Source: https://patents.justia.com/patent/10281824
Timestamp: 2019-10-15 12:12:42
Document Index: 585962552

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 371', 'art 16', 'art 20', 'art 16', 'art 20', 'art 18', 'art 46', 'art 48', 'art 50']

US Patent for Microlithography projection objective Patent (Patent # 10,281,824 issued May 7, 2019) - Justia Patents Search
Justia Patents Telecentric SystemUS Patent for Microlithography projection objective Patent (Patent # 10,281,824)
Jan 24, 2017 - Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
Microlithographic apparatus and method of changing an optical wavefront in such an apparatus
This application is a continuation of, and claims priority under 35 USC 120 to, U.S. application Ser. No. 11/916,162, filed May 16, 2008, now abandoned, which is a National Phase application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 filed from International Patent Application Serial No. PCT/EP2006/004876, filed on May 23, 2006, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/790,616, filed Apr. 10, 2006, and Ser. No. 60/686,784, filed Jun. 2, 2005.
For example, the catadioptric projection objective disclosed in DE 101 27 227 A1 has, starting from the object plane, a first objective part and a second objective part adjacent thereto, and a third objective part adjacent thereto. Beam deflection takes place in the transition from the first objective part to the second objective part via a beam deflecting device that is formed there by a first folding mirror. The second objective part has a concave mirror which retroreflects the light again to the beam deflecting device, and the beam deflecting device, which has a further folding mirror in the transition from the second objective part into the third objective part, then directs the light into the third objective part. The two folding mirrors are at an angle of approximately 90° to one another. Moreover, in the case of this known projection objective the optical arrangement is made such that an intermediate image is produced in the third objective part.
If, as in the case of the known projection objective, the beam deflecting device has a first reflecting surface and a second reflecting surface that are arranged at an angle to one another, the at least one shield extends in the direction of the second objective part starting from the angle vertex of the beam deflecting device, that is to say partially into the second objective part.
It is preferred in this case when the at least one first shield is a plate or aperture stop arranged in the immediate vicinity of the at least one first optically operative surface, the aperture stop having an opening that is preferably adapted to the cross-sectional shape of the imaging beam path at the location of the aperture.
Via the photocatalytic properties, it is possible for the at least one shield, be it in the form of a plate or aperture stop or in the form of a coating on the surface of at least one optical component, to be used, furthermore, in an advantageous way to decompose adsorbed substances on the surface of the shield, or to support the decomposition. The photocatalytic decomposition of harmful substances such as, for example, hydrocarbons reduces the concentration of such substances in the gas space of the projection objective and substances such as could entail a reduction in transmission or reflection are thereby prevented from being precipitated onto the useful region of, for example, lenses or mirrors of the projection objective.
Furthermore, as in the case of the projection objective in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, it is preferred when the at least one first shield can be adjusted in position and/or can be variably set with regard to its active cross section.
The setting of the at least one first shield will preferably be a unction in this case of the size of the image field used for imaging, as is the case, in particular, with a projection objective for use in a stepper or scanner.
Preferably, the at least one second aperture stop is arranged near the first or second pupil plane or in the second pupil plane of the projection objective, in particular if the over-aperture light is separated in this second pupil plane from the rays used for imaging.
In accordance with a yet further aspect of the invention, a method is provided for producing semiconductor components and other finely structured components, wherein a mask with a prescribed pattern is provided, the mask is illuminated with ultraviolet light of a prescribed wavelength, and the pattern is imaged onto a photosensitive substrate arranged in the region of an image plane of the projection objective.
FIG. 10 shows a yet further exemplary embodiment of a projection objective with measures, for false light suppression; and
FIG. 12˜FIG. 12A shows a yet further exemplary embodiment of a projection objective according to another aspect of the invention.
A shield 24 that is non-transmissive to light is provided in the region of the beam deflecting device 22 in order to avoid a direct light leakage froth the first objective part 16 into the third objective part 20, for example reflections from the surfaces of the lens L1. In particular, the shield 24 prevents light leaking from the first objective part 16 into the third objective part 20 with the omission of the second objective part 18, that is to say prevents it from not going through the lenses L2, L3 and being reflected at the mirror M2.
