Heraeus Quarzglas Gmbh & Co Kg

Bodo Kuehn

Martin Trommer

Waltraud Werdecker

Rainer Koeppler

Steffen Kaiser

Walter Lehmann

Thomas Kayser

Matthias Otter

Stefan Ochs

Stephan Ochs

Wolfgang Englisch

Ralph Sattmann

Jürgen Weber

Achim Hofmann

Ulrich Kirst

Denis Kassube

Bruno Uebbing

Ralf Takke

Steffen Zwarg

Juergen Weber

Tobias Pogge

Ralph Sattman

Kerstin Merget

An optical component made of synthetic quartz glass includes a glass structure substantially free of oxygen defect sites and having a hydrogen content of 0.1&#xd7;10to 1.0&#xd7;10molecules/cm, an SiH group content of less than 2&#xd7;10molecules/cm, a hydroxyl group content of 0.1 to 100 wt. ppm, and an Active temperature of less than 1070&#xb0; C. The optical component undergoes a laser-induced change in the refractive index in response to irradiation by a radiation with a wavelength of 193 nm using 5&#xd7;10pulses with a pulse width of 125 ns and a respective energy density of 500 &#x3bc;J/cmat a pulse repetition frequency of 2000 Hz. The change totals a first measured value Mwhen measured using the applied wavelength of 193 nm and a second measured value Mwhen measured using a measured wavelength of 633 nm. The ratio M/Mis less than 1.7.

Optical component made of quartz glass for use in ArF excimer laser lithography and method for producing the component

On the basis of a known method for producing a blank of titanium-doped glass with a high silica content (glass) for a mirror substrate for use in EUV lithography which has a surface region that has an outer contour, is intended to be provided with a reflective coating and is specified as a highly loaded zone when the mirror substrate is used as intended, in order to provide a blank which can be produced at low cost and nevertheless meets high requirements with respect to homogeneity and freedom from blisters and striae, a procedure which comprises the following method steps is proposed: (a) producing a front body of titanium-doped high-quality glass with dimensions more than large enough to enclose the outer contour, (b) producing a cylindrical supporting body from titanium-doped glass, (c) bonding the front body and the supporting body to form a composite body, and (d) working the composite body to form the mirror substrate blank, wherein the step of producing the front body comprises a homogenizing process involving twisting a starting body obtained in the form of a strand by flame hydrolysis of a silicon-containing compound to form a front body blank, and the supporting body is formed as a monolithic glass block with less homogeneity than the front body.

Blank of titanium-doped glass with a high silica content for a mirror substrate for use in EUV lithography and method for the production thereof

A known method for producing synthetic quartz glass comprises: (a) reacting a carbonic silicon compound-containing raw material with oxygen in a reaction zone into SiO2 particles, (b) precipitating the SiO2 particles on a sedimentation area by forming a porous SiO2 soot body containing hydrogen and hydroxyl groups, (c) drying the porous SiO2 soot body, and (d) glazing to the synthetic quartz glass by heating the soot body up to a glazing temperature. In order to facilitate cost-efficient production of quartz glass by means of pyrolyzing or hydrolyzing a carbon-containing silicon compound using a carbon-containing raw material, the invention describes the production of a soot body with a carbon content within the range of 1 ppm by weight to 50 ppm by weight.

Method for producing synthetic quartz glass and quartz glass for use as cladding material of an optical fiber

To optimize an optical component of synthetic quartz glass, in the case of which a quartz glass blank is subjected to a multistage annealing treatment, with respect to compaction and central birefringence, the present invention suggests a method comprising the following steps:

Method for producing an optical component of synthetic quartz glass with enhanced radiation resistance, and blank for producing the component

The present invention relates to a quartz glass blank for an optical component for transmitting radiation of a wavelength of 15 nm and shorter, the blank consisting of highly pure quartz glass, doped with titanium and/or fluorine, which is distinguished by an extremely high homogeneity. The homogeneity relates to the following features: Said quartz glass blank can only be obtained in that a doped quartz glass obtained by flame hydrolysis of a compound containing silicon, titanium and/or fluorine is formed as a large volume rod-shaped starting body into a homogeneous quartz glass blank using several forming steps and is homogenized.

