CONTROLLER FOR OPTICAL DEVICE, EXPOSURE METHOD AND APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING DEVICE

• US 20090117494A1
• Filed: 11/06/2008
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: OWA, Soichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,792,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 430/322
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/20 Exposure; Apparatus therefor photographic printing apparatus for making copies G03B27/00
• 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 7/70108 Off-axis setting using a light-guiding element, e.g. diffractive optical elements [DOEs] or light guides
• 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 7/70141 Illumination system adjustment, e.g. adjustments during exposure or alignment during assembly of illumination system
• 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 7/702 Reflective illumination, i.e. reflective optical elements other than folding mirrors, e.g. extreme ultraviolet [EUV] illumination systems
• 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

An exposure method for exposing a mask pattern, which includes plural types of patterns, with a high throughput and optimal illumination conditions for each type of pattern. The method includes guiding light from a first spatial light modulator illuminated with pulse lights of illumination light to a second spatial light modulator and exposing a wafer with light from the second spatial light modulator, accompanied by: controlling a conversion state of the second spatial light modulator including a plurality of second mirror elements; and controlling a conversion state of the first spatial light modulator including a plurality of first mirror elements to control intensity distribution of the illumination light on a predetermined plane between the first spatial light modulator and the second spatial light modulator.

Claims

1. An exposure method for exposing an object with a plurality of pulse lights, the exposure method comprising:

guiding light from a first optical device illuminated by the pulse lights to a second optical device and exposing the object with light from the second optical device;

accompanied by;

a first step of controlling a conversion state of the second optical device that includes a plurality of second optical elements; and

a second step of controlling a conversion state of the first optical device that includes a plurality of first optical elements to control intensity distribution of the pulse lights on a predetermined plane between the first optical device and the second optical device.

2. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the first step includes controlling the conversion state of the second optical device in accordance with a pattern that is to be formed on the object.

3. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the second step includes controlling the conversion state of the first optical device in accordance with the conversion state of the second optical device.

4. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the second step includes controlling the conversion state of the first optical device in accordance with a pattern that is to be formed on the object.

5. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the conversion state of the second optical device in the first step and the conversion state of the first optical device in the second step are each switched to a different conversion state whenever a predetermined number of the pulse lights is emitted.

6. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the first step includes switching the conversion state of the second optical device to a first state or a second state whenever a predetermined number of the pulse lights is emitted.

7. The exposure method according to claim 6, wherein the second step includes at least either one of switching the conversion state of the first optical device to a third state in correspondence with the first state whenever a predetermined number of the pulse lights is emitted and switching the conversion state of the first optical device to a fourth state in correspondence with the second state whenever a predetermined number of the pulse lights is emitted.

8. The exposure method according to claim 1, further comprising:

illuminating the second optical device with light from the first optical device illuminated by a first pulse light included in the plurality of pulse lights and exposing the object with light from the second optical device;

switching the conversion state of at least either one of the first and second optical devices when using the first pulse light; and

illuminating the second optical device with light from the first optical device illuminated by a second pulse light included in the plurality of pulse lights and exposing the object with light from the second optical device.

9. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined plane includes an illumination pupil plane or a plane conjugated with the illumination pupil plane.

10. The exposure method according to claim 1, further comprising:

exposing the object while scanning the object in a predetermined direction relative to the second optical device, wherein the first step includes controlling the conversion state of the second optical device in accordance with the scanning of the object in the predetermined direction.

11. The exposure method according to claim 1, further comprising:

exposing the object by step-moving the object relative to the second optical device.

12. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the first step includes controlling the conversion state of the second optical device in accordance with the pitch and direction of a pattern that is to be formed on the object.

13. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the second step includes controlling an incident angle and incident direction of the pulse lights entering the second optical device with the first optical device in accordance with the pitch and direction of a pattern that is to be formed on the object.

14. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the first optical device varies the intensity distribution of the pulse lights on the predetermined plane to control an incident angle and incident direction of the pulse lights entering the second optical device.

15. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein at least either one of the first optical elements and the second optical elements are reflective elements.

16. The exposure method according to claim 15, wherein the first step includes setting a state of a reflection surface of each of the second optical elements in either one of a state in which reflection light from the reflection surface enters the object and a state in which the reflection light does not enter the object.

17. The exposure method according to claim 15, wherein the second step includes adjusting an inclination angle of a reflection surface of each of the first optical elements to a set inclination angle about at least one axis within a variable range.

18. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein at least either one of the first optical elements and the second optical elements are transmissive elements.

19. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein at least either one of the first optical elements and the second optical elements are phase elements.

20. The exposure method according to claim 1, further comprising:

having light from the first optical device orthogonally enter the second optical device.

21. The exposure method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using an optical integrator which superimposes the light traveling through the predetermined plane to irradiate the second optical device.

22. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the pulse lights are emitted from a solid laser light source.

23. The exposure method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using a projection optical system which projects light from the second optical device onto the object.

48. A method for manufacturing a device, the method comprising:

exposing an object with the exposure method according to claim 1; and

processing the exposed object.

