Corning Incorporated

Tropel Corporation

James Edson Webb

John H Bruning

Joseph D Malach

Douglas Clippinger Allan

Paul Francis Michaloski

Jim D Cornell

C Theodore Tienvieri

A method for providing an actinic illumination energizes solid-state light sources in an array, wherein each solid-state light source emits actinic light of a predetermined wavelength, directs the emitted actinic light from the solid state light sources through one or more compound parabolic concentrators, and forms a field conjugate to an objective lens by directing the concentrated actinic light from each compound parabolic concentrator through one or more lens elements in a lens array. Emission of one or more of the solid state light sources is adjusted to obtain a predetermined illumination pupil envelope function.

Solid-state array for lithography illumination

A telecentricity corrector is incorporated into a microlithographic projection system to achieve telecentricity targets at the output of the microlithographic projection system. The telecentricity corrector is located between an illuminator and a projection lens of the projection system, preferably just in advance of a reticle for controlling angular distributions of light illuminating the reticle.

Telecentricity corrector for microlithographic projection system

A non-linear modification to telecentric object space together with alteration of working distance provides a distortion adjustment feature. The modification to telecentric object space can be manifest as a spherical aberration in an entrance pupil. The change in working distance can be made by relatively translating the imaged object through the modified telecentric object space. The distortion adjustment can be made to compensate for distortions accompanying changes in ambient or operating conditions. Distortions accompanying magnification corrections can also be corrected.

Distortion tuning of quasi-telecentric lens

A catadioptric imaging system for micro-lithographic projection features a high numerical aperture objective where most of the focusing power is produced by reflection and refraction angles are limited to avoid additional aberration. A field correcting optic is appended to a Mangin mirror in an immersive configuration for raising the numerical aperture. The optical connection between the Mangin mirror and the field correcting optic is arranged to control refraction angles by limiting angles of incidence or refractive index differences. A radially symmetric polarizing effect is achieved in a pupil to improve image contrast.

Catadioptric imaging system for high numerical aperture imaging with deep ultraviolet light

A birefringence correction is incorporated into an optical imaging system for imaging with deep ultraviolet light. Optical elements which exhibit an intrinsic birefringence with deep ultraviolet light are arranged in a fashion that renders accumulated birefringence less sensitive to the angular orientation of the beam's rays around the optical axis. A compensating optic corrects a residual radially symmetric component of the birefringence.

Compensator for radially symmetric birefringence

Stress-induced photoelastic birefringence compensates for intrinsic birefringence of cubic crystalline structures in deep ultraviolet (less than 200 nm) microlithographic imaging systems. Both the photoelastic birefringence and the intrinsic birefringence are expressed in a tensor format simplified by the symmetries of cubic crystalline structures. The stress-induced photoelastic birefringence can be sized to individually compensate for intrinsic birefringence exhibited in the same optical elements or preferably to collectively compensate for the cumulative effects of intrinsic birefringence in other optical elements in the lithography system.

Intrinsic birefringence compensation for below 200 nanometer wavelength optical lithography components with cubic crystalline structures

A double mirror objective lens system uses a three optical surface refractor incorporating a convex mirror into a right surface thereof that reflects incident light to a concave mirror, which reflects the light back through the refractor and on toward a focal point of the system. This arrangement yields better resolution images with low spherical aberration, minimal chromatic aberration, and long working distance. A variation of the invention includes another refractor, a right surface of which carries the concave mirror to form a Mangin mirror. This variation on of the invention has even less aberration over increased wavelength range due to better corrected chromatic aberration.

Growing community of inventors

Fairport, NY, United States of America

James Edson Webb