Lithographic apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10139735-B2
Application number	US-201515316036-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2015
Priority date	Jun 23, 2014
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A method of modifying a lithographic apparatus comprising an illumination system for providing a radiation beam, a support structure for supporting a patterning device to impart the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section, a first lens for projecting the radiation beam at the patterning device with a first magnification, a substrate table for holding a substrate, and a first projection system for projecting the patterned radiation beam at a target portion of the substrate with a second magnification. The first lens and the first projection system together provide a third magnification. The method comprises reducing by a first factor the first magnification to provide a second lens for projecting the radiation beam with a fourth magnification; and increasing by the first factor the second magnification to provide a second projection system for projecting the patterned radiation beam at the target portion of the substrate with a fifth magnification.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of modifying a lithographic apparatus comprising an illumination system for providing a radiation beam, a support structure downstream of the illumination system for supporting a patterning device, the patterning device serving to impart the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to provide a patterned radiation beam, a first lens for projecting the radiation beam at the patterning device with a first magnification, a substrate table downstream of the support structure for holding a substrate, and a first projection system for projecting the patterned radiation beam at a target portion of the substrate with a second magnification, the first lens and the first projection system together providing a third magnification, the method comprising:
reducing by a first factor the first magnification provided by the first lens to provide a second lens for projecting the radiation beam with a fourth magnification; and
increasing by the first factor the second magnification to provide a second projection system for projecting the patterned radiation beam at the target portion of the substrate with a fifth magnification.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first lens is arranged to provide a magnification of between 1× and 4× and wherein the first factor is greater than 1 and less than or equal to 4.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first projection system is arranged to provide a magnification of 0.25× and wherein the first factor is greater than 1 and less than or equal to 4.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first lens is arranged to provide a magnification of 1× and the first projection system is arranged to provide a magnification of 0.25×; and
the first factor is 2 such that the second lens is arranged to provide a magnification of 0.5× and the second projection system is arranged to provide a magnification of 0.5×.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first lens and the first projection system are arranged to cooperatively cause the patterned radiation beam to have a size of substantially between 25 mm and 27 mm in a non-scanning direction of the lithographic apparatus at the target portion; and
the second lens and the second projection system are arranged to cooperatively cause the patterned radiation beam to have a size of substantially between 25 mm and 34 mm in a non-scanning direction of the lithographic apparatus at the target portion.

6. The method apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lithographic apparatus is arranged to cause the radiation beam to be scanned across a single target area of the substrate in a single scanning operation and the modified lithographic apparatus is arranged to cause the radiation beam to be scanned across at least two target areas of the substrate during a single scanning operation.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lithographic apparatus is arranged to cause the radiation beam to be scanned across a surface of the patterning device at a first speed and the patterned radiation beam to be scanned across the target portion of the substrate at a second speed and the method comprises reducing the first speed by the first factor.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modified lithographic apparatus is arranged to cause the radiation beam to be scanned across at least a first and second patterned area of the patterning device in a single scanning operation, the first and second patterned areas being disposed adjacent one another in a scanning direction of the modified lithographic apparatus.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second lens and second projection system together provide the third magnification.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second lens and second projection system together provide a sixth magnification greater than the third magnification.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sixth magnification is approximately 1.27× greater than the third magnification.

12. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
an illumination system configured to provide a radiation beam;
a support structure downstream of the illumination system configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device serving to impart the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to provide a patterned radiation beam;
a lens configured to project the radiation beam at the patterning device with a magnification of 0.5×;
a substrate table downstream of the support structure configured to hold a substrate; and
a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam at a target portion of the substrate with a magnification of 0.5×.

13. The lithographic apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the lens and the projection system are arranged to cooperatively cause the patterned radiation beam to have a size of substantially between 25 mm and 34 mm in a non-scanning direction of the lithographic apparatus at the target portion.

14. The lithographic apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the lithographic apparatus is arranged to cause the radiation beam to be scanned across a surface of the patterning device in a single scanning operation and the lithographic apparatus is arranged to cause the radiation beam to be scanned across at least two target areas of the substrate during the single scanning operation.

15. The lithographic apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the lithographic apparatus is arranged to cause the radiation beam to be scanned across a surface of the patterning device at a first speed and the patterned radiation beam to be scanned across the target portion of the substrate at a second speed.

16. The lithographic apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first speed is more than twice the second speed.

17. The lithographic apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the lithographic apparatus is arranged to cause the radiation beam to be scanned across at least a first and second patterned area of the patterning device in a single scanning operation, the first and second patterned areas being disposed adjacent one another in a scanning direction of the lithographic apparatus.

18. A method comprising:
projecting a radiation beam at a patterning device of a lithographic apparatus with a lens with a magnification of 0.5× to impart the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section; and
projecting the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate with a magnification of 0.5×.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising causing the radiation beam to be scanned across a surface of the patterning device in a single scanning operation and causing the patterned radiation beam to be scanned across at least two target areas of the substrate during the single scanning operation.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising causing the radiation beam to be scanned across a surface of the patterning device at a first speed and causing the patterned radiation beam to be scanned across the substrate at a second speed.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the first speed is more than two times greater than the second speed.

22. The method of claim 18 , further comprising providing the patterning device comprising a first patterned area and a second patterned area, the first and second patterned areas being adjacent each other in a scanning direction of the lithographic apparatus.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising causing the radiation beam to be scanned across both the first patterned area and the second patterned area in a single scanning operation.

Assignees

• Asml Netherlands Bv

Inventors

• Baselmans Johannes Jacobus Matheus
• Butler Hans
• Hoogendam Christiaan Alexander
• Kerssemakers Sander
• Smeets Bart
• Van Ballegoij Robertus Nicodemus Jacobus
• Van Bussel Hubertus Petrus Leonardus Henrica

Classifications

• G03F7/70066 Primary

  Size and form of the illuminated area in the mask plane, e.g. reticle masking blades or blinds · CPC title

• G03F7/70641

  Focus · CPC title

• G03F7/70141

  Illumination system adjustment, e.g. adjustments during exposure or alignment during assembly of illumination system · CPC title

• G03F7/70258 Primary

  Projection system adjustments, e.g. adjustments during exposure or alignment during assembly of projection system · CPC title

• G03F7/704

  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 title