Catadioptric lithography system and method with reticle stage orthogonal to wafer stage

A lithography apparatus, comprising:

• means for mounting a semiconductor wafer to a wafer stage, the wafer stage being supported by an isolated base frame;
• means for mounting a reticle to a reticle stage that is substantially orthogonal to the wafer stage, the reticle stage being supported by the isolated base frame;
• means for mounting a catadioptric exposure optics element on an isolated bridge between the reticle stage and the wafer stage, the catadioptric exposure optics element oriented to cause an even number of reflections of an image, and the isolated bridge supported by the isolated base frame;
• means for illuminating the reticle stage to thereby produce a patterned image;
• means for projecting the patterned image onto the wafer stage in a congruent manner;
• and
• means for receiving the patterned image at the wafer stage,
• wherein a dual isolation apparatus is provided such that the wafer stage and the reticle stage are protected from environmental motion.

A method for performing lithography in a tool having a plurality of wafer stages, each of the plurality of wafer stages having an associated data collection station separate from a data collection station associated with other of the plurality of wafer stages, comprising:

• positioning a reticle stage substantially orthogonal to each of the plurality of wafer stages;
• illuminating the reticle stage to thereby produce a patterned image;
• directing the patterned image through a catadioptric exposure optics element between the reticle stage and each of the plurality of wafer stages to cause an even number of reflections of the patterned image;
• projecting the patterned image onto each of the plurality of wafer stages in a congruent manner;
• and
• receiving the patterned image at each of the plurality of wafer stages at an exposure station.

A lithography method, comprising:

• mounting a semiconductor wafer to a wafer stage, the wafer stage being supported by an isolated base frame;
• mounting a reticle to a reticle stage that is substantially orthogonal to the wafer stage, the reticle stage being supported by the isolated base frame;
• mounting a catadioptric exposure optics element on an isolated bridge between the reticle stage and the wafer stage, the catadioptric exposure optics element oriented to cause an even number of reflections of an image, and the isolated bridge supported by the isolated base frame;
• illuminating the reticle stage to thereby produce a patterned image;
• projecting the patterned image onto the wafer stage in a congruent manner;
• and
• receiving the patterned image at the wafer stage,
• wherein the wafer stage and the reticle stage are protected from environmental motion.