Exposure method and exposure apparatus using near-field light and exposure mask
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsYasuhisa Inao, Ryo Kuroda, Takako Yamaguchi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A photolithography method using near-field light includes a step of controlling the position of an exposure mask and an object to be processed so as to make the object to be located in a region where near-field light is present, and a step of exposing the object to near-field light while controlling the intensity of such light as a function of the aperture density of the exposure mask. The intensity of near-field light is controlled by modifying the aperture width or modifying the transmissivity of the exposure mask depending on the aperture density.
Claims17
An exposure method using near-field light, said method comprising:
- a step of controlling the position of an exposure mask to control the distance between the exposure mask and an object to be processed so as to make the object to be located in a region where near-field light is present;
- and
- a step of exposing the object to be processed to light by controlling the intensity of near-field light as a function of the aperture density of the exposure mask.
An exposure apparatus using near-field light, said apparatus comprising:
- light irradiating means for irradiating light to be used for exposure;
- gap controlling means for controlling the gap between an object to be processed and an exposure mask;
- support means for supporting the exposure mask having at least a pair of apertures of a size smaller than the wavelength of light to be used for exposure arranged in a region of a size as large as the wavelength of light to be used for exposure;
- and
- control means for controlling the intensity of near-field light as a function of the aperture density of the exposure mask.
An exposure mask comprising:
- at least a pair of apertures having a size smaller than the wavelength of light to be used for exposure arranged in a region having a size as large as the wavelength of light to be used for exposure.
An exposure method using near-field light, said method comprising:
- a step of adjusting the position of an exposure mask to adjust the distance between the exposure mask and an object to be processed so as to make the object to be located in a region where near-field light is present;
- and
- at least one step selected from the following steps according to the aperture density of the exposure mask to expose the object to light,
- (a) reducing or increasing the quantity of light to be irradiated from a light source,
- (b) varying the aperture width of the exposure mask showing different aperture densities, and
- (c) varying the transmissivity in regions of the exposure mask showing different aperture densities.
An exposure apparatus using near-field light, said apparatus comprising:
- light irradiating means for irradiating light to be used for exposure;
- gap adjusting means for adjusting the gap between an object to be processed and and exposure mask;
- support means for supporting the exposure mask having at least a pair of apertures of a size smaller than the wavelength of light to be used for exposure arranged in a region of a size as large as the wavelength of light to be used for exposure;
- and
- at least one controlling means selected from the following groups according to the aperture density of the exposure mask,
- (a) quantity of light regulating means for regulating the quantity of light from the light irradiating means,
- (b) aperture width varying means for varying the aperture width in regions of the exposure mask showing different aperture densities, and
- (c) transmissivity varying means for varying the transmissivity in regions of the exposure mask showing different aperture densities.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.