Abstract: Systems and methods for inspection are provided utilizing a wide angle optical system. The optical system includes a wide angle input lens group and an output lens group. The wide angle input lens group is configured to receive wide-angle radiation, e.g., having an angular spread of 60 degrees or more, from an object surface, and produce imageable radiation. The wide angle input lens group is arranged such that no intermediate focused image is formed within or after the wide angle input lens group. The output lens group is configured to receive the imageable radiation from the wide angle input lens group and focus the imageable radiation onto an image plane to image at least part of the object surface. A detector receives the image of the at least part of the object surface and, based on the received image, detects, for example, contamination on the object surface.

Abstract: An illuminator with substantially reduced telecentricity error relative to conventional illuminators includes one or more modules having movable optical elements with low telecentricity error that may be adjusted to compensate for telecentricity errors. The modules may include a zoom zoom axicon, a condenser, and a multi field relay. The zoom zoom axicon may include one or more lenses adjustable in up to six degrees of freedom. The condenser and the multi field relay may include one or more lenses adjustable in up to six degrees of freedom or a set of two or more mirrors with one or more of the mirrors adjustable in up to six degrees of freedom. The illuminator may also include a control system to control the adjustments of the movable optical elements. A lithography system including such an illuminator is also presented, along with a method of providing illumination with low telecentricity error.

Abstract: A system and method are used to direct a radiation beam to illuminate non-perpendicularly a patterning array of individually controllable elements used for patterning the radiation beam. The individually controllable elements can change a telecentricity of the radiation beam. Projection of the radiation beam onto the individually controllable elements can be by a concave mirror or use a folding mirror placed in an object field of the individually controllable elements. Alternatively, the individually controllable elements can change the optical axis of the radiation beam.

Abstract: A system is provided to form illumination light beams having desirable divergence and directivity. For instance, the system can include an optical element and a relay. The optical element can include a pupil defining element. Further, the relay can have a first and second lens array arranged in series and configured to receive the plurality of beams and to re-image the plurality of beams into a corresponding plurality of beams in an image plane. Each of the plurality of corresponding beams can have a numerical aperture less than a numerical aperture of each of the plurality of beams.

Abstract: A semiconductor inspection system and method are described. The system includes an illumination system transmitting light at a given wavelength and an optical system receiving light from the illumination system and transmit light at the given wavelength to a surface. The optical system includes at least one lens that is moveable (for example, a zoomable lens) to change the nominal wavelength of the semiconductor inspection system to correspond to the illumination wavelength of the illumination system so that the sphero-chromatic aberration of the semiconductor inspection system meets a user-defined tolerance.

Abstract: An optical integrator having a first surface and a second surface that is used in a lithographic apparatus to modify light. The first surface is reflective, defines a volume, and is configured to be disposed in an optical illumination system along an optical axis, to surround the optical axis, and to reflect a light along a path incident upon the first surface. The second surface is disposed in the volume and has a first section of the second surface that is semi-reflective and is configured to reflect a first portion of a light along a path incident upon the first section of the second surface and to transmit a second portion of the light along the path incident upon the first section of the second surface. The second surface increases the number of reflections of the light to increase the uniformity of the intensity distribution of the light.

Abstract: A system is provided to form illumination light beams having desirable divergence and directivity. For instance, the system can include an optical element and a relay. The optical element can include a pupil defining element. Further, the relay can have a first and second lens array arranged in series and configured to receive the plurality of beams and to re-image the plurality of beams into a corresponding plurality of beams in an image plane. Each of the plurality of corresponding beams can have a numerical aperture less than a numerical aperture of each of the plurality of beams.

Abstract: A coherence remover includes a first partially reflective surface and a second partially reflective surface. The coherence remover is configured to receive an input beam. Each of the first and second reflective surfaces is configured to reflect a respective portion of the input beam to produce respective one or more intermediate beams. The intermediate beams collectively form an output beam that has a reduced coherence compared to the input beam.

Abstract: A system and method for use of a lithography apparatus having a substrate and an absorbing film formed on the substrate. A thickness of the absorbing film is spatially modulated across at least a part of the substrate to reduce a non-uniform intensity of a radiation beam transmitted through the substrate.

Abstract: A system and method are used to form illumination light beams having desirable divergence and directivity. The illumination light beams are shaped using a pupil defining element and a field defining element. Then, divergence or numerical apertures of the light generated by these elements is modified using an optical element that either re-images the light onto planes conjugate to one or both of the pupil defining element and a field defining element or transforms a numerical aperture of light produced by one or both of the pupil defining element and a field defining element.

