Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130021591 | ILLUMINATION SYSTEM OF A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - An illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a spatial light modulator which varies an intensity distribution in a pupil surface. The modulator includes an array of mirrors that reflect impinging projection light into directions that depend on control signals applied to the mirrors. A prism, which directs the projection light towards the spatial light modulator, has a double pass surface on which the projection light impinges twice, namely a first time when leaving the prism and before it is reflected by the mirrors, and a second time when entering the prism and after it has been reflected by the mirrors. A pupil perturbation suppressing mechanism is provided that reduces reflections of projection light when it impinges the first time on the double pass surface, and/or prevents that light portions being a result of such reflections contribute to the intensity distribution in the pupil surface. | 01-24-2013 |
20130027681 | EUV COLLECTOR - A collector transfers an emission of an EUV radiation source to a main intensity spot. The collector has at least one collector subunit including at least one grazing incidence mirror. The grazing incidence mirror transfers EUV radiation from the radiation source to an intensity spot. At least one ellipsoid mirror of the collector has an ellipsoidal mirror surface. The ellipsoidal mirror surface is impinged by an angle of incidence above a critical grazing incidence angle. No more than one collector subunit is arranged in the beam path of an EUV radiation source between a position of the EUV radiation source and the intensity spot. At least some of the EUV rays are only reflected in a grazing manner. | 01-31-2013 |
20130044304 | OPTICAL PROJECTION SYSTEM - An optical projection unit comprising a first optical element module and at least one second optical element module is provided. The first optical element module comprises a first housing unit and at least a first optical element, the first optical element being received within the first housing unit and having an optically used first region defining a first optical axis. The at least one second optical element module is located adjacent to the first optical element module and comprises at least one second optical element, the second optical element defining a second optical axis of the optical projection unit. The first housing unit has a central first housing axis and an outer wall extending in a circumferential direction about the first housing axis. The first optical axis is at least one of laterally offset and inclined with respect to the first housing axis. Furthermore, the first housing axis is substantially collinear with the second optical axis. | 02-21-2013 |
20130050672 | APPARATUS FOR MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE AND APPARATUS FOR INSPECTING A SURFACE OF A SUBSTRATE - An apparatus ( | 02-28-2013 |
20130070224 | PROJECTION LENS SYSTEM OF A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE INSTALLATION - A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises a projection objective which images an object onto an image plane and has a lens with a curved surface. In the projection objective there is a liquid or solid medium which directly adjoins the curved surface over a region which is usable for imaging the object. The projection exposure apparatus also has an adjustable manipulator for reducing an image field curvature which is caused by heating of the medium during the projection operation. | 03-21-2013 |
20130070227 | IMAGING OPTICAL SYSTEM - An imaging optical system for EUV projection lithography has a plurality of mirrors for imaging an object field in an object plane into an image field in an image plane. An image-side numerical aperture of the imaging optical system is at least 0.3. The imaging optical system has a pupil obscuration which is greater than 0.40 and an image filed size of at least 1 mm×10 mm. The imaging optical system can provide high quality imaging of the object. | 03-21-2013 |
20130077074 | MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a projection light source. The apparatus also includes a heating light source for generating heating light which is at least partly absorbed by an optical element. An illumination optical unit directs the heating light onto the optical element such that the heating light has a predefined intensity distribution on an optical surface of the optical element. The illumination optical unit includes a deflection element which is a diffractive optical element or a refractive freeform element. The deflection element simultaneously directs the heating light impinging thereon in different directions. | 03-28-2013 |
20130077076 | MICROLITHOGRAPHY ILLUMINATION OPTICAL SYSTEM AND MICROLITHOGRAPHY PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS INCLUDING SAME - A microlithography illumination optical system is used to guide illumination light from a primary light source to an object field. A mirror array of the illumination optical system has a plurality of individual mirrors, which can be tilted independently of one another by actuators and are connected to associated tilting actuators. A controller is used to activate the actuators. A raster module of the illumination optical system has a plurality of raster elements to produce a spatially distributed arrangement of secondary light sources. | 03-28-2013 |
