Measurement apparatus and method

• US 20080079930A1
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Klarenbeek, Eduard Martinus
• Granted Patent: US 7,804,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/121
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/04 Optical or mechanical part supplementary adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0414 using plane or convex mirrors, parallel phase plates, or plane beam-splitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4228 arrangements with two or more detectors, e.g. for sensitivity compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70116 Off-axis setting using a programmable means, e.g. liquid crystal display [LCD], digital micromirror device [DMD] or pupil facets
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7085 Detection arrangement, e.g. detectors of apparatus alignment possibly mounted on wafers, exposure dose, photo-cleaning flux, stray light, thermal load
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70891 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence

Abstract

A measurement apparatus disclosed that has a radiation source configured to provide a measurement beam of radiation such that an individually controllable element of an array of individually controllable elements capable of modulating a beam of radiation, is illuminated by the measurement beam and redirects the measurement beam, and a detector arranged to receive the redirected measurement beam and determine the position at which the redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector, the position at which the redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector being indicative of a characteristic of the individually controllable element.

Claims

1. A measurement apparatus comprising:

a radiation source configured to provide a measurement beam of radiation such that an individually controllable element of an array of individually controllable elements capable of modulating a beam of radiation, is illuminated by the measurement beam and redirects the measurement beam; and

a detector arranged to receive the redirected measurement beam and determine the position at which the redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector, the position at which the redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector being indicative of a characteristic of the individually controllable element.

2. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector is positioned out of a focal plane of the redirected measurement beam.

3. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector comprises an image sensor.

4. The measurement apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the image sensor comprises an array of pixel elements each arranged to provide an output signal indicative of received radiation.

5. The measurement apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the outputs of groups of pixel elements are grouped, such that the total number of output signals is reduced.

6. The measurement apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the redirected measurement beam illuminates at least two pixel elements or groups of pixel elements.

7. The measurement apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the detector is arranged to measure a proportion of radiation received by each pixel element or group of pixel elements from the redirected measurement beam in order to determine the position at which the redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector.

8. The measurement apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the array of individually controllable elements comprises a programmable mirror array comprising a plurality of mirror elements each arranged to tilt in order to alter the direction in which they reflect the beam of radiation and the measurement beam.

9. The measurement apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the detector is further arranged to determine a tilt angle of a mirror element from the position at which the redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector, the tilt angle comprising the characteristic of the individually controllable element.

10. The measurement apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a separate measurement system arranged to receive the beam of radiation and determine the tilt angle of the mirror element in order to calibrate the determination of the tilt angle of a mirror element by the detector.

11. The measurement apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the measurement apparatus is further arranged to use the determined tilt angle to alter a control signal provided to the mirror element in order to correct the tilt angle.

12. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of radiation sources configured to provide a plurality of measurement beams of radiation and arranged such that a plurality of individually controllable elements are illuminated with separate measurement beams and redirect a plurality of respective redirected measurement beams, the detector being arranged to receive the redirected measurement beams and determine the position at which each redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector.

13. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measurement beam and the redirected measurement beam travel along beam paths that are not coincident with the beam path of the beam of radiation.

14. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system arranged to provide an illumination beam of radiation;

a measurement apparatus comprising;

a radiation source configured to provide a measurement beam of radiation such that an individually controllable element of an array of individually controllable elements capable of modulating a beam of radiation, is illuminated by the measurement beam and redirects the measurement beam, and

a detector arranged to receive the redirected measurement beam and determine the position at which the redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector, the position at which the redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector being indicative of a characteristic of the individually controllable element.

a support structure configured to hold a patterning device, the patterning device arranged to impart the illumination beam with a pattern in its cross-section; and

a projection system arranged to project the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of a substrate.

15. The lithographic apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the array of individually controllable elements is arranged to modulate a cross-section of the illumination beam within the illumination system, the beam of radiation comprising the illumination beam.

16. The lithographic apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the patterning device comprises the array of individually controllable elements, the beam of radiation comprising the illumination beam.

17. A measurement method comprising:

illuminating, with a measurement beam of radiation, an individually controllable element of an array of individually controllable elements, the array being capable of modulating a beam of radiation, the illuminating being such that the individually controllable element redirects the measurement beam of radiation;

receiving the redirected measurement beam at a detector; and

determining the position at which the redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector, the position at which the redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector being indicative of a characteristic of the individually controllable element.

18. The measurement method according to claim 17, wherein the detector is positioned out of a focal plane of the redirected measurement beam.

19. The measurement method according to claim 17, wherein the detector comprises an image sensor.

20. The measurement method according to claim 19, wherein the image sensor comprises an array of pixel elements each arranged to provide an output signal indicative of received radiation.

21. The measurement method according to claim 20, further comprising combining the outputs of groups of pixel elements, such that the total number of output signals is reduced.

22. The measurement method according to claim 21, wherein the redirected measurement beam illuminates at least two pixel elements or groups of pixel elements.

23. The measurement method according to claim 22, wherein determining the position at which a redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector comprises measuring a proportion of radiation received by each pixel element or group of pixel elements from the redirected measurement beam.

24. The measurement method according to claim 23, wherein the array of individually controllable elements comprises a programmable mirror array comprising a plurality of mirror elements each arranged to tilt in order to alter the direction in which they reflect the beam of radiation and the measurement beam.

25. The measurement method according to claim 24, further comprising determining a tilt angle of a mirror element from the position at which a redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector, the tilt angle comprising the characteristic of the individually controllable element.

26. The measurement method according to claim 25, further comprising calibrating the determination of the tilt angle of a mirror element by the detector using a separate measurement system arranged to receive the beam of radiation and determine the tilt angle of the mirror element.

27. The measurement method according to claim 25, further comprising using the determined tilt angle to alter a control signal provided to the mirror element in order to correct the tilt angle.

28. The measurement method according to claim 17, further comprising illuminating a plurality of individually controllable elements with separate measurement beams and determining the position at which each of a plurality of redirected measurement beams are incident upon the detector, each redirected measurement beam being redirected by a respective individually controllable element.

29. The measurement method according to claim 17, wherein the measurement beam and the redirected measurement beam travel along beam paths that are not coincident with the beam path of the beam of radiation.

30. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

providing an illumination beam of radiation using an illumination system;

illuminating, with a measurement beam of radiation, an individually controllable element of an array of individually controllable elements, the array being capable of modulating a beam of radiation, the illuminating being such that the individually controllable element redirects the measurement beam of radiation;

receiving the redirected measurement beam at a detector;

determining the position at which the redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector, the position at which the redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector being indicative of a characteristic of the individually controllable element;

using a patterning device to impart the illumination beam with a pattern in its cross-section; and

projecting the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of a substrate.

31. The device manufacturing method according to claim 30, wherein the array of individually controllable elements is arranged to modulate a cross-section of the illumination beam of radiation within the illumination system, the beam of radiation comprising the illumination beam.

32. The device manufacturing method according to claim 30, wherein the patterning device comprises the array of individually controllable elements, the beam of radiation comprising the illumination beam.