Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

• US 20080074629A1
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Marinus De Jongh, Robertus Johannes, Wijckmans, Maurice, Hendricus Jansen, Bastiaan Stephanus, Adrianus Franken, Dominicus Jacobus Petrus, Groeneveld, Rogier Herman Mathijs, Van Der Wijst, Marc Wilhelmus Maria, Van Dijsseldonk, Antonius Johannes Josephus
• Granted Patent: US 8,908,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70833 Mounting of optical systems, e.g. mounting of illumination system, projection system or stage systems on base-plate or ground
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/709 Vibration, e.g. vibration detection, compensation, suppression or isolation

Abstract

A lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes a support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting a radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam and a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate. Further, the lithographic apparatus includes a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate, the projection system being mounted to a reference element of the lithographic apparatus by a resilient mount to reduce a transfer of high frequency vibration from the reference element to the projection system and a control system to counteract a position error of the substrate table and the support relative to the projection system.

Claims

1. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:

a support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting a radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam;

a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate;

a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate, the projection system being mounted to a reference element of the lithographic apparatus by a resilient mount to reduce a transfer of high frequency vibration from the reference element to the projection system; and

a control system to counteract a position error of the substrate table and the support relative to the projection system.

2. The lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control system further comprises a sensor to provide a signal representative of a position related quantity of the projection system and wherein the control system is configured to drive a support actuator to exert a force on the support and to drive a substrate table actuator to exert a force on the substrate table, based on the signal of the sensor.

3. The lithographic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sensor comprises a support position sensor to measure a position of the support relative to the projection system and a substrate table position sensor to measure a position of the substrate table relative to the projection system and wherein the control system is configured to drive the support actuator and the substrate table actuator to control, relative to the position of the projection system, the position of the support and the position of the substrate table based on respectively the position of the support as measured by the support position sensor and the position of the substrate table as measured by the substrate table position sensor.

4. The lithographic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the substrate table position sensor comprises a first position sensor to measure a position of the substrate table relative to the reference element and a second position sensor to measure a position of the projection system relative to the reference element.

5. The lithographic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first position sensor comprises an interferometer and the second position sensor comprises an encoder.

6. The lithographic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sensor comprises an acceleration sensor to provide an acceleration signal representative of an acceleration of the projection system and wherein the control system is configured to derive a support feed-forward signal and a substrate table feed-forward signal from the acceleration signal, the support feed-forward signal to be provided to the support actuator and the substrate table feed-forward signal to be provided to the substrate table actuator.

7. The lithographic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the acceleration sensor is configured to provide a six degrees of freedom acceleration signal.

8. The lithographic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a maximum frequency of the feed-forward signals is substantially equal to or larger than a vibration cut-off frequency of the resilient mount.

9. The lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a projection system position sensor to provide a projection system position signal representative of a position of the projection system relative to the reference element and wherein the control system is configured to drive a projection system actuator to dampen a movement of the projection system relative to the reference element based on the projection system position signal.

10. The lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the projection system comprises a projection mirror.

11. The lithographic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the projection mirror is stabilized relative to a projection system frame, the projection system frame holding the projection mirror.

12. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

supporting a patterning device by a support, the patterning device being capable of imparting a radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam;

holding a substrate by a substrate table;

projecting the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate using a projection system, the projection system mounted to a reference element by a resilient mount to reduce a transfer of high frequency vibration of the reference element to the projection system;

counteracting a position error of the substrate table and the support relative to the projection system;

developing the irradiated substrate; and

manufacturing a device from the developed substrate.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining a position related quantity of the projection system;

driving a support actuator to exert a force on the support based on the determined position related quantity; and

driving a substrate table actuator to exert a force on the substrate table based on the determined position related quantity.

14. The method according to claim 13, comprising:

measuring a position of the support relative to the projection system;

measuring a position of the substrate table relative to the projection system; and

driving the support actuator and the substrate table actuator to control, relative to the position of the projection system, the position of the support and the position of the substrate table based on respectively the measured position of the support and the measured position of the substrate table.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein measuring the position of the substrate table relative to the projection system comprises measuring a position of the substrate table relative to the reference element and measuring a position of the projection system relative to the reference element.

16. The method according to claim 13, comprising:

determining an acceleration signal representative of an acceleration of the projection system;

deriving a support feed-forward signal and a substrate table feed-forward signal from the acceleration signal;

providing the support feed-forward signal to the support actuator; and

providing the substrate table feed-forward signal to the substrate table actuator.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining a projection system position signal representative of a position of the projection system relative to the reference element; and

driving a projection system actuator to dampen a movement of the projection system relative to the reference element based on the projection system position signal.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the projection system comprises a projection mirror.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the projection mirror is stabilized relative to a projection system frame, the projection system frame holding the projection mirror.