Lithographic projection apparatus and a device manufacturing method

• US 7,511,799 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2006
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Wardenier, Peter Hanzen, De Klerk, Johannes Wilhelmus, Tel, Wim Tjibbo
• Primary Examiner(s): Mathews; Alan A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Owens; Danell L
• Application Number:
  US11/340,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20070177123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 430/313, 702/117, 355/71, 355/65, 355/53
• US Class Current: 355/71
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/42 for automatic sequential copying of the same original G03B27/34, G03B27/53 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/72 Controlling or varying light intensity, spectral composition, or exposure time in photographic printing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/701 Off-axis setting using an aperture
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70308 Optical correction elements, filters or phase plates for manipulating imaging light, e.g. intensity, wavelength, polarisation, phase or image shift
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/706 Aberration measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70891 Temperature

Abstract

A lithographic apparatus wherein a dipole illumination mode used for printing a line pattern, is arranged to provide quadrupole illumination. Radiation emanating from the two additional poles and passing the mask pattern without being affected by diffraction is prevented from reaching the wafer by a radiation blocking aperture disposed in the projection system. Astigmatism aberration due to lens heating associated with the dipole illumination mode is reduced by lens heating associated with the additional poles of the quadrupole illumination mode.

Claims

1. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

an illumination system configured to illuminate a mask pattern with radiation from an intensity distribution in a pupil, said pupil having four quadrants defined by two axes that intersect one another in a center of the pupil, said intensity distribution having a first pole located in one of said quadrants, a second pole located in one of said quadrants opposite to the quadrant in which said first pole is located, a third pole located in one of the quadrants that contains neither of said first or second poles, and a fourth pole located in the quadrant located opposite to the quadrant in which said third pole is located, each of said first, second, third, and fourth poles having an enhanced intensity with respect to an intensity surrounding said poles, and

a projection system configured to project an image of the mask pattern, formed by diffracted beams produced from the pattern by radiation from the intensity distribution, onto a photoresist layer coated on a substrate, wherein the projection system comprises an aperture device arranged to transmit zeroth order diffracted beams associated with the first and second poles, and to block zeroth order diffracted beams associated with the third and fourth poles.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein relative to the center of the pupil, a minimum radial extent of the third and fourth poles is larger than or equal to a maximum radial extent of the first and second poles.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said first, second, third and fourth poles are arranged so that:

σ

_2min has a value in the range of 0.7 to 0.9 unit, and

σ

_1max has a value in the range of 0.6 to 0.83 unit,

where the radius of the pupil is equal to 1 unit, and

σ

_2min is the shortest radial distance from the center of the pupil to the third and fourth poles, and

σ

_1max is the farthest radial distance the first and second poles extend away from the center of the pupil.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the aperture device comprises one of an iris diaphragm, an adjustable iris diaphragm, and an optical element comprising a spatial distribution of radiation absorbing sub-elements arranged to block zeroth order diffracted beams associated with the third and fourth poles.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a radiation source arranged to provide the radiation to the illumination system, is capable of providing in the pupil a preselected integrated intensity higher than a target integrated intensity for printing the pattern, and wherein an integrated intensity of the third and fourth poles is arranged as a portion of the preselected integrated intensity, said portion being complementary to the target integrated intensity.

6. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a radiation source arranged to provide the radiation to the illumination system, is capable of providing in the pupil a pre-selected integrated intensity higher than a target integrated intensity for printing the pattern, and wherein the ratio of the integrated intensity of the third and fourth poles to the integrated intensity of the first and second poles is arranged to have a value between 1.1 and 2 or between 0.5 and 0.9.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a radiation source arranged to provide the radiation to the illumination system, is capable of providing in the pupil a preselected integrated intensity higher than a target integrated intensity for printing the pattern, and wherein an integrated intensity of the third and fourth poles is arranged as a portion of the preselected integrated intensity, said portion being complementary to the target integrated intensity.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a radiation source arranged to provide the radiation to the illumination system, is capable of providing in the pupil a pre-selected integrated intensity higher than a target integrated intensity for printing the pattern, and

wherein the ratio of the integrated intensity of the third and fourth poles to the integrated intensity of the first and second poles is arranged to have a value between 1.1 and 2 or between 0.5 and 0.9.

9. A device manufacturing method of using a lithographic projection apparatus for exposing a substrate, comprising:

illuminating a mask pattern with radiation from an intensity distribution in a pupil, said pupil having four quadrants defined by two axes that intersect one another in a center of the pupil, said intensity distribution having a first pole located in one of said quadrants, a second pole located in one of said quadrants opposite to the quadrant in which said first pole is located, a third pole located in one of the quadrants that contains neither of said first or second poles, and a fourth pole located in the quadrant located opposite to the quadrant in which said third pole is located, each of said first, second, third, and fourth poles having an enhanced intensity with respect to an intensity surrounding said poles; and

projecting an image of the mask pattern, formed by diffracted beams produced from the pattern by radiation from the intensity distribution, onto a photoresist layer coated on a substrate,

wherein said projecting comprises transmitting zeroth order diffracted beams associated with the first and second poles, and blocking zeroth order diffracted beams associated with the third and fourth poles.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein relative to the center a minimum radial extent of the third and fourth poles is larger than or equal to a maximum radial extent of the first and second poles.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein said blocking of radiation is one of partially transmitting, diffracting, reflecting, and partially reflecting, absorbing and partially absorbing radiation.