Nikon Corporation

Synaptic Pharmaceutical Corporation

Nikon Technologies Inc.

Noriaki Kandaka

Hiroyuki Kondo

Katsuhiko Murakami

Masayuki Shiraishi

Takaharu Komiya

Soichi Owa

Hideki Komatsuda

Tomoko Ohtsuki

Toshihisa Tomie

Masaki Yamamoto

Hideaki Shimizu

An optical element includes: a base; a multilayer film which is provided on the base and in which a plurality of unit laminate structures are laminated, each laminate structure having a first layer and a second layer provided on the first layer; and a plurality of spacer layers which are each provided at a different one of a plurality of interlaminar positions located between the unit laminate structures.

Optical element, projection optical system, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

A multilayer film reflector is a multilayer film reflector that includes a first uniform period multilayer film, an adjustment layer, and a second uniform period multilayer film in this order from a substrate side. A combination of the following (a) to (c) is set to each region or each position within a reflection surface. (a) Reflection characteristics of the single first uniform period multilayer film, (b) reflection characteristics of the single second uniform period multilayer film, and (c) a film thickness of the adjustment layer.

Multilayer film reflector, method of manufacturing multilayer film reflector, projection optical system, exposure apparatus, and method of manufacturing device

A multilayer mirror aims to reduce incidence angle dependence of reflectivity. A substrate is made of low thermal polished expansion glass with 0.2 nm RMS or less roughness of the surface. On the surface thereof formed is a Ru/Si multilayer having a wide full-width half maximum of peak reflectivity, and on the Ru/Si multilayer formed is a Mo/Si multilayer having a high peak reflectivity value. This enables higher reflectivity than when Ru/Si alone provided and a reflectivity peak having a wider full-width half maximum than when the Mo/Si multilayer alone provided. Since Ru absorbs EUV ray more than Mo does, higher reflectivity is obtainable than that of a structure having the Ru/Si multilayer formed on the Mo/Si multilayer. The multilayer with a wide full-width half maximum has small incidence angle dependence of reflectivity in spectral reflectivity, thereby achieving high imaging performance in projection optical system.

Multilayer mirror, method for manufacturing the same, and exposure equipment

EUV multilayer mirror with phase shifting layer

Methods are disclosed for manufacturing multi-layer film reflection mirrors, in which a desirable shape accuracy of a reflected wavefront can be obtained after locally scraping the multi-layer film. In an exemplary method, a multi-layer film (comprising respective alternating layers of at least two types of substances having different respective refractive indices) is superposedly formed on the surface of a mirror substrate. The multi-layer film has a constant period length, and the multi-layer film on the substrate is locally scraped to correct a phase of a reflected wavefront from the reflective surface of the mirror. The multi-layer film has an internal stress of 50 MPa or smaller. Alternatively or in addition, a compensating adjustment in a film formed on a reverse surface of the substrate can be made to cancel the stress perturbation caused by scraping of the multi-layer film on the obverse surface of the substrate.

Multi-layered film reflector manufacturing method

Sources are disclosed for producing short-wavelength electromagnetic radiation (EMR) such as extreme ultraviolet (&ldquo;EUV&rdquo; or &ldquo;soft X-ray&rdquo;) radiation useful in microlithography. The sources collect a greater amount of the EMR produced by a plasma than conventional sources and form the collected EMR into an illumination EMR flux having higher intensity than conventionally. The EMR flux desirably has a rotationally symmetrical intensity distribution. The plasma is produced by two electrodes contained in a vacuum chamber. A high-voltage pulsed power supply applies a plasma-creating potential across the electrodes. EMR produced by the plasma is collected, typically by a reflective element configured to form a collimated beam of EMR. The electrodes are configured and oriented such that, as the collimated beam passes by the electrodes, the electrodes exhibit minimal blocking of the EMR flux. The electrodes can include a center electrode and a surrounding hollow cylindrical electrode separated from the center electrode by an insulating member. The axis of rotational symmetry of the electrodes desirably is substantially parallel to the propagation axis of the EMR flux.

