Lithographic projection system and projection lens polarization sensor

• Main Authors: GILING ERWIN JOHANNES MARTINUS, KLAASSEN MICHEL FRANSOIS HUBERT, VAN DE KERKHOF MARCUS ADRIANUS, KUIPER JOHANNES MARIA, ROOIJAKKERS WILHELMUS JACOBUS MARIA, SONNEVELD JACOB, VAN DOOREN LEON, UITTERDIJK TAMMO, DE BOEIJ WILHELMUS PETRUS, KOK HAICO VICTOR, VAN GREEVENBROEK HENDRIKUS ROBERTUS MARIE, WEHRENS MARTIJN GERARD DOMINIQUE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.05.2010
• Subjects: ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USINGWAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FORPROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; CINEMATOGRAPHY; COLORIMETRY; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MATERIALS THEREFOR; MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT,POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRA-RED,VISIBLE OR ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT; MEASURING; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES,e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTORDEVICES; PHYSICS; RADIATION PYROMETRY; TESTING; TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES ORSTRUCTURES; TESTING STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam; a polarization sensor configured at least in part to couple to a reticle stage, wherein components of the reticle polarization sensor can be loaded and unloaded in the lithographic apparatus in the manner used for conventional reticles. In one configuration an active reticle tool includes a rotatable retarder configured to vary the retardation applied to polarized light received from a field point in the illumination system. In another configuration, a passive reticle tool is configured as an array of polarization sensor modules, where the amount of retardation applied to received light by fixed retarders varies according to position of the polarization sensor module. Accordingly, a plurality of retardation conditions for light received at a given field point can be measured, wherein a complete determination of a polarization state of the light at the given field point can be determined. In another configuration, the polarization sensor is configured to measure the effect of a projection lens on a polarization state of light passing through the projection lens.