Measurement apparatus and method

• US 7,916,310 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Klarenbeek, Eduard Martinus
• Primary Examiner(s): Toatley; Gregory J
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALLI, IYABO
• Application Number:
  US12/869,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20100315615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 215 Days
• Field of Search: 356/121, 356/614, 356399-401, 356490-511, 365/42, 365/47, 365/67, 365/53, 365/72
• US Class Current: 356/614
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/04 Optical or mechanical part supplementary adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0414 using plane or convex mirrors, parallel phase plates, or plane beam-splitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4228 arrangements with two or more detectors, e.g. for sensitivity compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70116 Off-axis setting using a programmable means, e.g. liquid crystal display [LCD], digital micromirror device [DMD] or pupil facets
• 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: G03F 7/70891 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence

Abstract

A measurement apparatus disclosed that has a radiation source configured to provide a measurement beam of radiation such that an individually controllable element of an array of individually controllable elements capable of modulating a beam of radiation, is illuminated by the measurement beam and redirects the measurement beam, and a detector arranged to receive the redirected measurement beam and determine the position at which the redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector, the position at which the redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector being indicative of a characteristic of the individually controllable element.

Claims

1. A measurement apparatus comprising:

a radiation output configured to provide a measurement beam of radiation such that an individually controllable element of an array of individually controllable elements capable of modulating a beam of radiation, is illuminated by the measurement beam and redirects the measurement beam; and

a detector arranged to receive the redirected measurement beam and determine tilt of the individually controllable element from the redirected measurement beam.

2. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector is positioned out of a focal plane of the redirected measurement beam.

3. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector comprises an image sensor comprising an array of pixel elements, each pixel element arranged to provide an output signal indicative of received radiation.

4. The measurement apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the outputs of groups of pixel elements are grouped and the redirected measurement beam illuminates at least two pixel elements or groups of pixel elements.

5. The measurement apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the detector is arranged to measure a proportion of radiation received by each pixel element or group of pixel elements from the redirected measurement beam in order to determine a position at which the redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector.

6. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a separate measurement system arranged to receive the beam of radiation and determine tilt of the individually controllable element in order to calibrate the determination of tilt of the individually controllable element by the detector.

7. The measurement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of radiation sources configured to provide a plurality of measurement beams of radiation and arranged such that a plurality of individually controllable elements are illuminated with separate measurement beams and redirect a plurality of respective redirected measurement beams, the detector being arranged to receive the redirected measurement beams and determine tilt of each of the plurality of individually controllable elements from the redirected measurement beams.

8. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:

an array of individually controllable elements capable of modulating a beam of radiation;

a measurement apparatus comprising;

a radiation output configured to provide a measurement beam of radiation to an individually controllable element of the array of individually controllable elements, and

a detector arranged to receive the measurement beam as redirected by the individually controllable element and to determine tilt of the individually controllable element from the redirected measurement beam; and

a projection system arranged to project the modulated beam of radiation onto a radiation-sensitive target portion of a substrate.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the array of individually controllable elements comprises a programmable mirror array comprising a plurality of mirror elements each arranged to tilt in order to alter the direction in which they reflect the beam of radiation and the measurement beam.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the measurement apparatus is further arranged to use the determined tilt to alter a control signal provided to the individually controllable element in order to correct tilt of the individually controllable element.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the measurement beam and the redirected measurement beam travel along beam paths that are not coincident with the beam path of the beam of radiation.

12. A method comprising:

illuminating, with a measurement beam of radiation, an individually controllable element of an array of individually controllable elements, the array being capable of modulating a beam of radiation, the illuminating being such that the individually controllable element redirects the measurement beam of radiation;

receiving the redirected measurement beam at a detector; and

determining tilt of the individually controllable element from the redirected measurement beam.

13. The method according to claim 12, comprising receiving the redirected measurement at the detector out of a focal plane of the redirected measurement beam.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the detector comprises an image sensor comprising an array of pixel elements, each pixel element arranged to provide an output signal indicative of received radiation.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the outputs of groups of pixel elements are grouped and comprising illuminating at least two pixel elements or groups of pixel elements with the redirected measurement beam.

16. The method according to claim 15, comprising measuring a proportion of radiation received by each pixel element or group of pixel elements from the redirected measurement beam in order to determine a position at which the redirected measurement beam is incident upon the detector.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising calibrating the determination of tilt of the individually controllable element by the detector using a separate measurement system arranged to receive the beam of radiation and determine tilt of the individually controllable element.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising using the determined tilt to alter a control signal provided to the individually controllable element in order to correct the tilt of the individually controllable element.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the measurement beam and the redirected measurement beam travel along beam paths that are not coincident with the beam path of the beam of radiation.

20. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

modulating the beam of radiation using the array of individually controllable elements; and

projecting the modulated beam of radiation onto a radiation-sensitive target portion of a substrate.