Polarimetry of illumination for 193 nm immersion lithography

We have constructed a theory of polarimetry of illumination used in 193 nm lithography equipments, fabricated a polarimeter mask, and demonstrated it for a hyper-NA (numerical aperture) immersion lithography scanner. The polarimeter mask comprises newly developed thin polarizers and wide-view-angle quarter-wave (λ/4) plates. Although a light traveling through these polarization devices on the polarimeter mask reaches an image detector at the wafer level through a projection optics, Stokes parameters of the illumination light can be measured with no influence from polarization characteristics of the projection optics between the mask and the image detector.