Device, lithographic apparatus, method for guiding radiation and device manufacturing method

• US 9,715,183 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2013
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Koek, Wouter Dick, Smeets, Dries, Bleeker, Arno Jan, Mulder, Heine Melle, Ebeling, Robert Paul, Loopstra, Erik Roelof, Van Zwet, Erwin John
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Toan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sanei, Mona M
• Application Number:
  US14/365,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20140347641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 355 30, 355 53, 355 67, 355 71, 35 30, 35 53, 35 67, 35 71
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4296 coupling with sources of high radiant energy, e.g. high power lasers, high temperature light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7015 Details of optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70275 Multiple projection paths, e.g. array of projection systems, microlens projection systems or tandem projection 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
• 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 7/70891 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49 Method of mechanical manufacture

Abstract

A device having a waveguide formed of a continuous body of material that is transparent to radiation that passes through the waveguide, wherein the body has an input surface and an output surface, and a cooler configured to cool the input surface and/or the output surface. An exposure apparatus having a programmable patterning device that comprises a plurality of radiation emitters, configured to provide a plurality of radiation beams; and a projection system, comprising a stationary part and a moving part, configured to project the plurality of radiation beams onto locations on a target that are selected based on a pattern, wherein at least one of the radiation emitters comprises a waveguide configured to output a radiation beam that comprises unpolarized and/or circularly polarized radiation.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a waveguide formed of a continuous body of material that is transparent to radiation that passes through the waveguide, wherein the body has an input surface and an output surface; and

a cooler configured to cool the input surface and/or the output surface, wherein the cooler comprises an housing having a solid transparent portion other than a fiber, the solid transparent portion located opposite, and spaced apart, from the input surface and/or the output surface and wherein the cooler is configured to have cooling material directly contact the input surface and/or the output surface at a location between the solid transparent portion and the input surface and/or output surface.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the waveguide comprises an optical fiber.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the cooler comprises a body of liquid as the cooling material that cools the input surface and/or the output surface.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the liquid is transparent to the radiation that passes through the waveguide.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the liquid has a refractive index that is greater than 1 and less than a refractive index of the material.

6. The device of claim 3, comprising a pressuriser configured to maintain the liquid under pressure.

7. The device of claim 3, wherein the cooler comprises a circuit such that the liquid flows across the input surface and/or the output surface.

8. The device of claim 3, wherein the housing comprises a cap configured to hold the liquid at the input surface and/or at the output surface such that the waveguide receives the radiation and/or outputs the radiation through the liquid.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the cooler comprises a heater configured to heat to a temperature that is greater than a temperature of the input surface and/or the output surface.

10. The device of claim 1, comprising a radiation source device configured to supply unpolarized and/or circularly polarized radiation to the waveguide.

11. The device of claim 1, configured to guide radiation having a wavelength of about 405 nm.

12. An exposure apparatus having a radiation emitter comprising the device of claim 1.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, 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, wherein at least of one of the radiation beams is emitted by the radiation emitter.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the waveguide comprises an optical slab waveguide.

15. The device of claim 1, comprising two coolers, one configured to cool the input surface and one configured to cool the output surface.

16. The device of claim 1, configured to have an output power of at most 250 mW.

17. The device of claim 1, configured to have an output power of at least 50 mW.

18. An exposure apparatus, comprising:

a programmable patterning device that comprises a plurality of radiation emitters, configured to provide a plurality of radiation beams; and

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

wherein at least one of the radiation emitters comprises a waveguide configured to output at least one radiation beam of the plurality of radiation beams, the at least radiation beam comprising unpolarized and/or circularly polarized radiation and the at least one radiation beam not being patterned with an image.

19. A method for guiding radiation, the method comprising:

guiding radiation through a waveguide formed of a continuous body of material that is transparent to the radiation, wherein the body has an input surface and an output surface; and

cooling the input surface and/or the output surface by having a cooling material directly contact the input surface and/or the output surface, wherein the cooling material is at a location between a solid transparent portion of a housing and the input surface and/or output surface, the solid transparent portion being other than a fiber and the solid transparent portion located opposite, and spaced apart, from the input surface and/or the output surface.

20. A device manufacturing method comprising:

providing a plurality of radiation beams from a plurality of radiation emitters of a programmable patterning device, wherein at least one radiation beam of the plurality of radiation beams comprises unpolarized and/or circularly polarized radiation; and

projecting the plurality of radiation beams onto locations on a target that are selected based on a pattern,

wherein at least one of the radiation emitters comprises a waveguide configured to output the at least one radiation beam, the at least radiation beam comprising unpolarized and/or circularly polarized radiation and the at least one radiation beam not being patterned with an image.