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US 2011/0255067 A1Published application
Microlithography illumination systems, components and methods
AssigneeCarl Zeiss SMT GmbH
InventorsBerndt Warm, Guenther Dengel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosure relates to microlithography systems, such as EUV micro-lithography illumination systems, as well as related components, systems and methods.
Claims20
A projection exposure apparatus, comprising:
- an illumination optics designed so that, during use, the illumination optics can guide light from a radiation source to an object field in an object plane;
- a projection optics designed so that, during use, the projection optics can image the object field into an image field in an image plane;
- a field-distribution sensor element designed so that, during use, the field-distribution sensor element can determine an actual intensity distribution of the projection exposure apparatus in a field plane of the projection optics;
- a field-distribution evaluation device comprising a signal connection to the field-distribution sensor element, the field-distribution evaluation device being designed so that, during use, a nominal distribution of intensity over the field can be stored via the field-distribution evaluation device stored;
- a field-distribution control device comprising a signal connection to the field-distribution evaluation device, the field-distribution control device designed so that, during use, the field-distribution control device generates a signal depending on the difference between the actual intensity distribution and the nominal intensity distribution;
- and
- a movable field-distribution diaphragm device comprising a signal connection to the field-distribution control device, the movable field-distribution diaphragm device designed so that, during use, depending on the field-distribution control signal, the movable field-distribution diaphragm device moves a field-distribution diaphragm body to achieve an adjustable, partial attenuation of illumination light of the radiation source in the area of a field plane of the illumination optics,
- wherein the projection exposure apparatus is a projection exposure apparatus for EUV microlithography.
5 more elements
A method according to claim, comprising:
- providing a microlithography projection exposure apparatus, comprising:
- an illumination optics;
- a projection optics;
- a field-distribution sensor element;
- a field-distribution evaluation device comprising a signal connection to the field-distribution sensor element;
- a field-distribution control device comprising a signal connection to the field-distribution evaluation device;
- and
- a movable field-distribution diaphragm device comprising a signal connection to the field-distribution control device;
- measuring an actual ellipticity via the illumination-angle sensor element to determine an actual illumination-angle distribution of the projection exposure apparatus in a field plane of the illumination optics;
- determining, via the illumination-angle evaluation device, an illumination sector to be corrected;
- generating an illumination-angle control signal via the illumination-angle control device to actuate a diaphragm body of the illumination-angle diaphragm device which is associated with the illumination sector;
- and
- partially attenuating, via the actuated diaphragm body, illumination light of the radiation source in the area of the at least one illumination sector to be corrected.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.