Quartz glass blank and method for producing said blank

The invention is concerned with a material which shows low absorption for UV radiation having a wavelength below 250 nm, low birefringence, high chemical resistance and high radiation resistance and which is therefore particularly usable for making optical components for microlithography. According to the invention the material consists of synthetically produced quartz crystallites which form a polycrystalline structure and have a mean grain size in the range between 500 nm and 30 &#x3bc;m. The method according to the invention for making a blank from the material comprises providing granules consisting of synthetically produced quartz crystals having a mean grain size in the range between 500 nm and 30 &#x3bc;m, and sintering the granules to obtain a blank of polycrystalline quartz.

Method for making a blank from material, particularly for an optical component for use in microlithography

An ideal quartz glass for a wafer jig for use in an environment having an etching effect is distinguished by both high purity and high resistance to dry etching. To indicate a quartz glass that substantially fulfills these requirements, it is suggested according to the invention that the quartz glass is doped with nitrogen at least in a near-surface area, has a mean content of metastable hydroxyl groups of less than 30 wt ppm and that its fictive temperature is below 1250&#xb0; C. and its viscosity is at least 10dPa&#xb7;s at a temperature of 1200&#xb0; C. An economic method for producing such a quartz glass comprises the following method steps: melting an SiOraw material to obtain a quartz glass blank, the SiOraw material or the quartz glass blank being subjected to a dehydration measure, heating the SiOraw material or the quartz glass blank to a nitriding temperature in the range between 1050&#xb0; C. and 1850&#xb0; C. in an ammonia-containing atmosphere, a temperature treatment by means of which the quartz glass of the quartz glass blank is set to a fictive temperature of 1250&#xb0; C. or less, and a surface treatment of the quartz glass blank with formation of the quartz glass jig.

Holder made from quartz glass for the processing of semiconductor wafers and method for production of the holder

A known method for producing synthetic quartz glass with a predetermined hydroxyl group content comprises the following steps: a porous SiOsoot body is produced by flame hydrolysis or oxidation of a silicon-containing start compound and by layerwise deposition of SiOparticles on a rotating support; the soot body is subjected to a dehydration treatment in a reaction gas-containing drying atmosphere at a drying temperature for removing hydroxyl groups; and the SiOsoot body is vitrified into a body consisting of the synthetic quartz glass. Starting from this, and in order to permit a reproducible and reliable manufacture of synthetic, UV-radiation resistant quartz glass with predetermined hydroxyl group content and low chlorine content, it is suggested according to the invention that the dehydration treatment according to method step (b) comprises a drying phase during which ozone is used as the reaction gas, whereby the ozone content of the drying atmosphere is between 0.5% by vol. and 10% by vol. and the drying temperature is chosen in the range between 1200&#xb0; C. and 1400&#xb0; C., and whereby no halogens are supplied to the drying atmosphere.

Method for producing synthetic quartz glass with predetermined hydroxyl group content

Material, particularly for an optical component for use in microlithography, and method for making a blank from the material

The invention relates to a method for the economic production of a blank for a component made from laser-active quartz glass in any form or dimension. The method comprises the following method steps: a) preparation of a dispersion with a solids content of at least 40 wt. %, comprising SiOnanopowder and doping agents, including a cation of the rare earth metals and transition metals in a fluid, b) granulation by agitation of the dispersion, with removal of moisture to form a doped SiOgranulate of spherical porous granular particles with a moisture content of less than 35 wt. % and a density of at least 0.95 g/cm, c) drying and purification of the SiOgranulate, by heating to a temperature of at least 1000&#xb0; C. to form doped porous SiOgrains with an OH content of less than 10 ppm and d) sintering or fusing the doped SiOgrains in a reducing atmosphere to give the blank made from doped quartz glass.

Method for the production of laser-active quartz glass and use thereof

To provide an optical component of quartz glass for use in a projection lens system for immersion lithography with an operating wavelength below 250 nm, which is optimized for use with linearly polarized UV laser radiation and particularly with respect to compaction and birefringence induced by anisotropic density change, it is suggested according to the invention that the quartz glass should show the combination of several properties: particularly a glass structure essentially without oxygen defects, a mean content of hydroxyl groups of less than 60 wt ppm, a mean content of fluorine of less than 10 wt ppm, a mean content of chlorine of less than 1 wt ppm. A method for producing such an optical component comprises the following method steps: producing and drying an SiOsoot body under reducing conditions and treating the dried soot body before or during vitrification with a reagent reacting with oxygen defects of the quartz glass structure.

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Gelnhausen, Germany

Bodo Kuehn