Lithographic apparatus

1. An apparatus for shielding a reticle for lithography, the apparatus comprising:

a pellicle; and

at least one actuator configured to induce a movement of the pellicle with respect to the reticle, during an exposure of the reticle, to average an intensity variation of radiation received at the reticle over an exposure time and over a patterned surface of the reticle to obtain a substantially uniform intensity distribution of the radiation received at the reticle.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one actuator is configured to induce a periodic movement of the pellicle with respect to the reticle.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one actuator is configured to induce the periodic movement of the pellicle such that at least one period is completed in a time period for a local exposure to the radiation.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one actuator is configured to induce the periodic movement of the pellicle such that at least one period is completed in a time period for a full-field exposure to the radiation, wherein the radiation is incident on an entire area of the patterned surface of the reticle in the full-field exposure.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a frame for supporting the pellicle above the reticle, wherein the frame comprises the at least one actuator.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein:

the frame comprises a first frame member for mounting on a surface of the reticle and a second frame member for supporting the pellicle, and

the first and second frame members are connected to each other by at least one of a flexible member, a resilient member, or a shock absorbing member.

7. A method for shielding a reticle of a lithography apparatus, the method comprising:

inducing a movement of a pellicle relative to the reticle during an exposure of the reticle, wherein the pellicle is supported above the reticle during the exposure of the reticle to radiation; and

averaging an intensity variation of the radiation received at the reticle over an exposure time and over a patterned surface of the reticle to obtain a substantially uniform intensity distribution of the radiation received at the reticle.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the movement is a passive movement.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the movement is a periodic movement.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein at least one period of the periodic movement is completed in a time period for a local exposure.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein at least one period of the periodic movement is completed in a time period for a full-field exposure, wherein the radiation is incident on an entire area of the patterned surface of the reticle in the full-field exposure.

12. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the averaging comprises:

substantially reducing an effect of shadowing caused by a mesh supporting the pellicle on the intensity distribution of the radiation received at the patterned surface of the reticle.

13. A reticle assembly for lithography, the reticle assembly comprising:

a reticle having a patterned surface configured to impart a pattern to a radiation beam incident thereon;

a pellicle held at least over the patterned surface; and

at least one actuator configured to induce a movement of the pellicle with respect to the patterned surface, during an exposure of the patterned surface, to average an intensity variation of the radiation received at the patterned surface over an exposure time and over the patterned surface of the reticle to obtain a substantially uniform intensity distribution of the radiation received at the patterned surface of the reticle.

14. A lithographic apparatus configured to project a pattern from a reticle assembly onto a substrate with a radiation beam having a wavelength from about 5 nm to about 20 nm, wherein the reticle assembly comprises:

a reticle having a patterned surface configured to impart the pattern to the radiation beam incident thereon;

a pellicle held at least over the patterned surface;

at least one actuator configured to induce a movement of the pellicle with respect to the patterned surface, during an exposure of the patterned surface, to average an intensity variation of the radiation received at the patterned surface over an exposure time and over the patterned surface of the reticle to obtain a substantially uniform intensity distribution of the radiation received at the patterned surface of the reticle.

15. An apparatus configured to inspect properties of a reticle having a patterned surface configured to impart a pattern to a radiation beam incident thereon, wherein the apparatus comprises a reticle assembly comprising:

the reticle having the patterned surface configured to impart the pattern to the radiation beam incident thereon;

a pellicle held at least over the patterned surface;

at least one actuator configured to induce a movement of the pellicle with respect to the patterned surface, during an exposure of the patterned surface, to average an intensity variation of the radiation received at the patterned surface over an exposure time and over the patterned surface of the reticle to obtain a substantially uniform intensity distribution of the radiation received at the patterned surface of the reticle.

16. A pellicle assembly, comprising:

a pellicle; and

a pellicle frame configured to support a pellicle above the reticle,

wherein the pellicle frame comprises at least one actuator,

wherein the pellicle frame comprises an inner frame for supporting the pellicle above the reticle and an outer frame removably coupled to the inner frame, and

wherein the at least one actuator is configured to induce a movement of the pellicle with respect to the reticle, during an exposure of the reticle, to average an intensity variation of radiation received at the reticle over an exposure time and over a patterned surface of the reticle to obtain substantially uniform intensity distribution of the radiation received at the reticle.

17. The pellicle assembly of claim 16 , wherein at least three fasteners are provided along each edge of the pellicle frame.

18. The pellicle assembly of claim 16 , wherein the outer frame is arranged for coupling to an automatic placement tool.

19. A pellicle assembly, comprising:

a pellicle; and

a pellicle frame configured to support the pellicle above a reticle and configured to, in use, induce a movement to the pellicle with respect to the reticle, wherein:

the pellicle frame comprises a first frame member configured to mount on a surface of the reticle and a second frame member configured to support the pellicle, and

the first and second frame members are connected to each other by at least one of a flexible member, a resilient member, or a shock absorbing member.

20. The pellicle assembly according to claim 19 , wherein the movement induced is a periodic movement of the pellicle with respect to the reticle.

21. The pellicle assembly according to claim 20 , wherein the pellicle frame is configured to induce the periodic movement such that at least one period is completed in a time period for a local exposure of the reticle to radiation.

22. The pellicle assembly according to claim 20 , wherein the pellicle frame is configured to induce the periodic movement such that at least one period is completed in a time period for a full-field exposure of the reticle to radiation, wherein the radiation is incident on an entire area of a patterned surface of the reticle in the full-field exposure.

23. The pellicle assembly according to claim 19 , wherein the pellicle frame comprises at least one actuator configured to induce the movement of the pellicle.

24. An apparatus for shielding a reticle for lithography, the apparatus comprising:

a pellicle;

at least one actuator configured to induce a movement of the pellicle with respect to the reticle, during an exposure of the reticle, to reduce an intensity variation of radiation received at the reticle over an exposure time to obtain a substantially uniform intensity distribution of the radiation received at the reticle; and

two actuators, each actuator being arranged to induce oscillations in the pellicle in a direction perpendicular to the other actuator.