Patent · US Expired

Exposure method and apparatus

US7095481B2 · kind B2 · utility

19Cited by
4References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 12, 2003
Grant dateAug 22, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 25, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03F7/70133
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An exposure method for projecting, through a projection optical system, a predetermined pattern formed on a mask onto an object to be exposed. The exposure method includes the steps of dividing an effective light source area for illuminating the mask into plural point light sources, calculating a Zernike sensitivity coefficient that represents a sensitivity of a change of image quality of the predetermined pattern to a change of a Zernike coefficient, when wave front aberration in the projection optical system is developed into a Zernike polynomial for all divided point light sources, determining an effective light source distribution based on a combination of Zernike sensitivity coefficient of all divided point light sources, and forming the effective light source distribution by intensity of each point light source.

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