Method and Device for Controlling a Plurality of Actuators and an Illumination Device for Lithography

• US 20090002668A1
• Filed: 06/25/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CARL Zeiss SMT GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Carl Zeiss AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Rohe, Thomas, Fischer, Juergen, Bach, Florian
• Granted Patent: US 8,102,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/67
• 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 7/70291 Addressable masks, e.g. spatial light modulators [SLMs], digital micro-mirror devices [DMDs] or liquid crystal display [LCD] patterning devices
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70508 Data handling in all parts of the microlithographic apparatus, e.g. handling pattern data for addressable masks or data transfer to or from different components within the exposure apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70525 Controlling normal operating mode, e.g. matching different apparatus, remote control or prediction of failure

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and a device for controlling multiple actuators with a controller and multiple actuators controllable by the controller. At least several groups of actuators are individually controllable by the controller and to each actuator or each group of actuators is assigned at least one memory storage unit, which can store at least one parameter for controlling one or more actuators. At least two parameters are assigned to each actuator or each group of actuators, with one position of the actuator(s) being assigned to each of the parameters.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an actuator;

a controller adapted to control the actuator; and

a memory storage unit in communication with the actuator, the memory storage unit adapted to store a parameter corresponding to a position of the actuator,

wherein the system is a projection exposure system for micro lithography.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the parameter comprises a control signal adapted to control movement of the actuator.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a sub-controller in communication with the controller.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is in the form of a regulating unit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises an integrated circuit adapted to transmit control signals to the actuator.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory storage unit is part of an integrated circuit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the parameter stored in the memory storage unit is directly available for controlling the actuator.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory storage unit is a non-volatile memory storage unit.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory storage unit comprises memory selected from the group consisting of RAM, SRAM, DRAM, SDRAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM and FLASH memory.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator is in the form of an MEMS (micro-electromechanical system) unit.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises one or more wafer systems selected from the group consisting of a 1-wafer system, a 2-wafer system, a 3-wafer system, and a 4-wafer system.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator is part of a manipulation system for at least one device selected from the group consisting of a projection device, a projection exposure system for micro-lithography, light modulators, spatial light modulators (SLMs), and multi-mirror arrays (MMAs).

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator and the memory storage unit are adapted so that the actuator can be operated based on data received directly from the memory storage unit.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a plurality of actuators.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of actuators are capable of positioning up to 6 million mirrors.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of actuators are capable of positioning up to 4 million mirrors.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of actuators are capable of positioning from 4,000 to 1,000,000 million mirrors.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein each actuator is individually controllable via the controller.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the system comprises a plurality of memory storage units, and each actuator is in communication with at least one of the plurality of memory storage units, each memory storage unit adapted to store a parameter corresponding to a position of one of the plurality of actuators.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each actuator is in communication with at least two of the plurality of memory storage units.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein each memory storage unit is adapted to store a plurality of parameters corresponding to different positions of one of the plurality of actuators.

22. The system of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of subcontrollers, each of the subcontrollers being in communication with the controller and one of the plurality of actuators.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the system comprises a first set of actuators and a second set of actuators, the actuators of the second set differing from the actuators of the first set.

24. The system of claim 1, further comprising an illumination optic, wherein the actuator and memory storage unit are provided in the illumination optic.

25. The system of claim 1, further comprising a projection objective, wherein the actuator and memory storage unit are provided in the projection objective.

26. The system of claim 1, further comprising an illumination device.

27. The device of claim 1, wherein the actuator is coupled to a mirror and is capable of moving the mirror.

28. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory storage unit is adapted to store a first parameter and a second parameter, the first parameter associated with a first position of the actuator and the second parameter associate with a second position of the actuator.

29. A method comprising using the system of claim 1 to make semiconductor components.

30. A method, comprising:

moving an actuator based on data transmitted from a memory storage unit to the actuator, the data comprising a parameter corresponding to a position of the actuator.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the memory storage unit is supplied with parameters during operation of the actuators.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the memory storage unit is supplied with parameters for at least two cycles or steps.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein during operation of the actuator with a first stored parameter, the memory storage unit is loaded with a second parameter different from the first parameter.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the method comprises moving a plurality of actuators based on data transmitted from a plurality of memory storage units to the plurality of actuators, the data comprising parameters corresponding to positions of the plurality of actuators.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein the actuator and the memory storage unit are components of a projection exposure system for micro lithography.