Illumination optical apparatus and projection exposure apparatus

• US 9,244,359 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2009
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• 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:
  US12/458,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20090284729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,384 Days
• Field of Search: 355/53, 355/52, 355/55, 355 67- 71, 355/77, 430/5, 430/8, 430/22, 430/30, 430/311, 430/312, 250/492.1, 250/492.2, 250/492.22, 250/548, 359/489.01, 359/489.1, 359/489.15, 359/490.01, 359/492.01, 362/19
• 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. A projection exposure apparatus which projects an image of a pattern on a first object onto a second object, the projection exposure apparatus comprising:

an illumination optical system which illuminates the first object with illumination light, the illumination optical system comprising a polarization controlling member, a light limiting member, a birefringent member and an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light on an incidence side of a pupil plane of the illumination optical system and in order along a traveling direction of the illumination light; and

a projection optical system, arranged between the first object and the second object, that projects the image of the pattern illuminated with the illumination light onto the second object, wherein

the polarization controlling member is capable of changing a polarization state of the illumination light entering into the polarization controlling member in a substantially single polarization state into a linear polarization state having a substantially single polarization direction, the linear polarization state being different from the single polarization state,

the light limiting member substantially limits an incidence angle range of the illumination light relative to the first object, and

the birefringent member converts the polarization state of the illumination light from the polarization controlling member so that the first object is irradiated with the illumination light in a polarization state consisting primarily of S-polarization.

2. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light limiting member limits an incidence direction of the illumination light relative to the first object, to a plurality of, substantially discrete directions.

3. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light limiting member substantially limits the incidence angle range so that the illumination light on the pupil plane is distributed in an annular region centered around an optical axis of the illumination optical system, and

wherein the birefringent member converts the polarization state of the illumination light from the polarization controlling member so that the illumination light on the pupil plane is in a polarization state consisting primarily of a linear polarization with a polarization direction along a circumferential direction about the optical axis.

4. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the light limiting member limits an incidence direction of the illumination light relative to the first object so that the illumination light on the pupil plane is distributed within a plurality of substantially discrete regions in the annular region.

5. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the birefringent member comprises crystalline quartz.

6. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a zoom optical system, a conical prism group and a polyhedron prism group with a variable spacing, disposed in the optical path between the birefringent member and the optical integrator.

7. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical integrator is a fly'"'"'s eye lens of which an exit surface is located at a position substantially equivalent to the pupil plane.

8. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rotating mechanism for enabling rotation of the birefringent member about an optical axis of the illumination optical system.

9. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a birefringent member replacing mechanism which replaces the birefringent member with another birefringent member.

10. An exposure method which exposes a photosensitive body with an image of a pattern on a mask, the exposure method comprising:

holding the substrate by a stage; and

projecting the image onto the substrate held by the stage with the projection exposure apparatus as defined in claim 1.

11. A device fabrication method comprising a lithography step of transferring the pattern onto the photosensitive body by the exposure method defined in claim 10.

12. The device fabrication method according to claim 11, further comprising:

developing the photosensitive body onto which the pattern has been transferred.

13. The device fabrication method according to claim 11, wherein the pattern is transferred onto the photosensitive body through liquid.

14. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the birefringent member converts the polarization state of the illumination light from the polarization controlling member so that the illumination light on the pupil plane is in a polarization state consisting primarily of a linear polarization having a polarization direction along a circumferential direction about an optical axis of the illumination optical system.

15. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the polarization controlling member includes a half wavelength plate.

16. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the polarization controlling member includes a quarter wavelength plate.

17. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the substantially single polarization state consists primarily of circularly polarized light or elliptically polarized light.

18. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the substantially single polarization state consists primarily of linearly polarized light.

19. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the projection optical system projects the image onto the second object through liquid.

20. An illumination optical apparatus which illuminates a pattern on a first object with illumination light, the illumination optical apparatus comprising:

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

a polarization controlling member arranged in the optical path of the illumination light on an incidence side of the optical integrator, which is capable of changing a polarization state of the illumination light entering into the polarization controlling member in a substantially single polarization state into a linear polarization state having a substantially single polarization direction, the linear polarization state being different from the single polarization state;

a light limiting member arranged in the optical path between the polarization controlling member and the optical integrator, which substantially limits an incidence angle range of the illumination light relative to the first object; and

a birefringent member arranged in the optical path between the light limiting member and the optical integrator, which converts the polarization state of the illumination light from the polarization controlling member so that the first object is irradiated with the illumination light in a polarization state consisting primarily of S-polarization.

21. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the birefringent member converts the polarization state of the illumination light from the polarization controlling member so that the illumination light on the pupil plane is in a polarization state consisting primarily of a linear polarization having a polarization direction along a circumferential direction about an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus.

22. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the light limiting member limits an incidence direction of the illumination light relative to the first object, to a plurality of substantially discrete directions.

23. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the light limiting member substantially limits the incidence angle range so that the illumination light on the pupil plane is distributed in an annular region centered around an optical axis of the illumination optical system, and

wherein the birefringent member converts the polarization state of the illumination light from the polarization controlling member so that the illumination light on the pupil plane is in a polarization state consisting primarily of a linear polarization having a polarization direction along a circumferential direction about the optical axis.

24. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the light limiting member limits an incidence direction of the illumination light relative to the first object so that the illumination light on the pupil plane is distributed within a plurality of substantially discrete regions in the annular region.

25. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the birefringent member comprises crystalline quartz.

26. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the optical integrator is a fly'"'"'s eye lens of which an exit surface is located at a position substantially equivalent to the pupil plane.

27. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the polarization controlling member includes a half wavelength plate.

28. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the polarization controlling member includes a quarter wavelength plate.

29. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the substantially single polarization state consists primarily of circularly polarized light or elliptically polarized light.

30. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the substantially single polarization state consists primarily of linearly polarized light.

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

holding the substrate by a stage;

illuminating the pattern with light by using the illumination optical apparatus according to claim 20; and

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

32. The exposure method according to claim 31, wherein the image is projected onto the substrate through liquid.

33. A device fabrication method comprising:

transferring a pattern to a substrate by using the exposure method according to claim 31; and

developing the substrate to which the pattern has been transferred.

34. The device fabrication method according to claim 33, wherein the pattern is transferred to the substrate through liquid.