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ILLUMINATION SYSTEM FOR ILLUMINATING A MASK IN A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC EXPOSURE APPARATUS

  • US 20100265482A1
  • Filed: 06/07/2010
  • Published: 10/21/2010
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method, comprising:

  • a) providing an illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, wherein the illumination system is configured to illuminate a mask positioned in a mask plane, the illumination system comprising a pupil shaping optical subsystem and illuminator optics configured to illuminate a beam deflecting component of the pupil shaping optical subsystem;

    b) determining an intensity distribution in a system pupil surface of the illumination system; and

    c) determining deflection angles to be produced by the beam deflecting component so that an intensity distribution produced by the pupil shaping subsystem in the system pupil surface approximates the intensity distribution determined in b),wherein c) takes into account at least one of the following aberrations;

    an aberration produced by the illuminator optics;

    an aberration produced by the pupil shaping optical subsystem; and

    an aberration produced by an optical element arranged between the system pupil surface and the mask plane.

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