Exposure apparatus and method for manufacturing electronic device

Abstract

To provide an exposure apparatus capable of suppressing deterioration of a pattern imaging state.SOLUTION: There is provided an exposure apparatus EX which comprises a spatial optical modulation element having a plurality of mirrors each individually controllable to a plurality of states, an illumination unit ILU which radiates illumination light to the spatial optical modulation element, a projection unit PLU which projects light from the spatial optical modulation element onto a substrate and an adjustment mechanism which stores adjustment information corresponding to each of a plurality of predetermined patterns. The adjustment mechanism sets the angle of incidence of the illumination light radiated to the spatial optical modulation element, sets the angle of the spatial optical modulation element such that the angle of the plane containing the center points of the plurality of mirrors relative to the optical axis of the projection unit is adjusted and sets the inclination amount of the main light ray projected onto a substrate P relative to the optical axis of the projection unit, based on the adjustment information corresponding to the pattern selected from the plurality of predetermined patterns.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus that exposes a pattern for an electronic device, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device. This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-111514, filed on July 5, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, the lithography process for manufacturing electronic devices (microdevices) such as liquid crystal and organic electroluminescent (EL) display panels and semiconductor elements (integrated circuits, etc.) has used step-and-repeat projection exposure equipment (so-called steppers) or step-and-scan projection exposure equipment (so-called scanning steppers, also called scanners). This type of exposure equipment projects and exposes a mask pattern for the electronic device onto a photosensitive layer applied to the surface of a substrate to be exposed (hereinafter simply referred to as the substrate), such as a glass substrate, semiconductor wafer, printed wiring board, or resin film.

[0003] Because it takes time and money to fabricate a mask substrate on which the mask pattern is fixedly formed, an exposure apparatus is known that uses a spatial light modulation element (variable mask pattern generator) such as a digital mirror device (DMD) in which a large number of micromirrors that can be slightly displaced are regularly arranged instead of a mask substrate (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the exposure apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, illumination light obtained by mixing light from a laser diode (LD) with a wavelength of 375 nm and light from an LD with a wavelength of 405 nm in a multimode fiber bundle is irradiated onto the digital mirror device (DMD), and the reflected light from each of the large number of tilt-controlled micromirrors is projected onto the substrate for exposure via an imaging optical system and a microlens array.

[0004] In digital systems, the tilt angle of each micromirror on the DMD is set to, for example, 0° when it is off (when reflected light does not enter the imaging optical system) and 12° when it is on (when reflected light enters the imaging optical system). Because the numerous micromirrors are arranged in a matrix at a fixed pitch (for example, 10 μm or less), they also function as an optical diffraction grating. In particular, when projecting and exposing fine patterns for electronic devices, the imaging quality of the pattern can be degraded depending on the wavelength of the illumination light on the DMD and the effect of the DMD's diffraction grating (the direction of diffracted light and its intensity distribution). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-23748 Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an exposure apparatus including: a spatial light modulation element having a plurality of mirrors each of which can be individually controlled to a plurality of states; an illumination unit that irradiates illumination light onto the spatial light modulation element; a projection unit that projects light from the spatial light modulation element onto a substrate; and an adjustment mechanism that stores adjustment information corresponding to each of a plurality of predetermined patterns, wherein the adjustment mechanism sets the angle of incidence of the illumination light irradiated onto the spatial light modulation element based on the adjustment information corresponding to a pattern selected from the plurality of predetermined patterns, sets the angle of the spatial light modulation element so as to adjust the angle of a plane including center points of the plurality of mirrors relative to an optical axis of the projection unit, or sets the amount of inclination of a chief ray of the light projected onto the substrate relative to the optical axis of the projection unit.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an exposure apparatus including: a spatial light modulation element having a plurality of mirrors that can each be individually controlled to a plurality of states; an illumination unit that irradiates illumination light onto the spatial light modulation element; a projection unit that projects light from the spatial light modulation element onto a substrate; and an adjustment mechanism that sets the angle between the optical axis of the projection unit and the chief ray of the light projected onto the substrate within a predetermined range, wherein the predetermined range is greater than or equal to -2.0° and less than 2.0°, and the peak wavelength of the illumination light is within a wavelength range of 340.655 nm to 347.636 nm.

[0008] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing an electronic device, comprising: selecting a first pattern from a plurality of predetermined patterns based on a pattern of a first layer of an electronic device; exposing the pattern of the first layer onto a substrate using an exposure apparatus set based on first adjustment information corresponding to the selected first pattern; selecting a second pattern from the plurality of predetermined patterns based on a pattern of a second layer different from the first layer of the electronic device; exposing the pattern of the second layer onto the substrate on which the first layer has been formed using the exposure apparatus set based on second adjustment information corresponding to the selected second pattern; the exposure apparatus including a spatial light modulation element having a plurality of mirrors each individually controllable to a plurality of states; an illumination unit that irradiates illumination light onto the spatial light modulation element; and a projection unit that projects light from the spatial light modulation element onto the substrate, wherein the angle of incidence of the illumination light irradiated onto the spatial light modulation element is set based on the first adjustment information or the second adjustment information; setting the angle of the spatial light modulation element so as to adjust the angle of the surface on which the plurality of mirrors are arranged relative to the optical axis of the projection unit; or setting the amount of tilt of the light projected onto the substrate relative to the optical axis of the projection unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of the external configuration of a pattern exposure apparatus EX according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2]10 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of projection areas IAn of the DMD 10 projected onto the substrate P by each projection unit PLU of a plurality of exposure modules MU. [Figure 3] 3 is a diagram illustrating the state of continuous exposure by each of four specific projection areas IA8, IA9, IA10, and IA27 in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] This is an optical layout diagram showing the specific configuration of two exposure modules MU18 and MU19 aligned in the X direction (scanning exposure direction) as viewed in the XZ plane. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which the DMD 10 and the illumination unit PLU are tilted by an angle θk in the XY plane. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining in detail the imaging state of the micromirrors of the DMD 10 by the projection unit PLU. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an MFE lens 108A as an optical integrator 108, viewed from the light exit surface side. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the positional relationship between a point light source SPF formed on the exit surface side of a lens element EL of the MFE lens 108A in FIG. 7 and the exit end of an optical fiber bundle FBn. [Figure 9] 7 is a diagram showing a schematic representation of a light source image formed on a pupil Ep in second lens system 118 of projection unit PL shown in FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 10] 7 is a diagram schematically showing the behavior of illumination light (imaging light flux) Sa on the optical path from pupil Ep of second lens group 118 shown in FIG. 6 to substrate P. FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a micromirror Ms in a portion of the DMD 10 when power supply to the drive circuit of the DMD 10 is turned off. FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the mirror surface of the DMD 10 when the micromirror Ms of the DMD 10 is in the on state and the off state. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 shows a part of the mirror surface of the DMD 10 as seen in the X'Y' plane, and shows a case where only one row of micromirrors Ms aligned in the Y' direction are in the ON state. [Figure 14]13 is a view of the mirror surface of DMD 10 of FIG. 12 as seen along the arrow aa' in the X'Z plane. [Figure 15] 14 is a diagram schematically showing the imaging state of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa from the isolated micromirror Msa in the X'Z plane by the projection unit PLU as shown in FIG. 13. FIG. [Figure 16] 10 is a graph showing a schematic point spread function Iea of ​​a diffraction image in a pupil Ep caused by regular reflected light Sa from an isolated micromirror Msa. [Figure 17] 10 is a diagram showing a part of the mirror surface of the DMD 10 as viewed in the X'Y' plane, and shows a case where many micromirrors Ms adjacent in the X' direction are simultaneously in the ON state. [Figure 18] 17 is a view of the mirror surface of DMD 10 of FIG. 16 as seen along the arrow aa' in the X'Z plane. [Figure 19] 19 is a graph showing an example of the distribution of angles θj of diffracted light Idj generated from the DMD 10 in the states of FIGS. 17 and 18. [Figure 20] 20 is a diagram showing a schematic representation of the intensity distribution of the imaging light beam at the pupil Ep when diffracted light is generated as in FIG. 19. FIG. [Figure 21] 1 is a diagram showing the state of a part of the mirror surface of DMD 10 when a line and space pattern is projected, as viewed in the X'Y' plane. [Figure 22] Fig. 22 is a diagram showing the mirror surface of DMD 10 of Fig. 21 as seen in the X'Z plane at the aa' arrow section. Fig. 23 is a diagram showing a modified example of the distributor of the present embodiment. [Figure 23] 23 is a graph showing an example of the distribution of angles θj of diffracted light Idj generated from the DMD 10 in the state shown in FIGS. 21 and 22. [Figure 24] 10 is a graph showing the results of a simulation of the contrast of an aerial image of a line and space pattern with a line width of 1 μm on the image plane. [Figure 25] 10 is a graph showing the relationship between wavelength λ and telecentricity error Δθt obtained based on equation (2). [Figure 26]7 is a diagram showing a specific configuration of an optical path from an optical fiber bundle FBn to an MFE 108A in the illumination unit ILU shown in FIG. 4 or 6. FIG. [Figure 27] 7 is a diagram showing a specific configuration of an optical path from an MFE 108A to a DMD 10 in the illumination unit ILU shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 6. FIG. [Figure 28] 10 is a diagram showing, in an exaggerated manner, the state of a point light source SPF formed on the exit surface side of the MFE 108A when the illumination light ILm incident on the MFE 108A is tilted within the X'Z plane. FIG. [Figure 29] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an example of a beam supply unit that is attached to the exposure apparatus EX shown in FIG. 1 and supplies illumination light ILm to each module MUn (n=1 to 27). [Figure 30] 1 is a diagram schematically showing the wavelength distribution of a beam LBb obtained after beams LB1 to LB7 from seven laser light sources FL1 to FL8 are combined by a beam combining section 200. FIG. [Figure 31] 10 is a diagram showing the state of a part of the mirror surface of DMD 10 when exposing a line and space pattern tilted at an angle of 45° on substrate P. FIG. [Figure 32] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic example of a portion of an exposure control device attached to the exposure apparatus EX of the present embodiment, which is particularly related to adjustment control of telecentricity errors. [Figure 33] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of a display area DPA and peripheral areas PPAx and PPAy for a display panel exposed on a substrate P by an exposure apparatus EX. [Figure 34] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of pixels PIX in a display area DPA that appears in a projection area IAn (n=1 to 27). [Figure 35] 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an optical measurement unit provided in a calibration reference unit CU attached to an end portion on a substrate holder 4B of the exposure apparatus EX shown in FIG. [Figure 36] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of one of the drawing modules provided in the pattern exposure apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 37]37 is an exaggerated view showing the state of the micromirror Ms when a pattern with an isolated minimum line width is projected by the DMD 10' of FIG. 36. FIG. [Figure 38] 38 is a graph schematically showing the point spread function Iea of ​​the diffraction image in the pupil Ep of the reflected light Sa from the isolated micromirror Msa in the on-state as shown in FIG. 37. [Figure 39] FIG. 37 is an exaggerated view showing the state of the micromirror Ms when a large land-like pattern is projected by the DMD 10′ of FIG. 36. [Figure 40] 40 is a diagram showing an example of the directions in which the central rays of the 0th-order diffracted light and ±1st-order diffracted light contained in the reflected light Sa′ in the state of FIG. 39 are generated. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A pattern exposure apparatus (pattern formation apparatus) according to an aspect of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, showing preferred embodiments. It should be noted that the aspects of the present invention are not limited to these embodiments and include various modifications or improvements. Specifically, the components described below include those that would be easily conceivable to a person skilled in the art and those that are substantially identical, and the components described below can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings and the following detailed description for members and components that achieve the same or similar functions.

[0011] [Overall configuration of pattern exposure device] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall external configuration of a pattern exposure apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as an exposure apparatus) EX according to this embodiment. The exposure apparatus EX is an apparatus that projects exposure light, the spatial intensity distribution of which is dynamically modulated by a spatial light modulator (digital mirror device: DMD), onto a substrate to be exposed. In a specific embodiment, the exposure apparatus EX is a step-and-scan projection exposure apparatus (scanner) that uses a rectangular (square) glass substrate used in display devices (flat panel displays) as the exposure target. The glass substrate is a flat panel display substrate P having at least one side length or diagonal length of 500 mm or more and a thickness of 1 mm or less. The exposure apparatus EX exposes a projected image of a pattern created by the DMD onto a photosensitive layer (photoresist) formed to a constant thickness on the surface of the substrate P. After exposure, the substrate P is transported out of the exposure apparatus EX and sent to a predetermined process step (such as a film formation step, etching step, or plating step) after a development step.

[0012] The exposure apparatus EX is equipped with a stage device that includes a pedestal 2 placed on active vibration isolation units 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d (1d not shown), a surface plate 3 placed on the pedestal 2, an XY stage 4A that is movable two-dimensionally on the surface plate 3, a substrate holder 4B that holds a substrate P on a flat surface by suction on the XY stage 4A, and laser length measurement interferometers (hereinafter simply referred to as interferometers) IFX, IFY1 to IFY4 that measure the two-dimensional movement position of the substrate holder 4B (substrate P). Such a stage device is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010 / 0018950 and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012 / 0057140.

[0013] In FIG. 1, the XY plane of the Cartesian coordinate system XYZ is set parallel to the flat surface of the base 3 of the stage device, and the XY stage 4A is set to be able to move translationally within the XY plane. In this embodiment, the direction parallel to the X axis of the coordinate system XYZ is set as the scanning movement direction of the substrate P (XY stage 4A) during scan exposure. The movement position of the substrate P in the X axis direction is sequentially measured by the interferometer IFX, and the movement position in the Y axis direction is sequentially measured by at least one (preferably two or more) of the four interferometers IFY1 to IFY4. The substrate holder 4B is configured to be able to move slightly in the Z axis direction perpendicular to the XY plane relative to the XY stage 4A and to be able to tilt slightly in any direction relative to the XY plane, allowing for active focus adjustment and leveling (parallelism) adjustment between the surface of the substrate P and the imaging plane of the projected pattern. Furthermore, the substrate holder 4B is configured to be able to rotate slightly (θz rotation) around an axis parallel to the Z axis in order to actively adjust the tilt of the substrate P in the XY plane.

[0014] The exposure apparatus EX further includes an optical table 5 that holds multiple exposure (drawing) modules MU(A), MU(B), and MU(C), and main columns 6a, 6b, 6c, and 6d (6d is not shown) that support the optical table 5 from the pedestal 2. Each of the multiple exposure modules MU(A), MU(B), and MU(C) includes an illumination unit ILU attached to the +Z side of the optical table 5 and that receives illumination light from an optical fiber unit FBU, and a projection unit PLU attached to the -Z side of the optical table 5 and that has an optical axis parallel to the Z axis. Each of the exposure modules MU(A), MU(B), and MU(C) also includes a digital mirror device (DMD) 10 as a light modulator that reflects the illumination light from the illumination unit ILU in the -Z direction and causes it to enter the projection unit PLU. The detailed configuration of the exposure module including the illumination unit ILU, DMD 10, and projection unit PLU will be described later.

[0015] A plurality of alignment systems (microscopes) ALG are attached to the -Z direction side of the optical surface plate 5 of the exposure apparatus EX to detect alignment marks formed at a plurality of predetermined positions on the substrate P. A calibration reference unit CU is provided at the -X direction end of the substrate holder 4B to confirm (calibrate) the relative positional relationship in the XY plane of the detection fields of the alignment systems ALG, to confirm (calibrate) the baseline error between the projection positions of the pattern images projected from the projection units PLU of each of the exposure modules MU(A), MU(B), and MU(C) and the positions of the detection fields of the alignment systems ALG, or to confirm the position and image quality of the pattern images projected from the projection units PLU. Note that, although some of the modules are not shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, nine exposure modules MU(A), MU(B), and MU(C) are arranged at regular intervals in the Y direction, for example, but the number of modules may be more or less than nine.

[0016] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of projection areas IAn of the digital mirror device (DMD) 10 projected onto the substrate P by the projection units PLU of each of the exposure modules MU(A), MU(B), and MU(C), and the Cartesian coordinate system XYZ is set to the same as in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the first row of exposure modules MU(A), the second row of exposure modules MU(B), and the third row of exposure modules MU(C), which are spaced apart in the X direction, each consist of nine modules arranged in the Y direction. The exposure module MU(A) consists of nine modules MU1 to MU9 arranged in the +Y direction, the exposure module MU(B) consists of nine modules MU10 to MU18 arranged in the -Y direction, and the exposure module MU(C) consists of nine modules MU19 to MU27 arranged in the +Y direction. The modules MU1 to MU27 all have the same configuration, and when the exposure module MU(A) and the exposure module MU(B) are arranged opposite each other in the X direction, the exposure module MU(B) and the exposure module MU(C) are arranged back to back in the X direction.

