Projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12436361-B2
Application number	US-202217805558-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2022
Priority date	Dec 10, 2019
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography includes a mirror and a temperature-regulating device for regulating temperature on the basis of radiation. The mirror includes at least one cutout. The temperature-regulating device includes a temperature-regulating body arranged without contact in the cutout of the mirror. The temperature-regulating body has a cavity. A fluid for temperature regulation of the temperature-regulating body is present in the cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a mirror comprising a cutout;
a temperature-regulating body in the cutout of the mirror; and
a sensor configured to detect a distance between the temperature-regulating body and an inner surface of the cutout,
wherein:
the temperature-regulating body comprises a cavity configured to allow a fluid to flow therethrough to regulate a temperature of the temperature-regulating body;
the temperature-regulating body does not contact the cutout of the mirror; and
the apparatus is a semiconductor lithography projection exposure apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the mirror comprises a mirror facet, a baseplate, and two bar bodies supported by the baseplate;
the cutout is between the two bar bodies; and
one of the bar bodies is between the baseplate and the mirror facet.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cavity comprises an inlet configured to allow the fluid into the cavity and an outlet configured to allow the fluid out of the cavity.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a laser configured to cool the fluid when the fluid is in the cavity by irradiating the fluid with laser radiation.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a reflectivity of an inner surface of the cavity is at least 90% for the laser radiation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature-regulating body is configured so that, during use of the temperature-regulating body, a temperature of the temperature-regulating body is adjustable in a range of 20° C. to minus 70° C.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a coating, wherein the coating is supported by an outer surface of the temperature-regulating body or the inner surface of the cutout.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the coating has an absorptivity of at least 50% over a wavelength range of 6 μm to 20 μm.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the following holds:
the temperature-regulating body has an adjustable position; and
the temperature-regulating body has an adjustable orientation.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a control loop configured so that, when a distance between the temperature-regulating body and the inner surface of the cutout is less than a predetermined value, the temperature-regulating body is re-oriented and/or re-positioned so that the distance between the temperature-regulating body and the inner surface of the cutout is at least the predetermined value, wherein the control loop is an open-loop control and/or a closed-loop control.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a further sensor, wherein the further sensor is configured to detect a temperature of the mirror.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the further sensor is configured to detect a temperature of the cavity.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a controller configured to control a temperature of the cavity based of the detected temperature of the mirror.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a further sensor, wherein the further sensor is configured to detect a temperature of the cavity.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a controller configured to control a temperature of the cavity based of the detected temperature of the cavity.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to operate at a wavelength of used light a range of 1 nm to 120 nm.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured so that, during use of the apparatus, the mirror is in a vacuum.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises an illumination system and a projection optical unit, and the mirror is in the illumination system.

19. A system, comprising:
a mirror comprising cutout;
a temperature-regulating body in the cutout of the mirror; and
a sensor configured to detect a distance between the temperature-regulating body and an inner surface of the cutout,
wherein:
the temperature-regulating body comprises a cavity configured to allow a fluid to flow therethrough to regulate a temperature of the temperature-regulating body;
the temperature-regulating body does not contact the cutout of the mirror; and
the system is a semiconductor lithography illumination system.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising a control loop configured so that, when a distance between the temperature-regulating body and the inner surface of the cutout is less than a predetermined value, the temperature-regulating body is re-oriented and/or re-positioned so that the distance between the temperature-regulating body and the inner surface of the cutout is at least the predetermined value, wherein the control loop is an open-loop control and/or a closed-loop control.

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Smt Gmbh

Inventors

• Hartjes Joachim
• Wolf Alexander
• Gruner Toralf

Classifications

• G03F7/70891 Primary

  Temperature · CPC title

• G02B7/1815

  with cooling or heating systems (cooling arrangements for laser mirrors H01S3/0401) · CPC title

• G02B7/195 Primary

  Fluid-cooled mirrors {(not in use, see G02B7/181)} · CPC title

• G03F7/709

  Vibration, e.g. vibration detection, compensation, suppression or isolation · CPC title