公开(公告)号：US09632413B2

公开(公告)日：2017-04-25

申请号：US14466053

申请日：2014-08-22

申请人： Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH

发明人： Ingo Saenger ,  Frank Schlesener

IPC分类号： G03B27/54 ,  G03B27/72 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G02B5/30

CPC分类号： G03F7/2006 ,  G02B5/3083 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G03F7/70116 ,  G03F7/70191 ,  G03F7/70425 ,  G03F7/70566

摘要： The invention relates to an illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprising (a) a plurality of channels, each channel guiding a partial beam and at least one channel comprising at least one defect, and (b) at least one optical element arranged within the at least one channel having the at least one defect, the optical element being adapted to at least partially compensate the at least one defect of the partial beam of the channel.

公开(公告)号：US09500956B2

公开(公告)日：2016-11-22

申请号：US14143878

申请日：2013-12-30

申请人： Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH

发明人： Ingo Saenger ,  Joerg Zimmermann ,  Johannes Ruoff ,  Martin Meier ,  Frank Schlesener ,  Christoph Hennerkes

IPC分类号： G03F7/20 ,  G02B27/28

CPC分类号： G03F7/70191 ,  G02B27/283 ,  G03F7/70108 ,  G03F7/70116 ,  G03F7/70566

摘要： The disclosure relates to optical systems of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, and to a microlithographic exposure method. According to an aspect of the disclosure, an optical system has a light source, a ray-splitting optical element, which splits a light ray incident on this element when the projection exposure apparatus is in operation into a first partial ray and a second partial ray, with the first and the second partial ray having mutually orthogonal polarization directions, and at least one ray-deflecting optical element for generating a desired polarized illumination setting from the first partial ray and the second partial ray, wherein the ray-splitting optical element is arranged such that light incident on this ray-splitting optical element when the projection exposure apparatus is in operation has a degree of polarization of less than one.

摘要翻译： 本公开涉及微光刻投影曝光装置的光学系统以及微光刻曝光方法。 根据本公开的一个方面，一种光学系统具有光源，分光光学元件，其在投影曝光装置工作时分裂入射在该元件上的光线到第一部分光线和第二部分光线 其中第一和第二部分光线具有相互正交的偏振方向，以及至少一个光线偏转光学元件，用于从第一部分光线和第二部分光线产生期望的偏振照明设置，其中光线分离光学元件是 被布置成使得当投影曝光装置运行时入射在该分光光学元件上的光具有小于1的偏振度。

公开(公告)号：US09448489B2

公开(公告)日：2016-09-20

申请号：US14610212

申请日：2015-01-30

申请人： Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH

发明人： Ingo Saenger ,  Frank Schlesener

IPC分类号： G03B27/72 ,  G03B27/54 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G02B27/28 ,  G02B5/30 ,  G02B17/00 ,  G02B26/08

摘要： The invention relates to an optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, and to a microlithographic exposure method. An optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises at least one mirror arrangement having a plurality of mirror elements, wherein these mirror elements can be adjusted independently of one another for changing an angular distribution of the light reflected by the mirror arrangement, and a polarization-influencing optical arrangement which is arranged downstream of the mirror arrangement in the light propagation direction, wherein the polarization-influencing optical arrangement reflects a light beam incident on the arrangement in at least two reflections, which do not occur in a common plane, for at least one angular distribution of the light reflected by the mirror arrangement.

公开(公告)号：US09310690B2

公开(公告)日：2016-04-12

申请号：US14543110

申请日：2014-11-17

申请人： Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH

发明人： Markus Deguenther ,  Vladimir Davydenko ,  Thomas Korb ,  Frank Schlesener ,  Stefanie Hilt ,  Wolfgang Hoegele

IPC分类号： G03B27/54 ,  G03B27/72 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G02B26/08

CPC分类号： G03F7/70058 ,  G02B26/0833 ,  G03F7/70066 ,  G03F7/70075 ,  G03F7/70116 ,  G03F7/70191 ,  G03F7/70425

摘要： An illumination system includes an optical integrator having a plurality of light entrance facets, whose images at least substantially superimpose in a mask plane. A spatial light modulator transmits or reflects impinging projection light in a spatially resolved manner. A pupil forming unit directs projection light onto the spatial light modulator. An objective images a light exit surface of the spatial light modulator onto the light entrance facets of the optical integrator so that an image of an object area on the light exit surface completely coincides with one of the light entrance facets. A control unit controls the spatial light modulator such that along a scan direction a length of an image, which is formed on a mask from a light pattern in the object area, gradually increases at a beginning of a scan cycle and gradually decreases at the end of the scan cycle.

