Lithographic apparatus, metrology systems, illumination sources and methods thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12124173-B2
Application number	US-202017790344-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2020
Priority date	Dec 30, 2019
Publication date	Oct 22, 2024
Grant date	Oct 22, 2024

Abstract

A system includes an illumination system, an optical element, and a detector. The optical system is implemented on a substrate. The illumination system includes first and second sources and first and second generators. The illumination system generates a beam of radiation. The first and second sources generate respective first and second different wavelength bands. The first and second resonators are optically coupled to respective ones of the first and second sources and narrow respective ones of the first and second wavelength bands. The optical element directs the beam toward a target structure. The detector receives radiation from the target structure and to generate a measurement signal based on the received radiation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an illumination system on a substrate, the illumination system configured to generate a beam of radiation and comprising first and second sources configured to generate respective first and second different wavelength bands and first and second resonators optically coupled to respective ones of the first and second sources and configured to narrow respective ones of the first and second wavelength bands;
an optical element configured to direct the beam toward a target structure; and
a detector configured to receive radiation returning from the target structure and to generate a measurement signal based on the received radiation.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the illumination system is further configured to adjust the narrowed respective ones of the first and second wavelength bands based on an adjustment of a resonant wavelength of respective ones of the first and second resonators.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second wavelength bands comprise a shared wavelength.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the illumination system is further configured to operate within a broad wavelength range of approximately 200-2000 nm and to select at least one of the narrowed respective ones of the first and second wavelength bands from the broad wavelength range.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the narrowed respective ones of the first and second wavelength bands is approximately 20 nm wide or less.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the narrowed respective ones of the first and second wavelength bands is approximately 1 nm wide or less.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the illumination system is further configured to adjust a width of at least one of the narrowed respective ones of the first and second wavelength bands based on a modulation of one or more properties of a respective one of the first and second resonators; and
the one or more properties comprises at least one of a resonant wavelength and Q-factor.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the illumination system further comprises:
a third source configured to generate a third wavelength band of the beam different from the first and second wavelength bands; and
a third resonator optically coupled to the third source device and configured to narrow the third wavelength band.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first source is configured to be unpowered or have a suppressed output while the second source is powered.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the substrate further comprises:
a multiplexer element configured to direct radiation corresponding to the first wavelength band and radiation corresponding to the second wavelength band along a shared optical axis.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the illumination system further comprises an illumination monitor configured to monitor one or more properties of the beam and the illumination system is further configured to send a portion of the beam to the illumination monitor.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more properties comprises at least one of a dose, a position, an intensity, a polarization, a spectral bandwidth, and a wavelength.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein:
at least the first source and the first resonator are further configured to form a feedback loop;
the illumination monitor is further configured to monitor radiation in the feedback loop; and
the illumination system is further configured to stabilize the one or more properties of the beam based on the monitored radiation in the feedback loop.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the illumination monitor is integrated on the substrate.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the illumination system comprises an integrated photonic device comprising at least the first source and the first resonator.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system has a footprint area less than approximately 2000 mm 2 , 1000 mm 2 , 500 mm 2 , 100 mm 2 , 50 mm 2 , 25 mm 2 , or 16 mm 2.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the detector comprises an image capture device.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sources each comprise a superluminescent diode.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second resonators each comprise a ring resonator.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the illumination system:
further comprises a first polarizer; and
is further configured to adjust a polarization of the beam based on user-input.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein:
the illumination system further comprises a second polarizer associated with an optical path of the second source;
the first polarizer is associated with an optical path of the first source; and
the illumination system is further configured to select at least one of the optical paths of the first and second sources.

22. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first source, the second source, the first resonator, and the second resonator is modular.

23. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second illumination system on a second substrate, the second illumination system configured to generate a second beam of radiation and comprising first and second sources configured to generate respective first and second different wavelength bands of the second beam and first and second resonators optically coupled to respective ones of the first and second sources of the second illumination system and configured to narrow respective ones of the first and second wavelength bands of the second beam;
a second optical element configured to direct the second beam toward a second target structure; and
a second detector configured to receive radiation from the second target structure and to generate a measurement signal based on the received radiation.

24. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
additional illumination systems on corresponding additional substrates configured to generate corresponding beams of radiation and comprising corresponding first and second sources configured to generate respective first and second different wavelength bands of the corresponding beams and corresponding first and second resonators optically coupled to respective ones of the corresponding first and second sources and configured to narrow respective ones of the first and second wavelength bands of the corresponding beams;
additional optical elements configured to direct the corresponding beams toward corresponding target structures; and
additional detectors configured to receive radiation from the corresponding target structures and to generate corresponding measurement signals based on the received radiation scattered by the corresponding target structures.

25. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
an illumination apparatus configured to illuminate a pattern of a patterning device;
a projection system configured to project an image of the pattern onto a target substrate; and
a metrology system comprising:
an illumination system on a substrate, the illumination system configured to generate a beam of radiation and comprising first and second sources configured to generate respective first and second different wavelength bands and first and second resonators optically coupled to respective ones of the first and second sources and configured to narrow respective ones of the first and second wavelength bands;
an optical element

Assignees

• Asml Netherlands Bv
• Asml Holding Nv
• Asml Netherlands B V & Asml Holding N V

Inventors

• Reijnders Marinus Petrus
• Swillam Mohamed

Classifications

• G03F7/70633

  Overlay, i.e. relative alignment between patterns printed by separate exposures in different layers, or in the same layer in multiple exposures or stitching · CPC title

• G03F7/70141

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

• G03F7/70625 Primary

  Dimensions, e.g. line width, critical dimension [CD], profile, sidewall angle or edge roughness · CPC title

• G03F7/70616 Primary

  Monitoring the printed patterns · CPC title