Projection exposure apparatus comprising a measuring system for measuring an optical element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10162270-B2
Application number	US-201414449629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2014
Priority date	Feb 1, 2012
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A projection exposure apparatus (10) for microlithography has a measuring system (50) for measuring an optical element of the projection exposure apparatus. The measuring system (50) includes an irradiation device (54), which is configured to radiate measuring radiation (62) in different directions (64) onto the optical element (20), such that the measuring radiation (62) covers respective optical path lengths (68) within the optical element (20) for the different directions (64) of incidence, a detection device (56), which is configured to measure, for the respective directions (64) of incidence, the respective optical path lengths covered by the measuring radiation (62) in the optical element (20), and an evaluation device, which is configured to determine a spatially resolved distribution of refractive indices in the optical element (20) by computed-tomographic back projection of the respective measured path lengths with respect to the respective directions of incidence.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a projection exposure apparatus for microlithography comprising:
an illumination optical unit for illuminating a mask with exposure radiation;
a projection lens;
an optical element being part of the illumination optical unit or the projection lens; and
a measuring system for measuring the optical element,
wherein the measuring system comprises:
a measuring irradiation device, configured to radiate measuring radiation in different directions onto the optical element, such that the measuring radiation covers respective optical path lengths within the optical element for the different directions of incidence,
a detection device, configured to determine, for the respective directions of incidence, the respective optical path lengths covered by the measuring radiation in the optical element from detection of the measuring radiation, and
an evaluation device, configured to determine a spatially resolved distribution of refractive indices in the optical element by computed-tomographic back projection of the respective determined path lengths with respect to the respective directions of incidence.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the evaluation device is further configured to project the respective determined path lengths back onto a volume region of the optical element through which the measuring radiation passes, and thereby to determine a three-dimensionally spatially resolved distribution of the refractive indices in the optical element.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the measured optical element is a lens element.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the measuring system is configured to measure the optical element in at least two different directions extending transversely with respect to the optical axis of the optical element.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the measuring system is configured to determine from the measurements a spatially resolved temperature distribution in at least one section of the optical element.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the detection device comprises an interferometer configured to determine the optical path length by superimposing the measuring radiation after traversing one of the optical path lengths in the optical element with a reference radiation.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the irradiation device comprises a plurality of irradiation units each configured and arranged to emit the measuring radiation in one of the different directions of incidence, wherein the directions of incidence of the different irradiation units differ from one another in pairs.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the detection device comprises a plurality of detection units each configured to determine the optical path length for a respective one of the different directions of incidence, wherein the directions of incidence assigned to the different detection units differ from one another in pairs.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
which comprises at least one integrated measuring module configured to radiate the measuring radiation onto the optical element in one of the different directions and to measure the measuring radiation returning in a direction opposite to the direction of incidence.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
which comprises at least one irradiation unit configured to radiate the measuring radiation onto the optical element and a detection unit configured to determine the optical path length covered by the measuring radiation in the optical element, wherein the irradiation unit and the detection unit are arranged on mutually opposing sides of the optical element.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the irradiation device comprises an irradiation unit configured to emit the measuring radiation and the detection device comprises a detection unit assigned to the irradiation unit and configured to determine the path length covered by the measuring radiation in the optical element, wherein the measuring system furthermore comprises a rotary bearing, to which the irradiation unit and the detection unit are fixed, and the rotary bearing is configured such that, in different rotary positions of the rotary bearing, the measuring radiation emitted by the irradiation unit is radiated onto the optical element in the different directions, and the detection unit is arranged and configured to measure the measuring radiation emitted by the irradiation unit in the respective rotary position.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the optical element is a mirror element comprising a substrate and a coating for reflecting EUV radiation; and
wherein the measuring radiation emitted by the measuring irradiation device has a wavelength at which the substrate of the mirror element is to be a large extent transparent.

13. An apparatus, comprising:
a projection exposure apparatus for microlithography comprising:
a radiation source generating exposure radiation;
a projection lens;
an optical element being part of the illumination optical unit or the projection lens; and
a measuring system for measuring the optical element,
wherein the measuring system comprises:
a measuring irradiation device, configured to radiate measuring radiation in different directions onto the optical element, such that the measuring radiation covers respective optical path lengths through at least one section of the optical element for the different directions of incidence,
a detection device, configured to determine, for the respective directions of incidence, the respective optical path lengths covered by the measuring radiation in the optical element from detection of the measuring radiation, and
an evaluation device, configured to determine a three-dimensionally spatially resolved distribution of a property of the optical element from the respective determined path lengths with respect to the respective directions of incidence.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 ,
wherein the measured optical element is a lens element.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13 ,
wherein the measuring system is configured to measure the optical element in at least two different directions extending transversely with respect to the optical axis of the optical element.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13 ,
wherein the measuring system is configured to determine from the measurements a spatially resolved temperature distribution in at least one section of the optical element.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13 ,
wherein the detection device comprises an interferometer configured to determine the optical path length by superimposing the measuring radiation after traversing one of the optical path lengths in the optical element with a reference radiation.

18. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the irradiation device comprises a plurality of irradiation units each configured and arranged to emit the measuring radiation in one of the different directions of incidence, wherein the directions of incidence of the different irradiation units differ from one another in pairs.

19. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the detection device comprises a plurality of detection units each configured to determine the optical path length for a respective one of the different directions of incidence, wherein the directions of incidence assigned to the different detection units differ from one another in pairs.

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Smt Gmbh

Inventors

• Bleidistel Sascha
• Hartjes Joachim
• Gruner Toralf

Classifications

• G01K11/00

  Measuring temperature based upon physical or chemical changes not covered by groups G01K3/00, G01K5/00, G01K7/00 or G01K9/00 · CPC title

• G01M11/0242

  by measuring geometrical properties or aberrations · CPC title

• G03F7/7085

  Detection arrangement, e.g. detectors of apparatus alignment possibly mounted on wafers, exposure dose, photo-cleaning flux, stray light, thermal load · CPC title

• G03F7/706 Primary

  Aberration measurement · CPC title

• G03F7/70141

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