20130077077 | OPTICAL SYSTEM FOR A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS AND MICROLITHOGRAPHIC EXPOSURE METHOD - An optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and a microlithographic exposure method are disclosed. In an embodiment an optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes at least one mirror arrangement having a plurality of mirror elements which are displaceable independently of each other for altering an angular distribution of the light reflected by the mirror arrangement. The optical system also includes at least one manipulator downstream of the mirror arrangement in the light propagation direction. The manipulator has a raster arrangement of manipulator elements so that light incident on the manipulator during operation of the optical system is influenced differently in its polarization state and/or in its intensity in dependence on the incidence location. | 03-28-2013 |
20130083308 | SUBSTRATE HOLDER - A substrate holder for receiving a substrate is provided, the substrate holder comprising a base element, at least three contact elements that are connected to the base element and arranged in a plane, wherein the substrate upon being received by the substrate holder can lie on the at least three contact elements, and wherein the contact element is connected to the base element in such a way that forces acting on the substrate in a direction of the plane are minimized by at least one contact element. Furthermore, a position measuring device for determining a positioning error of a structure element on a mask is provided, the position measuring device having a substrate holder that minimizes the forces acting on a substrate. | 04-04-2013 |
20130088695 | DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING TEMPERATURE OF AN OPTICAL ELEMENT - A device serves for controlling temperature of an optical element provided in vacuum atmosphere. The device has a cooling apparatus having a radiational cooling part, arranged apart from the optical element, for cooling the optical element by radiation heat transfer. A controller serves for controlling temperature of the radiational cooling part. Further, the device comprises a heating part for heating the optical element. The heating part is connected to the controller for controlling the temperature of the heating part. The resulting device for controlling temperature in particular can be used with an optical element in a EUV microlithography tool leading to a stable performance of its optics. | 04-11-2013 |
20130088698 | METHODS AND DEVICES FOR DRIVING MICROMIRRORS - A micromirror of a micromirror array in an illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus can be tilted through a respective tilt angle about two tilt axes. The micromirror is assigned three actuators which can respectively be driven by control signals in order to tilt the micromirror about the two tilt axes. Two control variables are specified, each of which is assigned to one tilt axis and which are both assigned to unperturbed tilt angles. For any desired combinations of the two control variables, as a function of the two control variables, one of the three actuators is selected and its control signal is set to a constant value, in particular zero. The control signals are determined so that, when the control signals are applied to the other two actuators, the micromirror adopts the unperturbed tilt angles as a function of the two control variables. | 04-11-2013 |
20130088701 | IMAGING OPTICAL SYSTEM AND PROJECTION EXPOSURE INSTALLATION FOR MICROLITHOGRAPHY INCLUDING SAME - An imaging optical system has a plurality of mirrors which image an object field in an object plane into an image field in an image plane. The imaging optical system has a pupil obscuration. The last mirror in the beam path of the imaging light between the object field and the image field has a through-opening for the passage of the imaging light. A penultimate mirror of the imaging optical system in the beam path of the imaging light between the object field and the image field has no through-opening for the passage of the imaging light. The imaging optical system has precisely eight mirrors. The result is an imaging optical system which exhibits a favorable combination of small imaging errors, manageable production and good throughput. | 04-11-2013 |
20130094010 | LITHOGRAPHIC SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES OF MAKING AND USING SAME - A lithographic system includes a projection system for projecting an object field through a projection system's pupil onto an image field. The projection system includes an optical element located at the projection system's pupil. The projection system's pupil is manipulable with respect to normalized pupil heights by the optical element. Related processes are also disclosed. | 04-18-2013 |
20130099132 | OPTICAL SYSTEM FOR EUV LITHOGRAPHY WITH A CHARGED-PARTICLE SOURCE - To prevent reflective optical elements ( | 04-25-2013 |
20130100426 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING FACET MIRRORS AND PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - The disclosure relates to methods for producing mirrors, in particular facet mirrors, and projection exposure apparatuses equipped with the mirrors. | 04-25-2013 |
20130100428 | MASK FOR EUV LITHOGRAPHY, EUV LITHOGRAPHY SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPTIMISING THE IMAGING OF A MASK | 04-25-2013 |