Like the projection objective 10 the projection objective 40 is a catadioptric projection objective, the projection objective 40 having a first objective part 46 with a plate L1 and lenses L2 to L11, a second objective part 48 with lenses L12, L13 and a mirror M2 and a third objective part 50 with lenses L14, to L28.
The general reference 60 in FIG. 4 indicates a projection exposure machine in which, for example, the projection objective 10 is used. The projection exposure machine comprises a laser light source 62 with a device 64 for narrowing the bandwidth of the laser. An illumination system 66 produces a large, sharply delimited and very homogenously illuminated image field that is adapted to the telecentric requirements of the downstream projection objective 10. The illumination system 66 has devices for selecting the illumination mode and can, for example, be switched between conventional illumination with a variable degree of coherence, annular field illumination and dipole or quadrupole illumination. Arranged after the illumination system is a device 68 for holding and manipulating a mask 70, such that the mask 70 lies in the object plane 12 of the projection objective 10 and can be moved in this plane for scanning operation. The device 68 correspondingly comprises the scanning drive.
In the case of a method for producing semiconductor components and other finely structured subassemblies, the mask 70 is provided with a prescribed pattern (not illustrated). Via the illumination device 66, the mask 70 is illuminated with ultraviolet light of a predetermined wavelength from the laser 62. It is possible in this case to set various illumination modes that are sufficiently well known from the literature. The pattern of the mask 70 is then imaged via the projection objective 10 onto the substrate or the wafer 72 and into the image plane 14 of the projection objective 10. Various aperture openings can be set in this case.
The abovenamed optical components, which are assigned a shield as described, are all near the field, the lenses 108, 118 and the mirror 116 being arranged in the vicinity of the intermediate images 103 and 104, while the last lens element 122 is arranged in the vicinity of the image plane 102. Such near-field optical components are suitable, in particular, for being directly assigned a shield that, for the purpose of suppressing false light, masks out the respectively unused surface region of the optically operative surface of the respective optical component.
It is to be understood that at least a second aperture stop as described with reference to FIG. 12 can also be provided in any of the projection objectives shown in FIGS. 1 to 11, if appropriate. Vice versa, the shields for shielding false light which have been described with respect to FIGS. 1 to 11, can be provided within projection objective 700, too.
a plurality of optical components configured to image a pattern in an object plane along an imaging beam path through the projection objective into an image plane, each optical component comprising an optically operative surface; and
a first shield having an adjustable position,
wherein: the plurality of optical components comprises a first optical component comprising a first optically operative surface configured so that, during the operation of the projection objective, the first optically operative surface comprises a first surface region not used by the imaging beam path to image the pattern into the image plane; the first shield is configured to mask out the first surface region to suppress false light; and the projection objective is a microlithography projection objective, and
wherein one of the following holds: i) the first shield is not located in a pupil plane of the projection objective or a field plane of the projection objective; ii) the projection objective has a pupil plane and an intermediate image plane, and the first shield is between the pupil plane and the intermediate plane; and iii) the projection objective has a first pupil plane, a second pupil plane and an intermediate image plane, the intermediate image plane is between the first and second pupil planes, the second pupil plane is between the intermediate image plane and the image plane, and the first shield is between the intermediate image plane and the second pupil plane.
2. The projection objective of claim 1, wherein the first shield comprises a plate in an immediate vicinity of the first optically operative surface.
3. The projection objective of claim 1, wherein the first shield comprises an aperture in an immediate vicinity of the first optically operative surface, and the aperture has an opening adapted to a cross-sectional shape of the imaging beam path at the aperture.
4. The projection objective of claim 3, wherein the opening in the aperture is substantially rectangular.
5. The projection objective of claim 1, wherein the first shield comprises a shielding coating on the first surface region.
6. The projection objective of claim 1, wherein the first shield is reflective for a wavelength of the light used to image the pattern during operation of the projection objective.
7. The projection objective of claim 1, wherein the first shield is absorbing for a wavelength of the light used to image the pattern during operation of the projection objective.
8. The projection objective of claim 1, wherein the first optically operative surface is a near-field surface.
9. The projection objective of claim 1, wherein the first optical component comprises a mirror.
10. The projection objective of claim 1, wherein the first optical component comprises a lens.
11. The projection objective of claim 1, further comprising a second shield, wherein:
the plurality of optical components comprises a second optical component comprising a second optically operative surface configured so that, during operation of the projection objective, a second surface region of the second optically operative surface is not used by the imaging beam path for imaging the pattern into the image plane; and
the second shield is configured to mask out the second surface.
