Patent · US Active

Tunable wavelength illumination system

US8730476B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by
9References
21Claims
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Key dates

Filing dateMay 21, 2013
Grant dateMay 20, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 21, 2033

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03F9/7065
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A lithographic apparatus has an alignment system including a radiation source configured to convert narrow-band radiation into continuous, flat and broad-band radiation. An acoustically tunable narrow pass-band filter filters the broad-band radiation into narrow-band linearly polarized radiation. The narrow-band radiation may be focused on alignment targets of a wafer so as to enable alignment of the wafer. In an embodiment, the filter is configured to modulate an intensity and wavelength of radiation produced by the radiation source and to have multiple simultaneous pass-bands. The radiation source generates radiation that has high spatial coherence and low temporal coherence.

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