Illumination optical apparatus and projection exposure apparatus

• US 9,146,476 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2013
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Shiraishi, Naomasa
• Primary Examiner(s): RIDDLE, CHRISTINA A
• Application Number:
  US13/890,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20130250268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 355/52, 355/53, 355/55, 355 67- 71, 355/77, 250/492.1, 250/492.2, 250/492.22, 250/548, 430/5, 430/8, 430/22, 430/30, 430/311, 430/312, 362/19, 359/489.01, 359/489.1, 359/489.15, 359/490.01, 359/492.01, 359/494
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/28 for polarising used in stereoscopes G02B30/25
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/286 for controlling or changing the state of polarisation, e.g. transforming one polarisation state into another G02B5/3083 takes precedence; light guide coupling means utilising polarising elements G02B6/34
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3083 Birefringent or phase retarding elements G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence; systems for polarisation control G02B27/286; manufacturing phase modulating patterns by lithographic processes G03F7/001
• 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 7/70341 Details of immersion lithography aspects, e.g. exposure media or control of immersion liquid supply chemical composition of immersion liquids G03F7/2041
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70566 Polarisation control
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70966 Birefringence

Abstract

An illumination optical apparatus and projection exposure apparatus capable of reducing a light quantity loss when a mask is illuminated with a polarized illumination light. An illumination optical system for illuminating a reticle with an illumination light and a projection optical system for projecting the pattern image of the reticle onto a wafer are provided. An illumination light emitted from an exposure light source in a linearly polarized state in the illumination optical system passes through first and second birefringent members having different fast axis directions and is converted into a polarized state that is substantially linearly polarized in a circumferential direction with the optical axis as the center in an almost specific annular area, and them illuminates the reticle under an annular illuminating condition after passing through a fly-eye lens.

Claims

1. An illumination optical apparatus which illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light through a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus, the illumination optical apparatus comprising:

an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light on an incidence side of the pupil plane;

a plurality of birefringent members made of a birefringent material, which are arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator and arranged in order in a direction along an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus so as to change a polarization state of the illumination light; and

a distribution changing member arranged in the optical path between the plurality of birefringent members and the optical integrator so as to change a light quantity distribution of the illumination light on the pupil plane, the light quantity distribution including a light quantity in a first region larger than a light quantity in a second region, the first region being away from the optical axis, the second region including the optical axis, wherein

the plurality of birefringent members change the polarization state of the illumination light entering into the plurality of birefringent members in a substantially single polarization state so that a polarization state of the illumination light in the first region consists primarily of linear polarization of which a polarization direction is substantially coincident with a circumferential direction about the optical axis.

2. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination light from the optical integrator is irradiated onto the pattern through the pupil plane in a polarization state in which a principal component is S-polarized light.

3. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of birefringent members include a first birefringent member and a second birefringent member, the second birefringent member being arranged in the optical path between the first birefringent member and the distribution changing member.

4. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the illumination light from the first birefringent member enters the second birefringent member via no optical element.

5. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a direction of a fast axis of the first birefringent member is different from a direction of a fast axis of the second birefringent member.

6. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the first and second birefringent members is removable relative to the optical path.

7. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the first and second birefringent members is replaceable.

8. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the first and second birefringent members is rotatable about the optical axis.

9. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first region on the pupil plane is an annular region about the optical axis.

10. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first region on the pupil plane comprises a plurality of substantially discrete regions within an annular region about the optical axis.

11. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first region on the pupil plane comprises a plurality of substantially discrete regions which are aligned along a circumference about the optical axis.

12. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of substantially discrete regions on the pupil plane comprise a pair of regions arranged symmetrically with respect to the optical axis.

13. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distribution changing member is configured to change a position of the first region on the pupil plane relative to the optical axis.

14. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a polarization changing member arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the plurality of birefringent members, wherein

the polarization changing member changes a polarization state of the illumination light from a first polarization state, in which a principal component is a substantially single polarization light, into a second polarization state different from the first polarization state.

15. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a principal component of the second polarization state is linearly polarized light polarized in the substantially single direction.

16. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a principal component of the second polarization state is circularly polarized light.

17. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the principal component of the first polarization state is linearly polarized light, circularly polarized light or elliptically polarized light.

18. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the polarization changing member comprises at least one of a half wavelength plate and a quarter wavelength plate.

19. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical integrator comprises a fly'"'"'s eye lens, and a surface of an exit side of the fly'"'"'s eye lens is arranged at a position substantially equivalent to the pupil plane.

20. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical integrator comprises a fly'"'"'s eye lens, and a surface of an exit side of the fly'"'"'s eye lens is substantially coincident with an optical Fourier transform plane with respect to a plane on which the pattern is arranged.

21. An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with light from a pattern on a mask, the exposure apparatus comprising:

a stage which holds the substrate;

the illumination optical apparatus as defined in claim 2 which illuminates the pattern with the light; and

a projection optical system which projects an image of the pattern illuminated with the light onto the substrate held by the stage.

22. The exposure apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the image is projected onto the substrate by the projection optical system through liquid.

23. The exposure apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the illumination light from the optical integrator is irradiated onto the pattern through the pupil plane in a polarization state in which a principal component is S-polarized light.

24. The exposure apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the plurality of birefringent members include a first birefringent member and a second birefringent member, the second birefringent member being arranged in the optical path between the first birefringent member and the distribution changing member.

25. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the illumination light from the first birefringent member enters the second birefringent member via no optical element.

26. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein a direction of a fast axis of the first birefringent member is different from a direction of a fast axis of the second birefringent member.

27. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein at least one of the first and second birefringent members is removable relative to the optical path.

28. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein at least one of the first and second birefringent members is replaceable.

29. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein at least one of the first and second birefringent members is rotatable about the optical axis.

30. The exposure apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the first region on the pupil plane is an annular region about the optical axis.

31. The exposure apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the first region on the pupil plane comprises a plurality of substantially discrete regions within an annular region about the optical axis.

32. The exposure apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the first region on the pupil plane comprises a plurality of substantially discrete regions which are aligned along a circumference about the optical axis.

33. The exposure apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the plurality of substantially discrete regions on the pupil plane comprise a pair of regions arranged symmetrically with respect to the optical axis.

34. The exposure apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the distribution changing member is configured to change a position of the first region on the pupil plane relative to the optical axis.

35. The exposure apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a polarization changing member arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the plurality of birefringent members, wherein

the polarization changing member changes a polarization state of the illumination light from a first polarization state, in which a principal component is a substantially single polarization light, into a second polarization state different from the first polarization state.

36. The exposure apparatus according to claim 35, wherein a principal component of the second polarization state is linearly polarized light polarized in the substantially single direction.

37. The exposure apparatus according to claim 35, wherein a principal component of the second polarization state is circularly polarized light.

38. The exposure apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the principal component of the first polarization state is linearly polarized light, circularly polarized light or elliptically polarized light.

39. The exposure apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the polarization changing member comprises at least one of a half wavelength plate and a quarter wavelength plate.

40. A device manufacturing method comprising:

transferring a pattern to a substrate by using the exposure apparatus as defined in claim 21; and

developing the substrate to which the pattern has been transferred.

41. The device manufacturing method according to claim 40, wherein the pattern is transferred to the substrate through liquid.

42. An exposure method for exposing a substrate with light from a pattern on a mask, the exposure method comprising:

holding the substrate by a stage;

illuminating the pattern with the light by using the illumination optical apparatus as defined in claim 1; and

projecting an image of the pattern illuminated with the light onto the substrate held by the stage.

43. The exposure method according to claim 42, wherein the image is projected onto the substrate through liquid.

44. A device manufacturing method comprising:

transferring a pattern to a substrate by using the exposure method as defined in claim 42; and

developing the substrate to which the pattern has been transferred.

45. The device manufacturing method according to claim 44, wherein the pattern is transferred to the substrate through liquid.