Lithographic apparatus, method for levelling an object, and lithographic projection method
First Claim
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1. A lithographic apparatus configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a substrate, comprising:
- a support configured to hold a patterned object;
a measurement system configured to detect orientations or densities or both the orientations and densities of user area structures that are present on a user area of the patterned object;
a levelling information system configured to generate levelling information by utilizing the detected orientations or densities or both the orientations and densities of the user area structures; and
a levelling system configured to position a level of the patterned object based on the levelling information.
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Abstract
A lithographic apparatus configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a substrate. The apparatus includes a support configured to hold a patterned object, and a measurement system configured to detect orientations and/or densities of user area structures that are present on a user area of the patterned object.
10 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A lithographic apparatus configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a substrate, comprising:
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a support configured to hold a patterned object; a measurement system configured to detect orientations or densities or both the orientations and densities of user area structures that are present on a user area of the patterned object; a levelling information system configured to generate levelling information by utilizing the detected orientations or densities or both the orientations and densities of the user area structures; and a levelling system configured to position a level of the patterned object based on the levelling information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A lithographic apparatus configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a substrate, comprising:
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a support configured to hold a patterned object, the patterned object having a patterned user area; a levelling information system configured to provide levelling information that is based on orientations or densities or both the orientations and densities of user area structures present on the user area of the patterned object; and a levelling system configured to receive the levelling information from the levelling information system, and to use the received levelling information for levelling the patterned object.
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11. A method for levelling a patterned object, comprising:
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detecting an orientation or density or both the orientation and density of one or more user area structures present on a user area of the patterned object; generating levelling information based on the detected orientation or density or both the orientation and density of the structures; and levelling the patterned object by utilizing the levelling information. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A lithographic projection method, including:
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providing a radiation beam of radiation having a first wavelength; providing a patterning device containing a user area having a pattern of structures, the structures having a first reflectivity for the radiation and user area parts extending outside the structures having a second reflectivity for the radiation, the second reflectivity being different from the first reflectivity; directing the radiation beam onto the user area of the patterning device to impart the pattern of the user area to the radiation beam; projecting the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate with a projection system; and levelling of at least one of the patterning device and the substrate with respect to the projection system, so that an object plane provided by the patterning device is projected in focus by the projection system onto the substrate, wherein the levelling comprises utilizing a predetermined relation between one or both of orientations and local densities of surface structures and the effect of the one or both of the surface structure orientations and densities on reflection of different polarization parts of incoming radiation.
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Specification