Carl-zeiss-smt Ag

Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Asml Netherlands B.v.

Bernhard Kneer

Toralf Gruner

Norbert Wabra

Karl-Heinz Schuster

Jens Kugler

Ulrich Wegmann

Bernhard Geuppert

Franz Sorg

Ulrich Loering

Albrecht Ehrmann

Rainer Hoch

Joerg Mallmann

Andreas Kirchner

Markus Deguenther

Hans-Jürgen Mann

Gerald Richter

Hans-Juergen Mann

Alexander Epple

Jan Bernard Plechelmus Van Schoot

Susanne Beder

Sascha Migura

Andreas Dorsel

A lithographic apparatus including a support structure constructed to support a mask having a patterned area which is capable of imparting an EUV radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam, wherein the support structure is movable in a scanning direction, a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate, wherein the substrate table is movable in the scanning direction, and a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto an exposure region of the substrate, wherein the projection system has a demagnification in the scanning direction which is greater than a demagnification in a second direction which is perpendicular to the scanning direction and wherein the demagnification in the second direction is greater than 4&#xd7;.

Lithographic apparatus and method

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

A projection exposure system and a method for operating a projection exposure system for microlithography with an illumination system are disclosed. The illumination system includes at least one variably adjustable pupil-defining element. The illumination stress of at least one optical element of the projection exposure system is determined automatically in the case of an adjustment of the at least one variably adjustable pupil-defining element. From the automatically determined illumination stress, the maximum radiant power of the light source is set or determined and/or in which an illumination system is provided with which different illumination settings can be made. Usage of the projection exposure system is recorded and, from the history of the usage, at least one state parameter of at least one optical element of the projection exposure system is determined.

Method for stress-adjusted operation of a projection exposure system and corresponding projection exposure system

Exposure apparatus and measuring device for a projection lens

Imaging system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, with a projection objective () that serves to project an image of a mask which can be set into position in an object plane onto a light-sensitive coating layer which can be set into position in an image plane, and with a liquid-delivery device () serving to fill immersion liquid () into an interstitial space between the image plane and a last optical element () on the image-plane side of the projection objective; wherein the last optical element on the image-plane side of the projection objective is arranged so that, seen in the direction of gravity, it follows the image plane; and wherein the projection objective is configured in such a way that when the system is operating with immersion, the immersion liquid has at least in some areas a convex-curved surface facing in the direction away from the image plane. It is also proposed for the last optical element () on the image-plane side of the projection objective to be arranged below the image plane in such a way that the immersion liquid () is held at least in part in a substantially tub-shaped area on the last optical element on the image-plane side. Also, a rotator can be provided which serves to rotate a substrate carrying the light-sensitive coating () between a transport orientation in which the light-sensitive coating lies on a substrate surface that faces against the direction of gravity and an exposure orientation in which the light-sensitive coating () lies on a substrate surface that faces in the direction of gravity.

Imaging system for a microlithographical projection light system

For the correction of anamorphism in the case of a projection lens of an EUV projection exposure apparatus for wafers it is proposed to tilt the reticle bearing the pattern to be projected and preferably also the wafer by a small angle about an axis that is perpendicular to the axis A of the lens and perpendicular to the scan direction and that in each instance passes through the middle of the light field generated on the reticle or on the wafer. For the correction of a substantially antisymmetric quadratic distortion the reticle and/or the substrate is instead rotated about an axis of rotation that is disposed at least approximately parallel to an optical axis of the projection lens.

Method for distortion correction in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus

A method for correcting a field-constant astigmatism of a projection objective of a microlithography projection exposure apparatus, the projection objective having an arrangement composed of a plurality of optical elements that images at least a part of an object onto an off-axis image field lying outside at least one optical axis, the arrangement of the plurality of optical elements having a plane of symmetry that is defined by the at least one optical axis and a center of the image field, includes adjusting a position of at least one element of the plurality of optical elements in such a way that at least one linear and/or quadratic astigmatism is produced that compensates the field-constant astigmatism at least partially. A projection objective of a projection exposure apparatus, as well as a microlithographic method for producing micropatterned components uses the method.

Method for correcting astigmatism in a microlithography projection exposure apparatus, a projection objective of such a projection exposure apparatus, and a fabrication method for micropatterned components

A projection exposure system, intended in particular for microlithography, is used for generating, in an image plane, an image of a mask arranged in an object plane. The projection exposure system has a light source emitting projection light and projection optics arranged between the mask and the image. Starting from the mask, the following are arranged in the beam path of the projection optics: a first group of optical components with an overall positive refractive power; a second group of optical components with an overall negative refractive power; a third group of optical components with an overall positive refractive power; a fourth group of optical components with an overall negative refractive power, and, a fifth group of optical components with an overall positive refractive power. At least three optical subgroups having at least one optical component can be displaced along the optical axis of the projection optics. The first optical subgroup comprises the mask or at least one optical component from the first group of optical components. The second optical subgroup comprises at least one optical component from the second or the third group of optical components. The third optical subgroup comprises at least one optical component from the third or the fourth group of optical components. With such subgroups, efficient imaging error correction of the projection optics is possible.

Projection exposure system

Growing community of inventors

Altheim, Germany

Bernhard Kneer