Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

• US 7,697,116 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2006
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Van Greevenbroek, Hendrikus Robertus Marie, Dierichs, Marcel Mathijs Theodore Marie, Van Der Laan, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Hung Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITESELL GORDON, STEVEN H
• Application Number:
  US11/636,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20070115449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 355/53, 355/67, 355/71, 250/492.1, 250/492.2
• US Class Current: 355/71
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70075 Homogenization of illumination intensity in the mask plane by using an integrator, e.g. fly's eye lens, facet mirror or glass rod, by using a diffusing optical element or by beam deflection
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70091 Illumination settings, i.e. intensity distribution in the pupil plane or angular distribution in the field plane; On-axis or off-axis settings, e.g. annular, dipole or quadrupole settings; Partial coherence control, i.e. sigma or numerical aperture [NA]
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70108 Off-axis setting using a light-guiding element, e.g. diffractive optical elements [DOEs] or light guides
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70191 Optical correction elements, filters or phase plates for controlling intensity, wavelength, polarisation, phase or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/702 Reflective illumination, i.e. reflective optical elements other than folding mirrors, e.g. extreme ultraviolet [EUV] illumination systems

Abstract

A lithographic apparatus includes a device having a blade selectively insertable into the beam. The device is in a first plane intermediate a second plane conjugate to a plane of the substrate and a third plane conjugate to a pupil plane of the projection system. The blade may include a partially opaque blade and a solid blade or have a predetermined transmissibility pattern. The transmissibility may vary in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in which the substrate and the patterning device are movable. In an illumination system including a field faceted mirror and a pupil faceted mirror, a reflecting blade is selectively insertable into the beam to reflect a portion of the beam to a beam dump that may be cooled to reduce a heat load. The reflecting element may have a coating that scatters the portion of radiation or changes the phase.

Claims

1. A lithographic projection apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system configured to condition a beam of radiation from a radiation source;

a support structure configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device configured to pattern the beam of radiation according to a desired pattern;

a substrate table configured to hold a substrate;

a projection system configured to project the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of the substrate; and

a device positioned in a first plane intermediate a second plane conjugate to a plane of the substrate and a third plane conjugate to a pupil plane of the projection system, the first plane located between the radiation source and the support structure, and the device comprising a blade selectively insertable into the beam of radiation, wherein the blade includes a solid blade and a partially opaque blade, wherein the partially opaque blade comprises a grid of rods, bars or wires.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device includes a plurality of partially opaque blades, each partially opaque blade having a different blocking ratio.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the blade has a predetermined transmissibility pattern.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the blade is insertable into the beam of radiation in a first direction in which the support structure and the substrate table are movable with respect to each other and the transmissibility of the blade varies in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the illumination system includes a field faceted mirror and a pupil faceted mirror in order along a direction of propagation of the beam of radiation and the device is positioned between the pupil faceted mirror and the support structure.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a reflective blade selectively insertable into the beam of radiation in front of a facet of the field faceted mirror, the pupil faceted mirror, or both the field faceted mirror and the pupil faceted mirror, to reflect a portion of the beam of radiation to a beam dump.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the reflective blade includes a coating configured to scatter the portion of the beam of radiation or change a phase of the portion of the beam of radiation.

8. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

using a patterning device to endow a beam of radiation from a radiation source with a pattern in its cross-section;

projecting the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of a layer of radiation-sensitive material at least partially covering a substrate using a projection system; and

selectively inserting a blade of a plurality of blades into the beam of radiation in a first plane intermediate a second plane conjugate to a plane of the substrate and a third plane conjugate to a pupil plane of the projection system, the first plane located between the radiation source and the patterning device, wherein the blade includes a solid blade and a partially opaque blade, wherein the partially opaque blade comprises a arid of rods, bars or wires.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the device includes a plurality of partially opaque blades, each of the partially opaque blades having a different blocking ratio.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein each blade has a predetermined transmissibility pattern.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the blades are insertable into the beam of radiation in a first direction in which the patterning device and the substrate are movable with respect to each other and the transmissibility of the blades varies in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising propagating the beam of radiation using a field faceted mirror and a pupil faceted mirror in order along a direction of propagation of the beam of radiation and selectively inserting the blade of the plurality of blades between the pupil faceted mirror and the patterning device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising selectively inserting a plurality of reflective blades into the beam of radiation in front of a facet of the field faceted mirror, the pupil faceted mirror, or both the field faceted mirror and the pupil faceted mirror, to reflect a portion of the beam of radiation to a beam dump.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the reflective blades include a coating configured to scatter the portion of the beam of radiation or change a phase of the portion of the beam of radiation.

15. A lithographic projection apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system having a plurality of mirrors;

a support configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device configured to pattern the beam of radiation according to a desired pattern;

a substrate table configured to hold a substrate;

a projection system configured to project the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of the substrate, the projection system having a plurality of mirrors; and

a reflective blade selectively insertable into the beam of radiation in front of at least one of the plurality of mirrors to reflect a portion of the beam of radiation to a beam dump.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the reflective blade includes a coating configured to scatter the portion of the beam of radiation or change a phase of the portion of the beam of radiation.