Lens heating compensation in photolithography

US9235134B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Micron Technology, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Yuan He · Boise, US
• Kaveri Jain · Boise, US
• Lijing Gou · Boise, US
• Zishu Zhang · Boise, US
• Anton J. deVilliers · Boise, US
• Michael Hyatt · Boise, US
• Jianming Zhou · Suzhou, CN
• Scott L. Light · Boise, US
• Dan B. Millward · Boise, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 16, 2010
• Grant date: Jan 12, 2016
• Expiry date: Jul 7, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03F7/70891
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Photolithographic apparatus and methods are disclosed. One such apparatus includes an optical path configured to provide a first diffraction pattern in a portion of an optical system and to provide a second diffraction pattern to the portion of the optical system after providing the first diffraction pattern. Meanwhile, one such method includes providing a first diffraction pattern onto a portion of an optical system, wherein a semiconductor article is imaged using the first diffraction pattern. A second diffraction pattern is also provided onto the portion of the optical system, but the second diffraction pattern is not used to image the semiconductor article.