[0017] 2, the shape of the projection areas IA1, IA2, IA3, ..., IA27 (sometimes represented as IAn, where n is 1 to 27) by each of the modules MU1 to MU27 is, for example, a rectangle extending in the Y direction with an aspect ratio of approximately 1:2. In this embodiment, as the substrate P is scanned and moved in the +X direction, splice exposure is performed at the -Y direction end of each of the first row of projection areas IA1 to IA9 and the +Y direction end of each of the second row of projection areas IA10 to IA18. Then, areas on the substrate P that were not exposed by each of the first and second rows of projection areas IA1 to IA18 are splice exposed by each of the third row of projection areas IA19 to IA27. The center point of each of the projection areas IA1 to IA9 in the first column is located on a line k1 parallel to the Y axis, the center point of each of the projection areas IA10 to IA18 in the second column is located on a line k2 parallel to the Y axis, and the center point of each of the projection areas IA19 to IA27 in the third column is located on a line k3 parallel to the Y axis. The distance in the X direction between lines k1 and k2 is set to a distance XL1, and the distance in the X direction between lines k2 and k3 is set to a distance XL2.

[0018] Here, let us assume that the joint between the −Y-direction end of projection area IA9 and the +Y-direction end of projection area IA10 is OLa, the joint between the −Y-direction end of projection area IA10 and the +Y-direction end of projection area IA27 is OLb, and the joint between the +Y-direction end of projection area IA8 and the −Y-direction end of projection area IA27 is OLc. The state of the joint exposure will be described with reference to FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, the Cartesian coordinate system XYZ is set to be the same as in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the coordinate system X'Y' within projection areas IA8, IA9, IA10, and IA27 (and all other projection areas IAn) is set to be tilted by an angle θk with respect to the X and Y axes (lines k1 to k3) of the Cartesian coordinate system XYZ. That is, the entire DMD 10 is tilted by an angle θk within the XY plane so that the two-dimensional array of the numerous micromirrors of the DMD 10 becomes the coordinate system X'Y'.

[0019] The circular area encompassing each of the projection areas IA8, IA9, IA10, and IA27 (and all other projection areas IAn) in FIG. 3 represents the circular image field PLf' of the projection unit PLU. At the joint OLa, the projected image of the micromirrors arranged diagonally (at an angle θk) at the end of the projection area IA9 in the -Y' direction is set to overlap with the projected image of the micromirrors arranged diagonally (at an angle θk) at the end of the projection area IA10 in the +Y' direction. At the joint OLb, the projected image of the micromirrors arranged diagonally (at an angle θk) at the end of the projection area IA10 in the -Y' direction is set to overlap with the projected image of the micromirrors arranged diagonally (at an angle θk) at the end of the projection area IA27 in the +Y' direction. Similarly, at the joint OLc, the projected image of the micromirrors arranged diagonally (at an angle θk) at the end of the +Y' direction of the projection area IA8 and the projected image of the micromirrors arranged diagonally (at an angle θk) at the end of the -Y' direction of the projection area IA27 are set to overlap.

[0020] [Configuration of lighting unit] FIG. 4 is an optical layout diagram showing the specific configuration of module MU18 in exposure module MU(B) and module MU19 in exposure module MU(C) shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, viewed in the XZ plane. The Cartesian coordinate system XYZ in FIG. 4 is set to be the same as the Cartesian coordinate system XYZ in FIGS. 1 to 3. As is clear from the arrangement of each module in the XY plane shown in FIG. 2, module MU18 is shifted by a fixed distance in the +Y direction relative to module MU19, and they are installed back-to-back. Since the optical components in module MU18 and module MU19 are made of the same materials and have the same configuration, the optical configuration of module MU18 will be mainly described in detail here. The optical fiber unit FBU shown in FIG. 1 is composed of 27 optical fiber bundles FB1 to FB27, corresponding to the 27 modules MU1 to MU27 shown in FIG. 2.

[0021] The illumination unit ILU of the module MU18 is composed of a mirror 100 that reflects illumination light ILm traveling in the -Z direction from the output end of the optical fiber bundle FB18, a mirror 102 that reflects the illumination light ILm from mirror 100 in the -Z direction, an input lens system 104 that acts as a collimator lens, an illuminance adjustment filter 106, an optical integrator 108 that includes a micro fly's eye (MFE) lens and a field lens, etc., a condenser lens system 110, and an inclined mirror 112 that reflects the illumination light ILm from the condenser lens system 110 toward the DMD 10. The mirror 102, input lens system 104, optical integrator 108, condenser lens system 110, and inclined mirror 112 are arranged along an optical axis AXc that is parallel to the Z axis.

[0022] The optical fiber bundle FB18 is composed of one optical fiber line or a bundle of multiple optical fiber lines. The numerical aperture (NA, also called the divergence angle) of the illumination light ILm emitted from the output end of the optical fiber bundle FB18 (each optical fiber line) is set so that it can enter the subsequent input lens system 104 without being eclipsed. The position of the front focal point of the input lens system 104 is designed to be the same as the position of the output end of the optical fiber bundle FB18. Furthermore, the position of the back focal point of the input lens system 104 is set so that the illumination light ILm from a single or multiple point light sources formed at the output end of the optical fiber bundle FB18 is superimposed on the incident surface of the MFE lens 108A of the optical integrator 108. Therefore, the incident surface of the MFE lens 108A is Koehler illuminated by the illumination light ILm from the output end of the optical fiber bundle FB18. In the initial state, the geometric center point of the output end of the optical fiber bundle FB18 in the XY plane is located on the optical axis AXc, and the chief ray (center line) of the illumination light ILm from the point light source at the output end of the optical fiber line is parallel to (or coaxial with) the optical axis AXc.

[0023] The illumination light ILm from the input lens system 104 is attenuated by an illumination adjustment filter 106 to a value between 0% and 90%, and then passes through an optical integrator 108 (MFE lens 108A, field lens, etc.) and enters a condenser lens system 110. The MFE lens 108A is a two-dimensional array of many rectangular microlenses, each measuring several tens of micrometers square. Its overall shape in the XY plane is set to be approximately similar to the overall shape of the mirror surface of the DMD 10 (aspect ratio: approximately 1:2). The position of the front focal point of the condenser lens system 110 is set to be approximately the same as the position of the exit surface of the MFE lens 108A. Therefore, each of the illumination light beams from the point light sources formed on the exit side of each of the many microlenses of the MFE lens 108A is converted into approximately parallel beams by the condenser lens system 110, reflected by an inclined mirror 112, and then superimposed on the DMD 10 to form a uniform illumination distribution. A surface light source in which a large number of point light sources (light-converging points) are densely arranged two-dimensionally is generated on the exit surface of the MFE lens 108A, and therefore the MFE lens 108A functions as a surface light source member.

[0024] In module MU18 shown in FIG. 4, optical axis AXc, which is parallel to the Z axis and passes through condenser lens system 110, is bent by tilted mirror 112 and reaches DMD 10. The optical axis between tilted mirror 112 and DMD 10 is referred to as optical axis AXb. In this embodiment, a neutral plane including the center points of each of the numerous micromirrors of DMD 10 is set parallel to the XY plane. Therefore, the angle between the normal to this neutral plane (parallel to the Z axis) and optical axis AXb is the angle of incidence θα of illumination light ILm with respect to DMD 10. DMD 10 is attached to the underside of mount 10M, which is fixed to the support column of illumination unit ILU. To finely adjust the position and orientation of DMD 10, mount 10M is provided with a fine-motion stage that combines a parallel link mechanism and an extendable piezoelectric element, such as that disclosed in International Patent Publication No. 2006 / 120927.

[0025] Illumination light ILm irradiated onto micromirrors in the DMD 10 that are in the On state is reflected in the X direction within the XZ plane so as to head towards the projection unit PLU. On the other hand, illumination light ILm irradiated onto micromirrors in the DMD 10 that are in the Off state is reflected in the Y direction within the YZ plane so as not to head towards the projection unit PLU. As will be described in more detail below, the DMD 10 in this embodiment is of a roll and pitch drive type that switches between the On state and the Off state by tilting the micromirrors in the roll direction and the pitch direction.

[0026] A movable shutter 114 is removably provided in the optical path between the DMD 10 and the projection unit PLU to block light reflected from the DMD 10 during non-exposure periods. As shown on the module MU19 side, the movable shutter 114 is rotated to an angular position where it is removed from the optical path during exposure periods, and as shown on the module MU18 side, it is rotated to an angular position where it is inserted obliquely into the optical path during non-exposure periods. A reflective surface is formed on the DMD 10 side of the movable shutter 114, and light reflected therefrom from the DMD 10 is irradiated onto a light absorber 116. The light absorber 116 absorbs light energy in the ultraviolet wavelength range (wavelengths of 400 nm or less) without re-reflecting it and converts it into thermal energy. For this reason, the light absorber 116 is also provided with a heat dissipation mechanism (heat dissipation fins and a cooling mechanism). Although not shown in Figure 4, the reflected light from the micromirrors of DMD10, which are in the Off state during the exposure period, is absorbed by a similar light absorber (not shown in Figure 4) installed in the Y direction (a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 4) with respect to the optical path between DMD10 and projection unit PLU.

[0027] [Configuration of the projection unit] The projection unit PLU attached to the underside of the optical table 5 is configured as a double-telecentric imaging projection lens system composed of a first lens group 116 and a second lens group 118 arranged along an optical axis AXa parallel to the Z axis. The first lens group 116 and the second lens group 118 are each configured to move translationally in the direction along the Z axis (optical axis AXa) by a micro-motion actuator relative to a support column fixed to the underside of the optical table 5. The projection magnification Mp of the imaging projection lens system formed by the first lens group 116 and the second lens group 118 is determined by the relationship between the array pitch Pd of the micromirrors on the DMD 10 and the minimum line width (minimum pixel dimension) Pg of the pattern projected within the projection area IAn (n = 1 to 27) on the substrate P.

[0028] As an example, if the required minimum line width (minimum pixel dimension) Pg is 1 μm and the micromirror array pitch Pd is 5.4 μm, the projection magnification Mp is set to approximately 1 / 6, taking into consideration the tilt angle θk in the XY plane of the projection area IAn (DMD 10) previously described in Figure 3. The imaging projection lens system consisting of lens groups 116 and 118 inverts / flips a reduced image of the entire mirror surface of DMD 10 and forms an image on the projection area IA18 (IAn) on the substrate P.

[0029] The first lens group 116 of the projection unit PLU is capable of slight movement in the direction of the optical axis AXa by an actuator to make fine adjustments (on the order of ±several tens of ppm) to the projection magnification Mp, and the second lens group 118 is capable of slight movement in the direction of the optical axis AXa by an actuator to make high-speed focus adjustments. Furthermore, in order to measure positional changes in the Z-axis direction of the surface of the substrate P with an accuracy of submicron or less, a plurality of oblique incidence focus sensors 120 are provided below the optical surface plate 5. The plurality of focus sensors 120 measure the overall positional change in the Z-axis direction of the substrate P, the positional change in the Z-axis direction of partial areas on the substrate P corresponding to each of the projection areas IAn (n = 1 to 27), or partial tilt changes of the substrate P, etc.

[0030] As explained above in Figure 3, the illumination unit ILU and projection unit PLU described above require the projection area IAn to be tilted by an angle θk in the XY plane, so the DMD 10 and illumination unit PLU in Figure 4 (at least the optical path portion from mirror 102 to mirror 112 along the optical axis AXc) are arranged so that they are tilted overall by an angle θk in the XY plane.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which the DMD 10 and illumination unit PLU are tilted by an angle θk in the XY plane. In FIG. 5, the Cartesian coordinate system XYZ is the same as the coordinate systems XYZ in FIGS. 1 to 4, and the coordinate system X'Y' for arranging the micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10 is the same as the coordinate system X'Y' shown in FIG. 3. The circle containing the DMD 10 is the image field PLf on the object side of the projection unit PLU, and the optical axis AXa is located at its center. Meanwhile, the optical axis AXb, which is obtained by bending the optical axis AXc that passes through the condenser lens system 110 of the illumination unit ILU by the tilted mirror 112, is positioned so as to be tilted by an angle θk from a line Lu that is parallel to the X axis, when viewed in the XY plane.

[0032] [DMD imaging optical path] Next, with reference to Figure 6, the imaging state of the micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10 by the projection unit PLU (imaging projection lens system) will be described in detail. The Cartesian coordinate system X'Y'Z in Figure 6 is the same as the coordinate system X'Y'Z shown in Figures 3 and 5, and Figure 6 illustrates the optical path from the condenser lens system 110 of the illumination unit ILU to the substrate P. Illumination light ILm from the condenser lens system 110 travels along the optical axis AXc, is totally reflected by the tilted mirror 112, and reaches the mirror surface of the DMD 10 along the optical axis AXb. Here, the micromirror Ms located at the center of the DMD 10 is called Msc, and the micromirrors Ms located on the periphery are called Msa, and it is assumed that these micromirrors Msc and Msa are in the On state.

[0033] If the tilt angle of the micromirror Ms in the On state is, for example, 17.5° with respect to the X'Y' plane (XY plane), the angle of incidence θα (the angle of optical axis AXb from optical axis AXa) of the illumination light ILm irradiated onto the DMD 10 is set to 35.0° in order to make the chief rays of the reflected light Sc and Sa from each of the micromirrors Msc and Msa parallel to the optical axis AXa of the projection unit PLU. Accordingly, in this case, the reflective surface of the tilted mirror 112 is also tilted by 17.5° (= θα / 2) with respect to the X'Y' plane (XY plane). The chief ray Lc of the reflected light Sc from the micromirror Msc is coaxial with the optical axis AXa, and the chief ray La of the reflected light Sa from the micromirror Msa is parallel to the optical axis AXa, so that the reflected light Sc and Sa enter the projection unit PLU with a predetermined numerical aperture (NA).

[0034] The reflected light Sc forms a telecentric image ic of the micromirror Msc, which has been reduced by the projection magnification Mp of the projection unit PLU, on the substrate P at the position of the optical axis AXa. Similarly, the reflected light Sa forms a telecentric image ia of the micromirror Msa, which has been reduced by the projection magnification Mp of the projection unit PLU, on the substrate P at a position separated from the reduced image ic in the +X' direction. As an example, the first lens system 116 of the projection unit PLU is composed of two lens groups G1 and G2, and the second lens system 118 is composed of three lens groups G3, G4, and G5. An exit pupil (also simply referred to as a pupil) Ep is set between the lens group G3 and the lens group G4 of the second lens system 118. A light source image of the illumination light ILm (a collection of numerous point light sources formed on the exit surface side of the MFE lens 108A) is formed at the position of the pupil Ep, resulting in a Koehler illumination configuration. The pupil Ep is also called the aperture of the projection unit PLU, and the size (diameter) of this aperture is one factor that determines the resolving power of the projection unit PLU.

[0035] When the DMD10 is on, the specularly reflected light from the micromirror Ms is set to pass through without being blocked by the maximum aperture (diameter) of the pupil Ep, and the numerical aperture NAi on the image side (substrate P side) in the equation R=k1·(λ / NAi), which expresses the resolution R, is determined by the maximum aperture of the pupil Ep and the distance to the rear (image side) focal point of the projection unit PLU (lens group G1 to G5 as an imaging projection lens system). Also, the numerical aperture NAo on the object plane (DMD10) side of the projection unit PLU (lens group G1 to G5) is expressed as the product of the projection magnification Mp and the numerical aperture NAi; if the projection magnification Mp is 1 / 6, then NAo=NAi / 6.

[0036] In the configurations of the illumination unit ILU and projection unit PLU shown in FIGS. 6 and 4, the exit end of the optical fiber bundle FBn (n = 1 to 27) connected to each module MUn (n = 1 to 27) is set in an optically conjugate relationship with the exit end side of the MFE lens 108A of the optical integrator 108 by the input lens system 104, and the entrance end side of the MFE lens 108A is set in an optically conjugate relationship with the center of the mirror surface (neutral plane) of the DMD 10 by the condenser lens system 110. As a result, the illumination light ILm irradiated onto the entire mirror surface of the DMD 10 has a uniform illuminance distribution (for example, intensity unevenness within ±1%) due to the action of the optical integrator 108. Furthermore, the exit end side of the MFE lens 108A and the plane of the pupil Ep of the projection unit PLU are set in an optically conjugate relationship by the condenser lens system 110 and the lens groups G1 to G3 of the projection unit PLU.

[0037] 7 is a schematic diagram of the MFE lens 108A of the optical integrator 108, viewed from the exit surface side. The MFE lens 108A has a cross-sectional shape similar to the shape of the entire mirror surface (image formation area) of the DMD 10, and is configured by densely arranging a large number of lens elements EL, each having a rectangular cross section extending in the Y' direction in the X'Y' plane, in the X' and Y' directions. Illumination light ILm from the input lens system 104 shown in FIG. 4 is irradiated onto the entrance surface side of the MFE lens 108A, forming a substantially circular irradiation area Ef. The irradiation area Ef has a shape similar to each exit end of the single or multiple optical fiber lines of the optical fiber bundle FB18 (FBn) in FIG. 4, and is designed to be a circular area centered on the optical axis AXc.

