PROTECTION DEVICE FOR LINES IN A PROJECTION PRINTING INSTALLATION FOR SEMICONDUCTOR LITHOGRAPHY

Abstract

A protective apparatus for lines between two components of a projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography is firmly connected to the two components. the protective apparatus includes first and second partial regions which are configured to protect against mechanical damage to the lines. The first partial region is at least temporarily configured to mechanically decouple the first component from the second component.

Claims

1. A protective apparatus configured to protect lines between first and second components of a projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography, the protective apparatus comprising: a first partial region; and a second partial region comprising multiple segments, wherein the protective apparatus is configured so that when the protective apparatus is firmly connected to the first and second components: the first and second partial regions protect against mechanical damage to the lines; and the first partial region at least temporarily mechanically decouples the first component from the second component.

2. The protective apparatus of claim 1, wherein the segments of the second partial region have different lengths.

3. The protective apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first partial region and a segment of the second partial are clamped together.

4. The protective apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first partial region is firmly connected to a segment of the second partial region.

5. The protective apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first partial region has a first position in which it is connected to the segment of the second partial region, and the first partial region has a second position in which it is connected to the segment of the second partial region.

6. The protective apparatus of claim 5, wherein, when the first partial region is in its first position, the first partial region firmly connects two segments of the second partial region to one another.

7. The protective apparatus of claim 5, wherein, when the first partial region is in its first position, the first partial region firmly connects the segment of the second partial region to at least one component selected from the group consisting of the first component and the second component.

8. The protective apparatus of claim 5, wherein, when the first partial region is in its second position, the first partial region is firmly connected to a segment of the second partial region.

9. The protective apparatus of claim 5, wherein, when the first partial region is in its second position, the first partial region is firmly connected to a component selected from the group consisting of the first component and the second component.

10. The protective apparatus of claim 1, wherein a ratio of a static stiffness of the first partial region to a static stiffness of the second partial region is greater than 1.

11. The protective apparatus of claim 1, wherein, in a frequency range of from 500 Hz to 2000 Hz, a ratio of a dynamic stiffness of the first partial region to a dynamic stiffness of the second partial region is less than 1/10.

12. The protective apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first partial region comprises a material having an inherent damping of more than 20%.

13. The protective apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first partial region comprises multiple segments.

14. The protective apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first and second components and the segments of the first and second partial regions are arranged successively according to one of the following: the first component, a segment of the first partial region, a segment of the second partial region, the second component; the first component, a segment of the second partial region, a segment of the first partial region, the second component; the first component, a first segment of the first partial region, a segment of the second partial region, a second segment of the first partial region, the second component; to the first component, a first segment of the first partial region, a first segment of the second partial region, a second segment of the first partial region, a second segment of the second partial region, a third segment of the first partial region, the second component; the first component, a first segment of the first partial region, a first segment of the second partial region, a second segment of the first partial region, a second segment of the second partial region, the second component; the first component, a first segment of the second partial region, a first segment of the first partial region, a second segment of the second partial region, a second segment of the first partial region, the second component; and the first component, a first segment of the second partial region, a segment of the first partial region, a second segment of the second partial region, the second component.

15. The protective apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first partial region comprises a tuned mass damper.

16. The protective apparatus of claim 1, wherein materials of the protective apparatus are vacuum-suitable.

17. The protective apparatus of claim 1, wherein the segments of the second partial region have different lengths, and the first partial region and a segment of the second partial are clamped together.

18. The protective apparatus of claim 1, wherein the segments of the second partial region have different lengths, and the first partial region is firmly connected to a segment of the second partial region.

19. An apparatus, comprising: an illumination system configured to illuminate an object field; a projection optical unit configured to image the object field into an image field; and a protective apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a semiconductor lithography projection exposure apparatus.

20. A method of using a semiconductor lithography projection exposure apparatus comprising an illumination system, a projection optical unit and a protective system, the method comprising: using the illumination system configured to illuminate an object field; and using the projection optical unit configured to image the object field into an image field, wherein the protective apparatus is a protective apparatus according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Exemplary embodiments and variants of the disclosure are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing, in which:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows the basic construction of an EUV projection exposure apparatus in which the disclosure can be implemented;

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a protective apparatus known from the prior art;

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment of the disclosure;

[0034] FIGS. 4A-4D show further variants of the first embodiment of the disclosure; and

