Negative refraction imaging lithographic method and equipment

A negative refraction imaging lithographic method, comprising:

• coating photoresist on a device substrate;
• fabricating a negative refraction imaging structure on a mask, wherein the negative refraction imaging structure exhibits a negative refraction in response to beam emitted by an exposure source, that is, a refraction beam and an incidence beam are on the same side of the normal of imaging structure plane;
• wherein the negative refraction imaging structure comprises a multilayered negative refraction imaging structure and a complex negative refraction imaging structure, and different negative refraction imaging structures are configured to achieve different effective refraction indexes and have different optical transfer functions,
• wherein the negative refraction imaging structure comprises planar and curved imaging structures in a geometric form, wherein the planar negative refraction imaging structure is configured to achieve 1:1 imaging lithography, and the curved one is configured to achieve demagnification imaging lithography of 2 to 10 times, the negative refraction imaging structure has a pattern input layer and an imaging output layer on opposite sides, respectively, wherein the pattern input layer is configured to planarize the mask pattern, and increase coupling efficiency of light field carrying mask pattern information to the negative refraction imaging structure, and the imaging output layer is configured to increase transmission efficiency of imaging light field from negative refraction imaging structure to exposure gap;
• wherein the mask comprises a mask substrate and a mask pattern layer, and the geometric form comprises a planar mask and a curved mask, on which the planar and curved negative refraction imaging structures are fabricated;
• and
• keeping a definite projection gap between the negative refraction imaging structure and the device substrate;
• the light emitted from exposure source projects on the photoresist for exposure through the mask, the pattern input layer, the negative refraction imaging structure, the imaging output layer, and the projection gap sequentially.

A negative refraction imaging lithographic equipment, comprising:

• an exposure source, an illumination system, an imaging lithography objective lens, a substrate leveling system, a working distance detection and control system, an alignment and positioning system, and an air dust monitoring and purification system, etc.
• wherein the imaging lithography objective lens is configured to have a mask and a negative refraction imaging structure;
• wherein the negative refraction imaging structure exhibits optical negative refraction in response to beam emitted by exposure source;
• wherein the negative refraction imaging structure comprises multilayered negative refraction imaging structure having metal and dielectric layers stacked therein and a complex negative refraction imaging structure, and different negative refraction imaging structures are configured to achieve different effective refraction indexes and have different optical transfer functions;
• wherein the negative refraction imaging structure comprises planar and curved negative refraction imaging structures in a geometric form, wherein the planar negative refraction imaging structure is configured to achieve 1:1 imaging lithography, and the curved negative refraction imaging structure is configured to achieve demagnification imaging lithography;
• wherein two sides of negative refraction imaging structure are a pattern input layer and an imaging output layer on opposite sides, wherein the pattern input layer is configured to planarize mask pattern, and increase coupling efficiency of light field carrying mask pattern information to the negative refraction imaging structure, and the imaging output layer is configured to increase transmission efficiency of imaging light field from negative refraction imaging structure to outer space;
• wherein the mask comprises planar mask and curved mask, which correspond to the planar and curved negative refraction imaging structures;
• wherein the working distance detection and control system manages the imaging lithography objective lens above the device substrate at a definite projection distance for exposure;
• and
• wherein light emitted by exposure source passes through the mask, the negative refraction imaging structure, the projection gap and is sequentially projected onto the photoresist.