[0038] Of the many lens elements EL of the MFE lens 108A, those lens elements EL located within the illumination area Ef have point light sources SPF created by illumination light ILm from the exit ends of the optical fiber bundles FB18 (FBn) densely distributed within a nearly circular area on the exit surface side of each. The circular area APh in Figure 7 represents the aperture range when a variable aperture diaphragm is provided on the exit surface side of the MFE lens 108A. The actual illumination light ILm is created by the many point light sources SPF scattered within the circular area APh, and light from point light sources SPF outside the circular area APh is blocked.

[0039] Figures 8(A), (B), and (C) are diagrams schematically illustrating an example of the positional relationship between a point light source SPF formed on the output surface side of the lens element EL of the MFE lens 108A in Figure 7 and the output end of the optical fiber bundle FBn. The coordinate system X'Y' in each of Figures 8(A), (B), and (C) is the same as the coordinate system X'Y' set in Figure 7. Figure 8(A) illustrates the case where the optical fiber bundle FBn is a single optical fiber line, Figure 8(B) illustrates the case where two optical fiber lines are arranged in the X' direction as the optical fiber bundle FBn, and Figure 8(C) illustrates the case where three optical fiber lines are arranged in the X' direction as the optical fiber bundle FBn.

[0040] Because the output end of the optical fiber bundle FBn and the output surface of the MFE lens 108A (lens element EL) are set in an optically conjugate relationship (imaging relationship), when the optical fiber bundle FBn is a single optical fiber line, a single point light source SPF is formed at the center position of the output surface side of the lens element EL, as shown in Figure 8(A). When two optical fiber lines are bundled in the X' direction as the optical fiber bundle FBn, the geometric centers of the two point light sources SPF are formed at the center position of the output surface side of the lens element EL, as shown in Figure 8(B). Similarly, when three optical fiber lines are bundled in the X' direction as the optical fiber bundle FBn, the geometric centers of the three point light sources SPF are formed at the center position of the output surface side of the lens element EL, as shown in Figure 8(C).

[0041] If the illumination light ILm from the optical fiber bundle FBn has a high power and the point light source SPF converges on the exit surface of each lens element EL of the MFE lens 108A, which serves as a surface light source component or optical integrator, damage (such as clouding or burning) to each lens element EL may occur. In this case, the convergence position of the point light source SPF may be set in space slightly offset from the exit surface of the MFE lens 108A (exit surface of the lens element EL). A configuration in which the position of the point light source (focusing point) is offset to the outside of the lens element in an illumination system using a fly's eye lens is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 4,939,630.

[0042] 9 is a diagram schematically illustrating the state of a light source image Ips formed on pupil Ep in second lens system 118 of projection unit PL in FIG. 6 when the entire mirror surface of DMD 10 is assumed to be a single plane mirror and the plane mirror is tilted by an angle θα / 2 so as to be parallel to inclined mirror 112 in FIG. 6. The light source image Ips shown in FIG. 9 is obtained by re-imaging a large number of point light sources SPF (which become a surface light source gathered in a nearly circular shape) formed on the exit surface side of MFE lens 108A. In this case, no diffracted light or scattered light is generated from the single plane mirror placed in place of DMD 10, and only a light source image Ips consisting only of specularly reflected light (zeroth-order light) is generated in the center of pupil Ep, coaxial with optical axis AXa.

[0043] 9, when the radius corresponding to the maximum diameter of the pupil Ep is re and the radius corresponding to the effective diameter of the light source image Ips as a surface light source is ri, the σ value, which represents the size (area) of the light source image Ips relative to the size (area) of the pupil Ep, is σ=ri / re. The σ value may be changed as appropriate to improve the line width or density of the pattern to be projected and exposed, or the depth of focus (DOF). The σ value can be changed by providing a variable aperture stop (circular area APh in FIG. 7) at a position on the exit surface side of the MFE lens 108A or at the position of the pupil Ep within the second lens system 118.

[0044] In this type of exposure apparatus EX, the pupil Ep in the second lens system 118 is often used at its maximum diameter, so the σ value is changed mainly by a variable aperture stop provided on the exit surface side of the MFE lens 108A. In that case, the radius ri of the light source image Ips is defined by the radius of the circular area APh in Fig. 7. Of course, a variable aperture stop may be provided in the pupil Ep of the projection unit PLU to adjust the σ value and depth of focus (DOF).

[0045] [Telecentric error during projection exposure] Next, we will explain telecentricity errors that may occur in an exposure apparatus EX that uses a DMD 10 as in this embodiment. Before that, we will briefly explain one of the causes of telecentricity errors using FIG. 10. FIGS. 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing the behavior of illumination light (imaging light beam) Sa on the optical path from the pupil Ep of the second lens group 118 shown in FIG. 6 to the substrate P. The Cartesian coordinate system X'Y'Z in FIGS. 10A and 10B is the same as the coordinate system X'Y'Z in FIG. 6. For simplicity's sake, we will assume that the entire mirror surface of the DMD 10 is a single plane mirror tilted by an angle θα / 2 parallel to the inclined mirror 112 in FIG. 6. In FIGS. 10A and 10B, lens groups G4 and G5 are arranged along the optical axis AXa between the pupil Ep and the substrate P, and a circular light source image (surface light source image) Ips is formed within the pupil Ep as shown in FIG. 9. The principal ray of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa that passes through one point on the periphery of the light source image (surface light source image) Ips in the X' direction and enters the lens groups G4 and G5 is denoted as La.

[0046] Figure 10(A) shows the behavior of reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa when the light source image (surface light source image) Ips is positioned exactly at the center of the pupil Ep. The chief rays La of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa directed toward a point within the projection area IAn on the substrate P are all parallel to the optical axis AXa, and the imaging light beam projected onto the projection area IAn is telecentric, i.e., the telecentric error is zero. In contrast, Figure 10(B) shows the behavior of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa when the light source image (surface light source image) Ips is shifted laterally by ΔDx in the X' direction from the center of the pupil Ep. In this case, the chief rays La of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa directed toward a point within the projection area IAn on the substrate P are all tilted by Δθt with respect to the optical axis AXa. The tilt amount Δθt becomes a telecentric error, and as the tilt amount Δθt (ie, the lateral shift amount ΔDx) becomes larger than a predetermined allowable value, the imaging state of the pattern image projected onto the projection area IAn deteriorates.

[0047] [DMD configuration] As explained above, the DMD 10 used in this embodiment is a roll and pitch drive system, and its specific configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. FIGS. 11 and 12 are enlarged perspective views of a portion of the mirror surface of the DMD 10. Here, the Cartesian coordinate system X'Y'Z is the same as the coordinate system X'Y'Z in FIG. 6. FIG. 11 shows the state when power is turned off to the drive circuits provided below each micromirror Ms of the DMD 10. When the power is turned off, the reflective surface of each micromirror Ms is set parallel to the X'Y' plane. Here, the arrangement pitch of each micromirror Ms in the X' direction is Pdx (μm), and the arrangement pitch in the Y' direction is Pdy (μm), but in practice, Pdx = Pdy.

[0048] FIG. 12 shows a state in which power is supplied to the drive circuit and micromirrors Msa and Msb are both in the ON state and the OFF state. In this embodiment, the ON-state micromirror Msa is driven to tilt at an angle θd (= θα / 2) from the X'Y' plane around a line parallel to the Y' axis, and the OFF-state micromirror Msb is driven to tilt at an angle θd (= θα / 2) from the X'Y' plane around a line parallel to the X' axis. Illumination light ILm is irradiated onto each of the micromirrors Msa and Msb along a principal ray Lp parallel to the X'Z plane (parallel to the optical axis AXb shown in FIG. 6). Note that the line Lx' in FIG. 11 is a projection of the principal ray Lp onto the X'Y' plane and is parallel to the X' axis.

[0049] The angle of incidence θα of illumination light ILm on DMD 10 is the tilt angle with respect to the Z axis within the X'Z plane, and from the perspective of geometric optics, the micromirror Msa in the ON state, which is tilted in the X' direction by an angle θα / 2, generates reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa that travels in the -Z direction, approximately parallel to the Z axis. On the other hand, the reflected light Sg reflected by the micromirror Msb in the OFF state is generated in the -Z direction, non-parallel to the Z axis, because the micromirror Msb is tilted in the Y' direction. In Figure 12, if line Lv is a line parallel to the Z axis (optical axis AXa) and line Lh is the projection of the chief ray of reflected light Sg onto the X'Y' plane, then reflected light Sg travels in a tilted direction within the plane containing lines Lv and Lh.

[0050] [Image formation by DMD] 12, each of the numerous micromirrors Ms is rapidly switched between an ON-state tilt and an OFF-state vertical tilt based on pattern data (drawing data), and the substrate P is scanned and moved in the X direction at a speed corresponding to the switching speed to perform pattern exposure. However, depending on the fineness, density, or periodicity of the projected pattern, the telecentricity of the imaging light beam projected from the projection unit PLU (first lens group 116 and second lens group 118) onto the substrate P may change. This is because the mirror surface of the DMD 10 acts as a reflective diffraction grating (blazed diffraction grating) depending on the tilt state of the numerous micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10 according to the pattern.

[0051] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a portion of the mirror surface of the DMD 10 as viewed in the X'Y' plane, and FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the a-a' arrow portion of the mirror surface of the DMD 10 in FIG. 13 as viewed in the X'Z plane. In FIG. 13, of the many micromirrors Ms, only one row of micromirrors Ms aligned in the Y' direction is in the on-state, micromirrors Msa, and the remaining micromirrors Ms are in the off-state, micromirrors Msb. The tilted state of the micromirrors Ms shown in FIG. 13 occurs when an isolated line pattern with a line width at the resolution limit (e.g., approximately 1 μm) is projected. In the X'Y' plane, reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa from the on-state micromirror Msa occurs in the -Z direction, parallel to the Z axis, while reflected light Sg from the off-state micromirror Msb occurs in the -Z direction but tilted in the direction along line Lh in FIG. 11.

[0052] In this case, as shown in Figure 14, only one of the many micromirrors Ms aligned in the X' direction is an on-state micromirror Msa, tilted at an angle θd (= θα / 2) around a line parallel to the Y' axis with respect to the neutral plane Pcc (a plane parallel to the X'Y' plane that includes the center points of all micromirrors Ms). Therefore, when viewed in the X'Z plane, the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa emitted from the on-state micromirror Msa is a simple regular reflection light that does not contain first-order or higher-order diffracted light, and its chief ray La is parallel to the optical axis AXa and enters the projection unit PLU. The reflected light Sg from the other off-state micromirrors Msb does not enter the projection unit PLU. Note that if the on-state micromirror Msa is isolated in the X' direction (or aligned in a row in the Y' direction), the chief ray La of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa will be parallel to the optical axis AXa regardless of the wavelength λ of the illumination light ILm.

[0053] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the imaging state of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa from the isolated micromirror Msa shown in FIG. 14 by the projection unit PLU in the X'Z plane. In FIG. 15, components with the same functions as those described above in FIG. 6 are assigned the same reference numerals. Because the projection unit PLU (lens groups G1-G5) is a double-telecentric reduction projection system, if the chief ray La of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa from the isolated micromirror Msa is parallel to the optical axis AXa, the chief ray La of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa that forms the reduced image ia will also be parallel to the normal (optical axis AXa) to the surface of the substrate P, and no telecentric error will occur. Note that the numerical aperture NAo of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa on the object plane side (DMD 10) of the projection unit PLU shown in FIG. 15 is equal to the numerical aperture of the illumination light ILm.

[0054] 9 and 10(A), when DMD 10 is a single large plane mirror tilted by an angle θα / 2, the center position of the circular light source image (surface light source image) Ips formed on the pupil Ep of the projection unit PLU passes through the optical axis AXa. Similarly, when only specularly reflected light Sa from an isolated micromirror Msa on the mirror surface of DMD 10 is incident on the projection unit PLU, the point spread function of the light beam Isa of that specularly reflected light Sa at the position of the pupil Ep (Fourier transform plane) is expressed by a sinc2 function (point spread function of a rectangular aperture) centered on the optical axis AXa, because the reflecting surface of the micromirror Ms is a tiny rectangle (square).

[0055] Fig. 16 is a graph that schematically shows the theoretical point spread function Iea (distribution created by the light beam from one point light source SPF shown in Figs. 7 and 8) of the light beam (here, zeroth-order diffracted light) Isa at the pupil Ep due to reflected light Sa from a single row (or single unit) of micromirrors Msa that is isolated in the X' direction. In the graph of Fig. 16, the horizontal axis represents the coordinate position in the X' (or Y') direction relative to the position of the optical axis AXa, and the vertical axis represents the light intensity Ie. The point spread function Iea is expressed by the following equation (1):

[0056]

number

[0057] In this equation (1), Io represents the peak value of the light intensity Ie, and the position of the peak value Io due to the reflected light Sa from an isolated row (or a single unit) of micromirrors Msa coincides with the origin 0 in the X' (or Y') direction, i.e., the position of the optical axis AXa. Furthermore, the X' (or Y') direction positions ±ra of the first dark line where the light intensity Ie of the point spread distribution Iea first reaches its minimum value (0) from the origin 0 roughly correspond to the position of the radius ri of the light source image Ips described above in Figure 9. The actual intensity distribution at the pupil Ep is the convolution integral (convolution calculation) of the point spread distribution Iea over the spread range (σ value) of the light source image Ips shown in Figure 9, and results in a roughly uniform intensity.

[0058] Next, a case where the width of the projected pattern in the X' direction (X direction) is sufficiently large will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a portion of the mirror surface of the DMD 10 as viewed in the X'Y' plane, and FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the a-a' arrow portion of the mirror surface of the DMD 10 in FIG. 17 as viewed in the X'Z plane. FIG. 17 shows a case where all of the many micromirrors Ms shown in FIG. 13 above are micromirrors Msa in the on-state. While FIG. 17 shows only an arrangement of nine micromirrors Ms in the X' direction and ten micromirrors Ms in the Y' direction, there are also cases where more than two adjacent micromirrors Ms (or all of the micromirrors Ms on the DMD 10) are in the on-state.

[0059] 17 and 18, from the many micromirrors Msa that are on and aligned adjacently in the X' direction, diffraction produces reflected light Sa' that is slightly tilted from the optical axis AXa. If the mirror surface of DMD 10 in the state of Figure 18 is considered as a diffraction grating aligned at a pitch Pdx in the X' direction along the neutral plane Pcc, the angle θj at which the diffracted light is generated can be expressed as the following equation (2), where j is the order (j = 0, 1, 2, 3, ...), λ is the wavelength, and θα is the angle of incidence of illumination light ILm.

[0060]

number

[0061] Figure 19 is a graph showing the distribution of angles θj of diffracted light Idj calculated assuming, for example, that the incident angle θα of illumination light ILm (the inclination angle of the principal ray Lp of illumination light ILm relative to the optical axis AXa) is 35.0°, the inclination angle θd of the micromirror Msa in the on state is 17.5°, the pitch Pdx of the micromirrors Msa is 5.4 μm, and the wavelength λ is 355.0 nm. As shown in Figure 19, since the incident angle θα of illumination light ILm is 35°, the zeroth-order diffracted light Id0 (j=0) is inclined at +35° relative to the optical axis AXa. As the diffraction order increases, the angle θj relative to the zeroth-order diffracted light Id0 increases. The numerical values ​​shown in the lower part of Figure 19 represent the order j in parentheses and the inclination angle of each order diffracted light Idj from the optical axis AXa.

[0062] In the case of the numerical conditions of FIG. 19, the tilt angle of the ninth-order diffracted light Id9 from the optical axis AXa is the smallest, at approximately -1.04°. Therefore, when the micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10 are densely turned on as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the center of the intensity distribution of the imaging light beam (Sa') in the pupil EP of the projection unit PLU is shifted horizontally by an amount corresponding to -1.04° in terms of angle from the position of the optical axis AXa (corresponding to the horizontal shift amount ΔDx shown in FIG. 10(B) above), and is eccentric. The actual distribution of the imaging light beam in the pupil Ep is obtained by convolving the diffracted light distribution represented by Equation (2) with the sinc2 function represented by Equation (1) (convolution operation).

[0063] FIG. 20 is a diagram schematically showing the intensity distribution of the imaging light beam (Sa') in the pupil Ep when the diffracted light generation state is as shown in FIG. 19. The horizontal axis in FIG. 20 represents the value obtained by converting the angle θj of the diffracted light Idj into the numerical aperture NAo on the object plane (DMD 10) side and the numerical aperture NAi on the image plane (substrate P) side when the projection magnification Mp of the projection unit PLU is 1 / 6. Also, assume that the numerical aperture NAi on the image plane side of the projection unit PLU is 0.3 (numerical aperture NAo on the object plane side = 0.05). In this case, the resolution (minimum resolvable line width) Rs is expressed as Rs = k1(λ / NAi) using the process constant k1 (0 < k1 ≤ 1).

[0064] Therefore, when the wavelength λ = 355.0 nm and k1 = 0.7, the resolution Rs is approximately 0.83 μm. The pitch Pdx (Pdy) of the micromirror Ms is reduced by the projection magnification Mp = 1 / 6 on the image plane (substrate P) side to 0.9 μm. Therefore, for a projection unit PLU with a numerical aperture NAi on the image plane side of 0.3 or more (numerical aperture NAo on the object plane side of 0.05 or more), one projection image of the on-state micromirror Msa can be imaged with high contrast.

