Apparatus and method for high resolution in-situ illumination source measurement in projection imaging systems

1. An apparatus for measuring radiant intensity of a photolithographic illumination source in a photolithography projection imaging system, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of discrete imaging objectives, each capable of imaging to a corresponding field point, thereby imaging a plurality of field points; and

a common imaging surface for the plurality of discrete imaging objectives, wherein each of the plurality of field points is imaged on the common imaging surface;

wherein the discrete imaging objectives have sufficient resolution such that the apparatus produces a reconstruction of a radiant intensity profile of the illumination source, and, wherein one or more of the discrete imaging objectives comprises a computer generated hologram integral with a reticle top surface.

2. An apparatus for measuring radiant intensity of a photolithographic illumination source in a photolithography projection imaging system, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of discrete imaging objectives, each capable of imaging to a corresponding field point, thereby imaging a plurality of field points; and

a common imaging surface for the plurality of discrete imaging objectives, wherein each of the plurality of field points is imaged on the common imaging surface;

wherein the discrete imaging objectives have sufficient resolution such that the apparatus produces a reconstruction of a radiant intensity profile of the illumination source and, wherein said common imaging surface comprises a reticle face.

3. An apparatus for measuring radiant intensity of a photolithographic illumination source in a photolithography projection imaging system, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of discrete imaging objectives, each capable of imaging to a corresponding field point, thereby imaging a plurality of field points; and

a common imaging surface for the plurality of discrete imaging objectives, wherein each of the plurality of field points is imaged on the common imaging surface;

wherein the discrete imaging objectives have sufficient resolution such that the apparatus produces a reconstruction of a radiant intensity profile of the illumination source, and, wherein the discrete imaging objectives can be placed in an illuminator beamtrain such that the common imaging surface lies at a reticle conjugate imaging plane.

4. An apparatus for measuring radiant intensity of a photolithographic illumination source in a photolithography projection imaging system, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of discrete imaging objectives, each capable of imaging to a corresponding field point, thereby imaging a plurality of field points; and

a common imaging surface for the plurality of discrete imaging objectives, wherein each of the plurality of field points is imaged on the common imaging surface;

wherein the discrete imaging objectives have sufficient resolution such that the apparatus produces a reconstruction of a radiant intensity profile of the illumination source, further comprising a common mounting for the plurality of imaging objectives.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the common mounting comprises a projection imaging tool.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the common mounting comprises a support plate.

7. A projection imaging system comprising:

an illuminator comprising a light source that generates a radiant intensity profile and produces an illuminator beamtrain;

a multiple field imaging objective in optical communication with the light source;

a projection imaging optic distal the multiple field imaging objective; and

an electronic sensor array, wherein the multiple field imaging objective images the radiant intensity profile onto a plane optically conjugate to the electronic sensor array via the projection imaging optic with sufficient resolution such that the system produces a reconstruction of the radiant intensity profile, further comprising a reticle table that separates a reticle from the projection imaging optic.

8. A projection imaging system comprising:

an illuminator comprising a light source that generates a radiant intensity profile and produces an illuminator beamtrain;

a multiple field imaging objective in optical communication with the light source;

a projection imaging optic distal the multiple field imaging objective; and

an electronic sensor array, wherein the multiple field imaging objective images the radiant intensity profile onto a plane optically conjugate to the electronic sensor array via the projection imaging optic with sufficient resolution such that the system produces a reconstruction of the radiant intensity profile, wherein the electronic sensor array comprises an imaging optic that relays the plane to the sensor array.

9. A projection imaging system comprising:

an illuminator comprising a light source that generates a radiant intensity profile and produces an illuminator beamtrain;

a multiple field imaging objective in optical communication with the light source;

a projection imaging optic distal the multiple field imaging objective; and

an electronic sensor array, wherein the multiple field imaging objective images the radiant intensity profile onto a plane optically conjugate to the electronic sensor array via the projection imaging optic with sufficient resolution such that the system produces a reconstruction of the radiant intensity profile, wherein multiple field imaging objective comprises a reticle having one or more computer generated holograms written on its face.

10. A projection imaging system comprising:

an illuminator comprising a light source, a reflective substrate, and a reflective reticle, wherein the light source projects a plurality of light rays toward the reflective substrate, which reflects the light rays toward the reflective reticle; and

a multiple field imaging objective in optical communication with the reflective reticle, wherein the plurality of rays are incident on the multiple field imaging objective;

wherein the multiple field imaging objectives have sufficient resolution such that the system produces a reconstruction of a radiant intensity profile of the illumination source.

11. The projection imaging system of claim 10 , wherein the source image lies in a plane distal to the reticle.

12. The projection imaging system of claim 10 , wherein the reflective substrate comprises a folding mirror.

13. The projection imaging system of claim 10 , wherein the reflective substrate comprises one or more computer generated holograms.

14. The projection imaging system of claim 13 , wherein the reflective substrate comprises at least two computer generated holograms separated by one or more non-reflective regions.

15. The projection imaging system of claim 10 , wherein the reflective reticle comprises a reflective coating with modulated reflectivity.

16. A projection imaging system comprising:

an illuminator comprising a light source, a reflective substrate, and a reflective reticle, wherein an illuminator beamtrain is projected toward the reflective substrate that includes a multiple in-situ imaging objective, and is reflected toward the reflective reticle; and

a common imaging surface where the radiant intensity of the beamtrain is recorded at multiple field points;

wherein the multiple in-situ imaging objectives have sufficient resolution such that the system produces a reconstruction of a radiant intensity profile of the illuminator.

17. A projection imaging system as defined in claim 16 , wherein the in-situ imaging objective is a computer generated hologram.

18. A projection imaging system as defined in claim 16 , wherein the in-situ imaging objective is an asphere.