Illumination optical apparatus having deflecting member, lens, polarization member to set polarization in circumference direction, and optical integrator

• US 9,885,959 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2013
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Kudo, Takehito, Hirukawa, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): LIU, CHIA HOW MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US13/890,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20130308114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 355 71, 355 67
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/42 for automatic sequential copying of the same original G03B27/34, G03B27/53 take precedence
• 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 7/701 Off-axis setting using an aperture
• 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 7/70158 Diffractive optical elements
• 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 7/70566 Polarisation control

Abstract

An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, a deflecting member arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, which deflects the illumination light, a lens element arranged in the optical path between the deflecting member and the optical integrator, which distributes the illumination light in a region, on a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus, away from an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus, and a polarization member arranged in the optical path between the lens element and the optical integrator, which changes a polarization state of the illumination light so that a polarization direction of the illumination light in the region is substantially coincident with a circumferential direction about the optical axis.

Claims

1. An illumination optical apparatus which illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light, the illumination optical apparatus comprising:

an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light;

a deflecting member arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, which deflects the illumination light so that the illumination light is distributed in a region on a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus, the region being away from an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus;

an optical system comprising a lens element, the optical system being arranged in the optical path between the deflecting member and the optical integrator so that a lens optical axis of the lens element is coincident with the optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus; and

a polarization member arranged in the optical path between the lens element and the optical integrator, which changes a polarization state of the illumination light so that a polarization direction of the illumination light passing through the region is substantially coincident with a circumferential direction about the optical axis on the pupil plane,

wherein the deflecting member is capable of modifying the region on the pupil plane by changing a deflecting property thereof.

2. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

an entrance surface of the optical integrator is arranged substantially at a back focal position of the optical system.

3. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the optical system puts the deflecting member and an exit surface of the optical integrator into conjugation optically.

4. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the deflecting member includes a diffractive element.

5. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the region on the pupil plane includes at least one area located on a predetermined circumference around the optical axis.

6. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the at least one area includes a first area on a first straight line intersecting with the optical axis on the pupil plane, and

the polarization member changes the polarization state of the illumination light which is distributed to the first area on the pupil plane.

7. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the first area includes a pair of areas which are located at positions mutually symmetric with respect to the optical axis.

8. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the at least one area includes a second area on a second straight line intersecting with the optical axis and the first straight line on the pupil plane, and

the polarization member changes the polarization state of the illumination light which is distributed to the second area.

9. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the second area includes a pair of areas which are located at positions mutually symmetric with respect to the optical axis.

10. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the first straight line and the second straight line are substantially perpendicular to each other.

11. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a movable member arranged in the optical path between the lens element and the polarization member, which is movable along the optical axis and which is capable of modifying the region on the pupil plane.

12. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the optical system comprises a zoom lens being capable of modifying the region on the pupil plane.

13. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the polarization member includes a ½

wave plate.

14. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the polarization member includes a ¼

wave plate.

15. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the optical integrator includes a fly'"'"'s eye lens, and

an exit surface of the fly'"'"'s eye lens is arranged so as to be substantially coincident with the pupil plane.

16. The illumination optical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the optical integrator includes a fly'"'"'s eye lens, and

an exit surface of the fly'"'"'s eye lens is arranged so as to be substantially coincident with an optical Fourier transform plane with respect to a plane on which the pattern is arranged.

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

a stage which holds the substrate,

the illumination optical apparatus as defined in claim 1 which illuminates the pattern with the light; and

a projection optical system which projects an image of the pattern illuminated with the light onto the substrate held by the stage.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the substrate is exposed with the light through liquid.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

an entrance surface of the optical integrator is arranged substantially at a back focal position of the optical system.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the optical system puts the deflecting member and an exit surface of the optical integrator into conjugation optically.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the deflecting member includes a diffractive element.

22. The exposure apparatus according to claim 21, wherein

the diffractive element includes a first diffractive element and a second diffractive element which are mutually interchangeable and arranged in the optical path.

23. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the region on the pupil plane includes at least one area located on a predetermined circumference around the optical axis.

24. The exposure apparatus according to claim 23, wherein

the at least one area includes a first area on a first straight line intersecting with the optical axis on the pupil plane, and

the polarization member changes the polarization state of the illumination light which is distributed to the first area on the pupil plane.

25. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein

the first areas includes a pair of areas which are located at positions mutually symmetric with respect to the optical axis.

26. The exposure apparatus according to claim 24, wherein

the at least one area includes a second area on a second straight line intersecting with the optical axis and the first straight line on the pupil plane, and

the polarization member changes the polarization state of the illumination light which is distributed to the second area.

27. The exposure apparatus according to claim 26, wherein

the second area includes a pair of areas which are located at positions mutually symmetric with respect to the optical axis.

28. The exposure apparatus according to claim 26, wherein

the first straight line and the second straight line are substantially perpendicular to each other.

29. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the polarization member includes a ½

wave plate.

30. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the polarization member includes a ¼

wave plate.

31. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the optical integrator includes a fly'"'"'s eye lens, and

an exit surface of the fly'"'"'s eye lens is arranged so as to be substantially coincident with the pupil plane.

32. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the optical integrator includes a fly'"'"'s eye lens, and

an exit surface of the fly'"'"'s eye lens is arranged so as to be substantially coincident with an optical Fourier transform plane with respect to a plane on which the pattern is arranged.

33. An exposure method for exposing a substrate with light from a pattern on a mask, the exposure method comprising:

holding the substrate by a stage;

illuminating the pattern with the light by using the illumination optical apparatus as defined in claim 1; and

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

34. The exposure method according to claim 33, wherein the substrate is exposed with the light through liquid.

35. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

transferring a pattern to a substrate by using the exposure method as defined in claim 33; and

developing the substrate to which the pattern is transferred.

36. The device manufacturing method according to claim 35, wherein the pattern is transferred to the substrate with light through liquid.

37. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

transferring a pattern to a substrate by using the exposure apparatus as defined in claim 17; and

developing the substrate to which the pattern is transferred.

38. The device manufacturing method according to claim 37, wherein the pattern is transferred to the substrate with light through liquid.