[0065] In Figure 20, the angle θe from the optical axis AXa in the X' direction when the object-side numerical aperture NAo = 0.05, which is the maximum aperture of the pupil Ep of the projection unit PLU, is NAo = sin θe, so θe ≈ ±2.87°. As shown in Figure 19 above, the inclination angle of -1.04° (to be precise, -1.037°) of the ninth-order diffracted light Id9 is converted to an object-side numerical aperture NAo of approximately 0.018, and the intensity distribution Hpa of the imaging light beam Sa' (specularly reflected light component) in the pupil Ep is displaced in the X' direction by a shift amount ΔDx from the original position of the light source image Ips (radius ri). Note that part of the intensity distribution Hpb due to the eighth-order diffracted light Id8 also appears around the +X' direction within the pupil Ep, but its peak intensity is low. Furthermore, the tilt angle of the 10th-order diffracted light Id10 from the optical axis AXa on the object plane side is large at 4.81°, so its intensity distribution is distributed outside the pupil Ep and does not pass through the projection unit PLU.

[0066] As explained above in Figure 10(B), the telecentricity error Δθt on the image plane side, which occurs due to the shift amount ΔDx of the center of the intensity distribution Hpa, is Δθt = -6.22° (= -1.037° / projection magnification Mp) under the conditions shown in Figures 19 and 20. Thus, when exposing a large pattern in which many of the many micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10 are densely turned on, the chief ray of the imaging light beam (Sa') onto the substrate P will be inclined by 6° or more with respect to the optical axis AXa. This telecentricity error Δθt may also be a factor in degrading the imaging quality (contrast characteristics, distortion characteristics, symmetry, etc.) of the projected image.

[0067] Next, a case where the projected pattern is a line and space pattern with a constant pitch in the X' direction (X direction) will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a portion of the mirror surface of DMD 10 as viewed in the X'Y' plane, and FIG. 22 is a diagram showing the a-a' arrow portion of the mirror surface of DMD 10 in FIG. 21 as viewed in the X'Z plane. FIG. 21 shows a case where, of the many micromirrors Ms shown in FIG. 13 above, odd-numbered micromirrors Ms aligned in the X' direction are micromirrors Msa in the on state, and even-numbered micromirrors Msb are micromirrors in the off state. Assume that all of the odd-numbered micromirrors Ms aligned in the Y' direction in one row in the X' direction are in the on state, and all of the even-numbered micromirrors Ms aligned in the Y' direction in one row are in the off state.

[0068] As shown in Figure 22, when every other micromirror Msa is in the on state in the X' direction, the angle of occurrence θj of diffracted light generated from DMD 10 can be expressed by the following equation (3), which is similar to the previous equation (2), by considering the mirror surface of DMD 10 as a diffraction grating arranged at a pitch of 2·Pdx in the X' direction along the neutral plane Pcc.

[0069]

number

[0070] As in the case of FIG. 19, FIG. 23 is a graph showing the distribution of angles θj of diffracted light Idj calculated assuming that the incident angle θα of illumination light ILm (the inclination angle of the chief ray Lp of illumination light ILm relative to the optical axis AXa) is 35.0°, the inclination angle θd of the micromirror Msa in the on state is 17.5°, the pitch 2Pdx of the micromirror Msa is 10.8 μm, and the wavelength λ is 355.0 nm. As shown in FIG. 23, since the incident angle θα of illumination light ILm is 35°, the zeroth-order diffracted light Id0 (j=0) is inclined at +35° relative to the optical axis AXa. As the diffraction order increases, the angle θj relative to the zeroth-order diffracted light Id0 increases. The numerical values ​​shown in the lower part of FIG. 23 represent the order j in parentheses and the inclination angle of each order diffracted light Idj from the optical axis AXa.

[0071] Under the numerical conditions of FIG. 23, the tilt angle of the 17th-order diffracted light Id17 from the optical axis AXa is smallest, at approximately 0.85°. Furthermore, an 18th-order diffracted light Id18 is also generated, with a tilt angle of −1.04° from the optical axis AXa. Therefore, when the micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10 are turned on in the finest line-and-space pattern, as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the center of the intensity distribution of the imaging light beam (Sa′) within the pupil EP of the projection unit PLU is decentered to a position laterally shifted by an angle equivalent to 0.85° or −1.04° from the position of the optical axis AXa. The actual distribution of the imaging light beam (Sa′) within the pupil Ep can be found by convolving the diffracted light distribution expressed by Equation (3) with the sinc2 function expressed by Equation (1).

[0072] 20, in the case of Fig. 23, the intensity distribution Hpa of the imaging light beam (regularly reflected light component) at the pupil Ep appears displaced in the X' direction from the original position of the light source image Ips (radius ri) in response to the inclination angle of 0.85° of the 17th-order diffracted light Id17 and the inclination angle of -1.04° of the 18th-order diffracted light Id18. In the case of the diffracted light distribution shown in Fig. 23, the intensity of one of the intensity distribution Hpa formed in the direction of the 17th-order diffracted light Id17 and the intensity distribution Hpa formed in the direction of the 18th-order diffracted light Id18 is high and the intensity of the other is low, so the telecentric error Δθt on the image plane side caused by the shift of the intensity distribution Hpa is generally within the range of Δθt = 5.1° and Δθt = -6.22°.

[0073] This range is slightly different from the telecentricity error Δθt = −6.22°, which is the direction of generation of the ninth-order diffracted light Id9 (see FIG. 19) when multiple adjacent micromirrors Ms become on-state micromirrors Msa, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18. Furthermore, it is significantly different from the telecentricity error Δθt = 0°, which is the direction of generation of the ninth-order diffracted light Id9 (see FIG. 19) when multiple adjacent micromirrors Ms become on-state micromirrors Msa, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. The actual pattern image projected onto the substrate P by the projection unit PLU is formed by the interference of reflected light Sa′, including diffracted light from the DMD 10, which is captured within the projection unit PLU. Equation (3) can be used to determine the generation state of diffracted light in a line-and-space pattern whose array pitch and line width are n times Pdx (5.4 μm) using the following equation (4), where n is a real number:

[0074]

number

[0075] Thus, even when many of the numerous micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10 are turned on in a line-and-space pattern, the chief ray of the imaging light beam onto the substrate P may be significantly tilted with respect to the optical axis AXa, which may significantly degrade the imaging quality (contrast characteristics, distortion characteristics, etc.) of the projected image. An example of the change in imaging quality due to the occurrence of a telecentric error Δθt will now be described with reference to FIG. 24. FIG. 24 is a graph showing the results of a simulation of an aerial image of a line-and-space pattern with a line width of 1 μm and a pitch of 2 μm in the X′ direction on the image plane. The horizontal axis of FIG. 24 represents the position (μm) in the X′ direction on the image plane, and the vertical axis represents the relative intensity value, where the intensity of the illumination light (incident light) is normalized to 1.

[0076] In the graph of Figure 24, the simulation was performed assuming that the image-side numerical aperture NAi of the projection unit PLU was 0.25, the σ value of the illumination light ILm was 0.6, the imaging light beam (Sa') at the pupil Ep of the projection unit PLU was decentered in the X' direction with respect to the optical axis AXa, and the telecentric error Δθt on the image plane side was 50 mrad (≒2.865°). In the graph of Figure 24, the characteristic Q1 shown by the dashed line is the contrast characteristic at the best focus plane (best imaging plane) of the projection unit PLU, and the characteristic Q2 shown by the solid line is the contrast characteristic at a plane defocused by 3 μm from the best focus plane in the direction of the optical axis AXa. Note that in Figure 24, dark lines with a line width of 1 μm were formed at five locations: 0, ±2 μm, and ±4 μm.

[0077] While defocusing typically reduces the contrast (intensity amplitude) of characteristic Q2 compared to characteristic Q1, it can be seen that the symmetry between the characteristics near +5 μm and the characteristics near -5 μm deteriorates due to the influence of the telecentricity error Δθt. This indicates that, in the case of a pattern in which the telecentricity error Δθt on the image plane side exceeds the allowable range (e.g., ±2°), i.e., when the on-state micromirrors Msa among the numerous micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10 are densely packed over a wide area or arranged periodically, the accuracy of the edge position of the resist image corresponding to the edge portion of the exposed pattern is impaired, resulting in errors in the line width and dimensions of the pattern. In other words, as the intensity distribution (diffracted light distribution) formed on the pupil Ep of the projection unit PLU by the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa′ from the DMD 10 deviates from an isotropic or symmetrical state about the optical axis AXa, the asymmetry of the projected pattern image increases.

[0078] [Wavelength dependence of telecentricity error] As is clear from the above equation (2) or (3), the telecentricity error Δθt described above varies depending on the wavelength λ. For example, in the state shown in Figures 17 and 18 and represented by equation (2), in order to make the telecentricity error Δθt on the image plane side zero, it is sufficient to set the wavelength λ so that the tilt angle of -1.04° (-1.037° to be precise) of the ninth-order diffracted light Id9 from the optical axis AXa shown in Figures 19 and 20 becomes zero.

[0079] Figure 25 is a graph showing the relationship between the center wavelength λ and the telecentricity error Δθt calculated based on equation (2). The horizontal axis represents the center wavelength λ (nm) and the vertical axis represents the image-side telecentricity error Δθt (deg). If the pitch Pdx (Pdy) of the micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10 is 5.4 μm, the tilt angle θd of the micromirrors Ms is 17.5°, and the incident angle θα of the illumination light ILm is 35°, and the micromirrors Ms are densely turned on as shown in Figures 17 and 18, the telecentricity error Δθt is theoretically zero when the center wavelength λ is approximately 344.146 nm. While it is desirable to minimize the image-side telecentricity error Δθt, a tolerance can be set depending on the minimum line width (or resolving power Rs) of the pattern to be projected.

[0080] For example, if the allowable range of the telecentricity error Δθt on the image side is set to within ±0.6° (approximately 10 mrad) as shown in Figure 25, the center wavelength λ should be in the range of 343.098 nm to 345.193 nm (width 2.095 nm). Also, if the allowable range of the telecentricity error Δθt on the image side is set to within ±2.0°, the center wavelength λ should be in the range of 340.655 nm to 347.636 nm (width 6.98 nm).

[0081] Thus, the telecentricity error Δθt, which occurs due to the arrangement (periodicity) and density of the micromirrors Msa that are turned on in the DMD 10, i.e., the magnitude of the distribution density, also has wavelength dependence. Generally, the pitch Pdx (Pdy) and tilt angle θd of the micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10 are uniquely set for a ready-made product (e.g., an ultraviolet-compatible DMD manufactured by Texas Instruments), and the wavelength λ of the illumination light ILm is set to match these specifications. In the DMD 10 of this embodiment, the pitch Pdx (Pdy) of the micromirrors Ms is 5.4 μm and the tilt angle θd is 17.5°, so a fiber amplifier laser light source that generates high-intensity ultraviolet pulsed light can be used as the light source that supplies the illumination light ILm to each of the optical fiber bundles FBn (n = 1 to 27).

[0082] As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 6428675, for example, a fiber amplifier laser light source is composed of a semiconductor laser element that generates seed light in the infrared wavelength range, a high-speed switching element (such as an electro-optic element) for the seed light, an optical fiber that amplifies the switched seed light using pump light, and a wavelength conversion element that converts the amplified light in the infrared wavelength range into pulsed light in the ultraviolet wavelength range. In the case of such a fiber amplifier laser light source, the peak wavelength of ultraviolet light that can achieve high generation efficiency (conversion efficiency) using a combination of available semiconductor laser elements, optical fibers, and wavelength conversion elements is 343.333 nm. At this peak wavelength, the maximum image-side telecentricity error Δθt (the tilt angle on the image side of the 9th-order diffracted light Id9 in FIGS. 19 and 20) that can occur in the state shown in FIG. 17 is approximately 0.466° (approximately 8.13 mrad).

[0083] For the above reasons, when two lights (wavelengths of 375 nm and 405 nm) with widely separated peak wavelengths are combined as illumination light ILm, as disclosed in the conventional Patent Document 1, the telecentricity error Δθt may vary significantly depending on the shape of the pattern to be projected (an isolated pattern, a line-and-space pattern, or a large land pattern). In this embodiment, illumination light ILm supplied to each module MUn (n = 1 to 27) is obtained by combining lights from multiple fiber amplifier laser light sources with slightly shifted peak wavelengths within an allowable range for the wavelength-dependent telecentricity error Δθt. By using illumination light ILm thus combined from multiple lights with slightly shifted peak wavelengths, the contrast of speckles (or interference fringes) generated on the micromirror Ms of the DMD 10 (and on the substrate P) due to the coherence of illumination light ILm can be suppressed. Details of this will be described later.

[0084] [Telecenter Adjustment Mechanism] As described above, when the micromirrors Msa, which are turned on in accordance with the pattern to be exposed on the substrate P, among the many micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10, are densely arranged in the X' and Y' directions, or when they are arranged with periodicity in the X' (or Y') direction, a telecentric error (angle change) Δθt occurs, although to varying degrees, in the imaging light beam (Sa, Sa') projected from the projection unit PLU. Because each of the many micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10 is switched between the on and off states at a response speed of approximately 10 kHz, the pattern image generated by the DMD 10 also changes rapidly in accordance with the drawing data. Therefore, during scanning exposure of a pattern on a display panel or the like, the pattern image projected from each module MUn (n = 1 to 27) instantaneously changes shape to, for example, isolated line or dot patterns, line and space patterns, or large land patterns.

[0085] A typical television display panel (liquid crystal type, organic electroluminescence type) consists of an image display area on a substrate P, where pixel units approximately 200 to 300 μm square are arranged in a matrix to achieve a predetermined aspect ratio, such as 2:1 or 16:9, and a peripheral circuit unit (e.g., lead wiring, connection pads) arranged around the image display area. Each pixel unit contains a thin-film transistor (TFT) for switching or current driving. However, the size (line width) of the TFT patterns (patterns for gate layer, drain / source layer, semiconductor layer, etc.) and the gate and drive wiring is sufficiently small compared to the pixel unit arrangement pitch (200 to 300 μm). Therefore, when exposing a pattern within the image display area, the pattern image projected from the DMD 10 is almost isolated, so no telecentric error Δθt occurs.

[0086] However, depending on the configuration of the lighting drive circuit (TFT circuit) for each pixel unit, line-and-space wiring may be formed in the X or Y direction at a pitch smaller than the pixel unit arrangement pitch. In this case, when exposing a pattern within the image display area, the pattern image projected from the DMD 10 becomes periodic. Therefore, depending on the degree of periodicity, a telecentric error Δθt may occur. Furthermore, when exposing the image display area, a rectangular pattern approximately the same size as the pixel unit or more than half the area of ​​the pixel unit may be uniformly exposed. In this case, more than half of the numerous micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10 are turned on in a nearly dense state during exposure of the image display area. Therefore, a relatively large telecentric error Δθt may occur.

[0087] The occurrence state of the telecentricity error Δθt can be estimated before exposure based on drawing data of the pattern for the display panel to be exposed by each of the multiple modules MUn (n = 1 to 27). In this embodiment, the position and attitude of each of several optical members in the module MUn are configured to be finely adjustable, and from among those optical members, adjustable optical members can be selected according to the magnitude of the estimated telecentricity error Δθt, and the telecentricity error Δθt can be corrected.

[0088] Figure 26 shows a specific configuration of the optical path from the optical fiber bundle FBn in the illumination unit ILU of the module MUn shown in Figure 4 or 6 to the MFE lens 108A, and Figure 27 shows a specific configuration of the optical path from the MFE lens 108A in the illumination unit ILU to the DMD 10. In Figures 26 and 27, the Cartesian coordinate system X'Y'Z is set to be the same as the coordinate system X'Y'Z in Figure 4 (Figure 6), and components having the same functions as those shown in Figure 4 are assigned the same reference numerals.

[0089] Although not shown in Fig. 4, in Fig. 26, a contact lens 101 is placed immediately after the output end of the optical fiber bundle FBn to suppress the spread of the illumination light ILm from the output end. The optical axis of the contact lens 101 is set parallel to the Z axis, and the illumination light ILm traveling from the optical fiber bundle FBn with a predetermined numerical aperture is reflected by mirror 100, travels parallel to the X' axis, and is reflected in the -Z direction by mirror 102. A condenser lens system 104, which is placed in the optical path from mirror 102 to the MFE lens 108A, is composed of three lens groups 104A, 104B, and 104C spaced apart from one another along the optical axis AXc.

[0090] Illuminance adjustment filter 106 is supported by holding member 106A that is translated by drive mechanism 106B, and is disposed between lens group 104A and lens group 104B. One example of illuminance adjustment filter 106, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-195587, is one in which a fine light-blocking dot pattern is formed on a transmissive plate made of quartz or the like with gradually varying density, or one in which multiple rows of elongated light-blocking wedge-shaped patterns are formed, and by translating the quartz plate, the transmittance of illumination light ILm can be continuously changed within a predetermined range.

