Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080212211 | IMMERSION LITHOGRAPHY OBJECTIVE - An immersion lithography objective has a housing in which at least one first optical element is arranged, a second optical element, which follows the first optical element in the direction of the optical axis of the objective, an immersion medium that adjoins the second optical element being located downstream of the latter in the direction of the optical axis, and a retaining structure for the second optical element. The retaining structure has a greater stiffness in the direction of the optical axis than in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. | 09-04-2008 |
20090002661 | METHOD FOR IMPROVING AN OPTICAL IMAGING PROPERTY OF A PROJECTION OBJECTIVE OF A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - A method is disclosed for improving an optical imaging property, for example spherical aberration or the focal length, of a projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. Firsts an immersion liquid is introduced into an interspace between a photosensitive surface and an end face of the projection objective. Then an imaging property of the projection objective is determined, for example using an interferometer or a CCD sensor arranged in an image plane of the projection objective. This imaging property is compared with a target imaging property. Finally, the temperature of the immersion liquid is changed until the determined imaging property is as close as possible to the target imaging property. | 01-01-2009 |
20090280437 | PROJECTION EXPOSURE METHODS AND SYSTEMS - Projection exposure methods, systems, sub-systems and components are disclosed. Methods can include performing a first exposure to image a first sub-pattern of the pattern, where the first sub-pattern includes a plurality of first features extending in a first direction and spaced apart essentially periodically at a predominant periodicity length P in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first exposure can be performed using a multipolar illumination mode that includes at least one substantially dipolar intensity distribution having two illumination poles positioned on a pole orientation axis substantially parallel to the second direction and spaced apart from each other. The poles of the dipolar intensity distribution can each have an azimuthal width defined by a pole angle θ, and a pole area A | 11-12-2009 |
20100060873 | ILLUMINATION SYSTEM FOR ILLUMINATING A MASK IN A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC EXPOSURE APPARATUS - An illumination system for illuminating a mask in a microlithographic exposure apparatus has an optical axis and a pupil surface. The system can include an array of reflective or transparent beam deflection elements such as mirrors. Each deflection element can be adapted to deflect an impinging light ray by a deflection angle that is variable in response to a control signal. The beam deflection elements can be arranged in a first plane. The system can further include an optical raster element, which includes a plurality of microlenses and/or diffractive structures. The beam deflection elements), which can be arranged in a first plane, and the optical raster element, which can be arranged in a second plane, can commonly produce a two-dimensional far field intensity distribution. An optical imaging system can optically conjugate the first plane to the second plane. | 03-11-2010 |
20100157266 | PROJECTION EXPOSURE METHOD AND PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS FOR MICROLITHOGRAPHY - A projection exposure method for the exposure of a radiation-sensitive substrate arranged in the region of an image surface of a projection objective with at least one image of a pattern of a mask arranged in the region of an object surface of the projection objective includes exposing the substrate with the image of the pattern in an effective image field of the projection objective during an exposure time interval and also altering a relative positioning between a surface of the substrate and a focus surface of the projection objective during the exposure time interval in such a way that image points in the effective image field are exposed with different focus positions of the image of the mask during the exposure time interval. An active compensation of at least one portion of at least one imaging aberration induced by the change in the focus positions during the exposure time interval has the effect that the imaging quality is not significantly impaired by the alteration of the focusing during the exposure time interval. | 06-24-2010 |
20110211181 | LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD - In an immersion lithography apparatus or device manufacturing method, the position of focus of the projected image is changed during imaging to increase focus latitude. In an embodiment, the focus may be varied using the liquid supply system of the immersion lithographic apparatus. | 09-01-2011 |
20120013985 | METHOD FOR CORRECTING OPTICAL PROXIMITY EFFECTS - A system provided with a first projection objective including at least one optical proximity correction (OPC) filter having a filter function adapted to a particular pattern. The first projection objective and a second projection objective in the system have, for the particular pattern, to which the filter function of the optical proximity correction (OPC) filter is adapted, at least essentially the same imaging properties. The first projection objective differs from the second projection objective with respect to optical imaging properties for the particular pattern when the optical proximity correction (OPC) filter is not present in the first projection objective. An associated method is also disclosed. | 01-19-2012 |
20130114056 | METHOD FOR IMPROVING AN OPTICAL IMAGING PROPERTY OF A PROJECTION OBJECTIVE OF A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - A method is disclosed for improving an optical imaging property, for example spherical aberration or the focal length, of a projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. First, an immersion liquid is introduced into an interspace between a photosensitive surface and an end face of the projection objective. Then an imaging property of the projection objective is determined, for example using an interferometer or a CCD sensor arranged in an image plane of the projection objective. This imaging property is compared with a target imaging property. Finally, the temperature of the immersion liquid is changed until the determined imaging property is as close as possible to the target imaging property. | 05-09-2013 |