EP0503472A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Exposure apparatus and method
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1992-03-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-03-05
Abstract
Abstract An exposure apparatus and method wherein a mask (100) is illuminated with light and one of light transmitted through and light reflected from the illuminated mask is imaged onto a substrate. At least during imaging, transmission of this light from the illuminated mask is partially inhibited. More particularly, a spatial filter (3302) is utilized for inhibiting at least a portion of 0-order diffraction light.
Inventors
- 👤 Minori Noguchi
- 👤 Yukio Kenbo
- 👤 Yoshitada Oshida
- 👤 Masataka Shiba
- 👤 Yasuhiro Yoshitake
- 👤 Makoto Murayama
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 17:13
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03F; G03F7/00; G03F7/70; G03F7/70483; G03F7/70491; G03F7/705; G03F7/20; G03F7/2002; G03F7/70058; G03F7/70091; G03F7/701; G03F7/70125; G03F7/70216; G03F7/70308; G03F7/70591; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S430/00; Y10S430/146
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
46 words
An exposure apparatus comprising illuminating means for illuminating a mask with light, and imaging means for imaging light one of transmitted through and reflected from the illuminated mask onto a substrate, at least the imaging means including means for at least partially inhibiting transmission of light.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
27 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light transmission inhibiting means includes a spatial filter mounted proximate to an optical eye of the imaging means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light transmission inhibiting means includes a spatial filter having a first portion for transmitting light, a second portion for transmitting light and surrounding the first portion, and at least one third portion disposed between the first and second portions for at least partially inhibiting transmission of light.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the at least one third portion inhibits transmission of at least a portion of 0-order diffraction light.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the at least one third portion is an annular portion.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the spatial filter further includes a fourth portion in the form of a circular area disposed within the first portion.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging means further includes a projection lens system.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the imaging means further includes a projection lens system, and the spatial filter inhibits light transmission in an area corresponding to NA of the illuminating means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mask is provided with a circuit pattern formed to have a line width substantially 1/2 of an imaging resolving power of the imaging means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mask has a circuit pattern formed thereon with a minimum line width corresponding to an imaging resolving power of the imaging means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illuminating means includes at least an excimer laser light source.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illuminating means includes a spatial filter.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
50 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the spatial filter includes a first portion for transmitting light, a second portion for transmitting light and surrounding the first portion and at least one third portion disposed between the first and second portions for at least partially inhibiting transmission of light.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the least one third portion is an annular portion.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the illuminating means includes at least one light source providing an annular light beam path.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the at least one-third portion includes at least one set of a plurality of circular portions disposed along a closed loop path.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
57 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the illuminating means includes at least one set of a plurality of light sources disposed along a closed loop path in correspondence with the at least one set of a plurality of circular portions of the spatial filter, each of the light sources providing a circular light beam path.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
36 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the at least one-third portion of the spatial filter includes at least two sets of a plurality of circular portions disposed along inner and outer closed loop paths.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
47 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the illuminating means includes at least two sets of a plurality of light sources disposed along inner and outer closed loop paths corresponding to the at least two sets of the plurality of circular portions of the spatial filter.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illuminating means includes an integrator and a spatial filter.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
56 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illuminating means substantially uniformly applies a ring-like diffused illumination light to the mask, the light transmission inhibiting means including a spatial filter for inhibiting transmission of at least a portion of 0-order diffraction light one of transmitted through and reflected from the illuminated mask onto the substrate.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the imaging means includes a projection lens system and the mask has a circuit pattern thereon, the imaging means imaging the circuit pattern onto the substrate.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the illuminating means includes a plurality of light sources.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
53 words
An exposure method comprising the steps of illuminating a mask with light, and for imaging light one of transmitted through and reflected from the illuminated mask onto a substrate, the step of imaging including at least partially inhibiting transmission of light one of transmitted and reflected from the illuminated mask onto the substrate.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
28 words
An exposure method according to claim 24, wherein the step of inhibiting light transmission includes mounting a spatial filter proximate to an optical eye of an imaging means.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
24 words
An exposure method according to claim 24, wherein the step of inhibiting light transmission includes inhibiting at least a portion of 0-order diffraction light.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
33 words
An exposure method according to claim 25, wherein the mask is provided with a circuit pattern formed to have a line width substantially 1/2 of an imaging resolving power of the imaging means.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
31 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the mask has a circuit pattern formed thereon with a minimum line width corresponding to an imaging resolving power of the imaging means.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
19 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the step of illuminating includes utilizing an excimer laser light source.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
51 words
An exposure method according to claim 25, wherein the step of illuminating includes substantially uniformly applying a ring-like diffused illumination light to the mask, the spatial filter inhibiting transmission of at least a portion of 0-order diffraction light one of transmitted through and reflected from the illuminated mask onto the substrate.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
38 words
An exposure method according to claim 30, wherein the step of imaging includes utilizing a projection lens system with the spatial filter and the mask has a circuit pattern thereon, and imaging the circuit pattern onto the substrate.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
23 words
An exposure method according to claim 31, wherein the step of illuminating includes providing at least one light source and a spatial filter.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
19 words
An exposure method according to claim 32, wherein the step of illuminating includes providing a plurality of light sources.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
54 words
An exposure method comprising the steps of dividing a circuit pattern formed on a mask into a fine pattern portion and a large pattern portion, illuminating the mask with light, and imaging the light one of transmitted through and reflected from the illuminated mask so as to transfer the circuit pattern onto a substrate.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
68 words
An apparatus comprising mask data conversion mans for converting and producing data of a mask from wiring date, calculation means for applying arithmetic processing based on a transmission function substantially equal to a first imaging means for transferring a circuit pattern formed on the mask using light with respect to mask data obtained from the mask data conversion means and for calculating data of the transferred pattern substrate.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
109 words
An exposure apparatus according to claim 35, further comprising inspection means including illuminating means for illuminating a mask with light, second imaging means for imaging light one of transmitted through and reflected from the mask illuminated by the illuminating means to a detection position, the second imaging means having a transmission function substantially equal to the first imaging means, and light receiving means for receiving a pattern imaged on the detection position to obtain an image signal, and comparison means for comparing an image signal obtained from the light receiving means of the inspection means with data of a transferred pattern on the substrate calculated by the calculation means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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