Effects of structured mid-spatial frequency surface errors on image performance.

Optical designers are encouraged to adopt aspheric and free-form surfaces into an increasing number of design spaces because of their improved performance. However, residual tooling marks from advanced aspheric fabrication techniques are difficult to remove. These marks, typically in the mid-spatial frequency (MSF) regime, give rise to structured image artifacts. Using a theory developed in previous publications, this paper applies the fundamentals of MSF modeling to demonstrate how MSF errors are evaluated and toleranced in an optical system. Examples of as-built components with MSF errors are analyzed using commercial optical design software.

[1]  Matthew P. Rimmer,et al.  A Tolerancing Procedure Based On Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) , 1978, Optics & Photonics.

[2]  Akira Nishikata,et al.  Random aberration and local flare , 2004, SPIE Advanced Lithography.

[3]  R N Youngworth,et al.  Simple Estimates for the Effects of Mid-spatial-Frequency Surface Errors on Image Quality. , 2000, Applied optics.

[4]  Peter D. Burns,et al.  Low-frequency MTF estimation for digital imaging devices using slanted-edge analysis , 2003, IS&T/SPIE Electronic Imaging.

[5]  Karl Lenhardt.  Optics for digital photography , 2007, SPIE/COS Photonics Asia.

[6]  T. Saito,et al.  Performance characteristics of single point diamond machined metal mirrors for infrared laser applications. , 1974, Applied optics.

[7]  David M. Aikens,et al.  Use of power spectral density (PSD) functions in specifying optics for the National Ignition Facility , 1995, Other Conferences.

[8]  J M Zavada,et al.  Residual surface roughness of diamond-turned optics. , 1975, Applied optics.

[9]  Bryan J. Rice,et al.  Determination of the flare specification and methods to meet the CD control requirements for the 32-nm node using EUVL , 2004, SPIE Advanced Lithography.

[10]  Chris A. Mack.  Measuring and modeling flare in optical lithography , 2003, SPIE Advanced Lithography.

[11]  James E. Harvey,et al.  Light-Scattering Characteristics Of Optical Surfaces , 1977, Other Conferences.

[12]  Bruno M. La Fontaine,et al.  Flare and its impact on low-k1 KrF and ArF lithography , 2002, SPIE Advanced Lithography.

[13]  J. Brian Caldwell,et al.  Measuring surface slope error on precision aspheres , 2007, SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications.

[14]  G. Kuwabara.  On the Flare of Lenses , 1953 .

[15]  R. Noll.  Effect of mid- and high-spatial frequencies on optical performance. [surface error effects on reflecting telescopes] , 1979 .

[16]  Jungchul Park,et al.  Measuring flare and its effect on process latitude , 1997, Advanced Lithography.

[17]  Bruno M. La Fontaine,et al.  Evaluation and characterization of flare in ArF lithography , 2002, SPIE Advanced Lithography.

[18]  Sang Hun Lee,et al.  Characterization of flare on Intel’s EUV MET , 2005, SPIE Advanced Lithography.

[19]  Mark A. Richardson,et al.  Effective pictorial information capacity as an image quality metric , 2007, Electronic Imaging.

[20]  John M Tamkin,et al.  Theory of point-spread function artifacts due to structured mid-spatial frequency surface errors. , 2010, Applied optics.

[21]  Christian Beder.  Aspheres for high speed cine lenses , 2005, SPIE Optical Systems Design.

[22]  Stephen P. Renwick.  Flare and its effects on imaging , 2004, SPIE Advanced Lithography.

[23]  Manish Chandhok,et al.  Flare and lens aberration requirements for EUV lithographic tools , 2005, SPIE Advanced Lithography.

[24]  Emoke Lorincz,et al.  Tolerancing surface accuracy of aspheric lenses used for imaging purposes , 2004, SPIE Optical Systems Design.

[25]  Bryan J. Rice,et al.  Comparison of techniques to measure the point spread function due to scatter and flare in EUV lithography systems , 2004, SPIE Advanced Lithography.

[26]  S. Matsuda,et al.  Flare as applied to photographic lenses. , 1972, Applied optics.

[27]  Stephen P. Renwick,et al.  Size-dependent flare and its effect on imaging , 2003, SPIE Advanced Lithography.

[28]  K. Rosenbruch,et al.  Flare and optical transfer function. , 1968, Applied optics.

[29]  J. Stover,et al.  Roughness characterization of smooth machined surfaces by light scattering. , 1975, Applied optics.

[30]  John M. Tamkin,et al.  Theory of modulation transfer function artifacts due to mid-spatial-frequency errors and its application to optical tolerancing. , 2010, Applied optics.