Measuring system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9482968-B2
Application number	US-201314100742-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2013
Priority date	Jun 8, 2011
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

An objective for a projection exposure apparatus includes a metrology stage arranged on the frame of the objective. The objective includes at least one optical component, an objective mount for mounting the optical component, and a positioning device for holding at least one measuring device. The positioning device is connected to the objective mount and has at least one degree of freedom of displacement for displacing the measuring device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A measuring system for characterizing at least one component of a projection exposure apparatus for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) projection lithography comprising
a. at least one measuring device configured to measure an optical parameter from radiation traversing through an EUV objective of the projection exposure apparatus, wherein the EUV objective comprises a reflective optical element configured to reflect EUV radiation, and
b. a positioning device configured to position the at least one measuring device,
c. wherein the positioning device is configured to displaceably connect to the EUV objective of the projection exposure apparatus.

2. The measuring system according to claim 1 , wherein the positioning device is configured to position the measuring device in EUV radiation projected from the EUV objective in a region of a projected beam path not used for exposure of a wafer; and
wherein the measuring device is configured to measure the optical parameter during the exposure of the wafer from EUV radiation incident on the measuring device in the region of a projected beam path not used for exposure of the wafer.

3. The measuring system according to claim 1 , further comprising a measuring radiation source providing the radiation traversing the EUV objective wherein the radiation comprises non-EUV radiation.

4. An objective for a projection exposure apparatus for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) projection lithography comprising
a. at least one EUV optical component,
b. an objective mount configured to mount the at least one EUV optical component
c. a measuring device is configured to measure an optical parameter from radiation incident upon the EUV optical element, and
d. a positioning device configured to position at least one measuring device,
e. wherein the positioning device is connected to the objective mount, and
f. wherein the positioning device has at least one degree of freedom of displacement for displacing the measuring device.

5. The objective according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one EUV optical component is a last optical component of a plurality of optical components and the at least one measuring device is arranged in direction of the beam path of the objective after the last optical component.

6. The objective according to claim 4 , wherein the positioning device is configured such that the at least one measuring device displaces between at least one measurement position in the beam path of the objective and a parking position completely outside the beam path of the objective.

7. The objective according to claim 4 , further comprising an actuator for calibrating the objective, wherein the actuator is connected to the at least one measuring device via a data-transmitting path.

8. The objective according to claim 4 , wherein the positioning device is free of interaction with magnetic fields.

9. The objective according to claim 4 , further comprising an arrangement forming a vacuum chamber enclosing the EUV optical component, the objective mount and the positioning device.

10. The objective according to claim 4 , further comprising at least one displaceable counterweight configured to compensate for a variable force acting on at least one of the positioning device and the objective.

11. A projection optical unit for projecting an object field into an image field, comprising
a. an objective according to claim 4 .

12. A projection exposure apparatus for EUV projection lithography comprising
a. an illumination system and
b. a projection optical unit according to claim 11 .

13. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising a displaceable wafer holder wherein the positioning device configured to position the at least one measuring device is displaceable independently of the wafer holder.

14. A method for characterizing at least one component of a projection exposure apparatus for EUV projection lithography, comprising:
ing a projection exposure apparatus according to claim 12 ,
providing at least one measuring device, which is positioned relative to the objective with the positioning device, and
measuring at least one parameter for characterizing at least one component of the projection exposure apparatus with the at least one measuring device.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the measuring of the at least one parameter takes place at the same time as an exposure of a wafee.

16. A method for producing a microstructured component comprising:
ing a projection exposure apparatus according to claim 12 ,
providing a reticle,
providing a wafer having a coating that is light-sensitive to illumination radiation,
projecting at least one section of the reticle onto the wafer with the projection exposure apparatus, and
developing the exposed coating on the wafer.

17. The objective according to claim 4 , wherein the positioning device is configured to position the measuring device in EUV radiation projected from the objective in a region of a projected beam path not used for exposure of a wafer; and
wherein the measuring device is configured to measure the optical parameter during the exposure of the wafer from the EUV radiation incident on the measuring device in the region of a projected beam path not used for exposure of the wafer.

18. The objective according to claim 4 , further comprising a measuring radiation source providing the radiation traversing the at least one EUV optical component wherein the measurement radiation comprises non-EUV radiation.

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Smt Gmbh

Inventors

• Goeppert Markus
• Haidner Helmut
• Freimann Rolf
• Striebel Christoph

Classifications

• H10P76/00 Primary

  Manufacture or treatment of masks on semiconductor bodies, e.g. by lithography or photolithography · CPC title

• G03F7/706

  Aberration measurement · CPC title

• G01M11/0264 Primary

  by using targets or reference patterns · 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

• G03F9/00 Primary

  Registration or positioning of originals, masks, frames, photographic sheets or textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. automatically (G03F7/22 takes precedence; preparation of photographic masks G03F1/00; within photographic printing apparatus for making copies G03B27/00) · CPC title