Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Masami Hayashida

Yutaka Watanabe

Yasuaki Fukuda

Masahito Niibe

Takashi Iizuka

Masayuki Suzuki

Akira Miyake

Tsutomu Ikeda

Shigetaro Ogura

An illumination system includes a spectral optical element for separating radiation light from a radiation source, including at least one of X-rays and vacuum ultraviolet rays. The spectral optical element provides an emission angle to the radiation light which changes with the wavelength thereof. The system also includes an optical arrangement for illuminating an object with radiation light of a particular wavelength from the spectral optical element, and an absorption element for absorbing at least a portion of radiation light of a wavelength longer than the particular wavelength from the spectral optical element.

Illumination system and exposure apparatus having the same

A reflection type mask includes a reflective portion effective to reflect soft X-rays or vacuum ultraviolet rays, and an absorbent material pattern formed on the reflecting portion, wherein, when the wavelength of the soft X-rays or vacuum ultraviolet rays is denoted by .lambda. and the optical constant of the material constituting the absorbent material pattern is denoted by 1-.delta.-ik (where .delta. and k are real numbers while i is an imaginary number), a relation 0.29&lt;k/.vertline..delta..vertline.&lt;1.12 is satisfied, and wherein the thickness d of the absorbent pattern satisfies a relation 3.delta./(16.vertline..delta..vertline.)&lt;d&lt;5.lambda./(16.vertline..delta.. vertline.).

Lithographic mask and exposure apparatus using the same

A reflection type mask includes a reflective portion having a multilayered film, a non-reflective portion having an absorbing material and being formed on the multilayered film, and a non-reflective portion being defined by destroying the multilayered film.

Exposure apparatus and reflection type mask to be used in the same

An X-ray mirror has a silicon carbide substrate having a convex cylindrical surface, and a carbon layer coated on a surface of said substrate to a thickness ranging from 10 nm to 1 .mu.m by evaporation, such as CVD. In the X-ray mirror in which the carbon layer is coated thereon beforehand, changes in the intensity of reflected light, caused by a contaminating carbon layer attached to the surface of the mirror, can be restricted. When such a mirror is used in an X-ray lithographic apparatus, the number of times the intensity of X-rays is measured or corrected or the mirror is cleaned can be greatly reduced.

X-ray mirror, and x-ray exposure apparatus and device manufacturing

Disclosed are an X-ray lithography mask, an exposure apparatus and an exposure process such as an X-ray lithography exposure apparatus and an X-ray lithography exposure process. An X-ray lithography mask includes an X-ray transmission membrane, a transfer pattern depicted on the X-ray transmission membrane and a frame for supporting the X-ray transmission membrane. The transfer pattern is depicted on the basis of a changing direction of a film thickness profile of the X-ray transmission membrane. In the exposure apparatus and process, a changing direction of an intensity profile of a radiation light illuminated on an exposure area of a mask is coincident with a changing direction of a film thickness profile of a light transmission membrane on the mask and an illumination time of the radiation light for the exposure area is changed on the basis of the intensity profile of the radiation light and the thickness profile of the light transmission membrane so that the intensity of a transfer patter image formed by the transmission of the radiation light through the light transmission membrane is rendered uniform.

X-ray lithography mask, light exposure apparatus and process therefore

A temperature distribution of an object, such as an optical element, onto which radiation energy is irradiated, is measured. The change of the shape of the object is controlled by varying the temperature of a part of the object on the basis of the measured temperature distribution to stabilize the shape of the object. Also, the shape of the object being irradiated is stabilized by causing the same temperature distribution in the object when in the thermally stable condition to be generated in the object while it is being irradiated. If the shapes of masks used to manufacture semiconductor devices are stabilized by using the above methods, highly integrated semiconductor devices can be manufactured.

Method of and apparatus for stabilizing shapes of objects, such as

An X-ray apparatus includes an X-ray pickup window through which synchrotron radiation light is projected, the X-ray pickup window having an X-ray transmission film; and a correcting system for correcting an intensity distribution of the synchrotron radiation light; wherein the X-ray transmission film has at least one of a film thickness distribution and a transmissivity distribution changing substantially in a predetermined direction; and wherein the X-ray transmission film is so disposed that the predetermined direction is substantially aligned with the direction of change of the intensity distribution of the synchrotron radiation light.

X-ray exposure apparatus

A method and device for imaging an object illuminated by an X-ray beam, through a zone plate, is disclosed. A concave mirror with a multilayered film is disposed on a path of the X-ray beam to reflect the same and collect the same onto the object.

X-ray microscope

A method and apparatus for removing unclear matter on an optical element used with a radiation beam is disclosed. A filter is used to introduce light of a desired wavelength into a chamber in which the optical element is accommodated; a gas supplying device is used to supply a reactive gas which is reactable with the unclear matter on the surface of the optical element; and a vacuum-evacuating device is used to vacuum-evacuate the inside of the chamber.

Apparatus for cleaning an optical element for use with a radiation beam

A reflection type mask usable to print a pattern upon a semiconductor wafer by use of soft X-rays or otherwise is disclosed. A reflective surface is formed by a multilayered film which is formed on a substrate by layering different materials having different refractive indices in consideration of Bragg diffraction and Fresnel reflection. A non-reflective portion is formed on the reflecting surface to provide a desired pattern. Alternatively, a pattern comprising a multilayered structure may be formed upon a non-reflective substrate. The mask of the present invention assures pattern printing of high contrast.

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Masami Hayashida