Exposure method and apparatus, and method for fabricating device

• US 20080068572A1
• Filed: 09/20/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Hirukawa, Shigeru, Kudo, Takehito
• Granted Patent: US 9,164,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/42 for automatic sequential copying of the same original G03B27/34, G03B27/53 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70091 Illumination settings, i.e. intensity distribution in the pupil plane or angular distribution in the field plane; On-axis or off-axis settings, e.g. annular, dipole or quadrupole settings; Partial coherence control, i.e. sigma or numerical aperture [NA]
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/701 Off-axis setting using an aperture
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70108 Off-axis setting using a light-guiding element, e.g. diffractive optical elements [DOEs] or light guides
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70158 Diffractive optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70191 Optical correction elements, filters or phase plates for controlling intensity, wavelength, polarisation, phase or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70566 Polarisation control

Abstract

An exposure method and apparatus simultaneously transfer patterns with various pitches with high resolution. On the pupil surface of an illumination system, nine areas are set. The nine areas are a first area including the optical axis, four second areas each smaller than the first area and arranged along a first circumference surrounding the first area, and four third areas each smaller than the first area and arranged along a second circumference surrounding the first circumference and arranged along a second circumference. The distribution of intensity of light over the pupil surface is so set that the intensities of light over the nine areas are approximately equal to one another, and the intensity of light over the other area is smaller than those over the nine areas. This distribution of intensity of light is set using a diffraction optical element or a diaphragm.

Claims

1. An exposure method for illuminating a pattern with an illumination system to expose a substrate through a projection system, wherein

the pattern is illuminated with illumination light with a light amount distribution in which an amount of light is larger in a pair of first areas and a pair of second areas than in an area other than the first and second areas, the pair of the first areas being arranged outside an optical axis on a pupil plane of the illumination system, the pair of the second areas being arranged on the same straight line as the pair of the first areas are arranged on and the pair of the second areas being arranged outside the pair of the first areas.

2. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein

the pair of the first areas are approximately at the same distance from the optical axis in a direction parallel to the straight line, and the pair of the second areas are approximately at the same distance from the optical axis in the direction parallel to the straight line.

3. The exposure method according to claim 2, wherein

the straight line passes through an optical axis of the illumination system on the pupil plane.

4. The exposure method according to claim 3, wherein

the pair of the second areas respectively have longitudinal directions which are substantially coincident with a direction orthogonal to the straight line.

5. The exposure method according to claim 2, wherein

a size of the first area and a size of the second area are different.

6. The exposure method according to claim 5, wherein

the size of the second area is larger than the size of the first area.

7. The exposure method according to claim 2, wherein

an amount of light in the first area and an amount of light in the second area are different.

8. The exposure method according to claim 7, wherein

the amount of light in the second area is greater than the amount of light in the first area.

9. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein

the illumination light distributed in the second areas is substantially linearly polarized light.

10. The exposure method according to claim 9, wherein

a direction of the linearly polarized light is substantially coincident with a direction orthogonal to the straight line.

11. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein

the illumination light in the first areas and the illumination light in the second areas have different polarization states.

12. The exposure method according to claim 11, wherein

the illumination light distributed in the first areas and the illumination light distributed in the second areas are linearly polarized and a polarization direction of the illumination light distributed in the first areas is substantially orthogonal to a polarization direction of the illumination light distributed in the second areas.

13. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

exposing a substrate by the exposure method as recited in claim 1;

developing the exposed substrate; and

processing the developed substrate.

14. An exposure method for illuminating a pattern with an illumination system to expose a substrate through a projection system, wherein

the pattern is illuminated with illumination light with a light amount distribution in which an amount of light is larger in four areas than in an area other than the four areas, the four areas being arranged on a straight line passing through an optical axis on a pupil plane of the illumination system.

15. The exposure method according to claim 14, wherein

the illumination light distributed in areas at both ends of the four areas is substantially linearly polarized.

16. An exposure method according to claim 14, wherein

areas at both ends of the four areas respectively have directions orthogonal to the straight line on the pupil plane as longitudinal directions.

17. The device manufacturing method, comprising:

exposing a substrate by the exposure method as recited in claim 14;

developing the exposed substrate; and

processing the developed substrate.

18. An exposure apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system which illuminates a pattern; and

a projection system which projects the pattern onto a substrate, wherein the exposure apparatus comprises;

a formation optical system which can change a light amount distribution of illumination light on a pupil plane of the illumination system and which can generate a light amount distribution in which an amount of light is larger in a pair of first areas and in a pair of second areas than in an area other than the pair of the first areas and the pair of the second areas, the pair of the first areas being arranged outside an optical axis on the pupil plane and the pair of the second areas being arranged on the same straight line as the pair of the first areas are arranged on and the pair of the second areas being arranged outside the pair of the first areas.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 18, wherein

the pair of the first areas are approximately at the same distance from the optical axis in a direction parallel to the straight line, and the pair of the second areas are approximately at the same distance from the optical axis in the direction parallel to the straight line.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 19, wherein

the straight line passes through the optical axis of the illumination system on the pupil plane.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

the pair of the second areas respectively have longitudinal directions which are substantially coincident with a direction orthogonal to the straight line.

22. The exposure apparatus according to claim 19, wherein

a size of the first area and a size of the second area are different.

23. The exposure apparatus according to claim 22, wherein

the size of the second area is larger than the size of the first area.

24. The exposure apparatus according to claim 19, wherein

an amount of light in the first area and an amount of light in the second area are different.

25. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein

the amount of light in the second area is greater than the amount of light in the first area.

26. The exposure apparatus according to claim 18, wherein

the illumination light distributed in the second areas is substantially linearly polarized light.

27. The exposure apparatus according to claim 26, wherein

a direction of the linearly polarized light is substantially coincident with a direction orthogonal to the straight line.

28. The exposure apparatus according to claim 18, wherein

the illumination light in the first areas and the illumination light in the second areas have different polarization states.

29. The exposure apparatus according to claim 28, wherein

the illumination light distributed in the first areas and the illumination light distributed in the second areas are linearly polarized and a polarization direction of the illumination light distributed in the first areas is substantially orthogonal to a polarization direction of the illumination light distributed in the second areas.

30. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

exposing a substrate with the exposure apparatus as recited in claim 18;

developing the exposed substrate; and

processing the developed substrate.

31. An exposure apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system which illuminates a pattern; and

a projection system which projects the pattern onto a substrate, wherein the exposure apparatus comprises;

a formation optical system which can change a light amount distribution of illumination light on a pupil plane of the illumination system and which can generate a light amount distribution in which an amount of light is larger in four areas than in an area other than the four areas, the four areas being arranged on a straight line passing through an optical axis on the pupil plane.

32. The exposure apparatus according to claim 31, wherein

the illumination light distributed in areas at both ends of the four areas is substantially linearly polarized.

33. The exposure apparatus according to claim 31, wherein

areas at both ends of the four areas respectively have directions orthogonal to the straight line on the pupil plane as longitudinal directions.

34. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

exposing a substrate with the exposure apparatus as recited in claim 31;

developing the exposed substrate; and

processing the developed substrate.