24. An exposure apparatus for illuminating an irradiated plane with a plurality of pulse lights and exposing an object with the plurality of pulse lights from the irradiated plane, the exposure apparatus comprising:

an illumination optical system arranged upstream of the irradiated plane and including a first optical device which includes a plurality of first optical elements;

a second optical device arranged on or near the irradiated plane and including a plurality of second optical elements; and

an illumination controller which controls a conversion state of the first optical device or a conversion state of the second optical device.

25. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the illumination controller controls the conversion state of the first optical device in accordance with a pattern that is to be formed on the object.

26. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the illumination controller controls the conversion state of the first optical device to control intensity distribution of the pulse lights on a predetermined plane between the first optical device and the second optical device.

27. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the illumination controller controls the conversion state of the first optical device in accordance with the conversion state of the second optical device.

28. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the illumination controller controls the conversion state of the first optical device in accordance with a pattern that is to be formed on the object.

29. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the illumination controller switches each of the conversion state of the first optical device and the conversion state of the second optical device whenever a predetermined number of the pulse lights is emitted.

30. The exposure apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the predetermined plane includes an illumination pupil plane of the illumination optical system or a plane conjugated with the illumination pupil plane.

31. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising:

a stage which scans the object in a predetermined direction relative to the second optical device;

wherein the illumination controller controls the conversion state of the second optical device in accordance with the scanning of the object in the predetermined direction performed by the stage.

32. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising:

a stage which step-moves the object in two intersecting directions relative to the second optical device;

wherein the illumination controller exposes the object with light from the second optical device directed toward the object whenever the object is step-moved by the stage.

33. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the illumination controller controls the conversion state of the first optical device or the conversion state of the second optical device in accordance with the pitch and direction of a pattern that is to be formed on the object.

34. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the illumination controller controls an incident angle and incident direction of the pulse lights entering the second optical device in accordance with the pitch and direction of a pattern that is to be formed on the object.

35. The exposure apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the illumination controller varies the intensity distribution of the pulse lights on the predetermined plane with the first optical device to control an incident angle and incident direction of the pulse lights entering the second optical device.

36. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein at least either one of the first optical elements and the second optical elements are reflective elements.

37. The exposure apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the second optical device sets a reflection surface of each of the second optical elements in either one of a state in which reflection light from the reflection surface enters the object and a state in which the reflection light does not enter the object.

38. The exposure apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the first optical device adjusts an inclination angle of a reflection surface of each of the second optical elements to a set angle about at least one axis within a variable range.

39. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein at least either one of the first optical elements and the second optical elements are transmissive elements.

40. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein at least either one of the first optical elements and the second optical elements are phase elements.

41. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein a plane on which the second optical elements of the second optical device are arranged is generally parallel to a plane on which the object is arranged.

42. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising:

a first optical member which is arranged between the second optical device and the first optical device and which has the pulse lights orthogonally enter the second optical elements of the second optical device.

43. The exposure apparatus according to claim 42, wherein the first optical member includes a polarization beam splitter.

44. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the illumination optical system further includes:

an optical integrator which uniformly illuminates the second optical device with light from the first optical device illuminated by the pulse lights.

45. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising a light source which emits the pulse lights.

46. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising a solid laser light source which emits the pulse lights.

47. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising:

a projection optical system which projects light from the second optical device onto the object.

49. A method for manufacturing a device, the method comprising:

performing lithography with the exposure apparatus according to claim 24.

50. A controller for controlling a conversion state of a first optical device and a conversion state of a second optical device, the controller comprising:

a main control unit which controls the conversion state of the first optical device or the conversion state of the second optical device whenever a plurality of pulse lights are emitted from a light source.

51. The controller according to claim 50, further comprising:

a second modulation control unit which controls a second drive unit of the second optical device.

52. The controller according to claim 51, wherein the main control unit outputs information on a transfer pattern to the second modulation control unit.

53. The controller according to claim 52, wherein the second modulation control unit controls the second drive unit based on the transfer pattern information.

54. The controller according to claim 50, further comprising:

a first modulation control unit which controls a first drive unit of the first optical device.

55. The controller according to claim 54, wherein the main control unit outputs to the first modulation control unit information on an illumination condition that is in accordance with information on the transfer pattern.

56. The controller according to claim 55, wherein the first modulation control unit controls the first drive unit based on the illumination condition information.

57. The controller according to claim 50, wherein the main control unit controls a conversion state of the first optical device in accordance with information on a transfer pattern.

58. The controller according to claim 50, wherein the main control unit controls the conversion state of the first optical device in accordance with a conversion state of the second optical device.

59. The controller according to claim 50, wherein the main control unit controls the conversion state of the first optical device to control intensity distribution of the pulse lights on a predetermined plane.

60. An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern formed on a first plane onto a second plane, the exposure apparatus comprising:

the controller according to claim 50.

61. A method for manufacturing a device, the method comprising:

performing lithography with the exposure apparatus according to claim 60.