Illumination system for illuminating a mask in a microlithographic exposure apparatus

• US 9,310,694 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2013
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CARL Zeiss SMT GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: CARL Zeiss SMT GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Schubert, Erich, Kohl, Alexander, Ziegler, Gerhard-Wilhelm, Patra, Michael, Deguenther, Markus, Layh, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/901,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20130250264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 355/53, 355 67- 71, 359/566, 359/558
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70083 Non-homogeneous intensity distribution in the mask plane
• 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 7/70191 Optical correction elements, filters or phase plates for controlling intensity, wavelength, polarisation, phase or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70433 Layout for increasing efficiency or for compensating imaging errors, e.g. layout of exposure fields for reducing focus errors; Use of mask features for increasing efficiency or for compensating imaging errors

Abstract

An illumination system of a micro-lithographic projection exposure apparatus is provided, which is configured to illuminate a mask positioned in a mask plane. The system includes a pupil shaping optical subsystem and illuminator optics that illuminate a beam deflecting component. For determining a property of the beam deflecting component, an intensity distribution in a system pupil surface of the illumination system is determined. Then the property of the beam deflecting component is determined such that the intensity distribution produced by the pupil shaping subsystem in the system pupil surface approximates the intensity distribution determined before. At least one of the following aberrations are taken into account in this determination: (i) an aberration produced by the illuminator optics; (ii) an aberration produced by the pupil shaping optical subsystem; (iii) an aberration produced by an optical element arranged between the system pupil surface and the mask plane.

Claims

1. A diffractive optical element configured to be inserted into a light beam path of an illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus so that, during use of the illumination system, the diffractive optical element produces an intensity distribution in a pupil surface of the illumination system,

wherein:

a Fourier transform of an angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element differs from the intensity distribution;

the diffractive optical element comprises a plurality of gratings; and

the gratings are configured so that, during use of the diffractive optical element, each ray of light incident on the gratings is deflected so that rays of the light emerging from the gratings diverge from each other.

2. The diffractive optical element of claim 1, wherein the intensity distribution is defined by pupil quantities inner σ

, outer σ and

pole width, and wherein values of the pupil quantities for the intensity distribution differ from corresponding values for the Fourier transform of the angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element by more than 0.1 for the inner σ

, by more than 0.1 for the outer σ

, and/or by at least 1°

for the pole width.

3. The diffractive optical element of claim 1, wherein values of the pupil quantities for the desired intensity distribution differ from corresponding values for the Fourier transform of the angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element by more than 0.2 for the inner σ

, by more than 0.2 for the outer σ

, and/or by at least 2°

for the pole width.

4. An illumination system, comprising:

the diffractive optical element of claim 1,

wherein the illumination system is a microlithographic illumination system.

5. An apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system which comprises the diffractive optical element of claim 1,

wherein the apparatus is a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus.

9. The diffractive optical element of claim 1, wherein the gratings are configured so that, during use of the diffractive optical element, the light is diffracted with a range of angles at each location on the diffractive optical element on which the light impinges.

10. The diffractive optical element of claim 9, wherein the range of angles is from −

3°

to +3°

relative to a normal of the diffractive optical element.

11. The illumination system of claim 4, further comprising a zoom lens group having a front focal plane, wherein the diffractive optical element is disposed in the front focal plane of the zoom lens group.

12. The illumination system of claim 11, further comprising an optical raster element between the zoom lens group and the pupil surface of the illumination system.

13. The diffractive optical element of claim 1, wherein values of the pupil quantities for the desired intensity distribution differ from corresponding values for the Fourier transform of the angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element by more than 0.2 for the inner σ

.

14. The diffractive optical element of claim 1, wherein values of the pupil quantities for the desired intensity distribution differ from corresponding values for the Fourier transform of the angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element by more than 0.2 for the outer σ

.

15. The diffractive optical element of claim 1, wherein values of the pupil quantities for the desired intensity distribution differ from corresponding values for the Fourier transform of the angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element by at least 2°

for the pole width.

16. The diffractive optical element of claim 1, wherein the Fourier transform of the angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element has values for the inner and/or the outer σ

that differ by more than 0.01 from values for the intensity distribution.

17. The diffractive optical element of claim 1, wherein the Fourier transform of the angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element has values for the inner and/or the outer σ

that differ by more than 0.02 from values for the intensity distribution.

18. The diffractive optical element of claim 1, wherein the Fourier transform of the angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element has a value a polar width that differs by more than 1°

from a value for the intensity distribution.

19. The diffractive optical element of claim 1, wherein the Fourier transform of the angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element has a value a polar width that differs by more than 2°

from a value for the intensity distribution.

6. A method, comprising:

determining an angular distribution to be produced by a diffractive optical element configured to be inserted in an illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus so that, during use of the illumination system, the diffractive optical element produces together with a pupil shaping system, which is between the diffractive optical element and a pupil surface of the illumination system, an intensity distribution in the pupil surface of the illumination system that approximates a desired intensity distribution,

wherein;

the diffractive optical element comprises a plurality of gratings;

the gratings are configured so that, during use of the diffractive optical element, each ray of light incident on the gratings is deflected so that rays of the light emerging from the gratings diverge from each other;

a Fourier transform of an angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element differs from the desired intensity distribution; and

the determination comprises taking into account at least one of the following;

an aberration produced by illuminator optics which are configured to illuminate the diffractive optical element; and

an aberration produced by the pupil shaping optical subsystem.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising:

determining a design intensity distribution which results in the desired intensity distribution when the one or more aberrations are taken into account; and

determining the angular distribution as an inverse Fourier transform of the design intensity distribution.

8. The method of claim 6, comprising:

determining diffractive structures that produce the determined angular distribution; and

forming the diffractive structures on a support.

20. An illumination system, comprising:

a diffractive optical element configured to be inserted into a light beam path of the illumination system so that, during use of the illumination system, the diffractive optical element produces an intensity distribution in a pupil surface of the illumination system;

a zoom lens group having a front focal plane; and

an optical raster element between the zoom lens group and the pupil surface of the illumination system,

wherein;

the diffractive optical element is disposed in the front focal plane of the zoom lens group;

a Fourier transform of an angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element differs from the intensity distribution; and

the illumination system is a microlithographic illumination system.

21. The diffractive optical element of claim 20, wherein values of the pupil quantities for the desired intensity distribution differ from corresponding values for the Fourier transform of the angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element by more than 0.2 for the inner σ

.

22. The diffractive optical element of claim 20, wherein values of the pupil quantities for the desired intensity distribution differ from corresponding values for the Fourier transform of the angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element by more than 0.2 for the outer σ

.

23. The diffractive optical element of claim 20, wherein values of the pupil quantities for the desired intensity distribution differ from corresponding values for the Fourier transform of the angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element by at least 2°

for the pole width.

24. The diffractive optical element of claim 20, wherein the Fourier transform of the angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element has values for the inner and/or the outer σ

that differ by more than 0.01 from values for the intensity distribution.

25. The diffractive optical element of claim 20, wherein the Fourier transform of the angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element has values for the inner and/or the outer σ

that differ by more than 0.02 from values for the intensity distribution.

26. The diffractive optical element of claim 20, wherein the Fourier transform of the angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element has a value a polar width that differs by more than 1°

from a value for the intensity distribution.

27. The diffractive optical element of claim 20, wherein the Fourier transform of the angular distribution produced by the diffractive optical element has a value a polar width that differs by more than 2°

from a value for the intensity distribution.