Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110285979 | PROJECTION OBJECTIVE WITH DIAPHRAGMS - A projection objective for imaging an object arranged in an object plane of the projection objective into an image of the object lying in an image plane of the projection objective has a multiplicity of transparent optical elements and holding devices for holding the optical elements at prescribable positions along an imaging beam path of the projection objective. Each of the optical elements has an optical useful region lying in the imaging beam path and an edge region lying outside the optical useful region. At least one holding element of the holding device assigned to the optical element acts at the edge region in the region of a contact zone. At least one of the optical elements is assigned a diaphragm arrangement with a false light diaphragm arranged directly upstream of the optical element and a second false light diaphragm arranged directly downstream of the optical element. Each of the false light diaphragms is fashioned in such a way that the false light diaphragm screens at least a part of the edge region against radiation running outside the imaging beam path. | 11-24-2011 |
20120019800 | LITHOGRAPHY PROJECTION OBJECTIVE, AND A METHOD FOR CORRECTING IMAGE DEFECTS OF THE SAME - A lithography projection objective for imaging a pattern to be arranged in an object plane of the projection objective onto a substrate to be arranged in an image plane of the projection objective comprises a multiplicity of optical elements that are arranged along an optical axis of the projection objective. The optical elements comprise a first group, following the object plane, of optical elements, and a last optical element, which follows the first group and is next to the image plane and which defines an exit surface of the projection objective and is arranged at a working distance from the image plane. The projection objective is tunable or tuned with respect to aberrations for the case that the volume between the last optical element and the image plane is filled by an immersion medium with a refractive index substantially greater than 1. The position of the last optical element is adjustable in the direction of the optical axis. A positioning device is provided that positions at least the last optical element during immersion operation such that aberrations induced by disturbance are at least partially compensated. | 01-26-2012 |
20120208115 | IMAGING OPTICS - An imaging optics includes a plurality of mirrors which reflect imaging light to image an object field in an object plane into an image field in an image plane. A mirror body of at least one of the mirrors has a through-opening for the imaging light to pass through. The through-opening has an internal region of a smallest opening width in the mirror body. The through-opening expands from the internal region towards both edge regions of the mirror body. A disturbing influence of unused light portions is reduced or eliminated completely. | 08-16-2012 |
20120281196 | PROJECTION OBJECTIVE OF A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - A projection lens of a projection exposure apparatus, for imaging a mask which can be positioned in an object plane onto a light-sensitive layer which can be positioned in an image plane, includes a housing, in which at least one optical element is arranged, at least one partial housing which is arranged within said housing and which at least regionally surrounds light passing from the object plane as far as the image plane during the operation of the projection lens, and a reflective structure, which reduces a light proportion which reaches the image plane after reflection at the at least one partial housing, by comparison with an analogous arrangement without said reflective structure. | 11-08-2012 |
20130016331 | OPTICAL SYSTEM OF MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CORRECTING WAVEFRONT DEFORMATION IN SAME - An optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a wavefront correction device which has a plurality of fluid outlet apertures. The apertures are arranged so that fluid flows emerging from the outlet apertures enter a space through which projection light propagates during operation of the apparatus. A temperature controller sets the temperature of the fluid flows individually for each fluid flow. The temperature distribution is determined such that optical path length differences caused by the temperature distribution correct wavefront deformations. | 01-17-2013 |
20130120723 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS AND MEASURING DEVICE FOR A PROJECTION LENS - A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a projection lens that is configured for immersion operation. For this purpose an immersion liquid is introduced into an immersion space that is located between a last lens of the projection lens on the image side and a photosensitive layer to be exposed. To reduce fluctuations of refractive index resulting from temperature gradients occurring within the immersion liquid, the projection exposure apparatus includes heat transfer elements that heat or cool partial volumes of the immersion liquid so as to achieve an at least substantially homogenous or at least substantially rotationally symmetric temperature distribution within the immersion liquid. | 05-16-2013 |
20130141707 | EUV Exposure Apparatus - A projection lens of an EUV-lithographic projection exposure system with at least two reflective optical elements each comprising a body and a reflective surface for projecting an object field on a reticle onto an image field on a substrate if the projection lens is exposed with an exposure power of EUV light, wherein the bodies of at least two reflective optical elements comprise a material with a temperature dependent coefficient of thermal expansion which is zero at respective zero cross temperatures, and wherein the absolute value of the difference between the zero cross temperatures is more than 6K. | 06-06-2013 |
20130278911 | OPTICAL SYSTEM WITH AN EXCHANGEABLE, MANIPULABLE CORRECTION ARRANGEMENT FOR REDUCING IMAGE ABERRATIONS - The disclosure relates to an optical system, such as a projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography, including a manipulable correction arrangement for reducing image aberrations. In some embodiments, the system includes at least one manipulator configured to reduce image aberrations. The manipulator can include at least one optical element which can be manipulated by at least one actuator. The manipulator can be formed in changeable fashion together with an actuator. | 10-24-2013 |
20130301024 | METHOD OF OPERATING A PROJECTION EXPOSURE TOOL FOR MICROLITHOGRAPHY - A method of operating a projection exposure tool for microlithography is provided. The projection exposure tool has a projection objective for imaging object structures on a mask into an image plane using electromagnetic radiation, during which imaging the electromagnetic radiation causes a change in optical properties of the projection objective. The method comprises the steps of: providing the layout of the object structures on the mask to be imaged and classifying the object structures according to their type of structure, calculating the change in the optical properties of the projection objective effected during the imaging process on the basis of the classification of the object structures, and using the projection exposure tool for imaging the object structures into the image plane, wherein the imaging behavior of the projection exposure tool is adjusted on the basis of the calculated change of the optical properties in order to at least partly compensate for the change of the optical properties of the projection objective caused by the electromagnetic radiation during the imaging process. | 11-14-2013 |
20140300876 | OPTICAL ARRANGEMENT, EUV LITHOGRAPHY APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONFIGURING AN OPTICAL ARRANGEMENT - The invention relates to an optical arrangement comprising: at least one optical element comprising an optical surface and a substrate, wherein the substrate is formed from a material whose temperature-dependent coefficient of thermal expansion at a zero crossing temperature ΔT | 10-09-2014 |
20140327891 | LITHOGRAPHY PROJECTION OBJECTIVE, AND A METHOD FOR CORRECTING IMAGE DEFECTS OF THE SAME - A lithography projection objective for imaging a pattern in an object plane onto a substrate in an image plane. The projection objective comprises a multiplicity of optical elements along an optical axis. The optical elements comprise a first group of optical elements following the object plane, and a last optical element, following the first group and next to the image plane. The projection objective is tunable or tuned with respect to aberrations for the case that the volume between the last optical element and the image plane is filled by an immersion medium with a refractive index substantially greater than 1. The position of the last optical element is adjustable in the direction of the optical axis. A positioning device is provided that positions at least the last optical element during immersion operation such that aberrations induced by disturbance are at least partially compensated. | 11-06-2014 |