Projection exposure apparatus and method with adjustment of rotationally asymmetric optical characteristics

A projection exposure apparatus comprising:

• an illumination optical system disposed in an optical path between a light source and a reticle so as to illuminate the reticle on which a predetermined pattern is formed;
• and
• a projection optical system disposed in an optical path between the reticle and a substrate to project an image of the reticle illuminated by the illumination optical system onto the substrate;
• the projection optical system comprising an optical adjusting unit including at least four surfaces which are disposed in an optical path between the reticle and the substrate and which have rotationally asymmetric power with respect to an optical axis of the projection optical system so as to correct a remaining optical characteristic that is rotationally asymmetric with respect to the optical axis of the projection optical system,
• wherein at least one of the at least four surfaces is adjustable.

A projection exposure apparatus comprising:

• an illumination optical system disposed in an optical path between a light source and a reticle so as to illuminate the reticle on which a predetermined pattern is formed;
• a projection optical system disposed in an optical path between the reticle and a substrate so as to project an image of the reticle illuminated by said illumination optical system onto the substrate;
• an optical adjusting unit including at least one optical surface disposed in the optical path between the reticle and the substrate so as to correct a first optical characteristic remaining in said projection optical system;
• and
• a correction optical element including an aspherical surface fixed in the optical path between the reticle and the substrate so as to correct a second optical characteristic remaining in said projection optical system.

A projection exposure apparatus comprising:

• an illumination optical system disposed in an optical path between a light source and a reticle so as to illuminate the reticle on which a predetermined pattern is formed;
• and
• a projection optical system to project an image of the reticle illuminated by said illumination optical system onto a substrate;
• said projection optical system comprising:
• an optical adjusting unit including at least one optical surface disposed in an optical path between the reticle and the substrate so as to correct a first optical characteristic remaining in said projection optical system;
• and
• a correction optical element including an aspherical surface fixed in the optical path between the reticle and the substrate so as to correct a second optical characteristic remaining in said projection optical system.

A method of manufacturing an exposure apparatus comprising:

• providing a projection optical system that forms an image of a pattern on a reticle onto a substrate:
• rotating at least one optical element within said projection optical system so as to correct a first optical characteristic remaining in said projection optical system;
• and
• forming an aspherical surface with respect to an optical element within said projection optical system so as to correct a second optical characteristic remaining in said projection optical system.

A method of manufacturing an exposure apparatus comprising:

• providing a projection optical system that forms an image of a pattern on a reticle onto a substrate:
• rotating at least one optical element within said projection optical system so as to correct a first optical characteristic remaining in said projection optical system;
• and
• disposing a correction element in an optical path between an object surface to which the reticle is to be disposed and an image surface to which the substrate is to be disposed, said correction element including an aspherical surface that corrects a second optical characteristic remaining in said projection optical system.

A method of projecting an image of a reticle having a pattern onto a substrate by using a projection system, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a first magnification adjustment to light incident on said projection system;
• passing light provided with the first magnification adjustment through said projection system;
• and
• providing a second magnification adjustment to light having passed through said projection system.

A method of manufacturing an exposure apparatus comprising:

• providing a projection optical system that forms an image of a pattern on a reticle onto a substrate;
• correcting a non-random optical characteristic remaining in said projection optical system by using at least one optical element within said projection optical system;
• and
• correcting a random optical characteristic remaining in said projection optical system by using an aspherical surface having a random optical power.

A method of manufacturing a projection optical system for forming an image of a first object onto a second object, comprising the steps of:

• providing a first optical element;
• providing a second optical element;
• adjusting said first optical element within said projection optical system so as to correct a first optical characteristics remaining in said projection optical system;
• forming an aspherical surface with respect to said second optical element so as to correct a second optical characteristics remaining in said projection optical system;
• and
• disposing said second optical element in an optical path between said first object and said second object.

