Image Formation in Projection Lithography

This chapter starts with a brief overview of the key performance parameters and features of modern deep-ultraviolet (DUV) projection scanners. The schematic presentation of a scanner optics from Section 1.3 is used to explain the theoretical background of image formation. Afterward, the Abbe–Rayleigh criteria for the resolution limits of optical projection lithography are derived and employed to discuss the general tendencies in the development of semiconductor lithography. A more detailed discussion of optical effects in real-world projection scanners is presented in Chapter 8.