METHOD FOR OPERATING A PROJECTION EXPOSURE SYSTEM

Abstract: in a method for operating a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, a mask is repeatedly exposed to an exposure radiation provided by an illumination system, and mask structures are imaged in the process on in each case one of a multiplicity of fields of a plurality of semiconductor substrates. during a period in which the repeated exposure of the mask takes place, the illumination system is used successively in at least two different illumination settings of the illumination system, in which different illumination distributions of the exposure radiation are present in a pupil plane of the illumination system, with a pupil surface illuminated in the first illumination setting having no overlap or an overlap of at most 90% of the respective illuminated pupil surface with a pupil surface illuminated in the second illumination setting, with the mask being fully exposed at least once in each of the different illumination settings.

Inventor(s): Joerg ZIMMERMANN, Toralf GRUNER, Johannes RUOFF

CPC Classification: G03F7/70116 (PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices ; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes ; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor ))

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