TW461972B - Electronic switch type off-axis illumination blade for stepping illumination system - Google Patents

Abstract

An off-axis stepping exposure system comprises an illumination system having an aperture device and lens. The aperture device includes an array of electronic switch type pixel matrix, the aperture device can be a transmission spatial light modulator. The transmitted ring pattern through the aperture device is provided by the spatial light modulator operated by computer. The computer can select and provide patterns with various sizes to operate the device effectively. Also, there is an aperture and transmission pattern of the first transmission spatial light modulator in the illumination system, its transmission pattern is controlled by computer. The type of photomask is a well-known binary mask or a second transmission spatial light modulator mask, the computer assists to operate the projection system to project images onto the work piece supported on the stepping tool.

Description

V. Description of the invention α) The present invention relates to optical exposure and more particularly to an off-axis illumination method and device for optical exposure tools.卩 03 (;) 16111 ^ 6 < 16 『6 {31. U.S. Patent No. 5,453,814 11 Independen11 y Controllable Shutters and Variable Area Aperture for Off Axis I 11 uin i nat i on1 'describes the use of an aperture plane including the aperture It uses an independently controllable mechanical shutter to provide off-axis illumination between the exposure light source and a mask with a variable area aperture.

Aiyer's U.S. Patent No. 5, 45 3, 8 1 4 " 11 Lumination Source and Method for Micro1ithography " shows an exposure system that uses acousto-optic modulators, namely Bragg cells, to change the frequency of light. The system divides a light source into many fragments. The frequency of each segment is shifted by a different amount. Each segment of light passes through a short focal length lens of a rope-eye array, is scattered to a mask plane, and evenly illuminates the mask. This fly-eye array is composed of B arag cells (of acousto-optic modulator), which contain transparent crystals to which radio voltage is applied. B r a g g The frequency at which cells move through light.

Shiraishi U.S. Patent No. 5,638,211 11 Method and Apparatus for Increasing the Resolution power of Projection Lithography Exposure System " discloses an illumination system for illuminating a photomask. A condenser lens and an optical integrator element combine a spatial filter and a wave filter, which have windows arranged on the F o u r i e r conversion plane. Other spatial filters are placed on the Fouriei conversion plane of the projection optical system. The space filter is formed by a light shielding plate or an electro-optical element, such as a liquid crystal device or an electro-chrome device.

C: \ ProgramFiles \ Patent \ 0516-3934-E. Ptd page 4 4 6 1 9 7 2 V. Description of the invention (2) US Patent No. 5,684,567 of Shiozawa " Exposure Apparatus and Device Manufacturing Method for "Projecting Light from a Secondary Light Source onto a Mask or Pattern" shows an exposure system with a series of optical integrator elements to move the light frequency and a CCD to monitor the quality of light. 1 \ ^ 1 ^ 61 : 31. U.S. Patent No. 5,600,485 | '01; 43 1 Pattern Recognition System Method of Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Modulator, 1 discusses SLM (Spatial Light Modulator) system, which is included in Col. 18. Transmitted spatial light modulator 104 in Figure 2 described in lines 34-51. Reiss eta 1. US Patent No. 5, 7 0 1,185 11 Spa tia 1 Light Modulator Assembly for Adapting a Photographic Printer to Print Electronic Images', showing the use of SLM for electronic printing processes. Pfauler et al • "High-Throughput Optical Direct W in Solid State Technology (June 1997), pp, 175 -176, 178, 180, 182 "rite Lithography" describes a direct-write reticle lithography system using a programmable phase modulation SLM system, in which the image is reflected from the SLM to a semiconductor wafer. The spatial light modulator includes a rectangular electrode array with a reflective Deformed viscoelastic layer. SLM is used as a plane mirror in the optical system. U.S. Patent No. 4,84 6,694, Erhardt "Computer Controlled Overhead Projector Display"

C: \ Program Files \ PatentM) 516-3934-E.ptd page 5 461972 5. Description of the invention (3) Transmissive (transparent or translucent) liquid crystal display front projection display.

Stein U.S. Patent No. 3,824,604 " Alphanumeric Printing System Employing Liquid Crystal Matrix " shows a printing system using an LCD matrix.

