Catadioptric optical system and exposure apparatus having the same

Claim 2

A catadioptric optical system for forming an image of a pattern on a first plane on a second plane, comprising: a first imaging optical system for forming an intermediate image of the pattern on the first plane, said first imaging optical system comprising a first optical element group having a positive refracting power, and a second optical element group including a negative lens component and a concave mirror and having a positive refracting power; a second imaging optical system having a reduction magnification and adapted to form an image of the intermediate image formed by said first imaging optical system onto the second plane, a composite magnification of said second imaging optical system and said first imaging optical system being a reduction magnification; and a first optical path deflecting member arranged in an optical path from said first imaging optical system to said second imaging optical system to guide a light beam from said first imaging optical system to said second imaging optical system, wherein a light beam from the first plane passes through said first optical element group and reaches said concave mirror in said second optical element group, and the light beam reflected by said concave mirror passes through said first optical element group again and reaches said first optical path deflecting member.

Claim 3

A system according to claim 1, wherein said first optical path deflecting member is arranged between the first plane and said first optical element group at a position shifted from an optical axis of said first optical element group, and said first optical element group in said first imaging optical system is partially arranged between said first optical path deflecting member and said second optical element group.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 1, wherein said negative lens component in said second optical element group has a meniscus shape with a concave surface facing said first optical element group.

Claim 5

A system according to claim 1, wherein said second imaging optical system comprises a front optical element group having a positive refracting power and a rear optical element group having a positive refracting power, and a light beam from said first imaging optical system sequentially passes through said front optical element group and said rear optical element group and reaches the second plane.

Claim 6

A system according to claim 4, wherein said second imaging optical system further comprises an aperture stop arranged in an optical path between said front optical element group and said rear optical element group.

Claim 7

A system according to claim 1, wherein said first imaging optical system further comprises a third optical element group arranged in an optical path between the first plane and said first optical element group, said third optical element group having, in the following order from the first plane to said first optical element group, a forward lens group having a positive refracting power and a rear lens group having a negative refracting power.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 6, wherein said second imaging optical system comprises a front optical element group having a positive refracting power and a rear optical element group having a positive refracting power, and a light beam from said first imaging optical system sequentially passes through said front optical element group and said rear optical element group and reaches the second plane.

Claim 9

A system according to claim 1, wherein said first imaging optical system has a reduction magnification.

Claim 10

A system according to claim 1, wherein said catadioptric optical system satisfies the following conditions: 0.4<|β.sub.1 |<1.2 0.2<|β.sub.2 |<0.7 1/10<|β.sub.1.β.sub.2 |<1/2 where β 1 is the imaging magnification of said first imaging optical system, and β 2 is the imaging magnification of said second imaging optical system.

Claim 11

A system according to claim 1, wherein each lens component constituting said second imaging optical system essentially consists of one of at least two optical materials having different dispersion values.

Claim 12

A system according to claim 4, wherein said front optical element group in said second imaging optical system includes a negative lens component of high-dispersion glass and a positive lens component of low-dispersion glass, and said rear optical element group in said second imaging optical system includes a positive lens component of low-dispersion glass.

Claim 13

A system according to claim 4, wherein said catadioptric optical system satisfies the following conditions: |P.sub.G1 +P.sub.G2 |<0.1 P.sub.G11 +P.sub.G21 +P.sub.G22 >0 P.sub.G12 <0 where P G1 : Petzval value of said first imaging optical system, P G2 : Petzval value of said second imaging optical system, P G11 : Petzval value of said first optical element group in said first imaging optical system, P G12 : Petzval value of said second optical element group in said first imaging optical system, P G21 : Petzval value of said forward optical element group in said second imaging optical system, P G22 : Petzval value of said rear optical element group in said second imaging optical system.

Claim 14

A system according to claim 7, wherein said catadioptric optical system satisfies the following conditions: |P.sub.G1 +P.sub.G2 |<0.1 P.sub.G11 +P.sub.G21 +P.sub.G22 +P.sub.G13 >0 P.sub.G12 <0 where P G1 : Petzval value of said first imaging optical system, P G2 : Petzval value of said second imaging optical system, P G11 : Petzval value of said first optical element group in said first imaging optical system, P G12 : Petzval value of said second optical element group in said first imaging optical system, P G13 : Petzval value of said third optical element group in said first imaging optical system, P G21 : Petzval value of said forward optical element group in said second imaging optical system, P G22 : Petzval value of said rear optical element group in said second imaging optical system.

