DEVICE AND METHOD FOR THE OPTICAL MEASUREMENT OF AN OPTICAL SYSTEM BY USING AN IMMERSION FLUID

• US 20090257049A1
• Filed: 06/23/2009
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CARL Zeiss SMT GmbH (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Carl Zeiss AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Wegmann, Ulrich, Stuehler, Joachim, Haidner, Helmut, Ehrmann, Albrecht, Schellhorn, Uwe, Schriever, Martin, Goeppert, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 8,120,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/124
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/2041 in the presence of a fluid, e.g. immersion; using fluid cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70341 Details of immersion lithography aspects, e.g. exposure media or control of immersion liquid supply chemical composition of immersion liquids G03F7/2041
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/706 Aberration measurement

Abstract

A device for the optical measurement of an optical system, in particular an optical imaging system, is provided. The device includes at least one test optics component arranged on an object side or an image side of the optical system. An immersion fluid is adjacent to at least one of the test optics components. A container for use in this device, a microlithography projection exposure machine equipped with this device, and a method which can be carried out with the aid of this device are also provided. The device and method provide for optical measurement of microlithography projection objectives with high numerical apertures by using wavefront detection with shearing or point diffraction interferometry, or a Moiré measuring technique.

Claims

1. (canceled)

3. A projection optical system inspecting method according to claim 1, wherein a flat part is disposed on the image plane side of the projection optical system and the liquid is supplied between the projection optical system and the flat part.

5. A projection optical system inspection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the wavefront aberration of the projection optical system is measured.

7. A projection optical system inspection apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising an optical system which is disposed between the flat part and the photoelectric detector.

8. An exposure apparatus comprising:

a projection optical system; and

the projection optical system inspection apparatus according to claim 3.

9. An exposure apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a stage including the projection optical system inspection apparatus.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the optical system of the measuring unit includes a diffusing member as the optical member.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the optical system of the measuring unit includes a diffraction member as the optical member.

13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the projection optical system has a numerical aperture NA of not less than 1.

14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a stage which is movable on the image plane side of the projection optical system, wherein the light-transmitting section is arranged on the stage.

15. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the stage is capable of retaining the substrate.

16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a liquid supply system which fills a space between the projection optical system and the light-transmitting section with a liquid.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the liquid supply system fills a space between the projection optical system and the substrate with the liquid to expose the substrate.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a substrate holder which is movable while retaining the substrate, and the light receiver is provided on the substrate holder.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9, wherein an imaging characteristic of the projection optical system is measured on the basis of a detected result by the light.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9, wherein information about a radiation amount of the exposure beam is measured on the basis of a detected result by the light receiver.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the light receiver is detachable with respect to the exposure apparatus.

2. A projection optical system inspecting method that inspects the optical performance of a projection optical system used for immersion exposure, the method comprising:

providing a detector in an image plane side of the projection optical system;

supplying a liquid to the image plane side of the projection optical system; and

photoelectrically detecting a measuring beam that passes through the projection optical system and the liquid.

6. A projection optical system inspecting method according to claim 2, wherein the photoelectrically detecting comprises photoelectrically detecting the measuring beam that passes through the projection optical system, the liquid, and the flat part.

4. A projection optical system inspection apparatus that inspects the optical performance of a projection optical system used for immersion exposure, the projection optical system inspection apparatus comprising:

a flat part disposed on an image plane side of the projection optical system; and

a photoelectric detector that photoelectrically detects a measuring beam, the measuring beam passing through in order of the projection optical system, a liquid disposed between the projection optical system and the flat part, and the flat part.

10. An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate by irradiating an exposure beam through a liquid onto the substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:

a projection optical system, and

a measuring unit including a light-transmitting section on which the exposure beam from the projection optical system is incident through the liquid, a light receiver, and an optical system arranged between the light-transmitting section and the light receiver, wherein;

the optical system has an optical member which diffuses or diffracts a light beam from the light-transmitting section, and the light receiver detects the diffused or diffracted light beam, and the light beam comes into the optical system without passing through a gas portion.