20130100429 | OPTICAL SYSTEM AND MULTI FACET MIRROR OF A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - An optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a multi facet mirror having a support plate and a plurality of mirror facets. Each mirror facet includes a mirror substrate and a reflective coating applied thereon, and is attached to the support plate. Actuators are provided that induce a deformation of the support plate. The deformation changes the orientation and/or position, but not the shape, of at least two mirror facets. In this way aberrations can be corrected. | 04-25-2013 |
20130100547 | OPTICAL ELEMENT MODULE WITH MINIMIZED PARASITIC LOADS - An optical element module includes an optical element unit and a support structure. The optical element module includes an optical element. The support structure includes a support device and a contact device connected to the support device. A surface of the contact device contacts a surface of the optical element unit and exerts a holding force on the optical element unit along a holding force direction. | 04-25-2013 |
20130114057 | OPTICAL IMAGING DEVICE WITH THERMAL ATTENUATION - An optical imaging device, in particular for use in microlithography, includes a mask device for receiving a mask having a projection pattern, a projection device with an optical element group, a substrate device for receiving a substrate and an immersion zone. The optical element group is adapted to project the projection pattern onto the substrate and includes a plurality of optical elements with an immersion element to which the substrate is at least temporarily located adjacent to during operation. During operation, the immersion zone is located between the immersion element and the substrate and is at least temporarily filled with an immersion medium. A thermal attenuation device is provided, the thermal attenuation device being adapted to reduce fluctuations within the temperature distribution of the immersion element induced by the immersion medium. | 05-09-2013 |
20130114060 | ILLUMINATION SYSTEM OF A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - An illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes an optical integrator that includes an array of optical raster elements. A condenser superimposes the light beams associated with the optical raster elements in a common field plane. A modulator modifies a field dependency of an angular irradiance distribution in an illuminated field. Units of the modulator are associated with one of the light beams and are arranged at a position in front of the condenser such that only the associated light beam impinges on a single modulator unit. The units are configured to variably redistribute, without blocking any light, a spatial and/or an angular irradiance distribution of the associated light beams. A control device controls the modulator units if it receives an input command that the field dependency of the angular irradiance distribution in the mask plane shall be modified. | 05-09-2013 |
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 |
20130120726 | METHOD OF STRUCTURING A PHOTOSENSITIVE MATERIAL - A method of structuring a photosensitive material is disclosed. The method includes illuminating a first object structure and projecting a pattern of the first object structure onto a photosensitive material such that the projected pattern of the first object structure is focussed at a first focus position with respect to the photosensitive material. The method also includes illuminating a second object structure and projecting a pattern of the second object structure onto the photosensitive material such that the projected pattern of the second object structure is focussed at a second focus position with respect to the photosensitive material. The respective patterns are projected in the same projection direction. | 05-16-2013 |
20130120728 | CATADIOPTRIC PROJECTION OBJECTIVE WITH MIRROR GROUP - A catadioptric projection objective for imaging an off-axis object field arranged in an object surface of the projection objective onto an off-axis image field arranged in an image surface of the projection objective has a front lens group, a mirror group comprising four mirrors and having an object side mirror group entry, an image side mirror group exit, and a mirror group plane aligned transversely to the optical axis and arranged geometrically between the mirror group entry and the mirror group exit; and a rear lens group. | 05-16-2013 |
20130120730 | FACET MIRROR DEVICE - A facet mirror device includes a facet element and a support element which supports the facet element. The facet element includes a curved support section. The support element includes a support section. The support section of the support element forms a support edge which contacts the curved support section of the facet element. | 05-16-2013 |
