Microactuator, optical device and exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

• US 8,570,632 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Owa, Soichi, Suzuki, Junji
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D
• Application Number:
  US13/085,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20110187810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 359/212.1, 359/224.1, 359/295, 359/846, 359/849, 359/900, 359/221.2, 355/67, 355/77, 378/34, 378/35
• US Class Current: 359/212.1
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/042 Micromirrors, not used as optical switches
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/053 Translation according to an axis perpendicular to the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/058 Rotation out of a plane parallel to the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0051 For defining the movement, i.e. structures that guide or limit the movement of an element mechanical arrangements for preventing or damping vibration or shock H01H3/60
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/001 based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• 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 7/70825 Mounting of individual elements, e.g. mounts, holders or supports workpiece or mask holders G03F7/707
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 359/90 Methods

Abstract

A pair of support members each having a spring section in a part thereof support a mirror element, and a pair of drive mechanisms arranged respectively corresponding to a pair of the support members transform the spring sections of the corresponding support members, thereby changing a distance between each of support points at which the support members support the mirror element and a base. Accordingly, the mirror element can be translated by driving all of the drive mechanisms, or the mirror element can be inclined with respect to the base by driving some of the drive mechanisms.

Claims

1. A microactuator that drives a driven body, the microactuator comprising:

a support member having

a pair of elastic sections,

a coupling section that couples the elastic sections, and

a connecting section that connects the coupling section and the driven body together; and

a pair of drive mechanisms that are arranged respectively corresponding to the pair of the elastic sections, wherein each drive mechanism of the pair of the drive mechanisms transforms the corresponding elastic section to thereby change at least one of an attitude and an altitude of the driven body,

wherein the connecting section is a single connecting section that connects the coupling section and the driven body together so that the driven body is supported at only one point.

2. An optical device, comprising:

an optical element; and

the microactuator according to claim 1 that drives the optical element serving as the driven body.

3. The optical device according to claim 2, wherein

a plurality of the optical elements and a plurality of the microactuators are provided.

4. The optical device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of the optical elements are placed in an array shape.

5. The optical device according to claim 2, wherein the optical element is a mirror element having a reflection surface.

6. The optical device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a controller that drives and controls at least one of the drive mechanisms.

7. The optical device according to claim 6, wherein

the optical element is a mirror element having a reflection surface, and

the controller switches a state of the reflection surface between a first ON state where the reflection surface is positioned on a first plane that is parallel to a predetermined reference plane and is a first predetermined distance away from the reference plane, a second ON state where the reflection surface is positioned on a second plane that is parallel to the reference plane and is a second predetermined distance away from the reference plane, and an OFF state where the reflection surface is inclined with respect to the reference plane, the second predetermined distance being different from the first predetermined distance.

8. An exposure apparatus that exposes an object, the apparatus comprising:

the optical device according to claim 7 that generates a predetermined pattern by being irradiated with an illumination light, wherein

the optical element is included in an array of optical elements, and

a phase of the illumination light via the optical element in the first ON state and a phase of the illumination light via a different optical element included in the array in the second ON state shift from each other by a half wavelength.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a movable body that moves holding the object, wherein

the controller controls each of the drive mechanisms in synchronization with movement of the movable body in a predetermined direction.

10. A device manufacturing method including a lithography process, wherein the lithography process comprises performing exposure using the exposure apparatus according to claim 8.

11. An exposure apparatus that exposes an object using an illumination light, the apparatus comprising:

the optical device according to claim 6 that is placed on an optical path of the illumination light, wherein the object is exposed using the illumination light via the optical device.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the optical device generates a predetermined pattern by being irradiated with the illumination light.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a movable body that moves holding the object, wherein the controller controls each of the drive mechanisms in synchronization with movement of the movable body in a predetermined direction.

14. A device manufacturing method including a lithography process, wherein the lithography process includes performing exposure using the exposure apparatus according to claim 11.

15. The microactuator according to claim 1, wherein the driven body is a mirror element.