摘要翻译： 照明系统包括具有多个光入射面的光学积分器，其图像至少基本上叠加在掩模平面中。 空间光调制器以空间分辨的方式透射或反射入射投影光。 光瞳形成单元将投射光引导到空间光调制器上。 目标将空间光调制器的光出射表面成像到光学积分器的光入射面上，使得光出射表面上的物体区域的图像完全与光入射面之一重合。 控制单元控制空间光调制器，使得沿着扫描方向，形成在掩模上的来自物体区域中的光图案的图像的长度在扫描周期开始时逐渐增加，并且在结束时逐渐减小 的扫描周期。

公开(公告)号：US09217931B2

公开(公告)日：2015-12-22

申请号：US13902100

申请日：2013-05-24

申请人： Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH

发明人： Oliver Natt ,  Frank Schlesener

IPC分类号： G03F7/20

CPC分类号： G03F7/70133 ,  G03F7/70091 ,  G03F7/70125 ,  G03F7/70141 ,  G03F7/70191

摘要： A method of operating an illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus is provided. A set of illumination parameters that describe properties of a light bundle which converges at a point on a mask to be illuminated by the illumination system is first determined. Optical elements whose optical effect on the illumination parameters can be modified as a function of control commands are furthermore determined, as well as sensitivities with which the illumination parameters react to an adjustment of the optical elements, induced by the control commands. The control commands are then determined while taking the previously determined sensitivities into account, such that deviations of the illumination parameters from predetermined target illumination parameters satisfy a predetermined minimization criterion. These control commands are applied to the optical elements, before the mask is illuminated.

摘要翻译： 提供了一种操作微光刻投影曝光装置的照明系统的方法。 首先确定描述在照明系统照明的掩模上的点会聚的光束的属性的一组照明参数。 进一步确定对照明参数的光学效应作为控制命令的函数的光学元件以及照明参数对由控制命令引起的光学元件的调整的反应的灵敏度。 然后在考虑预先确定的灵敏度的同时确定控制命令，使得照明参数与预定目标照明参数的偏差满足预定的最小化标准。 这些控制命令在掩模被点亮之前被应用于光学元件。

公开(公告)号：US20140285788A1

公开(公告)日：2014-09-25

申请号：US14297375

申请日：2014-06-05

申请人： Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH

发明人： Ingo Saenger ,  Frank Schlesener

IPC分类号： G03F7/20

CPC分类号： G03F7/70191 ,  G03F7/70108 ,  G03F7/70566

摘要： The invention relates to an optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, and to a microlithographic exposure method. An optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises a polarization-influencing optical arrangement, wherein the polarization-influencing optical arrangement comprises at least one first array of first polarization-influencing elements and a second array of second polarization-influencing elements, wherein the first and second arrays are arranged successively in the light propogation direction, wherein the first and second polarization-influencing elements in each case have a birefringence that is dependent on the presence of an electric field, and wherein the first polarization-influencing elements and the second polarization-influencing elements are transverse Pockels cells.

摘要翻译： 本发明涉及一种用于微光刻投影曝光装置的光学系统和一种微光刻曝光方法。 用于微光刻投影曝光装置的光学系统包括偏振影响光学装置，其中偏振影响光学装置包括至少一个第一偏振影响元件的第一阵列和第二偏振影响元件的第二阵列，其中第一 并且第二阵列在光传播方向上连续布置，其中在每种情况下，第一和第二偏振影响元件具有取决于电场的存在的双折射，并且其中第一偏振影响元件和第二极化 影响因素是横孔普克尔细胞。

公开(公告)号：US20130258303A1

公开(公告)日：2013-10-03

申请号：US13902100

申请日：2013-05-24

申请人： Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH

发明人： Oliver Natt ,  Frank Schlesener

IPC分类号： G03F7/20

CPC分类号： G03F7/70133 ,  G03F7/70091 ,  G03F7/70125 ,  G03F7/70141 ,  G03F7/70191

摘要： A method of operating an illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus is provided. A set of illumination parameters that describe properties of a light bundle which converges at a point on a mask to be illuminated by the illumination system is first determined. Optical elements whose optical effect on the illumination parameters can be modified as a function of control commands are furthermore determined, as well as sensitivities with which the illumination parameters react to an adjustment of the optical elements, induced by the control commands. The control commands are then determined while taking the previously determined sensitivities into account, such that deviations of the illumination parameters from predetermined target illumination parameters satisfy a predetermined minimisation criterion. These control commands are applied to the optical elements, before the mask is illuminated.

摘要翻译： 提供了一种操作微光刻投影曝光装置的照明系统的方法。 首先确定描述在照明系统照明的掩模上的点会聚的光束的属性的一组照明参数。 进一步确定对照明参数的光学效应作为控制命令的函数的光学元件以及照明参数对由控制命令引起的光学元件的调整的反应的灵敏度。 然后在考虑预先确定的灵敏度的同时确定控制命令，使得照明参数与预定目标照明参数的偏差满足预定的最小化标准。 这些控制命令在掩模被点亮之前被应用于光学元件。