IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,461,446
Granted Patent B2
US 12,461,446 · App. 17/733,021 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Illumination optical system, exposure apparatus and method of manufacturing article

Inventor: Daisuke Kobayashi (Tochigi, JP)
Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
G03F7/201G02B26/0875G03F7/7055
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,461,446
App. No.
17/733,021
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention provides an illumination optical system for illuminating an object, comprising: a first light-transmissive member and a second light-transmissive member, and a control unit configured to control drive of the first light-transmissive member and the second light-transmissive member, therein, while the control unit drives the first light-transmissive member such that an incident angle of light to the first light-transmissive member increases, the control unit drives the second light-transmissive member such that the incident angle of light to the second light-transmissive member decreases, thereby changing the intensity of the light exiting from the illumination optical system.

Claims (45)

1 . An illumination optical system for illuminating an original using linearly polarized light that is p-polarized light, in scanning exposure of a substrate, comprising:

a first light-transmissive member arranged on an optical path of the linearly polarized light, and

a second light-transmissive member arranged on an optical path of the linearly polarized light which has been transmitted through the first light-transmissive member,

wherein, in the scanning exposure:

the substrate is scanned to be accelerated and then be decelerated,

one of the first and second light-transmissive members is driven to increase a first incident angle at which the linearly polarized light is incident on the one, and the other of the first and second light-transmissive members is driven to decrease a second incident angle at which the linearly polarized light is incident on the other, and

the first light-transmissive member and the second light-transmissive member are driven in accordance with a scanning speed of the substrate, such that each of the first incident angle and the second incident angle is a Brewster's angle when the scanning speed of the substrate is maximum.

2 . The illumination optical system according to claim 1 , wherein

the first light-transmissive member is arranged on the optical path to be rotatable about a first rotation axis crossing an optical axis of the linearly polarized light, and

the second light-transmissive member is arranged on the optical path to be rotatable about a second rotation axis crossing the optical axis.

3 . The illumination optical system according to claim 2 , wherein the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis are parallel.

4 . The illumination optical system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first light-transmissive member and the second light-transmissive member is configured by one plane-parallel plate.

5 . The illumination optical system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first light-transmissive member and the second light-transmissive member is configured by a plurality of plane-parallel plates arranged with gaps in an optical axis direction of the linearly polarized light.

6 . The illumination optical system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an optical integrator configured to even illuminance of the linearly polarized light with which the original is irradiated,

wherein the first light-transmissive member and the second light-transmissive member are arranged on the optical path between a light source emitting the linearly polarized light and the optical integrator.

7 . The illumination optical system according to claim 1 , wherein a thicknesses of each of the first light-transmissive member and the second light-transmissive member is set such that a variation amount of an optical axis of the linearly polarized light generated by driving the first light-transmissive member and the second light-transmissive member is within ±0.5 mm.

8 . The illumination optical system according to claim 1 , wherein

in the scanning exposure, the first light-transmissive member and the second light-transmissive member are driven in accordance with the scanning speed of the substrate, such that while the first incident angle increases within a first angle range, the second incident angle decreases within a second angle range, and

each of the first angle range and the second angle range includes the Brewster's angle.

9 . The illumination optical system according to claim 1 , wherein in the scanning exposure, the first light-transmissive member and the second light-transmissive member are driven in accordance with the scanning speed of the substrate, such that an absolute value of a difference between the first incident angle and the Brewster's angle equals an absolute value of a difference between the second incident angle and the Brewster's angle.

10 . The illumination optical system according to claim 1 , wherein in the scanning exposure, the first light-transmissive member and the second light-transmissive member are driven in accordance with the scanning speed of the substrate, such that one of the first incident angle and the second incident angle is larger than the Brewster's angle, and the other of the first incident angle and the second incident angle is smaller than the Brewster's angle.

11 . The illumination optical system according to claim 1 , wherein in the scanning exposure, the first light-transmissive member and the second light-transmissive member are driven in accordance with the scanning speed of the substrate, such that an exposure amount on the substrate is constant.

12 . An exposure apparatus for performing scanning exposure of a substrate, comprising:

an illumination optical system configured to illuminate an original using linearly polarized light that is p-polarized light;

a projection optical system configured to project an image of a pattern of the original to the substrate; and

a control unit configured to control the illumination optical system,

wherein the illumination optical system includes:

a first light-transmissive member arranged on an optical path of the linearly polarized light, and

a second light-transmissive member arranged on an optical path of the linearly polarized light which has been transmitted through the first light-transmissive member,

wherein in the scanning exposure:

the substrate is scanned to be accelerated and then be decelerated,

one of the first and second light-transmissive members is driven to increase a first incident angle at which the linearly polarized light is incident on the one, and the other of the first and second light-transmissive members is driven to decrease a second incident angle at which the linearly polarized light is incident on the other, and

the control unit drives the first light-transmissive member and the second light-transmissive member in accordance with a scanning speed of the substrate, such that each of the first incident angle and the second incident angle is a Brewster's angle when the scanning speed of the substrate is maximum.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein

the control unit changes an intensity of light exiting from the illumination optical system in accordance with the scanning speed of the substrate in the scanning exposure,

in the scanning exposure, the control unit drives first light-transmissive member and the second light-transmissive member in accordance with the scanning speed of the substrate, such that while the first incident angle increases within a first angle range, the second incident angle decreases within a second angle range, and

each of the first angle range and the second angle range includes the Brewster's angle.

14 . The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the control unit does not change a driving direction of the first light-transmissive member and a driving direction of the second light-transmissive member during the scanning exposure.

15 . The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the scanning exposure includes an acceleration section where the substrate is accelerated and a deceleration section where the substrate is decelerated.

16 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein speed of the substrate in the scanning exposure is defined by a part of a sine wave shaped speed profile, which includes the acceleration section and the deceleration section.

17 . A method of manufacturing an article, the method comprising:

exposing a substrate using an exposure apparatus according to claim 12 ;

processing the substrate exposed in the exposing; and

manufacturing the article from the substrate processed in the processing.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 9, 2022
From: KOBAYASHI, DAISUKE
To: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 060315/0457 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-079243 · May 7, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220357659A1 · Nov 10, 2022
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