterning device, wherein the radiation distribution device is configured to produce a third beam and the third patterning device is configured to pattern the third beam with a third pattern.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the radiation distribution paths includes a beam splitter configured to divide the beam of radiation and direct the divided beam to the first and second patterning devices.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the radiation distribution device comprises a rotating reflector; and

the reflector is located in a path of the beam of radiation from the illuminator and arranged such that as the reflector rotates a reflected beam of radiation changes direction, so that the reflected beam is distributed to each of the radiation distribution paths, in turn.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the illuminator is arranged to provide pulses of the beam of radiation at substantially regular intervals; and

the reflector rotates at a substantially constant speed, synchronized to a pulse rate of the illuminator, such that during each of the pulses the reflected beam of radiation is reflected to one of the radiation distribution paths.

7. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

wherein the radiation distribution device comprises a plurality of reflectors rotatably coupled about an axis such that, as the radiation distribution device rotates, each reflector in turn moves into the path of the beam of radiation for a given time as the beam of radiation travels from the illuminator, during which time the reflected beam of radiation changes direction, distributing the reflected beam to each of the radiation distribution paths, in turn.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the illuminator is arranged to provide pulses of the beam of radiation at substantially regular intervals, wherein the plurality of reflectors rotate at a substantially constant speed, synchronized to a pulse rate of the illuminator, such that during each of the pulses the reflected beam of radiation is reflected to one of the radiation distribution paths by a respective one of the reflectors.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

during successive one of the pulses, the beam of radiation is incident on different one of the reflectors of the plurality of reflectors; and

respective ones of the reflectors are associated with respective ones of the radiation distribution paths and arranged such that, during a given one of the pulses, the respective one of the reflectors is at an angle relative to the beam of radiation from the illuminator, such that the beam is reflected to the associated one of the radiation distribution channels.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of reflectors rotate such that successive pulses of radiation are incident on different reflectors and, at successive pulses of the illumination system that are incident on each reflector, the reflector is at different angles relative to the beam of radiation such that the radiation is directed to different radiation distribution channels.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein the projection system comprises first and second projection system sub-units configured to independently project the first and second patterned beams of radiation onto first and second ones of the target portion of the substrate.

12. The system of claim 2, wherein a radiation distribution path includes a liquid light guide and an optical device configured to collect the first and second beams and direct the first and second beams to corresponding ones of the first and second patterning devices.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the illuminator comprises:

first and second radiation sources configured to provide respective first and second beams of radiation; and

a beam combiner configured to combine the first and second beams of radiation to form the beam of radiation provided by the illuminator.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the beam combiner comprises a radiation beam integrator configured to produce substantially uniform intensity in the beam of radiation formed from combining the first and second beams of radiation.

15. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system configured to supply first and second beams of radiation;

a first patterning device configured to pattern the first beam of radiation with a first pattern;

a second patterning device configured to pattern the second beam of radiation with a second pattern;

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

a radiation distribution device that distributes the radiation from the illumination system to the first and second patterning devices, wherein the radiation distribution device includes an optical device that divides the beam of radiation from the illumination system into the first and second beams, each of which is directed to a distribution path, and wherein the radiation distribution paths provide the first and second beams of radiation to respective ones of the first and second patterning devices and the optical device comprises a plurality of partially reflective surfaces through which the first and second beams of radiation from the illumination system are successively directed in accordance with a distribution device duty cycle, each partially reflective surface associated with one of the radiation distribution paths and reflecting a portion of the first and second beams of radiation to the radiation distribution path.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein proportions of the beam of radiation from the illumination system which are reflected by each of the successive partially reflective surfaces to the associated radiation distribution paths are arranged such that substantially equal proportions of intensity of the beam of radiation from the illumination system are directed to each of the radiation distribution paths.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein each of the partially reflective surfaces is arranged on one end of a section of material that is substantially transparent to the radiation, at an angle to the beam of radiation from the illumination system such that a proportion of the radiation incident on each of the partially reflective surfaces is deflected to the associated radiation distribution paths and the remainder passes through to a next section of transparent material.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein a final section of transparent material comprises a fully reflective surface that reflects substantially all of the radiation directed into the section to one of the radiation distribution paths.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein each of the radiation distribution channels directs the radiation to a one of the first and second patterning devices.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the projection system includes at least first and second projection system sub-units that independently projects the first and second patterned beams of radiation onto separate target portions of the substrate.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one radiation distribution path includes a liquid light guide and an optical device configured to collect light from the radiation distribution system and directing it to one of the first or second patterning device.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the illumination system comprises at least two radiation sources, each providing a respective one of the first and second beams of radiation, and a beam combiner that combines the source beams of radiation to form the beam of radiation provided by the illumination system.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the beam combiner includes a radiation beam integrator that ensures substantially uniform intensity in the beam of radiation formed from combining the source beams of radiation even if the source beams have different intensities to each other.

24. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

pattering a first beam of radiation with a first pattern;

patterning a second beam of radiation with a second pattern;

projecting the first and second patterned beams onto a target portion of a substrate; and

using a radiation distribution device to distribute the radiation from the illumination system to the first and second patterning devices, wherein the radiation distribution device has a duty cycle during which it sequentially directs substantially all of the radiation from the illumination system to each of a plurality of radiation distribution paths in turn, wherein the radiation distribution paths provide the beams of radiation to respective ones of the first and second patterning devices.