Carl-zeiss-smt Ag

Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Asml Netherlands B.v.

Carl Zeiss Sms Ltd.

Paul Graeupner

Bob Streefkerk

Johannes Jacobus Matheus Baselmans

Johannes Catharinus Hubertus Mulkens

Jozef Maria Finders

Jan Bernard Plechelmus Van Schoot

Adrianus Franciscus Petrus Engelen

Reiner Garreis

Wilhelm Ulrich

Alexander Epple

Manfred Maul

Heiko Feldmann

Ulrich Wegmann

Juergen Fischer

Wolfgang Emer

Martin Schriever

Winfried M Kaiser

Joerg Zimmermann

Gerd Reisinger

Christiaan Alexander Hoogendam

Wolfgang Singer

Markus Deguenther

Michael Totzeck

Bernhard Gellrich

Hans-Juergen Rostalski

Vladimir Dmitriev

Andreas Wurmbrand

Bernd Geh

Olaf Conradi

Alexandra Pazidis

Bauke Jansen

Ralf Stuetzle

Joachim Welte

Tilmann Heil

Patrick Scheible

Ulrich Gebhardt

Anja Schauer

The present invention refers to a method for performing an aerial image simulation of a photolithographic mask which comprises the following steps: (a) modifying an optical radiation distribution at a patterned surface of the photolithographic mask, depending on at least one first arrangement of pixels to be generated in the photolithographic mask; and (b) performing the aerial image simulation of the photolithographic mask by using the generated modified optical radiation distribution.

Method and apparatus for performing an aerial image simulation of a photolithographic mask

Projection exposure methods, systems, sub-systems and components are disclosed. Methods can include performing a first exposure to image a first sub-pattern of the pattern, where the first sub-pattern includes a plurality of first features extending in a first direction and spaced apart essentially periodically at a predominant periodicity length P in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first exposure can be performed using a multipolar illumination mode that includes at least one substantially dipolar intensity distribution having two illumination poles positioned on a pole orientation axis substantially parallel to the second direction and spaced apart from each other.

Projection exposure methods and systems

Method for setting an illumination setting in an illumination optical unit comprising at least one controllable correction device, which includes a multiplicity of adjustable correction elements for influencing the transmission, wherein the illumination setting is varied for adapting a predetermined imaging parameter in the region of an image field.

Method for adjusting an illumination setting

Projection exposure methods, systems, sub-systems and components are disclosed. Methods can include performing a first exposure to image a first sub-pattern of the pattern, where the first sub-pattern includes a plurality of first features extending in a first direction and spaced apart essentially periodically at a predominant periodicity length P in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first exposure can be performed using a multipolar illumination mode that includes at least one substantially dipolar intensity distribution having two illumination poles positioned on a pole orientation axis substantially parallel to the second direction and spaced apart from each other. The poles of the dipolar intensity distribution can each have an azimuthal width defined by a pole angle &#x3b8;, and a pole area Aaccording to: 0.6&#x3c;A/A&#x3c;1.1, where Ais a pole area according to: A=&#x3b8;&#x2212;sin(&#x3b8;), with cos(&#x3b8;/2)=&#x3bb;/(2*P*NA), where &#x3bb; is a nominal operation wavelength of radiation used for the first exposure and NA is an image-side numerical aperture of a projection optical system used for the first exposure.

In an immersion lithography apparatus or device manufacturing method, the position of focus of the projected image is changed during imaging to increase focus latitude. In an embodiment, the focus may be varied using the liquid supply system of the immersion lithographic apparatus.

Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

In a projection objective for imaging a pattern arranged in the object plane of the projection objective into the image plane of the projection objective, at least one optical component is provided which has a substrate in which at least one substrate surface is covered with an interference layer system having a great spatial modulation of the reflectance and/or of the transmittance over a usable cross section of the optical component, the modulation being adapted to a spatial transmission distribution of the remaining components of the projection objective in such a way that an intensity distribution of the radiation that is measured in a pupil surface has a substantially reduced spatial modulation in comparison with a projection objective without the interference layer system.

