Metrology system for examining objects with euv measurement light

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023168593-A1
Application number	US-202217992034-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 22, 2022
Priority date	Nov 26, 2021
Publication date	Jun 1, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A metrology system serves for examining objects with EUV measurement light. An illumination optical unit serves for guiding the EUV measurement light towards the object to be examined. The illumination optical unit has an illumination optical unit stop for prescribing a measurement light intensity distribution in an illumination pupil in a pupil plane of the illumination optical unit. An output coupling mirror serves for coupling a part of the measurement light out of an illumination beam path of the illumination optical unit. The output coupling mirror has a mirror surface which is used to couple out measurement light and has an aspect ratio of a greatest mirror surface extent A longitudinally with respect to a mirror surface longitudinal dimension (x) to a smallest mirror surface extent B longitudinally with respect to a mirror surface transverse dimension (y) perpendicular to the mirror surface longitudinal dimension (x). The aspect ratio AB is greater than 1.1. The result is a metrology system in which a measurement light throughput is optimized even in the simulation or emulation of an imaging optical unit of a projection exposure apparatus having an image-side numerical aperture of greater than 0.5 and in particular in the simulation or emulation of an anamorphic imaging optical unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A metrology system for examining objects with EUV measurement light,
comprising an illumination optical unit for guiding the EUV measurement light towards the object to be examined, having an illumination optical unit stop for setting a measurement light intensity distribution in an illumination pupil in a pupil plane of the illumination optical unit, comprising an output coupling mirror for coupling a part of the measurement light out of an illumination beam path of the illumination optical unit, wherein the output coupling mirror has a mirror surface which is used to couple out measurement light and has an aspect ratio of a greatest mirror surface extent A along a mirror surface longitudinal dimension (x) to a smallest mirror surface extent B along a mirror surface transverse dimension (y) perpendicular to the mirror surface longitudinal dimension (x), wherein the aspect ratio A/B is greater than 1.1.

2 . The metrology system of claim 1 , wherein the aspect ratio A/B is greater than 1.5.

3 . The metrology system of claim 2 , wherein the aspect ratio A/B is 2 at most.

4 . The metrology system of claim 1 , wherein longitudinal sides of the output coupling mirror, which have between them the distance B of the smallest mirror surface extent, are embodied in the form of rectilinear boundaries of the mirror surface.

5 . The metrology system of claim 1 , wherein narrow sides of the output coupling mirror, which have between them the largest mirror surface extent A, are embodied in the form of convexly curved boundaries of the mirror surface.

6 . The metrology system of claim 5 , wherein the narrow sides of the output coupling mirror have peripheral contours in the shape of ellipse portions.

7 . The metrology system of claim 1 , wherein an output coupling pupil obscuration area produced by a shading of the illumination beam path caused by the output coupling mirror in a downstream pupil plane of the metrology system lies within an illumination optical unit stop obscuration area produced by an obscuration portion of the illumination optical unit stop in the pupil plane.

8 . The metrology system of claim 1 , comprising an imaging optical unit for imaging a portion of the object into a measurement plane, having an imaging optical unit stop with an obscuration portion for prescribing an obscuration of an imaging pupil in a pupil plane of the imaging optical unit, wherein an output coupling pupil obscuration area produced by a shading of the illumination beam path caused by the output coupling mirror in the pupil plane lies within an imaging optical unit stop obscuration area produced by the obscuration portion of the imaging optical unit stop.

9 . The metrology system of claim 1 , comprising an EUV light source for producing the EUV measurement light.

10 . The metrology system of claim 2 , wherein longitudinal sides of the output coupling mirror, which have between them the distance B of the smallest mirror surface extent, are embodied in the form of rectilinear boundaries of the mirror surface.

11 . The metrology system of claim 2 , wherein narrow sides of the output coupling mirror, which have between them the largest mirror surface extent A, are embodied in the form of convexly curved boundaries of the mirror surface.

12 . The metrology system of claim 2 , wherein an output coupling pupil obscuration area produced by a shading of the illumination beam path caused by the output coupling mirror in a downstream pupil plane of the metrology system lies within an illumination optical unit stop obscuration area produced by an obscuration portion of the illumination optical unit stop in the pupil plane.

13 . The metrology system of claim 2 , comprising an imaging optical unit for imaging a portion of the object into a measurement plane, having an imaging optical unit stop with an obscuration portion for prescribing an obscuration of an imaging pupil in a pupil plane of the imaging optical unit, wherein an output coupling pupil obscuration area produced by a shading of the illumination beam path caused by the output coupling mirror in the pupil plane lies within an imaging optical unit stop obscuration area produced by the obscuration portion of the imaging optical unit stop.

14 . The metrology system of claim 8 , wherein the imaging optical unit comprises an anamorphic imaging optical unit that is configured to produce a circular exit pupil from an elliptic entrance pupil.

15 . A system comprising:
an illumination optical unit configured to guide EUV measurement light towards an object to be examined, the illumination optical unit comprising an illumination optical unit stop for setting a measurement light intensity distribution in an illumination pupil in a pupil plane of the illumination optical unit; and an output coupling mirror configured to couple a portion of the EUV measurement light out of an illumination beam path of the illumination optical unit; wherein the output coupling mirror has a mirror surface that is used to couple out measurement light and has an aspect ratio of a greatest mirror surface extent A along a mirror surface longitudinal dimension (x) to a smallest mirror surface extent B along a mirror surface transverse dimension (y) perpendicular to the mirror surface longitudinal dimension (x), the aspect ratio A/B is greater than 1.1.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the aspect ratio A/B is greater than 1.5.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein narrow sides of the output coupling mirror, which have between them the largest mirror surface extent A, are embodied in the form of convexly curved boundaries of the mirror surface.

18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein an output coupling pupil obscuration area produced by a shading of the illumination beam path caused by the output coupling mirror in a downstream pupil plane of the metrology system lies within an illumination optical unit stop obscuration area produced by an obscuration portion of the illumination optical unit stop in the pupil plane.

19 . The system of claim 15 , comprising an imaging optical unit for imaging a portion of the object into a measurement plane, having an imaging optical unit stop with an obscuration portion for prescribing an obscuration of an imaging pupil in a pupil plane of the imaging optical unit, wherein an output coupling pupil obscuration area produced by a shading of the illumination beam path caused by the output coupling mirror in the pupil plane lies within an imaging optical unit stop obscuration area produced by the obscuration portion of the imaging optical unit stop.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the imaging optical unit comprises an anamorphic imaging optical unit that is configured to produce a circular exit pupil from an elliptic entrance pupil.

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Smt Gmbh

Inventors

• Capelli Renzo
• Gwosch Klaus

Classifications

• G03F7/70775

  Position control, e.g. interferometers or encoders for determining the stage position · CPC title

• G03F1/84 Primary

  Inspecting · CPC title

• G03F7/7085 Primary

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

• G03F7/70666

  Aerial image, i.e. measuring the image of the patterned exposure light at the image plane of the projection system · CPC title

• G03F7/70033

  by plasma extreme ultraviolet [EUV] sources · CPC title