Hornbeck's U.S. Patent No. 5,02,9,39,9, 1Spatial Light Modulator System1 'displays an SLM. 2 & 叩 〇1111 € 131. U.S. Patent No. 5,038,854 "3 Improve1 ^ 31 Light Modulator with Improved Aperture Ratio" shows an SLM with improved aperture ratio.

Komuma U.S. Patent No. 5,576,562 " Solid-State

Imaging Development " shows an imaging device using light detectors and CCDs arranged in a matrix [: car train. Figure 1 shows a conventional lighting system 12 in which the critical dimension (CD) and the exposure wavelength are similar, which reduces the image quality. —The collimated beam cB is directed to the blade BL1 with an aperture API. A pattern beam passes through the aperture, passes through the lens group CL1, and then passes through the mask M with a window W1. Then the beam passes through the projection system PC to the target. The workpiece is a semiconductor wafer w +. The light beam is scattered from the -1st order beam to the 0th order beam to the + 1th order light. There is an angle β between the _1st order beam and the + 1st order beam. If the reticle M1 has a line / space p, then for the wavelength LAMBDA, there is a relationship defined by the following equation: s i η 0 two L AMBDA / p

Limitation of resolution, NA = s i η 6 »= LAMBDA / P; p = LAMBDA

/ NA

line = 1/2 P

C: \ ProgramFiles \ Patent \ 0516-3934-E.ptd page 6 461972 Resolution limit = 1/2 · LAMBDA / ΝΑ Figure 2 shows a conventional off-axis lighting (〇Α 丨) system 丨 4, which Modification of the system drawing 'In which the simple aperture leaf moon BL1 has been replaced with an oai blade BL2 using a conventional OAI mechanical blade. In Figure 2, a collimated first beam is directed at a new OAI blade BL2 including at least the apertures AP2 and AP3, the pattern portion of the beam CB passes through the aperture, passes down through the lens group CL1, and passes through the light with window W1 Cover M1, and then the beam passes through the projection system PC ^ Its beam is scattered from the 丄 order beam to the 0 order beam to the +1 order beam, and there is an angle between the _ 1 order beam and the + 丨 order beam <9 'but- The first order beam is directed away from the projection mirror as shown. ^

LAMBDA / P-2NA P = 1/2 · LAMBDA / ΝΑ 2 resolution limit = LAMBDA / 2ΝΑ resolution limit = 1/4. The incident angles of the second-order diffracted beams are equal '. AI has improved resolution. The optical path is therefore the same. As a result, there is no wavefront aberration, so there is an important improvement in focal depth. In the example of the conventional mechanical 0 A I blade, there is a problem that the mechanical device generates instability and positioning errors for each insert. As shown in the OAI configuration in Figure 2, another problem with mechanical blades is that their oai blades can contain a limited number of patterns, which makes it difficult to provide different OAI patterns in use. This is confirmed by the use of a rotatable shutter in patent 5,453,814 by poschenrieder et al., As described above. Figure 3 A-3D shows four different patterns of a conventional 〇Αι leaf, the leaf

C: \ Program Files \ Patent \ 0516-3934-E.ptd page 7 461972 5. Description of the invention (5) is mechanically inserted into the OA I aperture position. In FIG. 3A, a blade having a pattern SA (small ring) of a transmissive region TRO and an inner and outer opaque region OP is shown. The light passes through the transmissive region TRO but, on the contrary, the light is absorbed or blocked by the opaque region OP. In Fig. 3B t, another blade with a large ring LA pattern having a transmissive region TR1 and an inner and outer opaque region OP is shown. In Fig. 3C, a third blade having a quadrupole pattern of a set of transmission areas TR2 and all opaque areas OP is shown. In Fig. 3D, a fourth blade having a quadrupole pattern of a larger set of transmission regions TR3 and all opaque regions OP is shown. The present invention provides electronic switching of an image forming matrix, such as SLM, to form a blade in an OAI step exposure tool. The off-axis illumination system of the stepping exposure tool includes an aperture element, a lens, and a mask. An array of electronically switchable pixels in which the aperture element is contained in a matrix. The aperture element can be a transmissive spatial modulator. A spatial light modulator operating under the control of a computer provides a transparent circular pattern through an aperture element. This computer can select and provide various sizes of patterns to optimize the operation of the device. In addition to the first transmissive spatial light modulator that provides a transmission pattern under computer control to the aperture in the lighting system, a conventional binary mask or computer control is used to provide projection images through the projection system to A mask is provided in the form of a second transmitted light modulator on a workpiece on a stepping tool. The above and other features and advantages of the present invention are explained and described below with reference to the drawings, in which:

