Patent ID: 6590218
Filing Date: 2003-07-08
Classification: B82Y,G03F,H01J

Abstract:
A projection-exposure apparatus, comprising;(a) a movable substrate stage on which a substrate is mounted for exposure; (b) a movable pattern-original stage on which a pattern original is mounted for exposure, the pattern original defining a die pattern to be transferred to multiple locations on the substrate, the die pattern being divided into multiple pattern portions, the pattern-original stage being situated axially upstream of the substrate stage; (c) an illumination optical system situated axially upstream of the pattern-original stage, the illumination-optical system having a field of view and being operable to direct an energy beam so as to illuminate a pattern portion aligned with the field of view; (d) a projection-optical system situated between the pattern-original stage and the substrate stage, the projection-optical system being operable to form, from the energy beam passing through an illuminated pattern portion, a patterned beam that forms a demagnified image of the illuminate pattern portion on a corresponding exposure region on the substrate; and (e) a controller connected to and operable to controllably operate the illumination-optical system, the pattern-original stage, the projection-optical system, and the substrate stage, the controller being programmed with a map providing the controller with operability to move the pattern-original stage and the substrate stage in at least one of a scanning and step wise manner so as to sequentially illuminate the pattern portions on the pattern original and demagnifyingly project the pattern portions onto corresponding exposure regions of the substrate according to an exposure order while stitching together images of the pattern portions on the exposure regions to form the die pattern on the substrate, the map also providing the controller with operability to change the exposure order of the pattern portions with every sequentially new die being exposed on the substrate.