[0091] The first telecentric adjustment mechanism is composed of a tilt mechanism 100A that finely adjusts the two-dimensional tilt (rotation angle around the X' axis and the Y' axis) of the mirror 100 that reflects the illumination light ILm from the optical fiber bundle FBn, a translation mechanism 100B that finely moves the mirror 100 two-dimensionally within the X'Y' plane perpendicular to the optical axis AXc, and a drive unit 100C that is a microhead or a piezoelectric actuator or the like that drives each of the tilt mechanism 100A and the translation mechanism 100B individually.

[0092] By adjusting the tilt of the mirror 100, the central ray (chief ray) of the illumination light ILm entering the condenser lens system 104 can be adjusted to be coaxial with the optical axis AXc. Furthermore, since the exit end of the fiber bundle FBn is located at the front focal position of the condenser lens system 104, when the mirror 100 is moved slightly in the X' direction, the central ray (chief ray) of the illumination light ILm entering the condenser lens system 104 shifts parallel to the X' direction with respect to the optical axis AXc. As a result, the central ray (chief ray) of the illumination light ILm emerging from the condenser lens system 104 travels at a slight tilt with respect to the optical axis AXc. Therefore, the illumination light ILm entering the MFE lens 108A is slightly tilted overall within the X'Z plane.

[0093] FIG. 28 is an exaggerated diagram showing the state of the point light source SPFs formed on the exit surface side of the MFE lens 108A when the illumination light ILm incident on the MFE lens 108A is tilted within the X'Z plane. When the central ray (principal ray) of the illumination light ILm is parallel to the optical axis AXc, the point light source SPFs focused on the exit surface side of each lens element EL of the MFE lens 108A are located at the center in the X' direction, as indicated by the white circles in FIG. 28. When the illumination light ILm is tilted with respect to the optical axis AXc within the X'Z plane, the point light source SPFs focused on the exit surface side of each lens element EL are decentered by Δxs in the X' direction from the center position, as indicated by the black circles in FIG. 28. In this case, as described above with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9, the surface light source formed by the collection of multiple point light sources SPFs formed on the exit surface side of the MFE lens 108A is shifted laterally by Δxs in the X' direction as a whole. Since the cross-sectional dimensions of each lens element EL of the MFE lens 108A in the X'Y' plane are small, the amount of decentering Δxs in the X' direction as a surface light source is also small.

[0094] 26, a variable aperture diaphragm (a sigma-value adjustable diaphragm) 108B is provided on the exit surface side of the MFE lens 108A, and the MFE lens 108A and variable aperture diaphragm 108B are integrally attached to a holder 108C. The holder 108C (MFE 108A) is provided so that its position in the X'Y' plane can be finely adjusted by a fine movement mechanism 108D such as a microhead or a piezoelectric motor. In this embodiment, the fine movement mechanism 108D that finely moves the MFE lens 108A two-dimensionally in the X'Y' plane functions as a second telecentric adjustment mechanism.

[0095] A plate-type beam splitter 109A inclined at approximately 45° with respect to the optical axis AXc is provided immediately after the MFE lens 108A. The beam splitter 109A transmits most of the illumination light ILm from the MFE lens 108A and reflects the remaining light (for example, about a few percent) toward the condenser lens 109B. A portion of the illumination light ILm condensed by the condenser lens 109B is guided to a photoelectric element 109D by an optical fiber bundle 109C. The photoelectric element 109D is used as an integrating sensor (integrating monitor) that monitors the intensity of the illumination light ILm and measures the exposure dose of the imaging light beam projected onto the substrate P.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 27, illumination light ILm from a surface light source (a collection of point light sources SPF) on the exit surface side of MFE lens 108A passes through beam splitter 109A and enters condenser lens system 110. Condenser lens system 110 is composed of a front lens group 110A and a rear lens group 110B arranged at an interval, and its two-dimensional position in the X'Y' plane can be finely adjusted by fine movement mechanism 110C, such as a microhead or piezoelectric motor. In other words, fine movement mechanism 110C enables decentering adjustment of condenser lens system 110. In this embodiment, fine movement mechanism 110C, which finely moves condenser lens system 110 two-dimensionally in the X'Y' plane, functions as a third telecentricity adjustment mechanism. The first telecentric adjustment mechanism, the second telecentric adjustment mechanism, and the third telecentric adjustment mechanism all adjust the relative positional relationship in the decentering direction between the surface light source generated on the exit surface side of the MFE lens 108A (or the surface light source limited within the circular aperture of the variable aperture stop 108B) and the condenser lens system 110.

[0097] The front focal point of condenser lens system 110 is set at the position of the surface light source (a collection of point light sources SPF) on the exit surface side of MFE lens 108A, and illumination light ILm traveling in a telecentric state from condenser lens system 110 via inclined mirror 112 provides Koehler illumination to DMD 10. As previously described with reference to FIG. 28 , when the surface light source, which is a collection of multiple point light sources SPF formed on the exit surface side of MFE lens 108A, is shifted laterally in the X′ direction by an amount Δxs, the chief ray (central ray) of illumination light ILm irradiating DMD 10 becomes slightly tilted with respect to optical axis AXb in FIG. 27 . In other words, by intentionally imparting a telecentricity error to illumination light ILm using the first telecentricity adjustment mechanism, the incident angle θα of illumination light ILm described previously with reference to FIGS. 6 , 14 , 18 , and 22 can be slightly changed from the initial setting angle (35.0°) in the X′Z plane.

[0098] Furthermore, when the MFE lens 108A and the variable aperture stop 108B are displaced together in the X' direction within the X'Y' plane by the fine movement mechanism 108D, which serves as the second telecentricity adjustment mechanism shown in FIG. 26, the circular aperture of the variable aperture stop 108B (circular region APh in FIG. 7) becomes decentered with respect to the optical axis AXc. This causes the surface light source formed within the circular aperture (circular region APh) to shift overall in the X' direction. In this case, too, the chief ray (central ray) of the illumination light ILm irradiating the DMD 10 can be tilted within the X'Z plane with respect to the optical axis AXb in FIG. 27, i.e., the angle of incidence θα of the illumination light ILm onto the DMD 10 can be changed from the initial setting angle (35.0°) within the X'Z plane. Note that the angle of incidence θα can also be changed in a similar manner even if the fine movement mechanism 108D is configured to finely move only the variable aperture stop 108B independently within the X'Y' plane.

[0099] In order to displace the MFE lens 108A and variable aperture stop 108B together by a relatively large amount, it is necessary to widen the beam width (diameter of the illumination range) of the illumination light ILm irradiated onto the MFE lens 108A from the condenser lens system 104. Furthermore, it is also effective to provide a shift mechanism that shifts the illumination light ILm irradiated onto the MFE lens 108A laterally within the X'Y' plane in conjunction with the amount of displacement. Such a shift mechanism can be configured with a mechanism that tilts the direction of the exit end of the optical fiber bundle FBn, or a mechanism that tilts a plane-parallel plate (quartz plate) placed in front of the MFE lens 108A.

[0100] Both the first telecentricity adjustment mechanism (drive unit 100C, etc.) and the second telecentricity adjustment mechanism (fine movement mechanism 108D, etc.) can adjust the angle of incidence θα of illumination light ILm to DMD 10, but the adjustment amount can be differentiated between the first telecentricity adjustment mechanism for fine adjustment and the second telecentricity adjustment mechanism for coarse adjustment. During actual adjustment, it is possible to select whether to use both the first telecentricity adjustment mechanism and the second telecentricity adjustment mechanism, or to use only one of them, depending on the form of the pattern to be projected and exposed (the amount of telecentricity error Δθt and the amount of correction).

[0101] Furthermore, fine movement mechanism 110C, which serves as a third telecentricity adjustment mechanism for decentering condenser lens system 110 in the X'Y' plane, has the same effect as when the second telecentricity adjustment mechanism relatively decenters the position of the surface light source defined by MFE lens 108A and variable aperture stop 108B. However, decentering condenser lens system 110 in the X' direction (or Y' direction) also causes a horizontal shift in the illumination area of ​​illumination light ILm projected onto DMD 10, so the illumination area is set larger than the overall size of the mirror surface of DMD 10 to account for this horizontal shift. Like the second telecentricity adjustment mechanism, the third telecentricity adjustment mechanism using fine movement mechanism 110C can also be used for coarse adjustment.

[0102] [Other Telecenter Coordination Mechanisms] The telecentricity error can also be adjusted (corrected) by using a fine adjustment mechanism to laterally shift the position in the X'Y' plane of the output end of each of the optical fiber bundles FBn (n = 1 to 27) shown in Figures 4 and 26. In this case, similar to the first telecentricity adjustment mechanism (drive mechanism 100C, etc.), it is possible to finely adjust the position of the surface light source (a collection of many point light sources SPF) formed on the output surface side of the MFE lens 108A.

[0103] Telecentricity error can also be corrected by adjusting the original angle of the tilted mirror 112 shown in Figures 4, 6, and 27 using a fine-adjustment mechanism such as a microhead or piezoelectric actuator to fine-tune the incident angle θα (e.g., 35.0° in design) of the illumination light ILm onto the DMD 10. Alternatively, telecentricity error can be corrected by fine-adjusting the tilt of the mirror surface (neutral plane Pcc) of the DMD 10 using a fine-adjustment stage that combines a parallel link mechanism and a piezoelectric element in the mount unit 10M shown in Figures 4 and 27. However, adjusting the angle of the tilted mirror 112 or the DMD 10 is used for coarse adjustment because the reflected light tilts by twice the angle of the adjustment angle. Furthermore, adjusting the angle of the DMD 10 causes an image plane tilt in the scanning exposure direction (X' direction or X direction) where the conjugate plane (best focus plane) of the neutral plane Pcc projected onto the substrate P is tilted with respect to a plane perpendicular to the optical axis AXa.

[0104] When the image plane tilt direction is the scanning exposure direction, the scanning exposure is performed at the average image plane position of the tilted image plane, so the reduction in contrast of the exposed pattern image is minor. Therefore, the function of correcting the telecentricity error Δθt by tilting the DMD 10 in the scanning exposure direction (X' direction or X direction) can also be utilized to the extent that the reduction in contrast of the exposed pattern image is negligible. If the DMD 10 is tilted to the extent that the reduction in contrast is not negligible, some kind of image plane tilt correction system (e.g., two wedge-shaped deflection prisms) will be provided within the projection unit PLU. Alternatively, a mechanism for decentering a specific lens group or lens within the projection unit PLU with respect to the optical axis AXa may be provided to correct the telecentricity error Δθt. The tilt correction system (e.g., two wedge-shaped deflection prisms) may also be provided in the illumination unit ILU.

[0105] [Beam supply unit] Next, an example of a beam supply unit that is attached to the exposure apparatus EX shown in FIG. 1 and supplies illumination light ILm to each module MUn (n = 1 to 27) will be described with reference to FIG. 29. For convenience, the Cartesian coordinate system XYZ in FIG. 29 is set to be the same as the coordinate system XYZ in FIG. 1. In the beam supply unit of FIG. 29, beams LB1 to LB4 (beam diameter 1 mm or less) from four laser light sources (fiber amplifier laser light sources) FL1 to FL4 are combined into a single beam LBa by a beam combining section 200. Each of the laser light sources FL1 to FL4 oscillates pulsed light with a fundamental peak wavelength of 343.333 nm and a peak wavelength (spectral width of about 0.05 nm) that differs by a predetermined wavelength, with an emission duration on the order of several tens of picoseconds.

[0106] Each of the four laser light sources FL1 to FL4 synchronously emits pulsed light at a predetermined timing in response to clock pulses of a common clock signal (for example, a frequency of 200 KHz). The timing of the pulse oscillation of each of the four laser light sources FL1 to FL4 may be completely identical in synchronization with the clock signal, or they may be emitted sequentially with a time difference (delay) of about the light emission duration. In this way, by providing a time difference (delay) in the light emission timing, it is also possible to reduce the coherence of the illumination light ILm irradiated onto the DMD 10.

[0107] The beam LBa combined by the beam combining unit 200 is split into multiple optical paths with different beam path lengths, circulates, and then combines the split beams into a retarder unit 202. The retarder unit 202 generates multiple beams with temporally delayed wavefronts to reduce speckle caused by the high coherency (temporal and spatial coherence) of the original beams LB1 to LB4, and then emits a combined beam LBb. For this purpose, the retarder unit 202 includes multiple delay optical paths 202A with different optical path lengths and a splitting / combining unit 202B that splits the incident beam LBa into each delay optical path 202A and combines the return beams from each delay optical path 202A. The basic configuration of such a retarder unit 202 is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-227973.

[0108] The beam LBb, whose temporal coherence has been reduced by the retarder unit 202, enters the beam switching unit 204. The beam switching unit 204 is provided with a rotating polygon mirror PM that rotates at high speed, and the beam LBb is deflected into a fan shape by each reflecting surface of the rotating polygon mirror PM. At positions approximately equidistant from the incident position of the beam LBb on the reflecting surface of the rotating polygon mirror PM, the incident ends FB1a to FB9a of nine optical fiber bundles FB1 to FB9 are arranged in an arc shape at a fixed angle in the direction in which the beam LBb is incident.

[0109] As described above in FIG. 8, each of the optical fiber bundles FB1-FB9 is a single optical fiber line or a bundle of multiple optical fiber lines. Although not shown in FIG. 29, an f-θ lens (non-telecentric) that covers the fan-shaped deflection range of the beam LBb is provided immediately after the rotating polygon mirror PM, and a small lens that focuses the beam LBb from the rotating polygon mirror PM into a small spot is provided in front of each of the entrance ends FB1a-FB9a of the optical fiber bundles FB1-FB9. The beam LBb pulses in response to a clock signal common to each of the laser light sources FL1-FL4, and the period of the clock signal and the rotational speed (angular phase) of the rotating polygon mirror PM are synchronized so that the beam LBb is incident on the entrance ends FB1a-FB9a of the optical fiber bundles FB1-FB9 in sequence for each pulse of light.

[0110] In this embodiment, two other beam supply units having the same configuration as that of Fig. 29 are provided, one of which switches and supplies beam LBb to optical fiber bundles FB10 to FB18 of modules MU10 to MU18, and the other switches and supplies beam LBb to optical fiber bundles FB19 to FB27 of modules MU19 to MU27. Furthermore, although the beam supply unit of Fig. 29 uses four laser light sources FL1 to FL4, three or fewer laser light sources may be used, or even more laser light sources may be provided and five or more beams may be combined in beam combining section 200.

[0111] As explained above, the peak wavelengths of the beams LBn (n = 1, 2, 3, . . . ) emitted from the multiple laser light sources FLn (n = 1, 2, 3, . . . ) may be made to differ from one another by a fixed wavelength in order to reduce speckle. FIG. 30 is a diagram schematically illustrating, as an example, the wavelength distribution of the beam LBb obtained after the beams LB1 to LB7 emitted from the seven laser light sources FL1 to FL7 are combined in the beam combining unit 200. In FIG. 30, the horizontal axis represents wavelength (nm) and the vertical axis represents the value obtained by normalizing the peak intensity of the beams LB1 to LB7 to 1. The seven laser light sources FL1 to FL7 have substantially the same configuration, but the wavelengths of the seed light beams are made to differ by a fixed value so that the peak wavelengths (center wavelengths) of the beams LB1 to LB7 finally output are set to differ by approximately 30 pm (0.03 nm).

[0112] Because this type of ultraviolet fiber amplifier laser light source uses a wavelength conversion element, the spectral width of the oscillation wavelength is narrow, for example, approximately 50 pm (0.05 nm) at 1 / e2 of the peak intensity, as shown in Figure 30. In Figure 30, the center wavelength of beam LB4 from laser light source FL4 is set to 343.333 nm, the center wavelength of beam LB3 from laser light source FL3 is set to 343.303 nm, the center wavelength of beam LB2 from laser light source FL2 is set to 343.273 nm, and the center wavelength of beam LB1 from laser light source FL1 is set to 343.243 nm. Furthermore, the center wavelength of beam LB5 from laser light source FL5 is set to 343.363 nm, the center wavelength of beam LB6 from laser light source FL6 is set to 343.393 nm, and the center wavelength of beam LB7 from laser light source FL7 is set to 343.423 nm.

[0113] Therefore, the wavelength spectral width of beam LBb, which is a combination of beams LB1-LB7, is approximately 180 pm (0.18 nm) when viewed in terms of the interval between peak wavelengths, and approximately 230 pm (0.23 nm) when viewed in terms of the interval at 1 / e2 intensity (343.218 nm to 343.448 nm). Thus, when the spectral width of beam LBb, i.e., illumination light ILm of DMD 10, is broadened to reduce speckle, a corresponding telecentricity error Δθt also occurs, but the spectral width is set so that this effect is within an acceptable range. In the above example of spectral width, for cases such as those shown in Figures 17 and 18, where peak wavelengths of 343.243 nm and 343.423 nm are included in illumination light ILm and a large telecentricity error Δθt can occur, a trial calculation is performed using equation (2) described in Figure 19.

