Method and apparatus for microlithography
First Claim
1. An apparatus (100) for patterning a work piece (60) arranged at an image plane and sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, comprising:
- a source (10) emitting electromagnetic radiation onto an object plane;
a computer-control led reticle (30) comprising a plurality of object pixels, adapted to receive said electromagnetic radiation at said object plane and to relay said electromagnetic radiation toward said work piece (60); and
an optical projection system comprising a Fourier filter adapted to filter said relayed electromagnetic radiation in a Fourier space and a first lens arrangement (50) adapted to project essentially parallel central axes of cones of radiation onto said image plane.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for patterning a work piece arranged at an image plane and sensitive to electromagnetic radiation. Said apparatus comprising a source for emitting electromagnetic radiation directed onto a selected object plane, a computer-controlled reticle comprising a plurality of object pixels, adapted to receive said electromagnetic radiation at said selected object plane and being capable of relaying said electromagnetic radiation toward said work piece arranged at said image plane, an optical projection system comprising a Fourier filter adapted to filter said relayed radiation in a Fourier space and a first lens arrangement adapted to create essentially parallel central axis of cones of radiation onto said image plane, where every cone of radiation in a specific image pixel in said image plane corresponds to a specific object pixel in said computer-controlled reticle. The invention also relates to a method for patterning a work piece sensitive to electromagnetic radiation.
81 Citations
68 Claims
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1. An apparatus (100) for patterning a work piece (60) arranged at an image plane and sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, comprising:
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a source (10) emitting electromagnetic radiation onto an object plane;
a computer-control led reticle (30) comprising a plurality of object pixels, adapted to receive said electromagnetic radiation at said object plane and to relay said electromagnetic radiation toward said work piece (60); and
an optical projection system comprising a Fourier filter adapted to filter said relayed electromagnetic radiation in a Fourier space and a first lens arrangement (50) adapted to project essentially parallel central axes of cones of radiation onto said image plane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
a stage (95) upon which the work piece (60) rests for positioning said work piece (60) and said projection system relative to each other; and
a control system adapted to position said work piece (60) and projection system relative to each other, to feed a digital description of a pattern to be projected on said work piece (60) to said computer-controlled reticle (30) and to modulate the electromagnetic radiation.
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26. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the essential parallel central axes of the cones are parallel within about 50 mRad.
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27. A method for patterning a work piece arranged at an image plane and sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, comprising the actions of:
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emitting electromagnetic radiation from a source onto a computer-controlled reticle at an object plane;
relaying and diffracting said electromagnetic radiation from the computer-controlled reticle towards said work piece;
filtering in a Fourier space the relayed and diffracted electromagnetic radiation;
transforming the relayed and diffracted electromagnetic radiation to have essentially parallel central axes of cones of radiation when it impinges on the work piece. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
positioning a stage supporting said work piece and relative to a path of said electromagnetic radiation;
feeding a digital description of an image to be projected to the computer-controlled reticlel; and
controlling intensity of said electromagnetic radiation impinging on the work piece.
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38. An apparatus (100) for patterning a work piece (60) arranged at an image plane and sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, comprising:
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a source (10) for emitting electromagnetic radiation, a beam conditioner unit that directs said electromagnetic radiation onto an object plane, oriented so that, at each point in the object plane, there is a predetermined angular spread between a central axis of the electromagnetic radiation and the object plane;
a computer-controlled reticle at the object plane adapted to modulating the radiation at each of a multitude of pixels in accordance to an input pattern description; and
a projection system for projecting the electromagnetic radiation from said computer-controlled reticle onto a work piece, said electromagnetic radiation oriented so that, at each point in the image plane, there is essentially a right angle between said central axis and the image plane. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. An apparatus (100) for patterning a work piece (60) arranged at an image plane and sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, comprising:
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a source (10) for emitting electromagnetic radiation;
a beam conditioner unit that expands and homogenizes said electromagnetic radiation and illuminates an object plane with essentially uniform intensity and angular spread;
a computer-controlled reticle at the object plane adapted to modulate the electromagnetic radiation at a multitude of pixels in accordance to an input pattern description; and
a projection system to project an image of said reticle onto a work piece with essentially uniform intensity across the work piece and with a path of the electromagnetic radiation that is essentially normal to a surface of the work piece. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. An apparatus (100) for patterning a work piece (60) arranged at an image plane and sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, comprising:
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a source (10) for emitting a beam of electromagnetic radiation, a beam conditioner unit illuminating an object plane, said unit having an illuminator stop (700) defining the angular spread of the illumination radiation, a computer controlled reticle at the object plane adapted to modulating the properties of the radiation at each of a multitude of pixels in accordance to an input pattern description, and a projection system for creating a projected image of said reticle onto a work piece, said system having a spatial filter (70) stop, wherein the illuminator stop and the spatial filter stop define exit pupils which are essentially concentric. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62)
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63. An apparatus (100) for patterning a work piece (60) arranged at an image plane and sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, comprising:
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a source (10) emitting electromagnetic radiation, illuminating an object plane;
a computer-controlled reticle at the object plane adapted to modulate the electromagnetic radiation at a multitude of pixels in accordance to an input pattern;
a projection system adapted to project an image of said reticle onto a work piece with a predetermined demagnification, said demagnification being adjustable. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. A method for patterning a work piece arranged at an image plane and sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, comprising the actions of:
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emitting electromagnetic radiation from a source;
conditioning the electromagnetic radiation to have essentially parallel cones of radiation as it impinges on a beamsplitter;
relaying the conditioned electromagnetic radiation from or through the beamsplitter onto a computer-controlled reticle at an object plane;
relaying and diffracting said conditioned electromagnetic radiation from the computer-controlled reticle towards said work piece;
filtering in a Fourier space the relayed and diffracted electromagnetic radiation;
transforming the relayed and diffracted electromagnetic radiation to have essentially parallel central axes of cones of radiation when it impinges on the work piece.
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Specification