Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method utilizing placement of a patterning device at a pupil plane

• US 7,423,732 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2005
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ASML Holding NV
• Original Assignee: ASML Holding NV
• Inventors: Latypov, Azat M., Lipson, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/194,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20060092396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 355/53, 355/55, 355 67- 71, 355 72- 76, 250/548, 356399-401, 430/311, 310/10, 310/12, 378/34, 378/35, 361/234
• US Class Current: 355/72
• 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 lithography system comprises an illumination system that supplies radiation and a projection system comprising an optical system and a patterning device located at a pupil plane. The patterning device patterns the radiation and the optical system projects the patterned radiation onto a target portion of a substrate. In one example, an additional patterning device is located at an object plane of the lithography system and patterns the radiation before the patterning device at the pupil plane.

Claims

1. A lithography system, comprising:

an illumination system that supplies radiation; and

a projection system having a patterning device located at a pupil plane of the projection system,

wherein the patterning device patterns the radiation to form an image of an object plane without using a patterning device at the object plane, and

wherein the projection system projects the patterned radiation onto a target portion of a substrate.

2. The lithography system of claim 1, further comprising:

a field stop located at an intermediate image plane, wherein the field stop blocks at least a portion of the patterned radiation.

3. The lithography system of claim 1, wherein the illumination system comprises:

an extended illumination source that provides the radiation; and

an aperture through which the radiation is passed, wherein the radiation passed through the aperture is incident on the pupil plane.

4. The lithography system of claim 1, wherein the patterning device comprises:

individually controllable elements, each individually controllable element comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD) cell disposed upon a pistoning mirror.

5. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

(a) patterning radiation with a patterning device positioned at a pupil plane to form an image of an object plane without using a patterning device at the object plane; and

(b) projecting the patterned radiation onto a target portion of a substrate.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein step (a) further comprises:

filtering out a portion of the patterned radiation with a field stop disposed in an intermediate image plane.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein step (a) further comprises:

passing radiation from an extended source through an aperture to illuminate the patterning device.

8. A lithography system, comprising:

an illumination system that supplies radiation; and

a projection system having a patterning device located at a pupil plane of the projection system,

wherein the patterning device patterns the radiation to form an image of an object plane without using a patterning device at the object plane,

wherein the projection system projects the patterned radiation onto a target portion of a substrate,

wherein the patterning device comprises,

individually controllable elements; and

a controller that (i) displaces a first subset of the individually controllable elements away from an axis of the patterning device thereby modulating a phase of the radiation, and (ii) displaces a second subset of the individually controllable elements with respect to a third subset of the individually controllable elements causing diffracted radiation from the second subset of the individually controllable elements to interfere with diffracted radiation from the third subset of individually controllable elements thereby modulating an amplitude of the radiation.

9. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

(a) patterning radiation with a patterning device positioned at a pupil plane to form an image of an object plane without using a patterning device at the object plane; and

(b) projecting the patterned radiation onto a target portion of a substrate,

wherein the patterning device comprises individually controllable elements, and the patterning comprises;

displacing a first subset of the individually controllable elements away from an axis of the patterning device thereby modulating a phase of the radiation; and

displacing a second subset of the individually controllable elements with respect to a third subset of the individually controllable elements causing diffracted radiation from the second subset of the individually controllable elements to interfere with diffracted radiation from the third subset of individually controllable elements thereby modulating an amplitude of the radiation.