Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and device manufacturing method

• US 7,573,052 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Kiuchi, Tohru, Inoue, Hideya
• Primary Examiner(s): Wells; Nikita
• Application Number:
  US12/120,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20080210888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 250/492.22, 250/492.2, 250/492.1, 250/372, 430/313, 430/323, 438/531, 438/669, 438/975
• US Class Current: 250/492.22
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70225 Optical aspects of catadioptric systems, i.e. comprising reflective and refractive elements
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70441 Optical proximity correction [OPC]
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70525 Controlling normal operating mode, e.g. matching different apparatus, remote control or prediction of failure
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70625 Dimensions, e.g. line width, critical dimension [CD], profile, sidewall angle or edge roughness
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7085 Detection arrangement, e.g. detectors of apparatus alignment possibly mounted on wafers, exposure dose, photo-cleaning flux, stray light, thermal load
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/975 Substrate or mask aligning feature

Abstract

A pattern image generation device generates a pattern image, and at least a part of the pattern image which has been generated or the pattern image which is generated and is formed on an object is photoelectrically detected by a detection system. Then, a correction device corrects design data that should be input to the pattern image generation device based on the detection results. Accordingly, a pattern image is generated on an object by the pattern image generation device corresponding to the input of the design data after the correction, and because the object is exposed using the pattern image, a desired pattern is formed on the object with good precision.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus that exposes an object with a pattern image, the apparatus comprising:

a pattern image generation device which generates a pattern image corresponding to an input of a design data;

a detection system which photoelectrically detects at least a part of the pattern image that has been generated or image generated and formed on the object; and

a correction device which corrects the design data that should be input to the pattern image generation device based on results of the detection, wherein the pattern image generation device generates the pattern image via a variable shaped mask that spatially modulates at least one of an amplitude, a phase, and a state of polarization of light according to the input of the design data.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the correction device corrects the design data that should be input to the pattern image generation device each time the pattern image is detected, according to the detection results.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the correction device corrects the design data that should be input to the pattern image generation device when the quality of the pattern image varies from a predetermined specification.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3 wherein

the quality of the pattern image includes an absolute value of a line width error of the pattern image.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the pattern image generation device includes an optical system which forms an image of the pattern generated in the variable shaped mask on the object.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5 wherein

the variable shaped mask is a reflection type variable shaped mask, and

the optical system is a catodioptric system which is telecentric on the image side, including an optical element that makes a swing angle of the light reflected by the variable shaped mask to an optical axis of the optical system approximately zero.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5 wherein

the variable shaped mask is a reflection type variable shaped mask, and

the optical system is a catodioptric system which is telecentric on both sides, including a beam splitter through which light before being incident on the variable shaped mask and light reflected by the variable shaped mask pass, respectively.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the detection system includes an aerial image detector which has at least a part of the detector arranged in a movable body and outputs a signal corresponding to the light intensity distribution of the pattern image generated by the pattern image generation device.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the detection system includes a detector by an image processing method which outputs an imaging signal of the pattern image formed on the object that has been picked up.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the correction device corrects the design data so that at least the size of a part of the pattern image is changed.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the pattern image generated by the pattern image generation device is an image of a pattern having an auxiliary pattern used in optical proximity correction, and the correction device corrects the design data so that at least one of the size and the position of the auxiliary pattern is changed.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

the correction device corrects an exposure condition of the object according to the detection results.

13. A device manufacturing method including a lithography process in which an object is exposed using the exposure apparatus according to claim 1.

14. An exposure apparatus that exposes an object with a pattern image, the apparatus comprising:

a pattern image generation device which generates a pattern image via a variable shaped mask that spatially modulates at least one of an amplitude, a phase, and a state of polarization of light according to the input of design data;

a detection system which photoelectrically detects at least a part of the pattern image that has been generated or generated and formed on the object; and

a controller which detects an operation state of the variable shaped mask based on the detection results.

15. A device manufacturing method including a lithography process in which an object is exposed using the exposure apparatus according to claim 14.

16. An exposure method in which an object is exposed with a pattern image generated according to an input of design data, the method comprising:

detecting a pattern image generated corresponding to the design data or which is generated corresponding to the design data and is formed on the object and correcting the design data according to results of the detection, and

using the corrected design data to generate a pattern image at the time of exposure of the object, wherein the pattern image is generated via a variable shaped mask that spatially modulates at least one of an amplitude, a phase, and a state of polarization of light according to the input of the design data.

17. The exposure method according to claim 16 wherein

when the quality of the pattern image varies from a predetermined specification, the design data is corrected.

18. The exposure method according to claim 16 wherein

the pattern image is generated via the variable shaped mask and a projection system.

19. The exposure method according to claim 18 wherein

at least a part of the pattern image that has been generated on an image plane of the projection system is photoelectrically detected.

20. The exposure method according to claim 16 wherein

an exposure condition of the object is corrected according to the detection results.

21. A device manufacturing method including a lithography process in which an object is exposed using the exposure method according to claim 16.

22. An exposure method in which an object is exposed with a pattern image, the method comprising:

detecting a pattern image generated via a variable shaped mask or which is so generated and is formed on the object according to the input of design data, and

detecting an operation state of the variable shaped mask based on results of the detection.

23. The exposure method according to claim 22 wherein

the design data is corrected based on the detection results, and at the time of exposure of the object, the corrected design data is used to generate a pattern image.

24. A device manufacturing method including a lithography process in which an object is exposed using the exposure method according to claim 22.