US 5,311,362 AGranted

Projection exposure apparatus

AssigneeNikon Corporation

InventorsKoichi Matsumoto, Kazuo Ushida, Masaomi Kameyama, Hiroyuki Tsuchiya

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Abstract

A projection exposure apparatus is provided with an illumination optical system for illuminating a reticle having a predetermined pattern and a projection optical system having a predetermined numerical aperture for projecting the predetermined pattern of the reticle illuminated by the illumination optical system onto a wafer surface. The projection optical system is arranged so that, with respect to the focusing of an image of the reticle onto the wafer surface, spherical aberration, which depends on the numerical aperture of the projection optical system, shows a positive tendency corresponding to overcorrection in third-order spherical aberration and a negative tendency corresponding to undercorrection in fifth-order spherical aberration.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A projection exposure apparatus comprising:

a reticle stage;
an illumination optical system for illuminating a reticle having a predetermined pattern on said reticle stage;
a stage on which a substrate is positioned;
and
a projection optical system for projecting said pattern of said reticle illuminated by said illumination optical system onto said substrate;
said projection optical system being arranged to satisfy the following conditions:
0<.DELTA.S.sub.7 <2.5.lambda./NA.sup.2 . . . (1)
-0.5.DELTA.S.sub.7 <.DELTA.S.sub.10 <1.5.DELTA.S.sub.7 . . . (2)
where NA represents the numerical aperture of said projection optical system, .lambda. represents the wavelength of exposure light which illuminates said reticle, .DELTA.S.sub.10 represents the amount of spherical aberration corresponding to 100% of an open aperture, and .DELTA.S.sub.7 represents the amount of spherical aberration corresponding to 70%.of said open aperture, said spherical aberration being the vertical spherical aberration of said projection optical system, which affects the focusing of said pattern of said reticle onto a surface of said substrate.

6 more elements

A projection exposure apparatus comprising:

a reticle stage;
an illumination optical system for illuminating a reticle having a predetermined pattern on said reticle stage;
a stage on which a substrate is positioned;
and
a projection optical system for projecting said pattern of said reticle illuminated by said illumination optical system onto said substrate, said projection optical system including lens elements which define a relatively variable air spacing to satisfy the following conditions:
<.DELTA. S.sub.7 <2.5.lambda./NA.sup.2 . . . (1)
-0.5.DELTA.S.sub.7 <.DELTA.S.sub.10 <1.5.DELTA.S.sub.7 . . . (2)
where NA represents the numerical aperture of said projection optical system, .lambda. represents the wavelength of exposure light which illuminates said reticle, .DELTA.S.sub.10 represents the amount of spherical aberration corresponding to 100% of an open aperture, and .DELTA.S.sub.7 represents the amount of spherical aberration corresponding to 70% of said open aperture, said spherical aberration being the vertical spherical aberration of said projection optical system, which affects the focusing of said pattern of said reticle onto a surface of said substrate.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/070,051Filed 1 Jun 1993 · continuation
Priority: JP 1-10063220 Apr 1989
Granted: 10 May 1994
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G03F 7/7025
Mask projection systems: size or form of projection system aperture, e.g. aperture stops, diaphragms or pupil obscuration; Control thereof
G03F 7/70241
Mask projection systems: optical aspects of refractive lens systems, i.e. comprising only refractive elements
G03F 7/70308
Mask projection systems: optical correction elements, filters or phase plates for manipulating imaging light, e.g. intensity, wavelength,…
G03F
Photomechanical production of textured or patterned surfaces