Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9767068-B2
Application number	US-201313747118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2013
Priority date	Aug 6, 2010
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus has a measuring device, by which a sequence of measurement values can be generated, and a processing unit for processing the measurement values. The processing unit has a processing chain which includes a plurality of digital signal processors. The first digital signal processor in the processing chain is connected to the measuring device to receive the sequence of measurement values. Each subsequent digital signal processor in the processing chain is connected to a respectively preceding digital signal processor in the processing chain. The digital signal processors are programmed so that each digital signal processor processes only a fraction of the measurement values and generates processing results therefrom, and forwards the remaining fraction of the measurement values to the respective next digital signal processor in the processing chain for processing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a measuring device configured to generate a sequence of measurement values; and
a processing unit comprising a processing chain configured to process the measurement values, the processing chain comprising a plurality of digital signal processors including a first digital signal processor in the processing chain and a last digital signal processor in the processing chain,
wherein:
the first digital signal processor in the processing chain is in communication with the measuring device to receive the sequence of measurement values;
each subsequent digital signal processor in the processing chain is in communication with a respective preceding digital signal processor in the processing chain;
the digital signal processors are programmed so that each digital signal processor processes only a fraction of the measurement values and generates processing results therefrom;
with the exception of the last digital signal processor in the processing chain, each digital signal processor is programmed to forward a remaining fraction of the measurement values to its respective next digital signal processor in the processing chain; and
the apparatus is a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an optical component and an actuating device, wherein the actuating device comprises a plurality of actuators configured to act on the optical component, the processing results of the processing unit are deliverable to the actuating device, and the actuating device is configured to modify a property of the optical component based on the processing results.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the optical component comprises a plurality of mirrors which are adjustable via the actuators actuating device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the processing unit comprises an input configured to receive the measurement values;
the first digital signal processor in the processing chain comprises:
a measurement data input in communication with the input of the processing unit; and
a measurement data output configured to forward the remaining fraction of the measurement values to its next digital signal processor in the processing chain;

except for the first digital signal processor in the processing chain, each digital signal processor in the processing chain comprises a measurement data input in communication with a measurement data output of its respective preceding digital signal processor in the processing chain so that the digital signal processor receives the remaining fraction of the measurement values forwarded by its respective preceding digital signal processor in the processing chain.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:
each digital signal processor comprises a result output configured to output generated processing results;
the processing unit comprises an output configured to output all the processing results of the processing chain;
the output of the processing unit is in communication with the result output of the first digital signal processor in the processing chain;
with the exception of the last digital signal processor in the processing chain, each digital signal processor in the processing chain:
comprises a result input in communication with the result output of its respective next digital signal processor in the processing chain; and
is programmed so that, at its result output, it outputs its processing results which have been generated by the subsequent digital signal processors in the processing chain and which it receives at its result input; and

the last digital signal processor (DSP 3 ) in the processing chain is programmed so that it outputs only its own processing results at its result output (RO 3 ).

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:
each digital signal processor comprises a result output configured to output generated processing results;
the processing unit comprises an output configured to output all the processing results of the processing chain;
the output of the processing unit is in communication with the result output of the last digital signal processor in the processing chain;
with the exception of the first digital signal processor in the processing chain, each digital signal processor:
comprises a result input connected to the result output of its respective preceding digital signal processor in the processing chain; and
is programmed so that, at its result output, it outputs its processing results as well as processing results generated by the preceding digital signal processors in the processing chain and which it receives at its result input; and

the first digital signal processor in the processing chain is programmed so that it outputs only its own processing results at its result output.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein at least one further digital signal processor, which itself processes only a fraction of the received measurement values and forwards the remaining fraction, is connected between the first digital signal processor in the processing chain and the last digital signal processor in the processing chain.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
at least one further digital signal processor, which itself processes only a fraction of the received measurement values and forwards the remaining fraction, is connected between the first digital signal processor in the processing chain and the last digital signal processor in the processing chain; and
the at least one further digital signal processor comprises:
a measurement data input configured to receive a fraction of the measurement values from a measurement data output of a preceding digital signal processor in the processing chain;
a measurement data output configured to transfer a fraction of the measurement values, not to be processed by the at least one further digital signal processor, to a measurement data input of a subsequent digital signal processor in the processing chain;
a result input configured to receive processing results from a subsequent digital signal processor in the processing chain; and
a result output configured to transfer processing results generated by the at least one further digital signal processor and the processing results which come from the subsequent digital signal processors in the processing chain to the result input of a preceding digital signal processor in the processing chain.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein:
at least one further digital signal processor, which itself processes only a fraction of the received measurement values and forwards the remaining fraction, is connected between the first digital signal processor in the processing chain and the last digital signal processor in the processing chain; and
the at least one further digital signal processor comprises:
a measurement data input configured to receive a fraction of the measurement values from a measurement data output of a preceding digital signal processor in the processing chain;
a measurement data output configured to transfer a fraction of the measurement values, not to be processed by the at least one further digital signal processor, to a measurement data input of a subsequent digital signal processor in the processing chain;
a result input, which is adapted to receive processing results from a preceding digital signal processor in the processing chain; and
a result output which is adapted to transfer processing results generated by the at least one further digital signal processor and the processing results which come from the preceding digital signal processors in the processing chain to the result input of a subsequent digital signal processor in the processing chain.

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Smt Gmbh

Inventors

• Kempter Christian

Classifications

• G03F7/70116 Primary

  Off-axis setting using a programmable means, e.g. liquid crystal display [LCD], digital micromirror device [DMD] or pupil facets · CPC title

• G01J3/00

  Spectrometry; Spectrophotometry; Monochromators; Measuring colours · CPC title

• G06F15/00 Primary

  Digital computers in general (details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00); Data processing equipment in general · CPC title

• G03F7/70508

  Data handling in all parts of the microlithographic apparatus, e.g. handling pattern data for addressable masks or data transfer to or from different components within the exposure apparatus · 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