20130120820 | BEAM CONTROL APPARATUS FOR AN ILLUMINATION BEAM AND METROLOGY SYSTEM COMPRISING AN OPTICAL SYSTEM CONTAINING SUCH A BEAM CONTROL APPARATUS - A beam control apparatus for an illumination beam includes an imaging illumination optical unit assembly for imaging an intermediate focus of the illumination beam onto an object field to be illuminated. A control component that influences a beam path of the illumination beam is displaceable in at least one degree of freedom by at least one displacement actuator. A position sensor device of the beam control apparatus detects a position of the intermediate focus. A control device of the beam control apparatus is signal-connected to the position sensor device and the displacement actuator. From an intermediate focus position signal received from the position sensor device, the control device calculates control signals for the displacement actuator and forwards the latter to the displacement actuator for controlling the position of the intermediate focus. This results in a beam control apparatus which makes well-controllable illumination possible together with a simple construction. | 05-16-2013 |
20130120863 | SUBSTRATES FOR MIRRORS FOR EUV LITHOGRAPHY AND THEIR PRODUCTION - For the production of mirrors for EUV lithography, substrates are suggested having a mean relative thermal longitudinal expansion of no more than 10 ppb across a temperature difference ΔT of 15° C. and a zero-crossing temperature in the range between 20° C. and 40° C. For this purpose, at least one first and one second material having low thermal expansion coefficients and opposite gradients of the relative thermal expansion as a function of temperature are selected and a substrate is produced by mixing and bonding these materials. | 05-16-2013 |
20130128251 | IMAGING OPTICAL SYSTEM - An imaging optical system for a projection exposure system has at least one anamorphically imaging optical element. This allows a complete illumination of an image field in a first direction with a large object-side numerical aperture in this direction, without the extent of the reticle to be imaged having to be enlarged and without a reduction in the throughput of the projection exposure system occurring. | 05-23-2013 |
20130128252 | MULTI FACET MIRROR OF A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - A multi facet mirror of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a plurality of mirror facet units. Each unit includes a mirror member with a body, a reflective coating provided at one end of the body and an actuating surface provided at an opposite end. The unit further includes a rest member on which the actuating surface rests while the mirror member is not moving, and an actuator that tilts the mirror member about a tilting axis. The actuator has a contact surface and a lifting member which moves the actuating surface along a lifting direction. In a first operating state of the lifting member the actuating surface rests on the rest member and in a second operating state on the contact surface. A displacement member displaces the contact surface along a lateral direction only while the lifting member is in the second operating state. | 05-23-2013 |
20130132037 | MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus has a measuring device, by which a sequence of measurement values can be generated, and a processing unit for processing the measurement values. The processing unit has a processing chain which includes a plurality of digital signal processors. The first digital signal processor in the processing chain is connected to the measuring device to receive the sequence of measurement values. Each subsequent digital signal processor in the processing chain is connected to a respectively preceding digital signal processor in the processing chain. The digital signal processors are programmed so that each digital signal processor processes only a fraction of the measurement values and generates processing results therefrom, and forwards the remaining fraction of the measurement values to the respective next digital signal processor in the processing chain for processing. | 05-23-2013 |
20130135760 | POSITIONING UNIT AND ALIGNMENT DEVICE FOR AN OPTICAL ELEMENT - The disclosure provides a positioning unit for an optical element in a microlithographic projection exposure installation having a first connecting area for connection to the optical element, and having a second connecting area for connection to an object in the vicinity of the optical element. | 05-30-2013 |
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 |
20130148105 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR QUALIFYING OPTICS OF A PROJECTION EXPOSURE TOOL FOR MICROLITHOGRAPHY - A method for qualifying optics ( | 06-13-2013 |
20130148200 | OPTICAL ARRANGEMENT, IN PARTICULAR PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS FOR EUV LITHOGRAPHY, AS WELL AS REFLECTIVE OPTICAL ELEMENT WITH REDUCED CONTAMINATION - An optical arrangement, e.g. a projection exposure apparatus ( | 06-13-2013 |
20130155509 | LENS MODULE COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE EXCHANGEABLE OPTICAL ELEMENT - An optical system has a housing with a mount and an opening to a receiving region, the receiving region being located within the housing and including the mount. At least one optical element is inserted into and removed from the receiving region through the opening, and at least one gas supply device provides a flow of gas in the receiving region. Alternatively or in addition, the optical system has a gas lock that receives the optical element. The opening interconnects the gas lock and the receiving region of the housing, and accommodates passage of the optical element between the gas lock and the receiving region. | 06-20-2013 |
20130170056 | SUBSTRATE FOR MIRRORS FOR EUV LITHOGRAPHY - Substrates suitable for mirrors which are used at wavelengths in the EUV wavelength range have a main body ( | 07-04-2013 |
