Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Carl-zeiss-smt Ag

Albrecht Ehrmann

Ulrich Wegmann

Wolfgang Emer

Helmut Haidner

Markus Mengel

Reiner Clement

Ludo Mathijssen

Toralf Gruner

Karl-Heinz Schuster

Jens Kugler

Norbert Wabra

Bernhard Geuppert

Ulrich Loering

Franz Sorg

Martin Schriever

Bernhard Kneer

Joachim Stuehler

Markus Goeppert

Rainer Hoch

Joerg Mallmann

Uwe Schellhorn

Aurelian Dodoc

Sascha Bleidistel

Karl Heinz Schuster

Michael Samaniego

Uwe Shellhorn

Ludo Mathussen

Markus Gobppert

A measurement apparatus () for measuring a wavefront aberration of an imaging optical system () includes (i) a measurement wave generating module () which generates a measurement wave () radiated onto the optical system and which includes an illumination system () illuminating a mask plane () with an illumination radiation (), as well as coherence structures () arranged in the mask plane, and (ii) a wavefront measurement module () which measures the measurement wave after passing through the optical system and determines from the measurement result, with an evaluation device (), a deviation of the wavefront of the measurement wave from a desired wavefront. The evaluation device () determines an influence of an intensity distribution () of the illumination radiation in the region of the mask plane on the measurement result and, when determining the deviation of the wavefront, utilizes the influence of the intensity distribution.

Measurement apparatus for measuring a wavefront aberration of an imaging optical system

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.

Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and measuring device for a projection lens

An apparatus () determining an optical property of an imaging system () includes an illumination system () directing electromagnetic radiation () onto an object plane () of the imaging system, a utilization detector () determining the optical property, an output coupling device (), and an intensity sensor (). The detector captures the radiation after it has traveled along a utilized beam path () extending to the utilization detector. The output coupling device couples sensor radiation () out of the utilized beam path and into a sensor beam path () that differs from the utilized beam path. The intensity sensor records an angularly resolved intensity distribution present at least at one point in the object plane of the optical imaging system, which intensity distribution reproduces the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation in dependence on the angle of incidence with respect to the object plane.

Apparatus for determining an optical property of an optical imaging system

Exposure apparatus and measuring device for a projection lens

Methods for measuring the image quality of a projection objective include providing a measuring structure on an image-side of the projection objective, providing an immersion fluid between the projection objective and the measuring structure, directing light through the projection objective and the immersion fluid to the measuring structure while shielding the measuring structure from the immersion fluid, detecting light transmitted by the measuring structure, and determining an image quality of the projection objective based on the detected light.

System for measuring the image quality of an optical imaging system

A device for the optical measurement of an optical system, in particular an optical imaging system, is provided. The device includes at least one test optics component arranged on an object side or an image side of the optical system. An immersion fluid is adjacent to at least one of the test optics components. A container for use in this device, a microlithography projection exposure machine equipped with this device, and a method which can be carried out with the aid of this device are also provided. The device and method provide for optical measurement of microlithography projection objectives with high numerical apertures by using wavefront detection with shearing or point diffraction interferometry, or a Moir&#xe9; measuring technique.

Device and method for the optical measurement of an optical system by using an immersion fluid

A measuring system for the optical measurement of an optical imaging system, which is provided to image a pattern arranged in an object surface of the imaging system in an image surface of the imaging system, comprises an object-side structure carrier having an object-side measuring structure, to be arranged on the object side of the imaging system; an image-side structure carrier having an image-side measuring structure, to be arranged on the image side of the imaging system; the object-side measuring structure and the image-side measuring structure being matched to each other in such a way that, when the object-side measuring structure is imaged onto the image-side measuring structure with the aid of the imaging system, a superposition pattern is produced; and a detector for the locally resolving acquisition of the superposition pattern. The imaging system is designed as an immersion system for imaging with the aid of an immersion liquid. A structure carrier to be arranged in the region of the immersion liquid is assigned a protective system in order to increase the resistance of the measuring structure to degradation caused by the immersion liquid. A measurement of immersion systems under immersion conditions is thereby possible without detrimental influence of the immersion liquid on the measuring accuracy.

An optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus contains a module, which can be fitted in the optical system and removed from it as a unit. The module contains a cavity which can be completely filled with a liquid and hermetically sealed, and a concavely curved optical surface which bounds the cavity at the top during operation of the projection exposure apparatus. This makes it possible to fill the module outside the optical system. The module can be tilted there so that no air bubble, which prevents complete filling, can form below the concavely curved optical surface.

Optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus

A measuring system () for the optical measurement of an optical imaging system (), which is provided to image a pattern arranged in an object surface () of the imaging system in an image surface () of the imaging system, comprises an object-side structure carrier () having an object-side measuring structure (), to be arranged on the object side of the imaging system; an image-side structure carrier () having an image-side measuring structure (), to be arranged on the image side of the imaging system; the object-side measuring structure and the image-side measuring structure being matched to each other in such a way that, when the object-side measuring structure is imaged onto the image-side measuring structure with the aid of the imaging system, a superposition pattern is produced; and a detector () for the locally resolving acquisition of the superposition pattern. The imaging system is designed as an immersion system for imaging with the aid of an immersion liquid (). A structure carrier to be arranged in the region of the immersion liquid is assigned a protective system () in order to increase the resistance of the measuring structure to degradation caused by the immersion liquid. A measurement of immersion systems under immersion conditions is thereby possible without detrimental influence of the immersion liquid on the measuring accuracy.

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Aalen, Germany

Albrecht Ehrmann