Radially polarized light in lithographic apparatus
AssigneeASML Netherlands B.V.
InventorsLaurentius Cornelius De Winter, Michel Fransois Hubert Klaassen
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a lithographic apparatus and a method of using the apparatus in the manufacture of a device such as an integrated circuit (IC). In particular, the present invention relates to a lithographic apparatus designed to be used with radiation having a wavelength in the Deep Ultra-Violet (DUV) and wherein radially polarized light is used to enhance the image contrast. In particular the present invention relates to partial clipping of the first order.
Claims33
A lithographic apparatus comprising:
- an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam;
- a support configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device being configured to impart the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section;
- a substrate table configured to hold a substrate;
- and
- a projection system having a diaphragm and configured to project the radiation beam, after it has been patterned, onto a target portion of the substrate;
- wherein, in use, the radiation beam illuminating the patterning device is substantially radially polarized and wherein the diaphragm is configured to block a radially polarized diffracted portion of the patterned radiation, the blocked radially polarized diffracted portion of the patterned radiation comprising at least about 5% of a first order diffraction pattern.
A device manufacturing method comprising:
- radially polarizing a beam of radiation;
- patterning the beam of radiation;
- blocking a radially polarized diffracted portion of the patterned radiation, the blocked radially polarized diffracted portion of the patterned radiation comprising at least about 5% of a first order diffraction pattern;
- and
- projecting the beam of radiation, after it has been patterned, onto a target portion of a substrate.
A device manufacturing method comprising:
- providing a substrate;
- providing a conditioned radiation beam using an illumination system;
- imparting a pattern to the radiation beam;
- substantially radially polarizing the radiation beam to enhance image contrast;
- blocking a radially polarized diffracted portion of the patterned radiation, the blocked radially polarized diffracted portion of the patterned radiation comprising at least about 5% of a first order diffraction pattern;
- and
- projecting the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of the substrate.
A device manufactured according to a method of:
- projecting a patterned beam of radiation onto a substrate;
- wherein the radiation beam is substantially radially polarized which has the effect of improving the image contrast and a radially polarized diffracted portion of the patterned radiation is blocked, the blocked radially polarized diffracted portion of the patterned radiation comprising at least about 5% of a first order diffraction pattern.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.