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

• US 9,268,235 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2014
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Owa, Soichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis, Daborah Chacko
• Application Number:
  US14/320,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20140313501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 430/396
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 method for exposing an object with a plurality of pulse lights, the exposure method comprising:

guiding light from a first optical device illuminated by the pulse lights to a second optical device and exposing the object with light from the second optical device;

controlling a conversion state of the second optical device that includes a plurality of second optical elements; and

controlling a conversion state of the first optical device that includes a plurality of first optical elements to control intensity distribution of the pulse lights on a predetermined plane between the first optical device and the second optical device,

wherein the controlling of the conversion state of the first optical device includes changing a state of the first optical elements whenever a predetermined number of pulse lights are emitted.

2. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the controlling of the conversion state of the second optical device includes controlling the conversion state in accordance with a circuit pattern that is to be formed on the object by projecting an image of the circuit pattern onto a photosensitive layer of the object.

3. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the controlling of the conversion state of the first optical device includes controlling the conversion state in accordance with the conversion state of the second optical device.

4. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the controlling of the conversion state of the first optical device includes controlling the conversion state in accordance with a circuit pattern that is to be formed on the object by projecting an image of the circuit pattern onto a photosensitive layer of the object.

5. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the conversion state of the second optical device and the conversion state of the first optical device are each switched to a different conversion state whenever a predetermined number of pulse lights is emitted.

6. The exposure method according to claim 1, including switching the conversion state of the second optical device to a first state or a second state whenever a predetermined number of pulse lights is emitted.

7. The exposure method according to claim 6, including at least one of switching the conversion state of the first optical device to a third state in correspondence with the first state whenever a predetermined number of pulse lights is emitted, and switching the conversion state of the first optical device to a fourth state in correspondence with the second state whenever a predetermined number of pulse lights is emitted.

8. The exposure method according to claim 1, further comprising:

illuminating the second optical device with light from the first optical device illuminated by a first pulse light included in the plurality of pulse lights and exposing the object with light from the second optical device;

switching the conversion state of at least one of the first and second optical devices when using the first pulse light; and

illuminating the second optical device with light from the first optical device illuminated by a second pulse light included in the plurality of pulse lights and exposing the object with light from the second optical device.

9. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined plane includes an illumination pupil plane or a plane conjugated with the illumination pupil plane.

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

exposing the object while scanning the object in a predetermined direction relative to the second optical device, wherein the controlling of the conversion state of the first optical device includes controlling the conversion state of the second optical device in accordance with the scanning of the object in the predetermined direction.

11. The exposure method according to claim 1, further comprising:

exposing the object by step-moving the object relative to the second optical device.

12. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the controlling of the conversion state of the first optical device includes controlling the conversion state of the second optical device in accordance with a pitch and direction of a circuit pattern that is to be formed on the object by projecting an image of the circuit pattern onto a photosensitive layer of the object.

13. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the controlling of the conversion state of the second optical device includes controlling an incident angle and incident direction of the pulse lights entering the second optical device with the first optical device in accordance with a pitch and direction of a circuit pattern that is to be formed on the object by projecting an image of the circuit pattern onto a photosensitive layer of the object.

14. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the first optical device varies the intensity distribution of the pulse lights on the predetermined plane to control an incident angle and incident direction of the pulse lights entering the second optical device.

15. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first optical elements and the second optical elements are reflective elements.

16. The exposure method according to claim 15, wherein the controlling of the conversion state of the first optical device includes setting a state of a reflection surface of each of the second optical elements in either 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.

17. The exposure method according to claim 15, wherein the controlling of the conversion state of the second optical device includes adjusting an inclination angle of a reflection surface of each of the first optical elements to a set inclination angle about at least one axis within a variable range.

18. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first optical elements and the second optical elements are transmissive elements.

19. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first optical elements and the second optical elements are phase elements.

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

having light from the first optical device orthogonally enter the second optical device.

21. The exposure method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using an optical integrator which superimposes the light traveling through the predetermined plane to irradiate the second optical device.

22. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the pulse lights are emitted from a solid laser light source.

23. The exposure method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using a projection optical system which projects light from the second optical device onto the object.