Lithographic apparatus and method
AssigneeASML Netherlands B.V.
InventorMarcel Mathijs Theodore Marie Dierichs
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system to provide a beam of radiation; a support structure to support a patterning device, the patterning device serving to impart the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section; a substrate table to hold a substrate; and a projection system to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The illumination system includes a first spatial light modulator including a first array of individually controllable elements controllable to control the field size of the radiation beam, the field position of the radiation beam or the uniformity of the radiation beam, and a second spatial light modulator arranged to apply a desired angular distribution to the radiation beam.
Claims17
A lithographic apparatus comprising:
- an illumination system configured to provide a radiation beam, the illumination system including
- a first spatial light modulator comprising individually controllable elements controllable to control a field size of the radiation beam, a field position of the radiation beam or a uniformity of the radiation beam, or any combination thereof;
- and
- a second spatial light modulator arranged to apply a desired angular distribution to the radiation beam;
- a support structure configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device serving to impart the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section;
- a substrate table configured to hold a substrate;
- and
- a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate.
A lithographic method comprising:
- providing a beam of radiation using an illumination system;
- imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section;
- and
- projecting the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate,
- wherein providing the radiation beam using the illumination system comprises:
- controlling a field size of the radiation beam, a field position of the radiation beam or a uniformity of the radiation beam or any combination thereof by using a first spatial light modulator comprising individually controllable elements;
- and
- applying a desired angular distribution to the radiation beam using a second spatial light modulator.
A lithographic apparatus comprising:
- an illumination system configured to provide a radiation beam, the illumination system including
- a first spatial light modulator arranged to control a field size of the radiation beam, a field position of the radiation beam or a uniformity of the radiation beam or any combination thereof;
- an exchange mechanism configured to change the first spatial light modulator for another spatial light modulator arranged to control the field size of the radiation beam, the field position of the radiation beam or the uniformity of the radiation beam;
- and
- a second spatial light modulator arranged to apply a desired angular distribution to the radiation beam;
- a support structure configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device serving to impart the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section;
- a substrate table configured to hold a substrate;
- and
- a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.