Abstract: A coherence remover is provided. In an embodiment the coherence remover includes a first mirror and a second mirror coupled to the first mirror. The coherence remover is configured to receive an input beam. Each of the first and second mirrors is configured to reflect a respective portion of the input beam to produce respective one or more intermediate beams. The intermediate beams collectively form an output beam that has a reduced coherence compared to the input beam.

Abstract: An illuminator with substantially reduced telecentricity error relative to conventional illuminators includes one or more modules having movable optical elements with low telecentricity error that may be adjusted to compensate for telecentricity errors. The modules may include a zoom zoom axicon, a condenser, and a multi field relay. The zoom zoom axicon may include one or more lenses adjustable in up to six degrees of freedom. The condenser and the multi field relay may include one or more lenses adjustable in up to six degrees of freedom or a set of two or more mirrors with one or more of the mirrors adjustable in up to six degrees of freedom. The illuminator may also include a control system to control the adjustments of the movable optical elements. A lithography system including such an illuminator is also presented, along with a method of providing illumination with low telecentricity error.

Abstract: A system and method are used to increase alignment accuracy of feature patterns through detection of alignment patterns on both a surface layer and at least one below surface layers of an object. A first frequency of light, such as visible light, is used to detect alignment patterns on the surface layer and a second frequency of light, such as infrared light, is used to detect patterns one layer below the surface. For example, reflected light of a first frequency and transmitted light of a second frequency are co-focused onto detector after impinging on respective alignment patterns. The co-focused light is then used to determine proper alignment of the object for subsequent pattern features. This substantially increases accuracy of alignment of pattern features between layers, as compared to conventional systems.

Abstract: A system and method are used to direct a radiation beam to illuminate non-perpendicularly a patterning array of individually controllable elements used for patterning the radiation beam. The individually controllable elements can change a telecentricity of the radiation beam. Projection of the radiation beam onto the individually controllable elements can be by a concave mirror or use a folding mirror placed in an object field of the individually controllable elements. Alternatively, the individually controllable elements can change the optical axis of the radiation beam.

Abstract: A system and method are used to increase alignment accuracy of feature patterns through detection of alignment patterns on both a surface layer and at least one below surface layers of an object. Visible light is used to detect alignment patterns on the surface layer and infrared light is used to detect patterns one layers below the surface. For example, reflected visible light and transmitted infrared light are co-focused onto detector after impinging on respective alignment patterns. The co-focused light is then used to determine proper alignment of the object for subsequent pattern features. This substantially increases accuracy of alignment of pattern features between layers, as compared to conventional systems.

Abstract: An optical integrator having a first surface and a second surface that is used in a lithographic apparatus to modify light. The first surface is reflective, defines a volume, and is configured to be disposed in an optical illumination system along an optical axis, to surround the optical axis, and to reflect a light along a path incident upon the first surface. The second surface is disposed in the volume and has a first section of the second surface that is semi-reflective and is configured to reflect a first portion of a light along a path incident upon the first section of the second surface and to transmit a second portion of the light along the path incident upon the first section of the second surface. The second surface increases the number of reflections of the light to increase the uniformity of the intensity distribution of the light.

Abstract: A relay lens is provided in an illumination system for use in microlithography. The relay lens can be used to uniformly illuminate a field at a reticle by telecentric light beams with variable aperture size. The relay lens can include first, second, and third lens groups. At least one of the second and third lens groups can include a single lens. This can reduce costs and increase transmission by requiring less CaF2 because fewer optical elements are used compared to prior systems.

Abstract: A system and method are used to substantially homogenize and remove at least some coherence from a beam of radiation.

Abstract: A system and method are used to form illumination light beams having desirable divergence and directivity. The illumination light beams are shaped using a pupil defining element and a field defining element. Then, divergence or numerical apertures of the light generated by these elements is modified using an optical element that either re-images the light onto planes conjugate to one or both of the pupil defining element and a field defining element or transforms a numerical aperture of light produced by one or both of the pupil defining element and a field defining element.

Abstract: In an immersion lithography system, a moveable substrate unit is formed from a substrate and at least one optical element, with immersion liquid between them. The immersion liquid and the optical element move in unison with the substrate. Movement of the substrate unit reduces refractive index disturbance produced by turbulence during exposure scans. The projection optical system is enhanced with a dynamic axial compensation group. Elements in the dynamic axial compensation group can move to compensate aberrations caused by deviation of axial symmetry due to movement of the optical element in the substrate unit. The space in the substrate unit filled with immersion liquid may be dynamically controlled to provide proper working distance. If the optical element in the substrate unit has optical power, both resolution and depth of focus may be enhanced. Even if the optical element has no optical power, depth of focus may still be enhanced.