[0035] FIGS. 5A-5B show a further embodiment of the disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0036] FIG. 1 shows by way of example the basic construction of a microlithographic EUV projection exposure apparatus 1 in which the disclosure can find application. The protective apparatus can be arranged for example between a controller (not illustrated) and the projection optical unit 9. An illumination system of the projection exposure apparatus 1 has, in addition to a light source 3, an illumination optical unit 4 for the illumination of an object field 5 in an object plane 6. EUV radiation 14 in the form of optical used radiation generated by the light source 3 is aligned via a collector, which is integrated in the light source 3, in such a way that it passes through an intermediate focus in the region of an intermediate focal plane 15 before it is incident on a field facet mirror 2. Downstream of the field facet mirror 2, the EUV radiation 14 is reflected by a pupil facet mirror 16. With the aid of the pupil facet mirror 16 and an optical assembly 17 having mirrors 18, 19 and 20, field facets of the field facet mirror 2 are imaged into the object field 5.

[0037] A reticle 7 arranged in the object field 5 and held by a schematically illustrated reticle holder 8 is illuminated. A merely schematically illustrated projection optical unit 9 serves for imaging the object field 5 into an image field 10 in an image plane 11. A structure on the reticle 7 is imaged onto a light-sensitive layer of a wafer 12, which is arranged in the region of the image field 10 in the image plane 11 and held by a likewise partly represented wafer holder 13. The light source 3 can emit used radiation for example in a wavelength range of between 5 nm and 120 nm.

[0038] The disclosure can likewise be used in a DUV apparatus, which is not illustrated. A DUV apparatus is set up in principle like the above-described EUV apparatus 1, wherein mirrors and lens elements can be used as optical elements in a DUV apparatus and the light source of a DUV apparatus emits used radiation in a wavelength range of 100 nm to 300 nm.

[0039] For example, the disclosure can also find application between components of which one is arranged at what is known as a force frame and the other is arranged at what is known as a sensor frame. The force frame is a carrying structure of a projection exposure apparatus absorbing forces emanating from the components used, for example their weights. The sensor frame, by contrast, substantially carries only sensor components and are desirably decoupled from mechanical influences of the force frame as much as possible in order to ensure for example position measurements that are as precise as possible.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a protective apparatus 30 known from the prior art, including a corrugated tube 40 and two attachment mechanisms 61. The protective apparatus 30 is attached by way of the attachment mechanisms 61 in each case to one of the two components 60, 60′, wherein the protective apparatus 30 extends in a sling (not denoted separately in the figure) from one component 60 to the other component 60′. The sling serves to decouple relative movements between the two components 60, 60′, wherein mechanical vibrations can be transmitted from one component 60 to the other component 60′ via the corrugated tube 40. The lines 70 protected by the protective apparatus 30 against mechanical damage are indicated by dashed lines.

[0041] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a first variant of the disclosure, wherein the protective apparatus 30 has a first partial region 31, including two segments 32, 32′, and a second partial region 33 in the form of a corrugated tube 40. A segment 32, 32′ of the first partial region 31 here includes a bushing 42 and two attachment mechanisms 41. The attachment mechanisms 41 connect the bushing 42 in each case to the second partial region 33 and to one of the two components 60, 60′. The bushing 42 can include plastic, for example, perfluoroelastomer. First, the flexibility, or low stiffness, of the bushing 42 compared to the second partial region 33 results in decoupling between the two components 60, 60′, and, second, the energy, which is present in the system in the form of mechanical vibration energy, is reduced owing to the inherent damping of the bushing 42. The design of the corrugated tube 40 is nearly identical to the prior art shown in FIG. 2, wherein even the sling for further decoupling is kept. The lines 70 are again indicated by dashed lines.

[0042] FIGS. 4A-4D show different variants of a protective apparatus 30 according to the disclosure, wherein the protective apparatuses 30 are illustrated in each case without the sling to simplify the illustration. The segments 32, 32′, 32″ of the first partial region 31 are substantially identical to the segments 32, 32′ shown in FIG. 3 and each include a bushing 42 and two attachment mechanisms 41.

[0043] FIG. 4A shows a first variant of the protective apparatus 30, in which the first partial region 31 includes only one segment 32. In this case, the first attachment mechanism 41 connects the bushing 42 to the component 60, and the second attachment mechanism 41 again connects the bushing 42 to the second partial region 33, which likewise has only one segment 34. The segment 34 is connected to the component 60′ by way of an attachment mechanism 61. The decoupling effect of the first partial region 31 is nearly identical to the one described in FIG. 3.

