Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

Abstract

A system and method are used to form features on a substrate. The system and method include using a first array including individually controllable elements that selectively pattern a beam of radiation, a second array including sets of lenses and apertures stops that form an image from a respective one of the individually controllable elements in a first plane, a third array including lenses that form an image from a respective one of the second array in a second plane, and a substrate table that holds a substrate in the second plane, such that the substrate receives the image from the respective one of the second array. A same spacing is formed between elements in the first, second, and third arrays.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A programmable patterning device, comprising:
 a first substrate having thereon an array of contrast elements and a transmissive region or aperture adjacent each contrast element; and   a second substrate having an array of reflectors corresponding in number to the array of contrast elements, each reflector in the array of reflectors being positioned to direct radiation between a respective one of the transmissive regions or apertures to a respective one of the contrast elements in one or both directions.   
     
     
       2. The programmable patterning device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a microlens array having array of microlenses, a number of the microlenses corresponding a number of contrast elements in the array of contrast elements and being positioned to concentrate incident radiation onto the contrast elements either directly or via the transmissive regions or apertures and reflectors.   
     
     
       3. The programmable patterning device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a microlens array having array of microlenses, a number of the microlenses corresponding a number of contrast elements in the array of contrast elements and being positioned to focus radiation selectively passed by respective ones of the contrast elements into an array of microspots.   
     
     
       4. The programmable patterning device of  claim 1 , wherein the contrast elements are mirrors having a selectively programmed orientation. 
     
     
       5. The programmable patterning device of  claim 1 , wherein the reflectors on the second substrate are mirrors having a selectively programmed orientation. 
     
     
       6. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:
 an illumination system that supplies a beam of radiation;   a patterning array including individually controllable elements that selectively divide the beam of radiation into a plurality of sub-beams modulated according to a desired pattern of the patterning array; and   a substrate table that supports a substrate, such that the substrate is positioned to receive the plurality of sub-beams,   wherein the patterning array is a programmable patterning device comprising,
 a first substrate having thereon an array of contrast elements and a transmissive region or aperture adjacent each contrast element, and 
 a second substrate having an array of reflectors corresponding in number to the array of contrast elements, each reflector being positioned to direct radiation between a respective one of the transmissive regions or apertures to a respective one of the contrast elements in one or both directions. 
   
     
     
       7. A device manufacturing method, comprising:
 using a patterning device to selectively divide a beam of radiation into a plurality of sub-beams modulated according to a desired pattern on the patterning device, the pattering device including,
 a first substrate having thereon an array of contrast elements and a transmissive region or aperture adjacent each contrast element, and 
 a second substrate having an array of reflectors corresponding in number to the array of contrast elements, each reflector in the array of reflectors being positioned to direct radiation between a respective one of the transmissive regions or apertures to a respective one of the contrast elements in one or both directions; and 
   positioning a substrate to receive the plurality of sub-beams.   
     
     
       8. A lithographic apparatus having a plurality of optical engines, each optical engine comprising:
 light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to emit a patterned beam; and   a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a substrate and comprising:
 a first microlens array and a second microlens array, wherein a number of microlenses in the first microlens array and the second microlens array correspond in number to the LEDs, and 
 an aperture plate disposed between the first microlens array and the second microlens array. 
   
     
     
       9. The lithographic apparatus of claim 8, wherein the projection system further comprises:
 a third microlens array, a number of microlenses in the third microlens array corresponding in number to the LEDs, wherein each of the microlenses in the first microlens array and the second microlens array is arranged to focus radiation emitted by a respective one of the LEDs onto a respective lens in the third microlens array.   
     
     
       10. The lithographic apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a substrate table that is configured to support the substrate. 
     
     
       11. The lithographic apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:
 a controller configured to control states of the LEDs of at least one of the optical engines.   
     
     
       12. The lithographic apparatus of claim 8, wherein the LEDs of at least one of the optical engines are individually addressable. 
     
     
       13. The lithographic apparatus of claim 9, wherein a numerical aperture of the first microlens array and the second microlens array is lower than a numerical aperture of the third microlens array.