Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

• US 9,568,831 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Tinnemans, Patricius Aloysius Jacobus, Bleeker, Arno Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kreutzer, Colin
• Application Number:
  US14/361,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20140354970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• Field of Search: 355/67, 355/69, 355/77
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70058 Mask illumination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70358 Scanning exposure, i.e. relative movement of patterned beam and workpiece during imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70366 Rotary scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70391 Addressable array sources specially adapted to produce patterns, e.g. addressable LED arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/704 Scanned exposure beam, e.g. raster-, rotary- and vector scanning mask projection exposure involving relative movement of patterned beam and workpiece during imaging G03F7/70358
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70525 Controlling normal operating mode, e.g. matching different apparatus, remote control or prediction of failure
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70558 Dose control, i.e. achievement of a desired dose

Abstract

A lithographic or exposure apparatus has a projection system and a controller. The projection system includes a stationary part and a moving part. The projection system is configured to project a plurality of radiation beams onto locations on a target. The locations are selected based on a pattern. The controller is configured to control the apparatus to operate in a first mode or a second mode. In the first mode the projection system delivers a first amount of energy to the selected locations. In the second mode the projection system delivers a second amount of energy to the selected locations. The second amount of energy is greater than the first amount of energy.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus, comprising:

a projection system, comprising a stationary part and a moving part, configured to project a plurality of radiation beams onto locations on a target that are selected based on a pattern;

a substrate support configured to support a substrate having the target and move the substrate relative to the projection system in a scan direction such that the projection system can project onto successive scanning areas of the substrate, and

a control system configured to control the apparatus to operate in a first mode or a second mode,

wherein in the first mode the projection system delivers a first amount of energy to the selected locations, and in the second mode the projection system delivers a second amount of energy, which is greater than the first amount of energy, to the selected locations,

wherein in the first mode the substrate moves relative to the projection system at a first speed, and in the second mode the substrate moves relative to the projection system at a second speed, which is lower than the first speed, and

wherein in the first mode the projection system projects the plurality of radiation beams onto the selected locations at a first rate, and in the second mode the projection system projects the plurality of radiation beams onto the selected locations at a second rate, wherein (i) the second rate is lower than the first rate, or (ii) the second rate is substantially equal to or lower than the first rate and the second speed is lower than the first speed by an integer factor, or (iii) the second rate is substantially equal to or lower than the first rate and an intensity of radiation of the radiation beams projected onto the substrate is lower in the second mode than in the first mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second rate is lower than the first rate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second mode comprises a first sub-mode in which the second rate is substantially equal to the first rate and the second speed is lower than the first speed by the integer factor such that each scanning area partially overlaps an integer number of other scanning areas.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second mode comprises a second sub-mode in which the second rate is lower than the first rate by a slow-down factor and the second speed is lower than the first speed by the slow-down factor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second mode comprises a third sub-mode in which the second rate is lower than the first rate by a slow-down factor and the second speed is lower than the first speed by the product of the slow-down factor and an integer factor, wherein each scanning area partially overlaps an integer number of other scanning areas.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second mode comprises a fourth sub-mode in which the second speed is lower than the first speed by an integer factor and the intensity of radiation of the radiation beams projected onto the substrate is lower in the fourth sub-mode than in the first mode.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second mode comprises a fifth sub-mode in which the control system is configured to control the substrate support to repeat the substrate movement relative to the projection system so as to control the number of times that each scanning area is irradiated by the projection system, wherein an intensity of radiation of the radiation beams projected onto the substrate is varied between scans.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in the second mode the control system is configured to control the substrate support to repeat the substrate movement relative to the projection system so as to control the number of times that each scanning area is irradiated by the projection system.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein in each region of overlap all of the selected locations are irradiated an integer number of times.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each scanning area substantially abuts at least one other scanning area in the scan direction.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each scanning area has substantially the same length in the scan direction.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in the first mode there is substantially no overlap between any of the scanning areas.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the moving part is configured to rotate relative to the stationary part.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to control the apparatus such that the projection system projects each plurality of radiation beams onto any previously irradiated selected location in each scanning area.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to control the substrate support such that the substrate moves relative to the projection system at a substantially constant speed during irradiation of substantially all of the scanning areas.

14. A device manufacturing method comprising:

using a projection system that comprises a stationary part and a moving part to project a plurality of radiation beams onto locations on a target of a substrate that are selected based on a pattern;

moving the substrate relative to the projection system in a scan direction such that the projection system can project onto successive scanning areas of the substrate; and

controlling the apparatus to operate in a first mode or a second mode,

wherein in the first mode the projecting delivers a first amount of energy to the selected locations, and in the second mode the projecting delivers a second amount of energy, which is greater than the first amount of energy, to the selected locations,

wherein in the first mode the substrate moves relative to the projection system at a first speed, and in the second mode the substrate moves relative to the projection system at a second speed, which is lower than the first speed, and

wherein in the first mode the projection system projects the plurality of radiation beams onto the selected locations at a first rate, and in the second mode the projection system projects the plurality of radiation beams onto the selected locations at a second rate, wherein (i) the second rate is lower than the first rate, or (ii) the second rate is substantially equal to or lower than the first rate and the second speed is lower than the first speed by an integer factor, or (iii) the second rate is substantially equal to or lower than the first rate and an intensity of radiation of the radiation beams projected onto the substrate is lower in the second mode than in the first mode.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second rate is lower than the first rate.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein each scanning area substantially abuts at least one other scanning area in the scan direction.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the second mode comprises a first sub-mode in which the second rate is substantially equal to the first rate and the second speed is lower than the first speed by the integer factor such that each scanning area partially overlaps an integer number of other scanning areas.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the second mode comprises a second sub-mode in which the second rate is lower than the first rate by a slow-down factor and the second speed is lower than the first speed by the slow-down factor.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the second mode comprises a third sub-mode in which the second rate is lower than the first rate by a slow-down factor and the second speed is lower than the first speed by the product of the slow-down factor and an integer factor, wherein each scanning area partially overlaps an integer number of other scanning areas.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the second mode comprises a fourth sub-mode in which the second speed is lower than the first speed by an integer factor and the intensity of radiation of the radiation beams projected onto the substrate is lower in the fourth sub-mode than in the first mode.