Projection system with compensation of intensity variations and compensation element therefor

An illumination system for illuminating a mask in a microlithographic exposure apparatus has an optical axis and a pupil surface. The system can include an array of reflective or transparent beam deflection elements such as mirrors. Each deflection element can be adapted to deflect an impinging light ray by a deflection angle that is variable in response to a control signal. The beam deflection elements can be arranged in a first plane. The system can further include an optical raster element, which includes a plurality of microlenses and/or diffractive structures. The beam deflection elements), which can be arranged in a first plane, and the optical raster element, which can be arranged in a second plane, can commonly produce a two-dimensional far field intensity distribution. An optical imaging system can optically conjugate the first plane to the second plane.

Illumination system for illuminating a mask in a microlithographic exposure apparatus

A system and associated method employ a first projection objective including at least one optical proximity correction (OPC) filter with a filter function adapted to a particular pattern. The first projection objective has at least essentially the same imaging properties as a second projection objective in the system, for the particular pattern, to which the filter function of the optical proximity correction (OPC) filter is adapted. The first projection objective differs from the second projection objective with respect to optical imaging properties for the particular pattern when the optical proximity correction (OPC) filter is not present in the first projection objective.

Method for correcting optical proximity effects

A method is disclosed for improving an optical imaging property, for example spherical aberration or the focal length, of a projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. First, an immersion liquid is introduced into an interspace between a photosensitive surface and an end face of the projection objective. Then an imaging property of the projection objective is determined, for example using an interferometer or a CCD sensor arranged in an image plane of the projection objective. This imaging property is compared with a target imaging property. Finally, the temperature of the immersion liquid is changed until the determined imaging property is as close as possible to the target imaging property.

Method for improving an optical imaging property of a projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus

In a method for correcting optical proximity effects (Optical Proximity Correction, OPC) when imaging a pattern, arranged in the object surface of a projection objective, into the image surface of the projection objective with the aid of a projection objective, a multiplicity of optical elements and at least one pupil surface that is Fourier-transformed to the image surface are arranged between the object surface and the image surface. An optical filtering of the light used for the imaging is carried out with the aid of at least one OPC filter inserted between the object surface and the image surface in accordance with an OPC filter function that is adapted to the pattern and corresponds to a spatially dependent transmission filtering in the region of the pupil surface of the imaging system. The profile of the pupil transmission function is adapted with the aid of the OPC filter to the pattern, characterized by the position of diffraction orders, of the mask such that there is respectively present for all the diffraction orders contributing to the imaging an optimized pupil transmission which leads to a minimization of line width variations, dependent on line density, in the image surface.

A projection exposure method for the exposure of a radiation-sensitive substrate arranged in the region of an image surface of a projection objective with at least one image of a pattern of a mask arranged in the region of an object surface of the projection objective includes exposing the substrate with the image of the pattern in an effective image field of the projection objective during an exposure time interval and also altering a relative positioning between a surface of the substrate and a focus surface of the projection objective during the exposure time interval in such a way that image points in the effective image field are exposed with different focus positions of the image of the mask during the exposure time interval. An active compensation of at least one portion of at least one imaging aberration induced by the change in the focus positions during the exposure time interval has the effect that the imaging quality is not significantly impaired by the alteration of the focusing during the exposure time interval.

Projection exposure method and projection exposure apparatus for microlithography

An immersion lithography objective has a housing in which at least one first optical element is arranged, a second optical element, which follows the first optical element in the direction of the optical axis of the objective, an immersion medium that adjoins the second optical element being located downstream of the latter in the direction of the optical axis, and a retaining structure for the second optical element. The retaining structure has a greater stiffness in the direction of the optical axis than in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

Immersion lithography objective

A method of optimizing an imaging performance of a projection exposure system is provided, wherein the projection exposure system includes an illumination optical system for illuminating a patterning structure and a projection optical system for imaging a region of the illuminated patterning structure onto a corresponding field. The method involves setting the field to a first exposure field, setting optical parameters of the projection exposure system to a first setting such that the imaging performance within the first exposure field is a first optimum performance, changing the field to a second exposure field, and changing the optical parameters to a second setting such that the imaging performance within the second exposure field is a second optimum performance.

Method of optimizing imaging performance

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Aalen, Germany

Paul Graeupner