High-intensity sources of short-wavelength electromagnetic radiation for microlithography and other uses

The end of a nozzle of a laser-excited plasma light source is made of a specific material, such as silicon Si, the transmittance of which to EUV light is higher than those of heavy metals. Therefore, even if the temperature of the end of the nozzle is higher than the melting point of the specific material because of the high temperature of the plasma produced around the focal point, the end of the nozzle is therefore eroded, and sputtered particles of the material adhere to a light-collecting mirror provided near the nozzle, the degradation of the reflectance of the light-collecting mirror is mitigated compared to the transmittance of the sputtered particles (specific material) to EUV light is higher than those of heavy metals.

Laser-excited plasma light source, exposure apparatus and its making method, and device manufacturing method

A x-ray apparatus includes an x-ray source, an x-ray optical system, wherein the x-ray optical system extracts x-rays of a specific wavelength from the x-ray source and converts the x-rays into a beam, and an irradiation source that causes radiation to be incident on surfaces of optical elements contained in the x-ray apparatus.

X-ray apparatus

A high-pressure krypton gas is supplied to the interior of a vessel from a gas introduction pipe. Light emitted from an optical fiber group formed by bundling together optical fibers constituting the output ends of fiber amplifiers or fiber lasers passes through a lens and exciting laser light introduction window, and is focused on the krypton gas jetting from the tip end of the nozzle. As a result, the krypton gas is excited as a plasma and soft X-rays are generated. The soft X-rays are reflected by a rotating multi-layer coat parabolic mirror and are emitted to the outside as a parallel beam of soft X-rays. Since light from fiber amplifiers is used as exciting light, and since numerous optical fibers are bundled together to form a light source, a large quantity of soft X-rays can easily be obtained.

Soft x-ray light source device

Photoelectron spectroscopy apparatus are disclosed that comprise a photoelectron detector and that exhibit improved performance of the photoelectron detector and thus more reliable and accurate analysis of photoelectron energy. In performing energy analysis of photoelectrons, the photoelectron detector measures the time distribution at which photoelectrons emitted from a specimen surface traverse a flight tube when the specimen is irradiated with X-rays from a pulse X-ray source. A magnetic field generator is situated near the specimen to collect and collimate photoelectrons emitted from the specimen surface and form a photoelectron flux inside a flight tube. Any one of a deflection electrode, electrostatic lens, magnetic field lens, or electromagnetic lens, or a combination thereof, is placed at the distal end of the flight tube in front of the photoelectron detector to disperse the photoelectron flux and increase the surface area in which the photoelectron flux is incident to the photoelectron-detection surface.

Photoelectron spectroscopy apparatus

An x-ray irradiation apparatus and x-ray exposure apparatus provide improved x-ray generation. The x-ray irradiation apparatus includes a target material feed-out device to provide a target material in a feed-out direction to a specified target position and a laser to provide laser light to the specified target position to cause the target material to emit x-rays. In some configurations, an x-ray generation position control device may be used to determine and control a position of x-ray generation, a rotary mechanism may be operatively connected to the target material feed-out device to axially rotate the target material feed-out device about the feed-out direction, and/or a target feed-out control device may be used to detect and control the position of the target material feed-out device.

X-ray irradiation apparatus and x-ray exposure apparatus

A soft X-ray source includes a mirror having a focal point, the mirror being one of parabolic and ellipsoidal, a nozzle delivering a target material to a plasma generation point substantially coincident with the focal point, and a laser source delivering a pulsed laser beam to the plasma generation point, wherein a plasma is generated at the plasma generation point upon irradiation by the pulsed laser beam, the plasma emitting soft X-rays that are formed into beams by the mirror, the beams being parallel if the mirror is parabolic and converging if the mirror is ellipsoidal.

Growing community of inventors

Sagamihara, Japan

Noriaki Kandaka