[0044] FIG. 4B shows a further variant of the protective apparatus 30, wherein the first partial region 31 likewise has only one segment 32. The latter is arranged between two segments 34, 34′ of the second partial region 33. The segments 34, 34′ are connected to the components 60, 60′ using attachment mechanism 61. In this arrangement it is conceivable to embody the first partial region 31 additionally as a tuned damper. In this case, in addition to the inherent damping and decoupling of the bushing 42 as a whole, the first partial region 31 acts as an absorber, which can reduce the amplitudes in a resonant frequency of the protective apparatus 30 to a minimum.

[0045] FIG. 4C shows a further variant of the protective apparatus 30, which corresponds to a combination of the variants shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4A, that is to say includes three segments 32, 32′, 32″ of the first partial region 31 and two segments 34, 34′ of the second partial region 33. The segments 32, 32′, 32″ of the first partial region 31 are arranged in each case between a component 60, 60′ and a respective segment 34, 34′ of the second partial region 33 and between the segments 34, 34′.

[0046] FIG. 4D shows a further variant of the protective apparatus 30, which is designed to be nearly identical in terms of the arrangement of the segments 32, 32′, 32″, 34, 34′ to the protective apparatus 30 shown in FIG. 4C. The two segments 34, 34′ of the second partial region 33 here have different lengths, as a result of which the further transmission of mechanical vibrations having a frequency corresponding to the resonant frequency of the first segment 34 is significantly reduced. Due to the resonant frequencies of the segments 34 and 34′ deviating from one another owing to the different lengths, mechanical vibrations of the segment 34 are not completely transmitted through the segment 34′. In the case of sound insulation glazing, for example, this effect is achieved by the use of panes having different thicknesses.

[0047] FIGS. 5A and 5B show a further embodiment of the protective apparatus 30. The protective apparatus 30 here includes a segment 32 of the first partial region 31, wherein the segment 32 includes an attachment mechanism 51 and a sleeve 52. The protective apparatus 30 in the example shown furthermore includes two segments 34, 34′ of the second partial region 33. The first partial region 31 and the second partial region 33 can here include steel tubes 50, 50′. Moreover, the first partial region 31 from a functional viewpoint also includes the region between the two segments 34, 34′ of the second partial region 33.

[0048] The position of the first partial region 31 shown in FIG. 5A is used, for example, for the transport or during the setup of the projection exposure apparatus. In this position, the attachment mechanism 51 of the first partial region 31 connects the two segments 34, 34′ of the second partial region 33, wherein the attachment mechanism 51 is embodied in the form of a clamping apparatus. The sleeve 52, which is formed like a pipe section, has a larger internal diameter than the attachment mechanism 51 and is firmly connected thereto. The internal diameter is here selected such that the sleeve 52 can be moved over the segments 34, 34′ of the second partial region 33 without touching them.

[0049] FIG. 5B shows the identical arrangement in a second position, in which the first partial region 31 is attached to only one of the segments 34′ of the second partial region 33 by way of the attachment 51. The sleeve 52 encloses the lines 70, which are indicated in dashes, in the region between the two segments 34, 34′ of the second partial region 33, in which the lines 70 are not enclosed by tubes 50, 50′. In this region, the sleeve 52 serves to protect the lines 70 against mechanical damage and, with a suitable selection of the internal diameter of the sleeve 52, also to avoid a bend radius falling under a minimum bend radius. In the second position, the region between the two segments 34, 34′ of the second partial region 33 makes nearly complete decoupling of the two components, which are connected only via the lines 70, possible.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0050] 1 Projection exposure apparatus

[0051] 2 Facet mirror

[0052] 3 Light source

[0053] 4 Illumination optical unit

[0054] 5 Object field

[0055] 6 Object plane

[0056] 7 Reticle

[0057] 8 Reticle holder

[0058] 9 Projection optical unit

[0059] 10 Image field

[0060] 11 Image plane

[0061] 12 Wafer

[0062] 13 Wafer holder

[0063] 14 EUV radiation

[0064] 15 Intermediate field focal plane

[0065] 16 Pupil facet mirror

[0066] 17 Assembly

[0067] 18 Mirror

[0068] 19 Mirror

[0069] 20 Mirror

[0070] 30 Protective apparatus

[0071] 31 First partial region

[0072] 32, 32′, 32″ Segment of the first partial region

[0073] 33 Second partial region

[0074] 34, 34′ Segment of the second partial region

[0075] 40 Corrugated tube

[0076] 41 Fastening mechanism

[0077] 42 Bushing

[0078] 50, 50′ Tube

[0079] 51 Fastening mechanism

[0080] 52 Sleeve

[0081] 60,60′ Component

[0082] 61 Attachment mechanism

[0083] 70 Line