Patent · US Expired

Intrinsic birefringence compensation for below 200 nanometer wavelength optical lithography components with cubic crystalline structures

US6785051B2 · kind B2 · utility

21Cited by
4References
20Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateJul 15, 2002
Grant dateAug 31, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 18, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03F7/70966
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Stress-induced photoelastic birefringence compensates for intrinsic birefringence of cubic crystalline structures in deep ultraviolet (less than 200 nm) microlithographic imaging systems. Both the photoelastic birefringence and the intrinsic birefringence are expressed in a tensor format simplified by the symmetries of cubic crystalline structures. The stress-induced photoelastic birefringence can be sized to individually compensate for intrinsic birefringence exhibited in the same optical elements or preferably to collectively compensate for the cumulative effects of intrinsic birefringence in other optical elements in the lithography system.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.