4 6 19 7 2 V. Description of the invention (6) Figure 1 shows a conventional lighting system, in which the critical dimension is close to the exposure wavelength, which will reduce the imaging quality. Fig. 2 shows the OA system of the conventional technique, which is a modification of Fig. 1. A simple aperture blade has been replaced by an OAI blade using a conventional OAI mechanical blade. Figures 3A-3D show four different conventional patterns of conventional OAI blades, which are mechanically inserted into a 0 AI aperture position. Figure 4 shows an electronically switchable off-axis lighting blade according to the present invention suitable for use in a step lighting system. Fig. 5A is a plan view showing a transmission general dynamic element including an aperture element te and a mask element. Fig. 5B shows the key of the chromaticity of a pixel pattern that is turned on and off in a transmission aperture element, which shows a large-aperture pattern with a transmission area and an opaque pixel area. Fig. 6A shows a plan view of a transmission aperture element having a large circular window with an inner radius r 1 and an outer radius r 2. Fig. 6B shows a plan view of a transmission aperture element having a set of quadrupoles with a radius r3 at the center, each aperture having a radius. Figure 6C shows a plan view of a transmissive aperture element having a set of quadrupoles with a radius r 5 at the center, each aperture having a radius r 6 and a central aperture having a radius r 7. FIG. 7A is a schematic partial perspective view of a step exposure system along the X (horizontal from left to right) and z (vertical) axes (in an X, y, and Z coordinate system) according to the present invention. .

461972 V. Description of the Invention (7) Figure 7B is a plan view in response to the data from the DASD displayed by the computer to the transmissive recitation energy, τ 仏 in the figure 7A. The pattern at the edge of the Universal Dynamic Mask TM 7C Pattern ====== Figure 8 is the step exposure system of Figure 7A, the support table is moved to the right to show how to use the CCD image measurement Sensor feedback to monitor system performance 'Its sensor supplies image data detected from the beam to the cpu to use the read data to correct the image deviation of Figure 7C to match the figures seen in the first few figures image. [Symbol description] CB 'B, LB, LB' ~ beam; BL1, BL2, BL3, BL4, BL5, BL6 ~ blades; LI, CL1, IL1, IL2, PL1, PL2 focusing lens; AP1, AP2, AP3, AP4 AP5 ~ aperture; S2 ~ platform; W1 ~; Ml ~ mask; 0-angle; PO projection system; W ~ workpiece; 10, 12, 14, 40 ~ system; ILM ~ light lens assembly; ILC ~ lighting lens Column: 〇p ~ opaque pixel area; SA ~ small ring; LA ~ large ring; TR1, TR2, TR3, TR4, TR5, TR6 ~ transmissive area; rl, r2, r3, r4, r5, r6, r7 ~ radius: TE, TE '~ transmission element; photomask element; PLC ~ projection lens column; CL ~ center line; (: 〇) ~ charge-coupled element; 811 ~ load; 34, 38 ~ interconnection: 20 ~ image sensor ; 2 4, 2 8, 3, 2 6 ~ transmission line; 2 6 ~ computer (CPU); 30 ~ direct access device (DASD); 34-control line; XI, Xm ~ x axis coordinates; Y1, y 11 ~ Y axis coordinates; TBL ~ table.

