Mirror array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9874819-B2
Application number	US-201615226358-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2016
Priority date	Feb 21, 2014
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

A mirror array includes a multiplicity of displaceable individual mirrors which are subdivided into at least two groups. The individual mirrors of the first group are displaceable in a very precise manner, and the individual mirrors of the second group are displaceable in a very quick manner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mirror array, comprising:
a multiplicity of displaceable individual mirrors which are divided into at least first and second groups so that:
the individual mirrors which are displaceable with a relative accuracy better than 1:100 belong to the first group; and
the individual mirrors which are displaceable with a switching time of less than 100 milliseconds belong to the second group,
wherein, for each individual mirror, the mirror does not belong to both the first and second groups.

2. The mirror array of claim 1 , wherein the individual mirrors of the second group are configured to be displaced via pure feedforward control.

3. The mirror array of claim 1 , wherein the individual mirrors of the second group are arranged along one straight line.

4. The mirror array of claim 1 , wherein the individual mirrors of the second group are arranged along two straight lines.

5. The mirror array of claim 1 , wherein the individual mirrors of the second group comprise from 0.1% to 10% of an overall number of the individual mirrors.

6. A component, comprising:
a multiplicity of mirror arrays according to claim 1 ,
wherein the component is an optical component.

7. The component of claim 6 , wherein the groupings of the individual mirrors are the same on each mirror array.

8. An optical unit, comprising:
an optical component,
wherein the optical component comprises a multiplicity of mirror arrays according to claim 1 , and the optical unit is an illumination optical unit.

9. A system, comprising:
an illumination optical unit comprising an optical component; and
an illumination source,
wherein the optical component comprises a multiplicity of mirror arrays according to claim 1 , and the system is an illumination system.

10. An apparatus, comprising:
an illumination optical unit comprising an optical component; and
a projection optical unit,
wherein the optical component comprises a multiplicity of mirror arrays according to claim 1 , and the apparatus is a projection exposure apparatus.

11. A mirror, comprising:
an optical component,
wherein the optical component comprises a multiplicity of mirror arrays according to claim 1 , and the mirror is a facet mirror.

12. The mirror of claim 11 , wherein the groupings of the individual mirrors are the same on each mirror array.

13. An optical unit, comprising:
a facet mirror comprising an optical component,
wherein the optical component comprises a multiplicity of mirror arrays according to claim 1 , and the optical unit is an illumination optical unit.

14. A system, comprising:
an illumination optical unit comprising a facet mirror; and
an illumination source,
wherein the facet mirror comprises a multiplicity of mirror arrays according to claim 1 , and the system is an illumination system.

15. An apparatus, comprising:
an illumination optical unit comprising a facet mirror; and
a projection optical unit,
wherein the facet mirror comprises a multiplicity of mirror arrays according to claim 1 , and the apparatus is a projection exposure apparatus.

16. A method of illuminating an object field, the method comprising:
providing a facet mirror comprising an optical component, the optical component comprising a multiplicity of mirror arrays according to claim 1 ;
determining positioning of the individual mirrors of the mirror array in a manner dependent on a predetermined illumination setting;
determining subsets of the individual mirrors of the mirror array to assign to the second group for each predetermined illumination setting, in each case to correct illumination of the object field; and
assigning a subset of the individual mirrors of the mirror array to the second group.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
using an illumination optical unit comprising the facet mirror to illuminate structures of a reticle located in the object plane; and
using a projection optical unit to project illuminated structures of the reticle onto a light sensitive material in an image plane of the projection optical unit.

18. The mirror array of claim 1 , the individual mirrors of the second group are displaceable with a switching time of less than 30 milliseconds.

19. The mirror array of claim 1 , the individual mirrors of the second group are displaceable with a switching time of less than 10 milliseconds.

20. The mirror array of claim 1 , the individual mirrors of the second group are displaceable with a switching time of less than three milliseconds.

21. The mirror array of claim 1 , wherein the individual mirrors of the second group are configured to correct a deviation of a measured deviation of an uniformity of the illumination radiation from a predetermined value.

22. The mirror array of claim 1 , wherein subsets of the individual mirrors of at least one member selected from the group consisting of the first group and the second group define facets of a field facet mirror.

23. The method of claim 16 , further comprising correcting a deviation of a measured uniformity from a predetermined value by switching a subset of the individual mirrors.

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Smt Gmbh

Inventors

• Bieling Stig
• Hauf Markus
• Wischmeier Lars
• Haacker Fabian
• Endres Martin
• Eisenmenger Johannes

Classifications

• G03F7/70075 Primary

  Homogenization of illumination intensity in the mask plane by using an integrator, e.g. fly's eye lens, facet mirror or glass rod, by using a diffusing optical element or by beam deflection · CPC title

• G03F7/70291

  Addressable masks, e.g. spatial light modulators [SLMs], digital micro-mirror devices [DMDs] or liquid crystal display [LCD] patterning devices · CPC title

• G03F7/702 Primary

  Reflective illumination, i.e. reflective optical elements other than folding mirrors, e.g. extreme ultraviolet [EUV] illumination systems · CPC title

• G03F7/70116

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

• G02B26/0833

  the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD (G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B) · CPC title