[0114] In this calculation, assuming that the incident angle θα of the illumination light ILm is 35.0°, the tilt angle θd of the micromirror Msa in the on state is 17.5°, and the projection magnification Mp is 1 / 6, the telecentricity error on the object plane side (DMD10 side) of the 9th-order diffracted light Id9 when the peak wavelength of the illumination light ILm is 343.243 nm is approximately 0.086° (image-side telecentricity error Δθt ≒ 0.517°). Similarly, the telecentricity error on the object plane side (DMD10 side) of the 9th-order diffracted light Id9 when the peak wavelength of the illumination light ILm is 343.423 nm is approximately 0.069° (image-side telecentricity error Δθt ≒ 0.414°). Therefore, if the spectral width of the illumination light ILm is between 343.243 nm and 343.423 nm in peak wavelength, the telecentricity error Δθt on the image plane side that may occur due to the broadening of the wavelength spectral width can be kept within, for example, the allowable range of ±2° (more preferably, within the allowable range of ±1°) described in Figure 25.

[0115] When giving the illumination light ILm a spectral width (making it broadband) to reduce speckle, the limits of the short wavelength value and the long wavelength value can be set taking into consideration the allowable range (for example, within ±2°) of the telecentric error Δθt on the image plane side that occurs due to differences in wavelength. Therefore, the number of laser light sources FLn is not limited to seven, and the degree of shift in the center wavelength of the beam LBn from each laser light source is not limited to 30 pm.

[0116] Figure 31 shows the state of a portion of the mirror surface of the DMD 10 during exposure of a line-and-space pattern tilted at a 45° angle on the substrate P. In Figure 31, as in Figures 13, 17, and 21, the reflected light Sa from each on-state micromirror Msa is reflected in the -Z direction, and the reflected light Sg from each off-state micromirror Msb is reflected in an oblique direction in the X'Y' plane. The on-state micromirrors Msa are arranged in a row with adjacent ones arranged at a 45° angle, and this row is arranged to form a diffraction grating. Therefore, the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa' generated from all on-state micromirrors Msa has a telecentricity error Δθt due to the effects of diffraction.

[0117] In the case of a line and space pattern such as that shown in Fig. 21, the telecentricity error Δθt occurs only in the X' direction, but in the case of a line and space pattern such as that shown in Fig. 31, the telecentricity error Δθt occurs in both the X' and Y' directions. Therefore, even in the case of a line and space pattern tilted at an angle of 45° or 30° to 60° as shown in Fig. 31, if the telecentricity error Δθt that may occur exceeds the allowable range in either the X' or Y' direction, it can be corrected by using some of the telecentricity error adjustment mechanisms described above in Figs. 26 and 27.

[0118] [Telecentric error correction control system] Figure 32 is a block diagram showing a schematic example of a portion of an exposure control device attached to the exposure apparatus EX of the present embodiment, particularly related to adjustment control of telecentricity error. The telecentricity error adjustment control system TEC shown in Figure 32 is applied when all or at least one of the first telecentricity adjustment mechanism (drive unit 100C, etc.), second telecentricity adjustment mechanism (fine movement mechanism 108D, etc.), and third telecentricity adjustment mechanism (fine movement mechanism 110C, etc.) explained in Figures 26 and 27 can be electrically driven by an actuator such as a motor.

[0119] 32, a writing data storage unit (hereinafter also referred to simply as a storage unit) 300 that sends writing data MD1 to MD27 for pattern exposure is provided to each DMD10 of the 27 modules MU1 to MU27 shown in FIG. 2. Each of the writing data MD1 to MD27 is sent to an angle change specifying unit (hereinafter also referred to as a telecentricity error specifying unit) 302 before an exposure operation. The telecentricity error specifying unit 302 has a data analysis unit 302A that analyzes the form (e.g., isolated, line and space, pad) of a pattern to be exposed in each of projection areas IA1 to IA27 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) on the substrate P and its position on the substrate P based on each of the writing data MD1 to MD27, and a telecentricity error calculation unit 302B that calculates information SDT related to a telecentricity error Δθt according to the analyzed pattern form.

[0120] An example of the main functions of the angle change specifying unit (telecentric error specifying unit) 302 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 33 and 34. FIG. 33 shows an example of the arrangement of the display area DPA and peripheral areas PPAx and PPAy for the display panel exposed on the substrate P by the exposure apparatus EX shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, with the maximum exposure area EXA on the outer edge representing the range that can be exposed by the modules MU1 to MU27 in a single scanning exposure by the exposure apparatus EX. The display area DPA is made up of a large number of pixels arranged at a constant pitch in the X and Y directions, and has an aspect ratio of 16:9, 2:1, etc. as a whole. Note that the longitudinal direction of the display area DPA is defined as the X direction here.

[0121] As an example, we will explain the areas DA7 and DA10 that are scanned and exposed by the projection areas IA7 and IA10 of the modules MU7 and MU10, respectively, shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 3, the actual projection areas IA7 and IA10 are tilted by an angle θk with respect to the XY coordinate system. Although the area DA7 includes a peripheral area PPAx with a narrow width in the X direction at the end in the -X direction (or +X direction), it is mostly occupied by the display area DPA extending in the X direction (scanning exposure direction). Within the display area DPA, for example, pixels of approximately 200 μm to 300 μm square are arranged in the XY direction. The pattern exposed within the pixel may be an isolated pattern, a line-and-space pattern, or a large land pattern, depending on the manufacturing process.

[0122] FIG. 33 shows an example of the arrangement of pixels PIX in a display area DPA that appear within one projection area IAn (n = 1 to 27). As previously mentioned as an example of numerical values, the arrangement pitch Pd of the micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10 is 5.4 μm, and 2160 micromirrors Ms are arranged in the X' direction and 3840 in the Y' direction. In this case, the aspect ratio is 16:9 (=3840:2160), and the actual dimensions of the mirror surface of the DMD 10 in the X' direction are 11.664 mm and 20.736 mm in the Y' direction. When the projection magnification Mp of the projection unit PLU is 1 / 6, the dimension of the projection area IAn on the substrate P is 1944 μm in the X' direction and 3456 μm in the Y' direction. Furthermore, the projected image of a single micromirror Msa in the ON state is approximately 0.9 μm square on the substrate P.

[0123] If the pitch of the pixels PIX on the substrate P in the X' and Y' directions is 300 μm, then approximately six pixels PIX will appear in the X' direction and approximately 11 pixels PIX will appear in the Y' direction within the projection area IAn. The patterns exposed within the pixels PIX for each layer may be an isolated pattern PA1, a line-and-space pattern PA2, or a land-like pattern PA3. For the sake of explanation, three types of patterns PA1, PA2, and PA3 are shown together in Figure 34. However, when pattern PA1 is exposed, pattern PA1 will appear within all pixels PIX within the projection area IAn. When pattern PA2 is exposed, pattern PA2 will appear within all pixels PIX within the projection area IAn. When pattern PA3 is exposed, pattern PA3 will appear within all pixels PIX within the projection area IAn.

[0124] In Figure 34, for ease of explanation, the vertical and horizontal arrangement of pixels PIX within the projection area IAn is made to match the X'Y' coordinates, but in reality, as explained in Figures 3 and 5, the vertical and horizontal arrangement of pixels PIX is tilted by an angle θk with respect to the X'Y' coordinates so that it appears to match the XY coordinate system, which is the movement coordinate of the substrate P.

[0125] As shown in FIG. 34, the exposure of the isolated pattern PA1 to all pixels PIX within the display area DPA is performed, for example, during the process of forming a TFT semiconductor layer, electrode layer, or via hole. In this case, as described above with reference to FIGS. 13 to 16, a telecentricity error Δθt exceeding the allowable range does not occur. That is, if the illumination unit ILU and projection unit PLU are adjusted for telecentricity with respect to the projected image of the isolated pattern projected by a single on-state micromirror Msa, a telecentricity error Δθt exceeding the allowable range does not occur. However, even for an isolated pattern, when an isolated pattern with a pixel size of approximately tens of micrometers is exposed on the substrate P, such as a display panel for a smartphone, approximately tens of on-state micromirrors Msa are densely arranged in the X' and Y' directions on the DMD 10. Therefore, even for an isolated pattern, a telecentricity error Δθt may occur depending on its size (pattern dimensions).

[0126] 33, wirings extending mainly in the X direction (X' direction) are formed in a grid pattern arranged at regular intervals in the Y direction (Y' direction). Therefore, the influence of diffraction in the X' direction is small, and even if a telecentric error Δθt occurs, it is within an allowable range.

[0127] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 34, the exposure of the line-and-space pattern PA2 to all pixels PIX in the display area DPA is performed during the process of forming, for example, wiring connecting electrode layers of TFTs, power lines, earth lines, signal lines, and selection lines. In such cases, as described above in FIGS. 21 to 23, a telecentricity error Δθt exceeding the allowable range may occur depending on the pitch and width of the lines and spaces. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 34, the exposure of the land-like pattern PA3 to all pixels PIX in the display area DPA is performed during the process of forming, for example, banks and electrode layers of the light-emitting portions of the pixels PIX. The land-like pattern PA3 often occupies more than half (in some cases, nearly 90%) of the area of ​​the pixel PIX (approximately 300 μm square). In such cases, as described above in FIGS. 18 to 20, a telecentricity error Δθt exceeding the allowable range is likely to occur.

[0128] In addition, in the peripheral area PPAx in the area DA7 shown in Figure 33, wirings extending mainly in the X direction (X' direction) are formed in a grid pattern arranged at regular intervals in the Y direction (Y' direction). Therefore, the influence of diffraction in the X' direction is small, and even if a telecentricity error Δθt occurs, it is within an acceptable range. However, if line-and-space wirings tilted with respect to both the X' direction and the Y' direction as described above in Figure 31 are formed in the peripheral area PPAx, a telecentricity error Δθt may occur.

[0129] For the above reasons, the data analysis unit 302A of the angle change specifying unit (telecentricity error specifying unit) 302 in Fig. 32 analyzes the writing data MD7 for the entire area DA7 sent to the module MU7, and generates position information for each partial area obtained by dividing the area DA7 in the X direction into a plurality of partial areas, and form information indicating whether the form of the pattern appearing in the partial area is an isolated pattern PA1, a line-and-space pattern PA2, or a land pattern PA3 as shown in Fig. 34. The telecentricity error calculation unit 302B of the angle change specifying unit (telecentricity error specifying unit) 302 in Fig. 32 calculates a telecentricity error Δθt occurring depending on the line width, pitch, etc. of the pattern appearing in the partial area if the form information of the pattern appearing in the partial area is a line-and-space pattern PA2, and calculates a telecentricity error Δθt occurring depending on the size, etc. of the pattern appearing in the partial area if the form information of the pattern appearing in the partial area is a land pattern PA3.

[0130] Note that the telecentricity error calculation unit 302B may simply calculate the telecentricity error Δθt by dividing the area DA7 in the X direction into a plurality of partial areas, calculating the ratio of the area of ​​the substrate P irradiated with the exposure light in each partial area to the area of ​​the entire partial area, and estimating the telecentricity error Δθt based on this ratio. This ratio can be the average density of the micromirrors Msa that are turned on while the partial area is being exposed, out of all the micromirrors Ms on the DMD 10. Therefore, if this density is a specified value, for example, 50%, or higher, the telecentricity error Δθt can be estimated based on this density.

[0131] The above operation is similarly performed for the region DA10 shown in Fig. 33, and the angle change specifying unit (telecentricity error specifying unit) 302 in Fig. 32 calculates the telecentricity error Δθt that may occur for each partial region during pattern exposure by the projection region IA10 of the module MU10, based on the drawing data MD10 from the memory unit 300. The region DA10 shown in Fig. 33 includes many patterns of the peripheral region PPAy. The peripheral region PPAy includes line-and-space patterns in which wiring extending mainly in the Y direction (Y' direction) is arranged at a constant pitch in the X direction (X' direction), and therefore there is a possibility that a telecentricity error Δθt exceeding the allowable range may occur.

[0132] 32 generates information SDT (including position information in the scanning exposure direction) on the telecentricity error Δθt calculated (estimated) as described above for each of the modules MU1 to MU27, and sends it to the telecentricity error correction unit 304. Based on the information SDT on the telecentricity error Δθt for each of the modules MU1 to MU27, the telecentricity error correction unit 304 selects at least one of the first telecentricity adjustment mechanisms (drive unit 100C, etc.), second telecentricity adjustment mechanisms (fine movement mechanism 108D, etc.), and third telecentricity adjustment mechanisms (fine movement mechanism 110C, etc.) described in FIGS. 26 and 27 that matches the adjustment amount and adjustment accuracy, and outputs adjustment command information AS1 to AS27 for each of the modules MU1 to MU27.

[0133] The adjustment command information AS1-AS27 from the telecentricity error correction unit 304 is sent to the corresponding telecentricity adjustment mechanism while each of the modules MU1-MU27 is actually performing an exposure operation, and the telecentricity error Δθt is corrected in real time. The exposure control unit (sequencer) 306 controls the transmission of the drawing data MD1-MD27 from the storage unit 300 to the modules MU1-MU27 and the transmission of the adjustment command information AS1-AS27 from the telecentricity error correction unit 304, in synchronization with the scanning exposure (movement position) of the substrate P.

[0134] According to the present embodiment as described above, in a pattern exposure apparatus which includes a DMD10 as a spatial light modulation element having a large number of micromirrors Ms that are selectively driven based on drawing data MDn (n=1 to 27), an illumination unit ILU which irradiates illumination light ILm onto the DMD10 at a predetermined incident angle θα, and a projection unit PLU which receives reflected light Sa (imaging light beam) from selected micromirrors Msa of the DMD10 that are in an on-state and projects it onto the substrate P, and which projects a pattern corresponding to the drawing data MDn onto the substrate P by exposure, a telecentric error Δθt occurring in the reflected light Sa projected from the projection unit PLU onto the substrate P during projection exposure of the pattern is By providing an angle change specification unit (telecentricity error specification unit) 302 that specifies (estimates) in advance the telecentricity error Δθt based on the distribution state (density and periodicity) of the micromirrors Msa that are turned on in the DMD 10, and an adjustment mechanism (drive unit 100C, fine adjustment mechanism 108D, fine adjustment mechanism 110C, etc.) that adjusts the position of some of the optical components (mirror 100, aperture stop 108B, condenser lens system 110, etc.) within the illumination unit ILU or projection unit PLU in accordance with the pre-specified telecentricity error Δθt, the telecentricity error Δθt of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa' that occurs due to diffraction when a large number of micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10 are turned on can always be kept within an acceptable range.

[0135] [Variation 1] As explained above, depending on the distribution of the micromirrors Msa of the DMD 10 in the on state, a telecentric error occurs in the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa' reflected by the DMD 10, and because the projection unit PLU is a reduced projection system, the telecentric error Δθt on the image plane side is magnified by the reciprocal of the projection magnification Mp. The magnitude of the telecentric error Δθt that actually occurs varies depending on the shape of the pattern generated by the DMD 10, so it is a good idea to measure in advance the extent of the telecentric error Δθt that will occur for each of several pattern shapes.

[0136] Figure 35 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an optical measurement unit provided in the calibration reference unit CU attached to an end portion of the substrate holder 4B of the exposure apparatus EX shown in Figure 1. In Figure 35, it is assumed that reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa from the DMD 10 passes through lens groups G4 and G5 on the image plane side of the projection unit PLU and is imaged on the best focus plane (best imaging plane) IPo, with the chief ray La of the reflected light Sa being parallel to the optical axis AXa. The first optical measurement unit is composed of a quartz plate 320 attached to the top surface of the calibration reference unit CU, an imaging system 322 (objective lens 322a and lens group 322b) that magnifies and forms a pattern image by the DMD 10 projected from the projection unit PLU through the quartz plate 320, a reflecting mirror 324, and an image sensor 326 using a CCDD or CMOS sensor that captures the magnified pattern image. Note that the surface of the quartz plate 320 and the imaging surface of the image sensor 326 are conjugate.

[0137] The second optical measurement unit is composed of a pinhole plate 340 attached to the upper surface of the calibration reference unit CU, an objective lens 342 that forms an image of the pupil Ep of the projection unit PLU (the intensity distribution of the imaging light beam and light source image within the pupil Ep) by receiving reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa from the DMD 10 projected from the projection unit PLU via the pinhole plate 340, and an image sensor 344 by CCDD or CMOS that captures the image of the pupil Ep. In other words, the imaging surface of the image sensor 344 of the second optical measurement unit is conjugate with the position of the pupil Ep of the projection unit PLU.

[0138] Since the substrate holder 4B (calibration reference unit CU) can be moved two-dimensionally in the XY plane by the XY stage 4A, the quartz plate 320 of the first optical measurement unit or the pinhole plate 340 of the second optical measurement unit is placed directly below the projection unit PLU of one of the modules MU1 to MU27 to be measured, and reflected light Sa corresponding to various test patterns for measurement is generated by the DMD 10. When measuring the telecentric error by the first optical measurement unit, the substrate holder 4B (calibration reference unit CU), or the entire projection unit PLU, or lens groups G4 and G5 are moved up and down so that the surface of the quartz plate 320 is defocused by a certain amount in each of the +Z and -Z directions with respect to the best focus plane IPo.