C: \ Program Files \ Patent \ 0516-3934-E.ptd Page 10 461972 V. Description of the invention (8) ---- Description of the preferred embodiment Figure 4 is based on the The invention shows an electronically switchable off-axis lighting blade. According to the present invention, FIG. 4 includes an alternative to a lighting system of a ㈣blade 'using a dynamic X, y coordinate system switch matrix transmission element TE, which selectively provides transmission and opaque image elements (pixels in a computer-controlled optical pattern) ) 'For example, FIG. 7 makes the computer 26 or other electronic control elements consistent with the present invention. In the example of a conventional mechanical OAI blade, there are problems of mechanical instability and mispositioning for each insert. According to the present invention and the electronically controlled transmission aperture element TE, the collimated beam CU is directed at an element that supplies an optical image of the AI blade formed on the transmission element TE, which is temporarily patterned to present the aperture as shown in FIG. 4 The images of the images AP4 and Ap5 are displayed 'passing through' after a patterned beam passes through the condenser lens group IL2 and passes through the patterned mask M1 with a window Π, and then the beam passes downward as Figure 2 shows the projection system pC. Since the incident angles of the diffracted beams of the zeroth order and the first order (+1) on the wafer W are equal, the OAI transmission aperture element TE of FIG. 4 has an improved resolution of the mechanical mask of FIG. 2. The optical path is therefore the same. As a result, there is no wavefront chromatic aberration 'and therefore the depth of focus (DOF) is greatly improved. According to the present invention, referring to FIGS. 3A-3D, for different layers, the computer 26 in FIG. 7A selects an appropriate OAI pattern 'which is presented on the aperture element TE' as explained below to be installed in the aperture position. Figure 4 shows a lighting and projection system according to the invention, which is the second

C: \ ProgramFiles \ Patent \ 0516-3934-E.ptd Page 11 461972 5. The invention outlines the improvement of the system 14. The system 40 includes a universal dynamic transmission off-axis aperture element TE as an OAI blade used in the system of FIG. The system 40 according to the present invention exposes a workpiece W with a pattern of light transmitted through the light beam CB transmitted through the off-axis aperture element ^, the lens group IL2, the mask M1, and the projection system PC. In the lighting system of Fig. 4, the transmission off-axis aperture element κ is supported at a fixed position. The actuation signal is applied to the X, y matrix lines shown in FIG. 5A to supply the energy of the transmission off-axis aperture element TE. FIG. 5A is a plan view including a transmission off-axis aperture element TE and a control system including a computer 26. View, the computer supplies the energy of the pixel element transmitting the off-axis aperture element TE. The workpiece w is thus exposed in a pattern supplied by the transmission off-axis aperture element TE under the control of the computer 26. Fig. 5A is a diagram showing a transmission universal dynamic element including an aperture element TE and a mask element TM. The elements TE and TM both consist of a small pixel x, y matrix array 'which is preferably provided by a spatial light modulator (SLM). Each pixel can be switched ON / OFF ("0 ', / 1) by the central processing unit (cpu) of the computer 26 to form a design for the element TE from the computer database stored in the data storage element 30. The off-axis aperture forms a device pattern for the element TM, its data storage element such as a magnetic disk device or other direct access storage device (DASD). It is connected by the conventional interconnect area 34, the computer 26 and the transmissive element TE, which includes An array of actuation lines extending along the straight X and Y coordinate axes. The same 'computer 26 is still connected by the line 36 to the conventional interconnect region 38, and then to the transmission aperture element TE. X lines XI to Xm and X The axis extends parallel and horizontally, and the γ line? 1 to λ11 and the γ axis extend parallel and vertically, and its &quot; η1, is a positive integer and has m horizontal lines

C: \ ProgramFiIes \ Patent \ 0516-3934-E.ptd page 12 461972

The number of parallel actuation lines in the array of Υ η XI is equal to the amount of X and η vertical lines. Figure 5B shows the key to chromaticity, a large aperture pattern. Figure 6A of a pattern of pixels shown on and off in a transmission aperture element showing a transmission region TR5 and an opaque pixel region 0ρ shows a plan view of a transmission aperture element, which is a large ring with rl and outer radius r2 window. Figure 6B only shows a plan view of a transmission aperture element with a set of quadrupoles with a radius r3 at the center, each aperture having a radius. Fig. 6C shows a plan view of a transmissive aperture element having a set of quadrupoles with a radius r5 at the center 'and each aperture has a radius r6 and the center aperture has a radius r7. By changing the radius and width of the ring light and changing the interval and diameter of different quadrupole configurations, the computer 26 can change the value of the radius •, .ri, where i is a positive integer to control the OAI blade as shown in Figures 6a_6b ring. ', For a fixed photomask' By describing the characteristics of the wafer edge pattern quality (contrast, DOF, resolution), the layout of different forms (dense line / space, single line, contact hole or island pattern ...) 'It can optimize the OAI blade case. For different photomasks, 'the electronic mask is selected for each photomask—the appropriate pattern' uses a universal transmission aperture element TE, which can optimize the image, DOF, and resolution. And z Figure 7 A is shown along x (horizontal from left to right) according to the present invention