20130182344 | SYSTEMS FOR ALIGNING AN OPTICAL ELEMENT AND METHOD FOR SAME - A hexapod system is provided for aligning an optical element in semiconductor clean rooms or in a vacuum, particularly in an illumination device for a microlithographic EUV projection exposure apparatus. The system includes six hexapod supporting structures. Using a set of at least two replaceable spacer elements having a different extent in at least one direction, at least one of the six supporting structures can be adjusted. The latter is adapted so that a spacer element can be removed or a spacer element can be added while the coupling of the first coupling end to the carrying structure and the coupling of the second coupling end to the optical element are maintained. A method for aligning an optical element in semiconductor clean rooms or in a vacuum including using a hexapod system is provided. | 07-18-2013 |
20130186430 | METHOD FOR REMOVING A CONTAMINATION LAYER FROM AN OPTICAL SURFACE AND ARRANGEMENT THEREFOR - The invention is directed to a method for at least partially removing a contamination layer ( | 07-25-2013 |
20130188160 | Optical System of a Microlithographic Projection Exposure Apparatus and Method of Reducing Image Placement Errors - A method of reducing image placement errors in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes providing a mask, a light sensitive layer and a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus which images features of the mask onto the light sensitive surface using projection light. Subsequently, image placement errors associated with an image of the features formed on the light sensitive surface are determined either by simulation or metrologically. Then an input state of polarization of the projection light is changed to an elliptical output state of polarization which is selected such that the image placement errors are reduced. | 07-25-2013 |
20130188163 | Mirror and Related EUV Systems and Methods - A mirror for EUV radiation includes a mirror body, which has at least one EUV radiation-reflecting region and at least two EUV radiation-permeable regions. A spatial separation of the illumination and imaging beam paths is possible with small angles of incidence and a large object-side numerical aperture. | 07-25-2013 |
20130188246 | Imaging Optical System for Microlithography - An imaging optical system, in particular a projection objective, for microlithography, includes optical elements to guide electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength in a path to image an object field into an image plane. The imaging optical system includes a pupil, having coordinates (p, q), which, together with the image field, having coordinates (x, y) of the optical system, spans an extended 4-dimensional pupil space, having coordinates (x, y, p, q), as a function of which a wavefront W(x, y, p, q) of the radiation passing through the optical system is defined. The wavefront W can therefore be defined in the pupil plane as a function of an extended 4-dimensional pupil space spanned by the image field (x, y) and the pupil (p, q) as W(x, y, p, q)=W(t), with t=(x, y, p, q). | 07-25-2013 |
20130188248 | REFLECTIVE OPTICAL ELEMENT AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A reflective optical element e.g. for use in EUV lithography, configured for an operating wavelength in the range from 5 nm to 12 nm, includes a multilayer system with respective layers of at least two alternating materials having differing real parts of the refractive index at the operating wavelength. The material having the lower real part of the refractive index is a nitride or a carbide. “Alternatively, the material having the lower real part of the refractive index is thorium, uranium or barium and the material having the higher real part of the refractive index is boron or boron carbide. | 07-25-2013 |
20130194559 | METHOD FOR SETTING AN ILLUMINATION GEOMETRY FOR AN ILLUMINATION OPTICAL UNIT FOR EUV PROJECTION LITHOGRAPHY - A method for setting an illumination geometry for an illumination optical unit for EUV projection lithography is disclosed. The method includes defining a desired illumination geometry, followed by varying tilting angles of individual mirrors of the a facet mirror within one and the same individual-mirror group. In a first tilting position, the individual mirrors are assigned via a first group-mirror illumination channel to a first facet of a second facet mirror. In at least one further tilting position, the individual mirrors are assigned either via a further illumination channel to a further facet of the second facet mirror or to a switch-off illumination channel. The tilting angle variation is carried out until an actual illumination geometry corresponds to the desired illumination geometry within predefined tolerances. | 08-01-2013 |
20130201464 | CHROMATICALLY CORRECTED OBJECTIVE WITH SPECIFICALLY STRUCTURED AND ARRANGED DIOPTRIC OPTICAL ELEMENTS AND PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - An objective having a plurality of optical elements arranged to image a pattern from an object field to an image field at an image-side numerical aperture NA>0.8 with electromagnetic radiation from a wavelength band around a wavelength λ includes a number N of dioptric optical elements, each dioptric optical element i made from a transparent material having a normalized optical dispersion | 08-08-2013 |