[0139] The telecentricity error Δθt can then be measured based on the lateral shift amount of the image of the test pattern captured by the image sensor 326 when defocused in the +Z direction and the -Z direction, and the defocus amount (±Z fine movement range). Because the image sensor 326 of the first optical measurement unit captures an image of the mirror surface of the DMD 10 via the projection unit PLU, it can also be used to identify malfunctioning micromirrors Ms among the many micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10. Furthermore, several typical test patterns (patterns that belong to any of the isolated, line and space, and land shapes) that may cause a telecentricity error Δθt can be generated by the DMD 10, and the image sensor 326 of the first optical measurement unit can measure the asymmetry of the intensity distribution of the projected image of the test pattern (the distribution shown in FIG. 24).

[0140] [Variation 2] Furthermore, in measuring the telecentricity error by the second optical measurement unit, the image sensor 344 measures the eccentricity of the intensity distribution within the pupil Ep of the imaging light beam (Sa, Sa') formed on the pupil Ep of the projection unit PLU when the test pattern is projected. In this case, the telecentricity error Δθt can be measured based on the amount of eccentricity of the intensity distribution within the pupil Ep and the focal length of the projection unit PLU on the image plane side. Furthermore, as previously described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 15, only a specific micromirror Ms among the many micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10 is turned on, and the image sensor 344 of the second optical measurement unit measures the positional relationship between the center of gravity of the intensity distribution formed on the pupil Ep and the optical axis AXa. If there is a deviation in this positional relationship, it is found that the tilt angle θd of the specific micromirror Msa in the on-state has an error from the standard value (e.g., 17.5°).

[0141] Although it takes measurement time, it is also possible to determine the error (driving error) in the tilt angle θd of each micromirror Ms by turning on all of the micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10 one by one and measuring them with the image sensor 344. The error in the tilt angle θd of each micromirror Ms cannot be adjusted or corrected because it is a characteristic unique to the DMD 10, but if micromirrors Ms with large errors in the tilt angle θd are distributed evenly, a telecentric error due to the error in the tilt angle θd may also occur.

[0142] For example, if the nominal value (standard value) of the tilt angle θd of the micromirror Ms of the DMD 10 is 17.5° and the drive error of that angle is ±0.5°, and the incident angle θα of the illumination light ILm to the DMD 10 is 35.0°, the telecentricity error on the object plane side (DMD 10 side) of the projection unit PLU will be a maximum of ±1°. Therefore, if the projection magnification Mp of the projection unit PLU is 1 / 6, the telecentricity error Δθt on the image plane side due to the drive error of the micromirror Ms will be a maximum of ±6°. According to this modification, the telecentricity error Δθt due to the drive error of the tilt angle θd of the micromirror Ms specific to the DMD 10 can also be measured, and therefore adjustment (calibration) can be performed before the exposure of the actual pattern to correct the telecentricity error Δθt.

[0143] [Variation 3] As explained above in Modification 1, before exposing the actual pattern onto the substrate P, the telecentric error Δθt that may occur in some typical pattern forms (particularly, line-and-space patterns and pad patterns) included in the actual pattern is measured in advance using the first optical measurement unit (image sensor 326) or the second optical measurement unit (image sensor 344). Then, the relationship between the measured telecentric error Δθt and the pattern form can be learned (stored) as a database in the exposure control unit 306 shown in FIG.

[0144] Typically, this type of exposure apparatus EX performs a series of exposure operations by receiving, as recipe information, information such as various exposure conditions, drive unit setting conditions, operating parameters, and operating sequences related to the actual exposure pattern for each layer of an electronic device (such as a display panel) formed on a substrate P. In a maskless system in which multiple drawing modules MU1-MU27 each form a dynamically changing pattern image using a DMD 10, such as the exposure apparatus EX shown in FIGS. 1-6, each of the drawing data MA1-MD27 (see FIG. 32) that controls the operation of the numerous micromirrors Ms of each DMD 10 may also be included as part of the recipe information. Such recipe information is often stored and managed by a main control unit (computer) that provides overall control of the exposure apparatus EX.

[0145] 32 compares each of the writing data MD1 to MD27 with the pattern form in the database learned (stored) in advance, and generates, as new recipe information (corresponding to information STD in FIG. 32), information (corrected position information) about the scanning exposure position of the portion where the telecentric error Δθt is equal to or greater than the allowable range (for example, a partial region in the X direction within regions DA7 and DA10 in FIG. 33), and information about the telecentric error Δθt, i.e., information about the angle change from the telecentric state of the imaging light beam (reflected light Sa′ including diffracted light) (information about the tilt direction, tilt amount, or tilt correction amount). Note that the information about the scanning exposure position (corrected position information) is not necessarily required if there is no change in the pattern form throughout the entire region of each region DAn (n = 1 to 27) on the substrate P exposed by each of the projection regions IAn (n = 1 to 27).

[0146] Furthermore, important pattern portions having high specification values ​​for line width accuracy, position accuracy, or overlay accuracy may be extracted from the drawing data for the actual exposure pattern included in the recipe information, and may be registered in advance in the recipe information as test patterns for measuring telecentricity errors. Then, before switching to the recipe information and starting actual exposure, an image of the registered test pattern may be projected by the DMD 10, and the telecentricity error Δθt may be measured using the first optical measurement unit (image sensor 326) or the second optical measurement unit (image sensor 344), and adjustment (correction) information may be generated.

[0147] From the above, according to this modified example, in a pattern exposure apparatus including an illumination unit ILU that irradiates illumination light ILm onto a DMD10 as a spatial light modulation element having a large number of micromirrors Ms that switch between an on state and an off state based on drawing data MDn, and a projection unit PLU that projects an image of a pattern corresponding to the drawing data MDn onto a substrate P by irradiating reflected light from the on-state micromirrors Msa of the DMD10 as an imaging light beam (Sa'), the projection unit PLU storing information about an angle change (telecentric error Δθt) of the imaging light beam (Sa') that occurs in accordance with the distribution density of the on-state micromirrors Msa of the DMD10 together with the drawing data MDn. and an adjustment mechanism (driver 100C, fine movement mechanism 108D, fine movement mechanism 110C, etc.) that adjusts the position or angle of at least one optical element (mirror 100, 112, aperture stop 108B, condenser lens system 110, or DMD10, etc.) in the illumination unit ILU (or projection unit PLU) in accordance with information about the angle change (Δθt) when driving DMD10 based on recipe information to expose a pattern onto substrate P. By providing this, it is possible to keep within an allowable range the angle change (telecentric error) of the imaging light beam (Sa') that occurs due to diffraction when the multiple micromirrors Ms of DMD10 are turned on.

[0148] [Variation 4] As explained in the previous modification example 3, when an image of a test pattern corresponding to an important pattern portion included in the recipe information is projected by the DMD 10 and measured by the first optical measurement unit (image sensor 326), the first optical measurement unit (image sensor 326) measures the intensity distribution of the image of the projected test pattern. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 24 above, the degree of deterioration in symmetry (asymmetry) of the image is analyzed by, for example, the exposure control unit 306 shown in FIG. 32. Then, to reduce the asymmetry of the image, the telecentric error adjustment mechanism (driver 100C, fine movement mechanism 108D, fine movement mechanism 110C, etc.) in the illumination unit ILU or the decentering fine movement mechanism of the lens group or lens element in the projection unit PLU may be controlled.

[0149] In this case, for example, a predetermined amount of adjustment is made using the telecentricity error adjustment mechanism or the eccentricity micro-adjustment mechanism, and the degree of asymmetry of the image of the test pattern is measured multiple times using the first optical measurement unit (image pickup element 326), thereby learning to reduce the asymmetry of the image. Therefore, if the degree of asymmetry of the projected pattern image and the amount of adjustment of the telecentricity error adjustment mechanism or the eccentricity micro-adjustment mechanism to reduce it are associated and compiled into a database, it is not necessary to quantitatively determine the telecentricity error Δθt or use that information.

[0150] From the above, according to this modified example, in a pattern exposure apparatus including an illumination unit ILU that irradiates illumination light ILm onto a DMD10 as a spatial light modulation element having a large number of micromirrors Ms that switch between an on state and an off state based on drawing data MDn, and a projection unit PLU that projects an image of a pattern corresponding to the drawing data MDn onto a substrate P by making reflected light from the on-state micromirrors Msa of the DMD10 incident as an imaging light beam (Sa'), a measurement is performed to measure the degree of asymmetry of the pattern image that occurs in accordance with the telecentric error of the imaging light beam (Sa') that occurs in accordance with the distribution density of the on-state micromirrors Msa of the DMD10. By providing a unit (image sensor 326) and an adjustment mechanism (drive unit 100C, fine movement mechanism 108D, fine movement mechanism 110C, etc.) that adjusts the position or angle of at least one optical element (mirror 100, 112, aperture stop 108B, condenser lens system 110, or DMD10, etc.) in the illumination unit ILU (or projection unit PLU) so that the measured asymmetry is reduced when the DMD10 is driven based on recipe information to expose a pattern onto the substrate P, the asymmetry of the pattern image caused by the telecentric error of the imaging light beam (Sa') that occurs due to the diffraction effect when the multiple micromirrors Ms of the DMD10 are turned on can be reduced.

[0151] In the above description of the first embodiment and each of the modified examples, an isolated pattern as a pattern aspect is not necessarily limited to a case where a single or entire row of micromirrors Msa among all the micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10 is in the on state. For example, a pattern where two, three (1 × 3), four (2 × 2), six (2 × 3), eight (2 × 4), or nine (3 × 3) micromirrors Msa are densely arranged in the on state and, for example, ten or more micromirrors Msb are in the off state in the X' direction and Y' direction can also be considered an isolated pattern. Conversely, if three (1x3), four (2x2), six (2x3), eight (2x4), or nine (3x3) off-state micromirrors Msb are densely arranged, and the surrounding micromirrors Ms are densely on-state micromirrors Msa over a range of, for example, several or more (corresponding to dimensions several times or more than the isolated pattern) in the X' and Y' directions, this can also be considered a land-like pattern.

[0152] Furthermore, the line-and-space pattern as a pattern configuration is not necessarily limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 21 in which one row of on-state micromirrors Msa and one row of off-state micromirrors Msb are alternately arranged. For example, two rows of on-state micromirrors Msa and two rows of off-state micromirrors Msb may be alternately arranged, three rows of on-state micromirrors Msa and three rows of off-state micromirrors Msb may be alternately arranged, or two rows of on-state micromirrors Msa and four rows of off-state micromirrors Msb may be alternately arranged. In any pattern configuration, if the distribution (density or concentration) of on-state micromirrors Ms per unit area (e.g., an array area of ​​100 × 100 micromirrors Ms) of all micromirrors Ms on the DMD 10 is known, the telecentric error Δθt and the degree of asymmetry can be easily determined by simulation or the like.

[0153] Second Embodiment FIG. 36 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a drawing module provided in a pattern exposure apparatus according to a second embodiment. The Cartesian coordinate system X'Y'Z in FIG. 36 is set to be the same as the coordinate system X'Y'Z shown in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, illumination light ILm emitted from an illumination unit ILU onto a digital mirror device (DMD) 10' serving as a spatial light modulator is epi-illuminated via a cube-shaped polarizing beam splitter PBS serving as a light splitter. In FIG. 36, the neutral plane Pcc of the DMD 10' is set perpendicular to the optical axis AXa of the bilaterally telecentric projection unit PLU, and the polarizing beam splitter PBS is disposed in the optical path between the DMD 10' and the projection unit PLU. The polarization splitting plane of the polarizing beam splitter PBS is rotated 45° from the X'Y' plane around a line parallel to the Y' axis so as to intersect with the optical axis AXa at 45°.

[0154] Illumination light ILm that enters the side surface of polarizing beam splitter PBS via reflecting mirror 112' and condenser lens system 110' of illumination unit ILU is set to S-polarized light that is linearly polarized in the Y' direction in Figure 36, and more than 95% of the light amount is reflected in the +Z direction by the polarization splitting surface of polarizing beam splitter PBS. Illumination light ILm that travels in the +Z direction from polarizing beam splitter PBS passes through quarter-wave plate QP, becomes circularly polarized light, and illuminates DMD 10' with a uniform illuminance distribution.

[0155] In this embodiment, the reflective surfaces of the micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10' are set to be flat and parallel to the neutral plane Pcc when in the ON state, in which reflected light is incident on the projection unit PLU, and tilted at a fixed angle θd with respect to the neutral plane Pcc when in the OFF state, in which reflected light is not incident on the projection unit PLU. Therefore, during the non-exposure period in which the DMD 10' is not exposing any pattern, all of the micromirrors Ms are in their initial state tilted at the angle θd. Therefore, unlike the aspects shown in Figures 11 and 12, the micromirrors Msa in the ON state are in a position parallel to the neutral plane Pcc, and the micromirrors Msb in the OFF state are in a position tilted by the angle θd from the neutral plane Pcc.

[0156] 36 , illumination light ILm from a surface light source image (a collection of point light sources SPF) formed on the exit surface side of micro fly's eye (MFE) lens 108A in illumination unit ILU illuminates DMD 10′ using Koehler illumination, and the pupil Ep of projection unit PLU is set to be conjugate with the surface light source image on the exit surface side of MFE lens 108A. Reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa′ from the on-state micromirror Msa of DMD 10′ travels backward through quarter-wave plate QP and is converted into linearly polarized light (P-polarized light) in the X′ direction. It then passes through the polarization splitting surface of polarizing beam splitter PBS and enters projection unit PLU. In this embodiment, the chief ray of illumination light ILm is set perpendicular to neutral plane Pcc of DMD 10′. Therefore, the chief ray of reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa′ from the on-state micromirror Msa is geometrically parallel to optical axis AXa, and it is believed that no significant telecentricity error Δθt occurs.

[0157] However, a certain error can occur in the drive angle of the micromirror Ms of the DMD 10', which can result in a telecentricity error Δθt. Figure 37 is an exaggerated view of the state of the micromirror Ms when the DMD 10' projects an isolated pattern with a minimum line width. In Figure 37, the micromirror Msb in the OFF state, as viewed in the X'Z plane, is tilted at an angle θd in the initial state, and the reflected light Sg due to the irradiation of the illumination light ILm is reflected at an angle 2θd, which is a double angle, with respect to the optical axis AXa. Meanwhile, the micromirror Msa in the ON state is tilted by an angle θd from its initial state orientation so that its reflective surface is parallel to the neutral plane Pcc. If there is a drive error Δθd, the micromirror Msa in the ON state is tilted by θd + Δθd from its initial state orientation.

[0158] Therefore, the chief ray of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa from an isolated micromirror Msa in the ON state is generated at a double angle of 2·Δθd with respect to the optical axis AXa. As exemplified in the previous embodiment, the pitch Pdx and Pdy of the micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10′ are 5.4 μm, the initial angle θd is 17.5°, the projection magnification Mp of the projection unit PLU is 1 / 6, and the drive error Δθd is a maximum of ±0.5°. In this case, the telecentric error of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa on the object plane side is a maximum of ±1°, and the telecentric error Δθt on the image plane side is a maximum of ±6°. Generally, the drive error Δθd does not vary much among the many micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10′, and often averages out to a specific value (mean value) within the maximum error range. Because the maximum value (±0.5°) of the drive error Δθd is within the tolerance range of the product specifications of the DMD 10', it is possible to select from several production lots those in which the average drive error Δθd of the micromirrors Msa in the on state is, for example, ±0.25° or less. In any case, due to the influence of the drive error Δθd, the point spread function of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa at the pupil Ep of the projection unit PLU becomes a distribution of a sinc2 function as shown in FIG.

[0159] FIG. 38 is a graph schematically illustrating the point spread function Iea of ​​the diffraction image in the pupil Ep of the reflected light Sa from the isolated micromirror Msa in the on-state as shown in FIG. 37. As shown in FIG. 38, the center position of the point spread function Iea is shifted laterally by ΔDx in the X' direction from the position of the optical axis AXa within the pupil Ep. The lateral shift ΔDx corresponds to the magnitude of the drive error Δθd of the micromirror Msa in the on-state. Therefore, by measuring the telecentricity error Δθt caused by the drive error Δθd of the micromirror Msa in the on-state of the actual DMD 10′ using the first optical measurement unit (image sensor 326) or the second optical measurement unit (image sensor 344) described above in FIG. 35 and correcting it using a telecentricity error adjustment mechanism, the telecentricity error Δθt caused by the drive error Δθd can be suppressed.

