Fast illumination simulator based on a calibrated flexible point- spread function
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorsDaniel G. Smith, Donis Flagello
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A way of predicting distribution of light in an illumination pupil, comprising: (a) identifying one or more component(s) of an illumination system having an illumination pupil, where the component(s) affect the distribution of light in the illumination pupil; (b) generating a point spread function that depends on the identified component(s) and has a functional relationship with the configurable settings of the illumination system; and (c) predicting the distribution of light in the illumination pupil using the point spread function.
Claims24
-16. (canceled)
A method for obtaining a distribution of light at an illumination pupil of an illuminator, which illuminator distributes light from a light source at the illumination pupil via a distributing optical element, and which illuminator illuminates a target surface with the distributed light, the method comprising:
- preparing a far field distribution of the distributing optical element;
- and
- calculating the distribution of light at the illumination pupil by the use of a plurality of point spread function of a partial optical system which relate a plurality of position at the illumination pupil,
- wherein the partial optical system is positioned between the distributing optical element and the illumination pupil.
An illuminator that distributes light from a light source at an illumination pupil via a distributing optical element and that illuminates a target surface with light distributed at the illumination pupil, comprising:
- a partial optical system arranged between the distributing optical element and the illumination pupil;
- and
- a pupil distribution calculator which calculates a distribution of light at the illumination pupil,
- wherein the pupil distribution calculator calculates the distribution of light at the illumination pupil using a far field distribution of the distributing optical element and a plurality of point spread functions of a partial optical system related to a plurality of positions at the illumination pupil.
A process that enables a computer to simulate a distribution of light at an illumination pupil of an illuminator, which illuminator distributes light from a light source at the illumination pupil via a distributing optical element, and which illuminator illuminates a target surface with light distributed at the illumination pupil, the process comprising:
- preparing a far field distribution of the distributing optical element;
- and
- calculating the distribution of light at the illumination pupil by the use of a plurality of point spread function of a partial optical system which relates to a plurality of positions at the illumination pupil,
- wherein the partial optical system is positioned between the distributing optical element and the illumination pupil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.