Patent ID: 6927887
Filing Date: 2005-08-09
Classification: G02B,G03F

Abstract:
1. A lithographic illuminator device for an optical image processing system, wherein the image processing system comprises an optical system requiring partially coherent illumination, and where the illuminator comprises: a synchrotron source of coherent or partially coherent extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation which has an intrinsic coherence that is higher than the desired coherence; reflective optics that recieves incident EUV radiation from said synchrotron source; a single holographic diffuser, that comprises a reflection grating, having a surface that receives incident EUV radiation from said reflective optics wherein the holographic diffuser is a blazed phase device; means for translating the surface of the holographic diffuser linearly in two dimensions along a plane that is parallel to the surface of the holographic diffuser with the proviso that the surface of said holographic diffuser is not rotated, wherein the rate of the motion is fast relative to integration time of said image processing system wherein the coherent or partially coherent radiation is diffracted by the surface of the holographic diffuser to generate diffracted radiation containing diffractive orders of radiation and a zero order of radiation; a condenser optic that re-images the surface of the holographic diffuser to the entrance plane of said image processing system such that a reticle which is positioned at the entrance plane is illuminated with EUV radiation emanating from a range of angles and wherein EUV radiation at a particular illumination angle is incoherent with respect to EUV radiation at all other illumination angles; and filtering means to block at least the zero order radiation from reaching the condenser optic.