Claim 15

A system according to claim 1, further comprising a second optical path deflecting member arranged in an optical path between the first plane and said first optical element group in said first imaging optical system to change a propagation direction of the light beam from the first plane, whereby the first plane and the second plane are maintained in parallel to each other.

Claim 16

A system according to claim 14, wherein said second optical path deflecting member is arranged between the first plane and said first optical path deflecting member at a position shifted from an optical axis of said first optical element group.

Claim 17

A system according to claim 4, further comprising a third optical path deflecting member arranged in an optical path between said front optical element group and said rear optical element group in said second imaging optical system to change a propagation direction of the light beam transmitted through said first imaging optical system and said front optical element group, whereby the first plane and the second plane are maintained in parallel to each other.

Claim 18

A system according to claim 1, further comprising a field stop arranged on a plane on which the intermediate image is formed by said first imaging optical system, said field stop changing a size of an image formation area on the second plane.

Claim 19

A system according to claim 4, further comprising a filter arranged between said front optical element group and said rear optical element group in said second imaging optical system and adapted to increase a depth of focus.

Claim 20

A method of setting said catadioptric optical system, wherein constituent elements constituting said catadioptric optical system of claim 14 are arranged such that a propagation direction of a light beam emerging from said second imaging optical system to the second plane coincides with a direction perpendicular to the direction of gravity while arranging the first plane and the second plane parallel to each other.

Claim 21

A method of setting said catadioptric optical system, wherein constituent elements constituting said catadioptric optical system of claim 16 are arranged such that a propagation direction of a light beam emerging from said second imaging optical system to the second plane coincides with a direction of gravity while arranging the first plane and the second plane parallel to each other.

Claim 22

A system according to claim 16, wherein said second optical path deflecting member is arranged between the first plane and said first optical path deflecting member at a position shifted from an optical axis of said first optical element group.

Claim 23

An exposure apparatus comprising: a first stage capable of holding a photosensitive substrate on a main surface thereof; a second stage for holding a mask having a predetermined pattern: an illumination optical system for irradiating an exposure light beam having a predetermined wavelength to said mask and transferring an image of the predetermined pattern on said mask onto said substrate; and a catadioptric optical system provided between said first stage and said second stage to project the pattern on said mask onto said substrate, said catadioptric optical system comprising a first imaging optical system for forming an intermediate image of the pattern on said mask, said first imaging optical system comprising a first optical element group having a positive refracting power, and a second optical element group including a negative lens component and a concave mirror and having a positive refracting power, a second imaging optical system having a reduction magnification and adapted to form an image of the intermediate image formed by said first imaging optical system on said substrate, a composite magnification of said second imaging optical system and said first imaging optical system being a reduction magnification, and a first optical path deflecting member arranged in an optical path from said first imaging optical system to said second imaging optical system to guide a light beam from said first imaging optical system to said second imaging optical system, wherein a light beam from said mask passes through said first optical element group and reaches said concave mirror in said second optical element group, and the light beam reflected by said concave mirror passes through said first optical element group again and reaches said first optical path deflecting member.

Claim 24

An exposure apparatus comprising: a first stage capable of holding a photosensitive substrate on a main surface thereof; a second stage for holding a mask having a predetermined pattern: an illumination optical system for irradiating an exposure light beam having a predetermined wavelength to said mask and transferring an image of the predetermined pattern on said mask onto said substrate; and a catadioptric optical system provided between said first stage and said second stage to project the pattern on said mask onto said substrate, said catadioptric optical system comprising a first imaging optical system for forming an intermediate image of the pattern on said mask, said first imaging optical system comprising a first optical element group having a positive refracting power, and a second optical element group including a negative lens component and a concave mirror and having a positive refracting power, a second imaging optical system having a reduction magnification and adapted to form an image of the intermediate image formed by said first imaging optical system on said substrate, a composite magnification of said second imaging optical system and said first imaging optical system being a reduction magnification, and a first optical path deflecting member arranged in an optical path from said first imaging optical system to said second imaging optical system to guide a light beam from said first imaging optical system to said second imaging optical system, wherein a light beam from said mask passes through said first optical element group and reaches said concave mirror in said second optical element group, and the light beam reflected by said concave mirror passes through said first optical element group again and reaches said first optical path deflecting member.

