Lithographic method

• Main Authors: Nikipelov Andrey Alexandrovich, Litvinenko Vladimir, Frijns Olav Waldemar Vladimir, Loopstra Erik Roelof, Banine Vadim Yevgenyevich, Nienhuys Han-Kwang, Luiten Otger Jan, De Vries Gosse Charles, De Jager Pieter Willem Herman, Donker Rilpho Ludovicus, Engelen Wouter Joep, Kruizinga Borgert, Grimminck Leonardus Adrianus Gerardus, Akkermans Johannes Antonius Gerardus
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 21.11.2017
• 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; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CINEMATOGRAPHY; COLORIMETRY; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; ELECTROGRAPHY; GAMMA RAY OR X-RAY MICROSCOPES; HOLOGRAPHY; IRRADIATION DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT,POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRA-RED,VISIBLE OR ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT; MEASURING; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING; NUCLEAR PHYSICS; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES,e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTORDEVICES; PHYSICS; PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OFNEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMICBEAMS; RADIATION PYROMETRY; TECHNIQUES FOR HANDLING PARTICLES OR IONISING RADIATION NOTOTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TESTING

A method of patterning lithographic substrates that includes using a free electron laser to generate EUV radiation and delivering the EUV radiation to a lithographic apparatus which projects the EUV radiation onto lithographic substrates. The method further includes reducing fluctuations in the power of EUV radiation delivered to the lithographic substrates by using a feedback-based control loop to monitor the free electron laser and adjust operation of the free electron laser accordingly, and applying variable attenuation to EUV radiation that has been output by the free electron laser in order to further control the power of EUV radiation delivered to the lithographic apparatus.