Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

• US 7,016,014 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: de Jager, Pieter Willem Herman
• Primary Examiner(s): Mathews, Alan
• Application Number:
  US10/788,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20050190354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 355/53, 355/67, 355/71, 355/77, 359/224, 359/290, 359/291, 359/572, 359/292
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70283 Mask effects on the imaging process
• 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

A diffractive optical MEMS device includes a plurality of parallel planar reflective surfaces and an actuator system. The actuator system is used to adjust the position of each of the planar reflectors in a direction perpendicular to the planar reflectors to change characteristics (e.g., phase, intensity, etc.) of light interacting with the device.

Claims

1. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system that supplies a beam of radiation;

a patterning array that patterns the beam of radiation, the patterning array including a plurality of individually controllable elements that each include,

a row of substantially parallel planar reflectors, and

an actuator system that moves a position of the reflectors in an actuation direction that is substantially perpendicular to the reflectors,

wherein the actuator system moves a first group of one or more reflectors in the actuation direction to a respective one of a first plurality of distances from a base of the patterning array,

wherein the actuator system moves a second group of one or more reflectors in the actuation direction, independently of the first group, to a respective one of a second plurality of distances from the base;

a plurality of focusing elements corresponding to the plurality of individually controllable elements each one of the focusing elements focusing a portion of the beam onto a respective one of the planar reflectors of an associated one of the individually controllable elements in the patterning array;

a substrate table that supports a substrate; and

a projection system that projects the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate.

2. The lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each focusing element collects the radiation that has one of reflected or diffracted from the associated individually controllable element and directs it into the projection system.

3. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

focusing portions of a beam of light using individual focusing elements in an array of focusing elements onto respective reflectors in an array of individually controllable elements having a row of substantially parallel planar ones of the reflectors;

patterning the beam of light using the array of individually controllable elements and an actuator system that sets the position of the reflectors in an actuation direction substantially perpendicular to the reflectors through

using the actuator system to move a first group of one or more reflectors in the actuation direction to a desired one of a first plurality of distances from a base of the patterning array; and

using the actuator system to move a second group of one or more reflectors in the actuation direction, independently of the first group, to a desired one of a second plurality of distances from the base; and

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