Controller for optical device, exposure method and apparatus, and method for manufacturing device

• US 8,792,081 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2008
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Owa, Soichi
• Primary Examiner(s): CHACKO DAVIS, DABORAH
• Application Number:
  US12/266,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20090117494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,091 Days
• Field of Search: 355/67, 355/71, 250/205
• US Class Current: 355/67
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/20 Exposure; Apparatus therefor photographic printing apparatus for making copies G03B27/00
• 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 7/70116 Off-axis setting using a programmable means, e.g. liquid crystal display [LCD], digital micromirror device [DMD] or pupil facets
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70141 Illumination system adjustment, e.g. adjustments during exposure or alignment during assembly of illumination system
• 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
• 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

Abstract

An exposure method for exposing a mask pattern, which includes plural types of patterns, with a high throughput and optimal illumination conditions for each type of pattern. The method includes guiding light from a first spatial light modulator illuminated with pulse lights of illumination light to a second spatial light modulator and exposing a wafer with light from the second spatial light modulator, accompanied by: controlling a conversion state of the second spatial light modulator including a plurality of second mirror elements; and controlling a conversion state of the first spatial light modulator including a plurality of first mirror elements to control intensity distribution of the illumination light on a predetermined plane between the first spatial light modulator and the second spatial light modulator.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus for illuminating an irradiated plane with a plurality of pulse lights and exposing an object arranged on an object plane with the plurality of pulse lights from the irradiated plane, the exposure apparatus comprising:

an illumination optical system including;

a first optical device including a plurality of first optical elements arranged on a first plane upstream of the irradiated plane in an optical path of the pulse lights;

a first plurality of optical components disposed to distribute on a pupil plane the pulse lights travelling via the first optical device; and

a second plurality of optical components disposed to illuminate the irradiated plane with the pulse lights from the pupil plane;

a second optical device including a plurality of second optical elements that are arranged on the irradiated plane or a plane near the irradiated plane;

a projection optical system that is arranged between the irradiated plane and the object plane and guides the pulse lights travelling via the second optical device to the object; and

an illumination controller which controls a conversion state of the first optical device whenever a predetermined number of pulse lights are emitted.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination controller controls the conversion state of the first optical device in accordance with a pattern that is to be formed on the object.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination controller controls the conversion state of the first optical device to control intensity distribution of the pulse lights on a predetermined plane between the first optical device and the second optical device.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined plane is an illumination pupil plane of the illumination optical system or a plane conjugated with the illumination pupil plane.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the illumination controller varies the intensity distribution of the pulse lights on the predetermined plane with the first optical device to control an incident angle and incident direction of the pulse lights entering the second optical device.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination controller controls a conversion state of the second optical device and controls the conversion state of the first optical device in accordance with the conversion state of the second optical device.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination controller controls the conversion state of the second optical device in accordance with a pattern that is to be formed on the object.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination controller controls a conversion state of the second optical device and switches the conversion state of the second optical device whenever a second predetermined number of the pulse lights is emitted.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a stage which scans the object in a predetermined direction relative to the second optical device,

wherein the illumination controller controls a conversion state of the second optical device in accordance with the scanning of the object in the predetermined direction performed by the stage.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a stage which step-moves the object in two intersecting directions relative to the second optical device,

wherein the illumination controller controls a conversion state of the second optical device and exposes the object with light from the second optical device directed toward the object whenever the object is step-moved by the stage.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination controller controls the conversion state of the first optical device in accordance with the pitch and direction of a pattern that is to be formed on the object.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the illumination controller controls the conversion state of the second optical device in accordance with the pitch and direction of a pattern that is to be formed on the object.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination controller controls an incident angle and incident direction of the pulse lights entering the second optical device in accordance with the pitch and direction of a pattern that is to be formed on the object.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first optical elements and/or the second optical elements are reflective elements.

15. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the illumination controller controls a conversion state of the second optical device and wherein the second optical device sets a reflection surface of each of the second optical elements in either one of a state in which reflection light from the reflection surface enters the object and a state in which the reflection light does not enter the object.

16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the first optical device adjusts an inclination angle of a reflection surface of each of the second optical elements to a set angle about at least one axis within a variable range.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first optical elements and/or the second optical elements are transmissive elements.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first optical elements and/or the second optical elements are phase elements.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plane on which the second optical elements of the second optical device are arranged is generally parallel to the object plane.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first optical member which is arranged between the second optical device and the first optical device and which has the pulse lights orthogonally enter the second optical elements of the second optical device.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the first optical member includes a polarization beam splitter.

22. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first plurality of optical components includes:

an optical integrator which uniformly illuminates the second optical device with light from the first optical device illuminated by the pulse lights.

23. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a light source which emits the pulse lights.

24. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a solid laser light source which emits the pulse lights.

25. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the projection optical system includes an aperture stop, and

the pupil plane is a location optically conjugated with the aperture stop.

26. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination controller varies a conversion state of the first optical device to change intensity distribution of the pulse lights on the pupil plane.

27. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination controller varies states of the plurality of first optical elements of the first optical device independently from one another.

28. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first optical device divides the pulse lights entering the first optical device by the plurality of the first optical elements.

29. The exposure apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the divided pulse lights from the plurality of the first optical elements of the first optical device are deflected in predetermined directions and predetermined angles.

30. The exposure apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the first plurality of optical components guides the lights deflected in the predetermined directions and the predetermined angles to locations that are in accordance with the predetermined directions and the predetermined angles.

31. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first optical device provides an angular distribution to light entering the first optical device.

32. The exposure apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the first plurality of optical components guides the light having the angular distribution to the pupil plane in accordance with the angular distribution.

33. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination controller controls the conversion state of the first optical device based on illumination information received by the illumination controller.

34. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second optical elements are smaller than the first optical elements.