12. The projection objective of claim 1, further comprising a second shield configured to shield over-aperture light from the object plane.
13. The projection objective of claim 1, wherein the first shield is not located in a pupil plane of the projection objective or a field plane of the projection objective.
14. The projection objective of claim 1, wherein the projection objective has a pupil plane and an intermediate image plane, and the first shield is between the pupil plane and the intermediate plane.
15. The projection objective of claim 14, wherein the pupil plane is between the intermediate image plane and the image plane.
16. The projection objective of claim 1, wherein:
the projection objective has a first pupil plane, a second pupil plane and an intermediate image plane;
the intermediate image plane is between the first and second pupil planes;
the second pupil plane is between the intermediate image plane and the image plane; and
the first shield is between the intermediate image plane and the second pupil plane.
17. A projection objective, comprising:
a first shield having a variable active cross-section;
wherein: the plurality of optical components comprises a first optical component comprising a first optically operative surface configured so that, during the operation of the projection objective, the first optically operative surface comprises a first surface region not used by the imaging beam path to image the pattern into the image plane; the first shield is configured to mask out the first surface region to suppress false light; and the projection objective is a microlithography projection objective, and wherein one of the following holds: i) the first shield is not located in a pupil plane of the projection objective or a field plane of the projection objective; ii) the projection objective has a pupil plane and an intermediate image plane, and the first shield is between the pupil plane and the intermediate plane; and iii) the projection objective has a first pupil plane, a second pupil plane and an intermediate image plane, the intermediate image plane is between the first and second pupil planes, the second pupil plane is between the intermediate image plane and the image plane, and the first shield is between the intermediate image plane and the second pupil plane.
18. The projection objective of claim 17, further comprising an aperture of the projection objective configured to limit the imaging beam path, wherein the projection objective is configured so that the active cross-section of the first shield and the aperture are set in common.
19. The projection objective of claim 17, wherein the projection objective is configured so that setting the active cross-section of the first shield is a function of a size of the image field.
20. The projection objective of claim 17, wherein the projection objective is configured so that setting the active cross-section of the first shield is a function of an illumination setting of the projection objective.
21. The projection objective of claim 17, wherein the first shield comprises a plate in an immediate vicinity of the first optically operative surface.
22. The projection objective of claim 17, wherein the first shield comprises an aperture in an immediate vicinity of the first optically operative surface, and the aperture has an opening that is adapted to a cross-sectional shape of the imaging beam path at the aperture.
23. The projection objective of claim 22, wherein the opening is substantially rectangular.
24. A projection objective, comprising:
a plurality of optical components configured to image a pattern in an object plane along an imaging beam path through the projection objective into an image plane; and
wherein: the plurality of optical components comprises a first optical component comprising a first optically operative surface configured so that, during the operation of the projection objective, the first optically operative surface comprises a first surface region not used by the imaging beam path to image the pattern into the image plane; the first shield has at least one property selected from the group consisting of an adjustable position and a variable active cross-section; the first shield is configured to mask out the first surface region to suppress false light; and the projection objective is a microlithography projection objective, and wherein one of the following holds: i) the first shield is not located in a pupil plane of the projection objective or a field plane of the projection objective; ii) the projection objective has a pupil plane and an intermediate image plane, and the first shield is between the pupil plane and the intermediate plane; and iii) the projection objective has a first pupil plane, a second pupil plane and an intermediate image plane, the intermediate image plane is between the first and second pupil planes, the second pupil plane is between the intermediate image plane and the image plane, and the first shield is between the intermediate image plane and the second pupil plane.
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Patent number: 10281824
Patent Publication Number: 20170192362
Inventors: Heiko Feldmann (Aalen), Daniel Kraehmer (Essingen), Jean-Claude Perrin (Givry), Julian Kaller (Koenigsbronn), Aurelian Dodoc (Heidenheim), Vladimir Kamenov (Essingen), Olaf Conradi (Westhausen/Westerhofen), Toralf Gruner (Aalen-Hofen), Thomas Okon (Aalen), Alexander Epple (Aalen)
Application Number: 15/414,005
International Classification: G03F 7/20 (20060101); G02B 17/08 (20060101);