Lithographic apparatus, programmable patterning device and lithographic method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9645502-B2
Application number	US-201214006292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2012
Priority date	Apr 8, 2011
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

In an embodiment, a lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes a modulator configured to expose an exposure area of the substrate to a plurality of beams modulated according to a desired pattern and a projection system configured to project the modulated beams onto the substrate. The modulator includes a deflector to displace the plurality of beams with respect to an exposure area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
a substrate holder constructed to hold and move a substrate;
a modulator configured to modulate a plurality of electromagnetic radiation beams according to a desired pattern;
an array of electro-optical deflectors configured to receive the modulated plurality of beams and deflect the modulated beams, the array extending substantially perpendicularly to an optical axis of the apparatus; and
a projection system configured to receive and project the modulated beams toward the movable substrate.

2. The lithographic apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising, in use, a donor structure located between the modulator and the substrate and onto which, in use, the modulated beams impinge, the donor structure having a donor material layer transferable from the donor structure onto the substrate.

3. The lithographic apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the donor material is a metal.

4. The lithographic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the modulated beams, in use, impinge the substrate and cause material of the substrate to be ablated.

5. The lithographic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an electro-optical deflector of the plurality of electro-optical deflectors comprises a prism of electro-optic material, the prism situated non-perpendicularly with respect to an incident beam on the entrance face of the prism.

6. The lithographic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electro-optical deflectors comprise a first set of electro-optical deflectors to deflect the beams in only a first direction and a second set of electro-optical deflectors to deflect the beam in only a second different direction.

7. The lithographic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an electro-optical deflector of the plurality of electro-optical deflectors comprises a plurality of prisms arranged in sequence along the beam path, each alternating prism having an opposite domain.

8. The lithographic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an electro-optical deflector of the plurality of electro-optical deflectors comprises at least one selected from the following: LiNbO 3 , LiTaO 3 , KH 2 PO 4 (KDP), or NH 4 H 2 PO 4 (ADP).

9. The lithographic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an electro-optical deflector of the plurality of electro-optical deflectors has a refractive index gradient material.

10. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:
a substrate holder constructed to hold a substrate;
a modulator configured to modulate a beam according to a desired pattern, the modulator comprising an electro-optical deflector having a refractive index gradient material configured to provide a plurality of refractive index changes along the optical path of the beam across the material upon application of a potential difference; and
a projection system configured to receive and project the modulated beam toward a substrate.

11. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
a substrate holder constructed to hold a substrate;
a modulator configured to modulate a beam of radiation according to a desired pattern;
a projection system configured to receive and project the modulated beam toward the substrate; and
a controller configured to convert operation of the apparatus to use the modulated beam to perform photolithography, material deposition directly caused by the modulated beam and material removal directly caused by the modulated beam.

12. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
a substrate holder constructed to hold a substrate;
a modulator configured to modulate a plurality of beams of radiation according to a desired pattern the modulator comprising a plurality of radiation sources;
a projection system configured to receive and project the modulated beams toward the substrate; and
a donor structure support to movably support a donor structure at a location between the modulator and the substrate and to allow relative movement between the donor structure and the substrate, the donor structure having a donor material layer transferable from the donor structure onto the substrate and the modulated beams, in use, impinge together on the donor structure.

13. The lithographic apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising an array of deflectors configured to receive the modulated plurality of beams and deflect the modulated beams, the array extending substantially perpendicularly to an optical axis of the apparatus.

14. A lithographic apparatus comprising:
a substrate holder constructed to hold and move a substrate;
a modulator configured to modulate a plurality of beams according to a desired pattern, the modulator comprising an electro-optical deflector to deflect a beam spot of each of the beams located in a plane perpendicular to a path of the beams, in a first direction parallel to the plane; and
a movable refractive optical element to receive the beams from the electro-optical deflector, to deflect a beam spot of each of the beams located in a plane perpendicular to a path of the beams, in a second direction parallel to the plane and transverse to the first direction, and to project the modulated beams toward the movable substrate.

15. The lithographic apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

16. The lithographic apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the movable optical element is configured to project the modulated beams on a target and wherein the apparatus is configured to move the target.

17. The lithographic apparatus of claim 14 , configured to move the target in substantially the first direction.

18. The lithographic apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the target is on the substrate or on a donor structure having a donor material layer transferable from the donor structure onto the substrate.

19. The lithographic apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the electro-optical deflector consists of a single-dimension deflector.

20. The lithographic apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the electro-optical deflector is configured to deflect the beams in the first direction and the second direction.

21. The lithographic apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising, in use, a donor structure located between the modulator and the substrate and onto which, in use, the modulated beams impinge, the donor structure having a donor material layer transferable from the donor structure onto the substrate.

Assignees

• De Jager Pieter Willem Herman
• Banine Vadim Yevgenyevich
• Onvlee Johannes
• Stevens Lucas Henricus Johannes
• Wuister Sander Frederik
• Iosad Nikolay Nikolaevich
• Asml Netherlands Bv

Inventors

• De Jager Pieter Willem Herman
• Banine Vadim Yevgenyevich
• Onvlee Johannes
• Stevens Lucas Henricus Johannes
• Wuister Sander Frederik
• Iosad Nikolay Nikolaevich

Classifications

• G02F1/1303

  Apparatus specially adapted to the manufacture of LCDs · CPC title

• G02F1/29 Primary

  for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection · CPC title

• G03F7/704 Primary

  Scanned exposure beam, e.g. raster-, rotary- and vector scanning (mask projection exposure involving relative movement of patterned beam and workpiece during imaging G03F7/70358) · CPC title

• G03F7/70191 Primary

  Optical correction elements, filters or phase plates for controlling intensity, wavelength, polarisation, phase or the like · CPC title