C: \ Program Files \ Patent \ 0516-3934-E · ptd page 13 461972 V. Description of the invention (11) (vertical) axis (in an x, y, z coordinate system) outline three-dimensional part of the exposure system Step tool 10 in section view. According to the present invention, the tool 10 exposes the workpiece boundary with a light pattern projected through a transmission universal dynamic mask TM. The transmission general-purpose dynamic aperture element TE is supported at a fixed position in the illumination cylinder 11c. The transmissive universal dynamic mask TM is supported in a fixed position on the table TBL. The system 10 exposes the workpiece W supported by the stage ST with light projected through the openings of the aperture element TE and the mask TM. The aperture element τε and the photomask TM are excited to provide a transmission pattern selected through an x, y matrix as shown in Fig. 5, which shows a plan view of the transmission elements TE and TM and a control system including a computer 26. The computer excites the pixel elements of the transmissive element TE and the photomask TM. Therefore, the work W is exposed by light having a pattern provided by the mask TM controlled by the computer 26 through the element TE. In FIG. 7A, in the step exposure tool 10, a light beam LB from a light source (not shown) is directed onto a mirror M1, which reflects the light beam LB from a light source along a direction parallel to the vertical z-axis. The path goes down, enters a light source lens assembly ILM to a condenser lens, and a light beam LB passes through one of the assemblies 1LM to illuminate the lens column IL C. The illumination lens column I L C includes a group of light emitter lenses and a transmission aperture element TE '. The illumination component ILM generates a collimated light beam (ie, a parallel light beam) directed toward the mask ′ according to the pattern of the mask TM and passes through a portion LB of the light beam LB. The light beam LB fills the upper surface of the photomask TM, which is supported at a fixed position on the table TBL. The table TBL has a hollow opening below the center of the photomask TM pattern, and the light beam LB 'passes through it. The workpiece W preferably contains a dream semiconductor wafer with a photoresist layer, which is exposed in a pattern including an image projected through the mask TM. The figure

CAProgram Πΐ63 \ Ρβ1; εη1: \ 0516-3934-E · ρΐ (1 page 14 461972

The case is when the collimated beam LB is projected through the transparent portion of the mask. Therefore, in the transparent portion (not the opaque portion) of the mask TM, a part of the collimated light beam LB penetrates the mask TM, thereby projecting an image defined by the mask ^ and patterned in the beam LB ′ to the workpiece w on. The transmission universal dynamic mask TM preferably includes a transmission spatial light modulator (SLM), which includes a pixel matrix, and each pixel is transparent or opaque, and is supplied to the mask by the CPU 26 through the transmission line 32 ^ The x, y matrix is a unary signal. CPU 2 6 controls "on" or "off" of each pixel. Each pixel of the mask TM matrix is switched to ON (light: "factory") in response to the signals of the χ and γ matrix lines. 0FF (Dark. Binary On / Off ("Γ Factory 0") signals provide transparent and opaque areas in the matrix, using a transmissive universal dynamic mask TM 'for example by a spatial light modulator (slm ) Is formed, and the light beam LB is projected by it. The circuit layout produced by the designer and stored in the disk storage element 20 is transferred from the computer (CPU) 26 to the control line 34 of the transmission universal dynamic reticle 1, By changing the pixels to &quot; ON &quot; and / or &quot; 〇Fr, at appropriate locations in time to form each pattern required as a function of time when different workpieces are loaded on the platform ST. As above As described below, under the control of the computer CPU 26 which supplies the energy of the transmission universal dynamic mask TM, the patterned image supplied by the transmission mask TM is generated. The computer CPU 26 stores the direct access device (DASD) from the pattern data. 30, such as a disk drive, received a 1 y moment on the transmission line 28 Send data to store data D A S D 3 0 'as well known to those skilled in the art by patterning information .CPU 26 are transmission lines 28.