A projection optical system for forming an image of a first object onto a second object, comprising:

• a first optical correcting unit including at least one surface arranged in an optical path between said first object and said second object, which corrects a first optical characteristic remaining in said projection optical system;
• and
• a second optical correcting unit including at least one surface arranged in an optical path between said first object and said second object, which corrects a second optical characteristic remaining in said projection optical system,
• wherein said first correcting unit is arranged at a position different from a position of said second optical correcting unit,
• said first optical correcting unit corrects said first optical characteristic independently of said second optical characteristic, and
• said second optical correcting unit corrects said second optical characteristic independently of said first optical characteristic.

A method of manufacturing a projection optical system for forming an image of a pattern on a reticle disposed at a first plane onto a substrate disposed at a second plane, comprising the steps of:

• determining a first rotate angle of a first optical element about an optical axis of the projection optical system;
• determining a second rotate angle of a second optical element about the optical axis of the projection optical system;
• and
• determining a third rotate angle of a third optical element about the optical axis of the projection optical system,
• wherein the first, second and third optical elements each having the first, second, and third rotate angles are arranged in an optical path between the first plane and the second plane.

A method of manufacturing an exposure apparatus for forming an image of a pattern on a reticle disposed at a first plane onto a substrate disposed at a second plane, comprising the steps of:

• preparing a light source;
• preparing an illumination optical system for illuminating the pattern on the reticle based on a light from the light source;
• preparing a projection optical system for forming the image of the pattern on the reticle onto the substrate;
• determining a first rotate angle of a first optical element which is arranged in an optical path between the light source and the second plane;
• determining a second rotate angle of a second optical element which is arranged in the optical path between the light source and the second plane;
• and
• determining a third rotate angle of a third optical element which is arranged in the optical path between the light source and the second plane.

A projection exposure apparatus which transfers an image of a first object onto a second object based on light from a light source, comprising:

• an illumination optical system which is disposed in an optical path between the light source and the first object and which illuminates the first object;
• a projection optical system which is disposed in an optical path between the first object and the second object and which projects an image of the first object onto the second object;
• a first optical unit which is disposed in the optical path between the first object and the second object and which has different powers in orthogonal directions;
• and
• a second optical unit which is disposed in the optical path between the first object and the second object and which has different powers in orthogonal directions,
• wherein a focal length of the first optical unit and a focal length of the second optical unit are changeable without moving or rotating the first and second optical units.

A projection exposure method for transferring an image of a first object onto a second object, comprising the steps of:

• illuminating the first object;
• projecting an image of the first object onto the second object;
• preparing a first optical unit having different powers in orthogonal directions in an optical path between the first object and the second object;
• preparing a second optical unit having different powers in orthogonal directions in an optical path between the first object and the second object;
• and
• changing a focal length of the first optical unit and a focal length of the second optical unit without moving or rotating the first and second optical units.

A projection exposure apparatus which transfers an image of a first object onto a second object based on light from a light source, comprising:

• an illumination optical system which is disposed in an optical path between the light source and the first object and which illuminates the first object;
• a projection optical system which is disposed in an optical path between the first object and the second object and which projects an image of the first object onto the second object;
• an optical unit which is disposed in the optical path between the first object and the second object and which has rotationally asymmetric power with respect to an optical axis of the projection optical system;
• and
• a pressure control unit which controls a pressure between constituent lenses of the projection optical system,
• wherein the optical unit and the pressure control unit correct an optical characteristic including a rotational asymmetrical characteristic remaining in the projection optical system with respect to the optical axis of the projection optical system.

A projection exposure apparatus for projecting a pattern onto a substrate, comprising:

• a projection optical system;
• an asymmetrical magnification adjustor that adjusts a first magnification of the projection optical system and a second magnification of the projection optical system,
• wherein the first magnification is a magnification of the projection optical system along a first direction on the substrate,
• wherein the second magnification is a magnification of the projection optical system along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction on the substate,
• and
• wherein the asymmetrical magnification adjustor comprises a surface that has asymmetrical power with respect to an optical axis of the projection optical system and that is rotatable about the optical axis.