Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc.

Kulicke & Soffa Liteq B.v.

Adrianus Johannes Petrus Maria Vermeer

Derk Andre Kort

Mikhail Yurievich Loktev

A correction mask for an optical beam homogenizer includes a lens array. The correction mask is configured to provide a shaped initial beam profile. A subset of a plurality of optical paths between the incoming light beam and the illumination plane is at least partially blocked by the correction mask to provide a further homogenized beam profile having a further reduced light intensity variance with respect to an initial homogenized beam profile. The mask includes a plurality of submasks arranged according to a mask grid layout matching the lens grid layout of the lens array. Each one of the submasks is designed with a specific submask pattern to shape the respective subarea of the initial beam profile passing a specific one of the lenslets.

Optical beam homogenizer based on a lens array

A lithographic apparatus () and method for preventing exposure of a peripheral portion (P) of a substrate (S). An edge mask (M) has a radial concave edge (E) that extends over less than half a circle arch. The edge mask (M) is connected to a mask carrier () that circumnavigates the projection system () to adjust a tangential coordinate (&#x3a6;) and a radial coordinate (R) of the edge mask (M) with respect to the optical axis (A) of the projection system () for inserting the edge mask (M) at a variable distance into the beam of radiation (B). The tangential and radial positions (&#x3a6;,R) of the edge mask (M) are coordinated with a changing position (X,Y) of the substrate (S) to prevent exposure of the peripheral portion (P) of the substrate (S) during exposure of the target region (T).

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Adrianus Johannes Petrus Maria Vermeer