C: \ Program Files \ Patent \ 0516-3934_E.ptd page 15 461972 5. Description of the invention (13) After the projected beam LB passes through the photomask TM, it is converted into a beam LB ', and the beam LB passes through the projection mirror PLC The workpiece W is exposed, and the patterned image received in the light beam B is projected onto the workpiece W from the transmission mask TM. In other words, the 'patterned image contains a part of the light beam LB, which passes through the mask TM and becomes the light beam LB' 'and then it penetrates downward through the projection lens pLc, which receives the light beam LB after the light beam LB passes through the mask TM, . The projection lens column PLC includes a set of projection lenses. The lens PL2 focuses the light beam LB 'into the light beam B. The pattern projected by the mask TM exposes the surface of the workpiece w to expose the surface of the workpiece W with the pattern projected by the mask]. Fig. 7B is a plan view of a pattern provided in response to the signal provided by the computer from the DASD data display to the transmissive universal dynamic mask ^ in Fig. 7A, which will be explained in more detail below. The CCD imager on the wafer carrier platform responds to the exposure pattern transferred by the reticle / projection lens. The charge-coupled element C CD generates an image which is transmitted to the CPU 26 (computer) and compared with the design pattern of the database stored in the data storage device 30. The results of these CCD images are analyzed to optimize and correct the pattern on the Mask TM. The CCD imager also helps optimize the focus, dose, numerical aperture, and partial coherence settings. Figure 7C is a pattern provided by the CCD 20 in response to the image detected in the light beam B on the CCD 20 projected from the pattern provided there by the transmissive universal dynamic element. The CCD 20 provides feedback data to the computer 26, which will be explained in more detail below. Ideally, Figure 7B 圊 should be the same as shown in Figure 7C 'but because Figure 7B is the original image and Figure 7β is the actual image' In the image

C: \ ProgramFiles \ Pateiit \ 0516-3934-E.ptd page 16 461972 Five 'invention description (14) Slave system I. The error of any optical system of the LC lighting system will be different, so differences are very likely to occur . In response to the signal provided by the computer 26 from the data of DASD 30, any effect on the pattern provided to the transmission aperture π member TE in the figure will be reflected in the shadow shown in Figure 7C. As shown in Fig. 7C, when the light beam 8 hits the C ^ D soil device 20 'shown in Fig. 8, the pattern measured by the CCD device 20 is flat. In Fig. 8, it is moved to the right of tool 10. Detective j, which provides the ideal photo tea as shown in the first generation. To expose the same layer I twice, there is no need to reload the mask TM mechanically, only the device / layer file is loaded into the mask TM by the CPU. The entire unit uses the same mask TM (fixed. This significantly reduces the number of required mask sets. Library --- Unit A Installation IT-Layer 2 Layer 2 Layer 3 Layer 3 Layer 4 Layer 4

C: \ Program Files \ patent \ 0516-3934 ~ E.ptd page 17 4 6 丨 97 2 V. Description of the invention (15) 1. Comparison between a CCD image (unreal image) and a real processed wafer CD ' Calibrate the critical dimension (CD) of the CCD image and fix the boundaries of the unreal image. As shown in Figure 3, it shows the pattern of (^)) unreal images of intensities as a function of distance X in microns. 2_ Then the CCD image of the CD will be compared with the database pattern to determine the change of the CD and the distortion of the CCD image. 3. The system in the computer 26 then corrects the distortion on the CD and on the Dynamic MaskTM. 4. Using this CCD image, a criterion can be set to determine the optimal focal length of a lens module and the optimal level of the stage of the exposure tool ET in Figure 7A. 5. Then you can also change the focal length and exposure dose ', and then check the CCD image / database pattern correspondence result. Based on the feedback to the CPU, determine the best να (numerical aperture) and partial coherence of the lens parameters to provide the maximum Optimal settings for focal length depth and energy exposure width. Fig. 8 is the step exposure system and support table ST of Fig. 7A. It is shown to the right to show how to use the feedback from the CCD image sensor 20 to monitor the performance of the tool 10, and its sensor supply detected The image data is transmitted from the light beam B to the CPU 26, and the deviation of the image in FIG. 7C is corrected using the read data to conform to the image seen in FIG. 7B. The material materials used in the present invention are not limited to those cited in the examples, they can be replaced by various substances and forming methods with appropriate characteristics, and the structural space of the present invention is not limited to the dimensions cited in the examples. Although the present invention has been disclosed above with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art will not depart from the essence of the present invention.