Claim 25

An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said catadioptric optical system satisfies the following conditions: 0.4<|β.sub.1 |<1.2 0.2<|β.sub.2 |<0.7 1/10<|β.sub.1.β.sub.2 |<1/2 where β 1 is the imaging magnification of said first imaging optical system, and β 2 is the imaging magnification of said second imaging optical system.

Claim 26

An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said second imaging optical system comprises a front optical element group having a positive refracting power and a rear optical element group having a positive refracting power, and a light beam from said first imaging optical system sequentially passes through said front optical element group and said rear optical element group and reaches an image plane on said substrate.

Claim 27

An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said catadioptric optical system satisfies the following conditions: |P.sub.G1 +P.sub.G2 |<0.1 P.sub.G11 +P.sub.G21 +P.sub.G22 >0 P.sub.G12 <0 where P G1 : Petzval value of said first imaging optical system, P G2 : Petzval value of said second imaging optical system, P G11 : Petzval value of said first optical element group in said first imaging optical system, P G12 : Petzval value of said second optical element group in said first imaging optical system, P G21 : Petzval value of said forward optical element group in said second imaging optical system, P G22 : Petzval value of said rear optical element group in said second imaging optical system.

Claim 28

An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said first imaging optical system further comprises a third optical element group arranged in an optical path between said second stage and said first optical element group, said third optical element group having, in the following order from said second stage to said first optical element group, a forward lens group having a positive refracting power and a rear lens group having a negative refracting power.

Claim 29

An apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said second imaging optical system comprises a front optical element group having a positive refracting power and a rear optical element group having a positive refracting power, and a light beam from said first imaging optical system sequentially passes through said front optical element group and said rear optical element group and reaches an image plane on said substrate.

Claim 30

An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said catadioptric optical system satisfies the following conditions: |P.sub.G1 +P.sub.G2 |<0.1 P.sub.G11 +P.sub.G21 +P.sub.G22 +P.sub.G12 >0 P.sub.G12 <0 where P G1 : Petzval value of said first imaging optical system, P G2 : Petzval value of said second imaging optical system, P G11 : Petzval value of said first optical element group in said first imaging optical system, P G12 : Petzval value of said second optical element group in said first imaging optical system, P G13 : Petzval value of said third optical element group in said first imaging optical system, P G21 : Petzval value of said forward optical element group in said second imaging optical system, P G22 : Petzval value of said rear optical element group in said second imaging optical system.

Claim 32

An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said second optical path deflecting member is arranged in an optical path between said second stage and said first optical path deflecting member at a position shifted from an optical axis of said first optical element group.

Claim 33

An apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising a third optical path deflecting member arranged in an optical path between said front optical element group and said rear optical element group in said second imaging optical system to change a propagation direction of the light beam transmitted through said first imaging optical system and said front optical element group, whereby an object plane on said mask and an image plane on said substrate are maintained in parallel to each other when said substrate is held by said first stage, and said mask is held by said second stage.

Claim 34

An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said catadioptric optical system is arranged such that a propagation direction of an exposure light beam emitted from said illumination optical system and passing through said mask and a propagation direction of an exposure light beam emerging from said second imaging optical system to an image plane on said substrate coincide with a direction perpendicular to the direction of gravity while an object plane on said mask and the image plane on said substrate are maintained in parallel to each other when said mask is held by said second stage, and said substrate is held by said first stage.

Claim 35

An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said catadioptric optical system is arranged such that a propagation direction of an exposure light beam emitted from said illumination optical system and passing through said mask and a propagation direction of an exposure light beam emerging from said second imaging optical system to an image plane on said substrate coincide with a direction of gravity while an object plane on said mask and the image plane on said substrate are maintained in parallel to each other when said mask is held by said second stage, and said substrate is held by said first stage.

Claim 36

An apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising an excimer laser as a light source for emitting the exposure light beam having a predetermined wavelength.

Claim 37

An apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said catadioptric optical system further comprises a second optical path deflecting member arranged in an optical path between said second stage and said first optical element group in said first imaging optical system to change a propagation direction of the light beam from said mask, whereby an object plane on said mask and an image plane on said substrate are maintained in parallel to each other when said substrate is held by said first stage, and said mask is held by said second stage.