[0160] Such a telecentricity error Δθt caused by the drive error Δθd of the micromirror Ms also occurs in the case of the DMD 10 in the first embodiment. For example, when projecting an isolated pattern as described above with reference to Figures 13 and 14, a telecentricity error Δθd due to diffraction does not occur, but a telecentricity error Δθt caused by the drive error Δθd may occur. Therefore, even when projecting an isolated pattern using the DMD 10 in the first embodiment, it is desirable to control the telecentricity error adjustment mechanism so that the telecentricity error Δθt on the image plane side caused by the drive error Δθd is reduced to within an allowable range (for example, within ±2°, preferably within ±1°).

[0161] Next, a case where many of the micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10' are closely spaced and become micromirrors Msa in the ON state will be described with reference to FIG. 39. FIG. 39 is an exaggerated view showing the state of the micromirrors Ms when a large land-shaped pattern is projected by the DMD 10'. In FIG. 39, the ON-state micromirrors Msa as viewed in the X'Z plane ideally function as a planar diffraction grating arranged at a pitch Pdx in the X' direction. In this case, too, it is assumed that each of the ON-state micromirrors Msa has a drive error Δθd.

[0162] In the case of FIG. 39 as well, the diffraction angle θj of the j-th order diffracted light Idj can be found based on the equation (2) as previously explained with reference to FIG.

[0163]

number

[0164] If the pitch Pdx of the micromirrors Msa in the on state is 5.4 μm, the wavelength λ is 343.333 nm, and the angle of incidence θα of the illumination light ILm is 0°, then the diffraction angle θ0 (angle from the optical axis AXa) of the zeroth-order diffracted light Id0 contained in the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa' from the DMD 10' is naturally 0°. Furthermore, the diffraction angle θ1 of the ±1st-order diffracted light (-Id1, +Id1) contained in the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa' is approximately ±3.645° on either side of the optical axis AXa on the object plane side of the projection unit PLU.

[0165] Figure 40 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the direction of generation of the central rays of the zeroth-order diffracted light Id0 and ±1st-order diffracted light (-Id1, +Id1) included in the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa' in the state of Figure 39, on the plane of the pupil Ep of the projection unit PLU. As in Figure 38 above, the point spread function Iea shifts laterally by ΔDx from the optical axis AXa due to a drive error Δθd of the micromirror Msa in the on state. The actual intensity distribution of the zeroth-order diffracted light Id0 and ±1st-order diffracted light (-Id1, +Id1) formed on the pupil Ep can be found by convolution (convolution operation) of the point spread function Iea (sinc2 function) shifted laterally by ΔDx with Equation (2), taking into account the size (σ value) of the surface light source (light source image Ips shown in Figure 9 above) that may be formed on the pupil Ep.

[0166] As shown in Figure 40, the point spread function Iea is shifted laterally by ΔDx from the optical axis AXa, but the zeroth-order diffracted light Id0 is parallel to the optical axis AXa, and the ±1st-order diffracted light (-Id1, +Id1) is generated symmetrically with respect to the zeroth-order diffracted light Id0. As a result, the actual intensity distribution of the zeroth-order diffracted light Id0 obtained by convolution integral is located at the center of the pupil Ep, so no telecentric error Δθt occurs. However, the peak value of the actual intensity distribution (almost circular) of the zeroth-order diffracted light Id0 is lower than the peak value Io of the point spread function Iea. Furthermore, the peak values ​​of the actual intensity distributions (almost circular) of the ±1st-order diffracted light (-Id1, +Id1) are also significantly reduced. The change in the light intensity of the zeroth-order diffracted light Id0 and the ±1st-order diffracted light (-Id1, +Id1) can be determined by simulation, or by measuring a projected image of a test pattern or the like using the first optical measurement unit (image sensor 326) shown in Figure 35.

[0167] The diffraction angle ±θ1' on the image plane side of the ±1st-order diffracted light (-Id1, +Id1) at the object plane side is the reciprocal of the projection magnification Mp (1 / 6), and therefore θ1' = θ1 / Mp ≈ ±21.87°. This angle θ1' corresponds to approximately 0.37 in terms of the numerical aperture NAi on the image plane side of the projection unit PLU. If the numerical aperture NAi on the image plane side is, for example, approximately NAi = 0.30, then approximately half of the actual intensity distribution (circular shape) of each of the ±1st-order diffracted light (-Id1, +Id1) will not pass through the pupil Ep. Furthermore, when the numerical aperture NAi on the image plane side of the projection unit PLU is approximately 0.25, most of the actual intensity distribution of the ±1st order diffracted light (-Id1, +Id1) will be located outside the aperture of the pupil Ep, and the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa' projected onto the substrate P will consist exclusively of the component of the 0th order diffracted light Id0.

[0168] As described above, in the epi-illumination method of this embodiment, when many of the micromirrors Ms of the DMD 10' are densely packed in the on-state micromirrors Msa corresponding to a large land-like pattern, no significant telecentricity error Δθt occurs on the image plane side due to diffraction. However, the amount of reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa' that forms the land-like pattern will decrease depending on the magnitude of the drive error Δθd (lateral shift ΔDx) of the on-state micromirrors Msa. If this reduction in light amount becomes significant, defects such as increased dimensional error in the resist image of the land-like pattern that appears after development of the substrate P or worsening defects will occur.

[0169] Therefore, as shown in Figure 39, when exposing a land-like pattern in which a large number of on-state micromirrors Msa are densely packed, the purpose is not to correct the telecentricity error Δθt, but to correct the reduction in the light intensity of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa' due to the drive error Δθd, by adjusting the telecentricity error adjustment mechanism (drive unit 100C, fine movement mechanism 108D, fine movement mechanism 110C, etc.) within the illumination unit ILU and fine-tuning the incident angle θα (0° by design) of the illumination light ILm to the DMD 10'.

[0170] Such a light intensity fluctuation error of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa' due to the drive error Δθd of the micromirror Msa in the ON state can also occur when the DMD 10 is irradiated with illumination light ILm using the oblique illumination method as in the first embodiment. Therefore, it is preferable to correct the telecentric error Δθt taking into account the drive error Δθd. Furthermore, if the light intensity fluctuation error of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa' exceeds the allowable range (e.g., 10%) after correcting the telecentric error Δθt, the illuminance adjustment filter 106 shown in FIG. 26 may be adjusted to increase the transmittance of the illumination light ILm. Therefore, to enable such adjustment, information regarding the light intensity fluctuation error of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa' due to the drive error Δθd of the micromirror Msa in the ON state can also be generated as part of the recipe information and stored in the main control unit (computer).

[0171] Furthermore, because the light intensity fluctuation error of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa' tends to decrease, this can be addressed by increasing the power of the beams LB1-LB4 from the laser light sources FL1-FL4, as described in FIG. 29. However, to maximize productivity (takt time), the laser light sources FL1-FL4 often emit beams LB1-LB4 at nearly full power, making further power increase unfeasible. The same applies to the illuminance adjustment filter 106, and it may not be possible to further increase its transmittance. In such cases, the reduction in the exposure dose (dose) imparted to the resist layer on the substrate P can be compensated for by reducing the scanning speed of the substrate P in the X direction during scanning exposure (the movement speed of the XY stage 4A in FIG. 1). In this case, the switching cycle (frequency) of the micromirrors of the DMD 10' (or DMD 10) between the ON and OFF states is also adjusted according to the scanning speed of the substrate P.

[0172] Furthermore, at least one error that presents a particularly significant error among the telecentric error Δθt of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa′ projected onto the substrate P, the asymmetric error of the pattern image caused by the telecentric error Δθt (see Figure 24), or the light intensity fluctuation error of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa′ caused by the driving error Δθd of the micromirror Msa in the on state may be identified, and the two-dimensional tilt of at least one of the optical components in the illumination unit ILU or projection unit PLU, or the DMD10′ (or DMD10) may be adjusted to reduce the error.

[0173] As is clear from the state in Figure 40, the horizontal shift amount of the diffracted light Id0 corresponding to the zeroth-order light on the distribution of the Sinc2 function varies depending not only on the influence of the drive error Δθd but also on the telecentricity error Δθt caused by the diffraction phenomenon due to the pattern shape (isolated, L&S, land, etc.), resulting in a decrease in the intensity of the diffracted light Id0. In this case, even if the adjustment members in the illumination optical system or the attitude (tilt) of the DMD 10' or DMD 10 are adjusted so that the telecentricity error Δθt including the drive error Δθd becomes zero, the intensity of the diffracted light Id0 remains decreased. Therefore, it is desirable to perform a predictive calculation (simulation) in advance of the total light quantity fluctuation (mainly a decrease in illuminance) that may occur due to the telecentricity error Δθt depending on the shape of the exposed pattern, or to actually measure the projection state of the test pattern using the first optical measurement unit (image sensor 326), and then correct the illuminance during actual exposure.

[0174] As described above, according to this embodiment, in a device manufacturing method in which illumination light ILm from an illumination unit ILU is irradiated onto a DMD10′ (or DMD10) as a spatial light modulation element having a large number of micromirrors Ms that switch between an on state and an off state based on drawing data MDn, and an image of a device pattern corresponding to the drawing data MDn is projected onto a substrate P by a projection unit PLU that receives reflected light from micromirrors Msa that are in an on state of the DMD10′ (or DMD10), as imaging light beams (Sa′). In this device manufacturing method, a telecentric error of the imaging light beams (Sa′) that occurs in accordance with the distribution state of the micromirrors Msa in the on state of the DMD10′ (or DMD10), or an imaging light beam (Sa′) that occurs due to a drive error Δθd of the micromirrors Msa in the on state, ), and a step of adjusting the installation state (position or angle) of at least one optical element (mirror 100, 112, aperture stop 108B, condenser lens system 110, illuminance adjustment filter 106, or DMD10 or DMD10') in the illumination unit ILU (or projection unit PLU) so that the identified telecentric error or change in light intensity is reduced when driving DMD10' (or DMD10) based on recipe information (drawing data MDn) to expose a device pattern on the substrate P. By performing this step, it is possible to obtain a device manufacturing method that reduces the telecentric error or change in light intensity caused by diffraction effect or drive error Δθd when the micromirror Ms of DMD10' (or DMD10) is turned on, and forms a faithful pattern based on the drawing data.

[0175] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, in a device manufacturing method in which illumination light ILm from an illumination unit ILU is irradiated onto a DMD10' (DMD10) as a spatial light modulation element having a large number of micromirrors Ms that switch between an on state and an off state based on drawing data MDn, and reflected light Sa' from the micromirrors Msa of the DMD10' (DMD10) that are in an on state is incident as an imaging light beam by a projection unit PLU, a pattern image of an electronic device corresponding to the drawing data MDn is projected onto a substrate P, thereby forming an electronic device on a substrate P, the telecentric error Δθt of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa' occurring due to a diffraction action corresponding to the distribution state of the micromirrors Msa in the on state of the DMD10' (DMD10), an asymmetry error of the pattern image occurring due to the telecentric error Δθt, or an asymmetric error of the pattern image occurring due to a drive error Δθd of the micromirrors Msa in the on state The method includes a step of identifying at least one particularly significant error, or two errors that occur in combination (for example, a telecentric error and a light intensity fluctuation error, or a telecentric error and an asymmetric error), from among the telecentric error and light intensity fluctuation errors of the reflected light (imaging light beam) Sa' that occur as a result of the exposure, and a step of adjusting the installation state (position or angle) of at least one optical component in the illumination unit ILU or the projection unit PLU so that at least one identified error is reduced when the DMD10' (DMD10) is driven to expose a pattern image onto the substrate P. This reduces the telecentric error, asymmetric error, or light intensity fluctuation error that occurs due to the diffraction effect or drive error Δθd when the micromirror Ms of the DMD10' (or DMD10) is turned on, thereby providing a device manufacturing method that enables faithful pattern formation based on the drawing data. [Explanation of symbols]

[0176] 110... condenser lens system, 116... first lens group, 118... second lens group

Claims

1. a spatial light modulation element having a plurality of mirrors that can be individually controlled to a plurality of states; an illumination unit that irradiates the spatial light modulation element with illumination light; a projection unit that projects light from the spatial light modulation element onto a substrate; an adjustment mechanism that stores adjustment information corresponding to each of a plurality of predetermined patterns; The adjustment mechanism, based on the adjustment information corresponding to a pattern selected from the plurality of predetermined patterns, setting an incident angle of the illumination light irradiated onto the spatial light modulation element; setting the angle of the spatial light modulation element so as to adjust the angle of a plane including the center points of the plurality of mirrors with respect to the optical axis of the projection unit; or setting an inclination amount of a chief ray of the light projected onto the substrate with respect to an optical axis of the projection unit; Exposure device.

2. the adjustment mechanism performs the setting based on comparison information regarding the tilt amount obtained by comparing an exposure pattern to be exposed on the substrate with the selected pattern, and the adjustment information corresponding to the selected pattern.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1.

3. the comparison information includes information indicating that the tilt amount is outside an allowable range, the tolerance is set based on the minimum line width or resolving power Rs of the exposure pattern, the resolving power Rs satisfies Rs = k1 × λ / NAi, Here, 0<k1≦1 is satisfied, λ is the wavelength of the illumination light, and NAi is the numerical aperture on the image side.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2.

4. selecting a pattern from the plurality of predetermined patterns is performed for each layer of an electronic device formed on the substrate; The exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. a stage that moves the substrate in a first direction relative to the projection unit while the light from the projection unit is projected onto the substrate; the exposure pattern includes a plurality of regions aligned in the first direction, and the plurality of regions include patterns with different line widths or pitches; the adjustment mechanism performs the setting for each of the plurality of regions during a period in which the stage moves the substrate in the first direction relative to the projection unit while the light from the projection unit is being projected onto the substrate.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2.

6. the plurality of predetermined patterns include an isolated pattern, a line and space pattern, and a pad pattern; 2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1.

7. the plurality of predetermined patterns are patterns that are exposed onto the substrate by light projected onto the substrate from the projection unit; 2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1.

8. the adjustment mechanism sets the tilt amount within a predetermined range based on the adjustment information corresponding to the selected pattern. The exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

9. a spatial light modulation element having a plurality of mirrors that can be individually controlled to a plurality of states; an illumination unit that irradiates the spatial light modulation element with illumination light; a projection unit that projects light from the spatial light modulation element onto a substrate; an adjustment mechanism that sets the angle between the optical axis of the projection unit and a chief ray of the light projected onto the substrate within a predetermined range, the predetermined range is equal to or greater than −2.0° and equal to or less than 2.0°, The peak wavelength of the illumination light is within a wavelength range of 340.655 nm to 347.636 nm. Exposure equipment.

10. The adjustment mechanism performs the following steps based on an exposure pattern to be exposed onto the substrate: setting an incident angle of the illumination light irradiated onto the spatial light modulation element; setting the angle of the spatial light modulation element so as to adjust the angle of the surface on which the plurality of mirrors are arranged with respect to the optical axis of the projection unit, or setting an inclination amount of a chief ray of the light projected onto the substrate with respect to an optical axis of the projection unit; The exposure apparatus according to claim 9.

11. the illumination light includes a plurality of peak wavelengths; the plurality of peak wavelengths are within the wavelength range; The exposure apparatus according to claim 9.

12. the lighting unit includes an illuminance changing mechanism capable of changing the transmittance of light passing therethrough; the adjustment mechanism adjusts the illuminance change mechanism so as to suppress fluctuations in the amount of light from the spatial light modulation element due to the setting of the adjustment mechanism. The exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 9 to 11.

13. the lighting unit includes an optical member; the adjustment mechanism sets a position or an angle of the optical member based on the adjustment information corresponding to the selected pattern, thereby setting an incident angle of the illumination light irradiated onto the spatial light modulation element. The exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 9 to 11.

14. the projection unit includes an optical member; the adjustment mechanism sets an angle of the light projected onto the substrate with respect to the optical axis of the projection unit by setting a position or an angle of the optical member based on the adjustment information corresponding to the selected pattern. The exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 9 to 11.

15. the plurality of states include an ON state in which light from the mirror is incident on the projection unit, and an OFF state in which light from the mirror is incident on a location other than the projection unit. The exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 9 to 11.

16. selecting a first pattern from a plurality of predetermined patterns based on a pattern of a first layer of the electronic device; exposing the pattern of the first layer onto a substrate using an exposure apparatus set based on first adjustment information corresponding to the selected first pattern; selecting a second pattern from the plurality of predetermined patterns based on a pattern of a second layer of the electronic device that is different from the first layer; exposing the pattern of the second layer onto the substrate on which the first layer has been formed, using the exposure apparatus set based on second adjustment information corresponding to the selected second pattern; The exposure apparatus includes: a spatial light modulation element having a plurality of mirrors that can be individually controlled to a plurality of states; an illumination unit that irradiates the spatial light modulation element with illumination light; a projection unit that projects the light from the spatial light modulation element onto a substrate, Based on the first adjustment information or the second adjustment information, an incident angle of the illumination light irradiated onto the spatial light modulation element is set; the angle of the spatial light modulation element is set so as to adjust the angle of the surface on which the plurality of mirrors are arranged with respect to the optical axis of the projection unit, or an inclination amount of the light projected onto the substrate with respect to an optical axis of the projection unit is set; A method for manufacturing electronic devices.

Images