C: \ Program Files \ Patent \ 0516-3934-E. Ptd

4 6 彳 97 2 V. Description of the invention (16) Within the scope of Shenhe, there may be some changes and retouching. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the scope of the attached patent application. im C: \ Program Files \ Patent \ 0516-3934-E.ptd page 19

Claims (1)

461972 VI. Scope of patent application 1. One piece, one lens can be used electronically 2. Rushen components include one 3. Rushen components include one 4. Rushen components include one optical modulator. 5. If applied, the component includes an off-axis lighting system of a light modulator in a stepping tool, and m% includes an aperture element and a photomask, where the aperture element switches the pixel array. ^ Niu is included in the matrix = The system described in item 1 of the range, wherein the aperture light modulator described above. The system described in item 1 of the patent scope, which transmits a spatial light modulator. The system described in item 1 of the aforementioned Konsori range, wherein the above-mentioned aperture has a circular pattern or a quadrupole pattern or other pattern. The system described in item 1 wherein the above-mentioned apertures are eight-ring, four The transmission space of the heavy pole or other projection patterns 6. The system described in item 丨 of the scope of the patent application, wherein the aperture element includes a spatial light modulator operated under computer control. Tu 1 7. The system described in item 1 of the scope of patent application / wherein the aperture element includes a transmissive spatial light modulator operated under computer control. 8. The system according to item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the above-mentioned apertures, parts include spatial light modulation with a transmission pattern operated under computer control. 9. The system according to item 丨 of scope of patent application, wherein The above-mentioned apertures include a spatial light modulator 1 with a transmission pattern operated under the control of a computer to provide a variable size of a size selected by the computer as described above to optimize the operation of the device in the stepping tool. 4, 6 1 9 7 2 VI. Patent application scope 10. The system described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the aperture element includes a first spatial light modulator with a transmission pattern under computer control operation. And a conventional photomask or a photomask including a second spatial light modulator operated under the control of a computer, which collectively operates to provide an image to a workpiece, is exposed on the stepping tool by the aforementioned photomask. 11. An operating method of an off-axis lighting system in a stepping tool including an aperture element, a lens, and a mask, comprising providing an array of electronically switchable pixels in a momentary opening as the aperture element described above , Apply a component image to the above-mentioned pixel matrix. 1 2 · The method according to item i 丨 in the scope of patent application, wherein the aperture element includes a spatial light modulator. 1 3. The method according to item i of the scope of patent application, wherein the aperture element includes a transmissive spatial light modulator. 14. The method according to item 11 of the scope of patent application, wherein the aperture element includes a spatial light modulator having a ring pattern, a quadrupole pattern, or other patterns. μ 1 5. The method according to item 11 of the scope of patent application, wherein the aperture element includes a transmissive spatial light modulator having a ring, quadrupole, or other transmission pattern. '16. The method as described in item 丨 丨 of the scope of patent application, wherein said aperture element includes a spatial light modulator operated under computer control. 17. The method according to item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the above-mentioned hole control element includes a transmitted spatial light modulator operated under the control of a computer. 1 8. The method according to item 丨 丨 in the scope of patent application, wherein the above hole C: \ ProgramFiles \ Patent \ 0516-3934-E.ptd No. 21 Tribute 4 D 9 7 6 'Patent Application Scope The diameter components include a controller under the control of a computer. 1 9. If the scope of the patent application, the first diameter component includes a controller under the control of a computer to provide the selection by the above computer, so as to optimize the stepping tool. 20. If the scope of the patent application, the first diameter component includes the computer control The light modulator and the second spatial light modulator of the conventional binary light are covered on the stepping tool, and the space light modulator with a transmission pattern is described above. A method in which the above-mentioned hole is used to operate a device having a transmission pattern with a spatial light to select a variable-size device having the above-mentioned pattern. The method according to item 1, wherein the hole is used as a first space mask having a transmission pattern or a computer is operated under the control of a computer, and is collectively operated to provide an image to the mask exposure. C: \ ProgramFiles \ Patent \ 0516-3934-E. Ptd page 22