Optical lithographic system

Claim 2

An optical lithographic system for fabricating small linewidths, said system comprising: A. a first substrate suitable for the construction of an integrated circuit; B. an ultraviolet source of illumination; C. an optical condenser coupled to receive said illumination from said ultraviolet source; D. a mask including a desired pattern of lines to be exposed on said first substrate; E. an ultraviolet sensitive photoresist layer on said first substrate whose sensitivity is substantially matched to that of said ultraviolet source of illumination; F. an optical imaging system for imaging a reduced representation of said mask onto said photoresist layer; and G. means for focusing said reduced representation of said mask produced by said optical system onto said photoresist layer to within a depth of focus, P, where: P=±k·L(2f/d).sup.2

Claim 3

where L is the operating wavelength of said source of illumination, f is the focal length of said optical imaging system, d is the diameter of said optical imaging system, and k is a constant.

Claim 4

where L is the operating wavelength of said source of illumination, f is the focal length of said optical imaging system, d is the diameter of said optical imaging system, and k is a constant.

Claim 5

A system as in claim 1 where the constant k is preferably about 0.4.

Claim 6

A system as in claim 1 in which said imaging system comprises a reflective optical system.

Claim 7

A system as in claim 3 in which said imaging system comprises a Cassagrain-type telescope design having a primary focusing mirror with a central obscuration, wherein the diameter of said obscuration is less than one-third the diameter of said primary focusing mirror.

Claim 8

A system as in claim 1 in which said imaging system comprises a refractive optical system.

Claim 9

A system as in claim 5 in which said refractive optical system comprises a double Gauss lens system corrected for distortion and optical aberrations.

Claim 10

A device as in claim 1 in which said ultraviolet source of illumination comprises an Excimer laser operating at a wavelength between 190 and 250 nanometers.

Claim 11

A system as in claim 1 in which said ultraviolet source of illumination comprises an arc lamp with one or more filters to provide a source of illumination at a mean wavelength between 190 and 250 nanometers.

Claim 12

A system as in claim 1 wherein said optical condenser is a dynamic coherent optical condenser which has a frequency cutoff typical of an incoherent optical condenser and which has high contrast and resolution typical of a coherent optical condenser.

Claim 13

A system as in claim 1 in which said optical condenser comprises a condenser lens and a fiber optic illuminating system which when used in combination with said ultraviolet source provides a plurality of substantially coherent point sources of illumination which are substantially incoherent to each other such that when said condenser system is used in combination with said optical imaging system, an image with increased contrast and resolution is provided.

Claim 14

A system as in claim 10 wherein said fiber optic illuminating system comprises: A. a plurality of optically transmitting fibers forming a fiber optic bundle in which the length of all said optic fibers are randomized such that the difference in length between fibers is greater than the coherence length of said source of illumination, and the length of each fiber within said bundle is not within the coherence length of any other fiber; B. wherein said bundle is shaped such that one end of said bundle terminates in a substantially planar surface whose cross-sectional area substantially matches the cross-sectional area of the output beam of said source of illumination; C. wherein the other end of said bundle is shaped to form an annulus with a substantially planar end; and D. wherein the inner and outer diameters of said annular end are selected such that light projected from said source of illumination through said fiber optic bundle is collected by said condenser lens and imaged on said optical imaging system.

Claim 15

A system as in claim 1 in which said means for focusing comprises: A. a coarse focus control comprising an automatic focusing device to focus said mask image onto said photoresist layer to within a selected tolerance; and B. a fine focusing device to focus said mask image onto said first substrate to within a predetermined accuracy of said depth of focus P.

Claim 16

A system as in claim 12 wherein said selected tolerance is within 0.05 microns.

Claim 17

A system as in claim 12 wherein said fine focusing device includes a three slit interferometric focusing device.

Claim 18

A system as in claim 14 wherein said three slit interferometric device comprises: A. a substantially coherent source of illumination; B. an optical beamsplitter positioned in the path of the beam of said source of illumination; C. a first movable surface which is to be positioned at a first distance from said beamsplitter, which position corresponds to the plane of best focus of said optical projection system; D. a means for moving said first surface into said position of best focus; E. a substantially reflective second surface having a central hole, said second surface located a distance from said beamsplitter substantially equal to said first distance; F. an energy detection system capable of measurement at the wavelength of said source of illumination; G. an optically absorbing third surface having a central hole, said third surface placed between said optical beamsplitter and said first movable surface; and H. an optically opaque fourth surface with three substantially parallel slits, said fourth surface positioned between said optical beamsplitter and said energy detection system.

Claim 19

A system as in claim 12 in which said coarse focus control comprises a pneumatic focus control device.

Claim 20

A system as in claim 12 in which said coarse focus control device comprises an intensity profiling focus control device.

Claim 21

A system as in claim 12 in which said coarse focus control device comprises a focus wedge focus control device.