Kla-tencor Technologies Corporation

Kla Tencor Corporation

The Perkin-elmer Corporation

Carl-zeiss-smt Ag

Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Carl-zeiss-stiftung

Other

University of California

Kla Instruments Corporation

Ultratech Stepper, Inc.

Carl Zeiss Semiconductor Manufacturing Technologies Ag

General Signal Corporation

Tropel Corporation

Spectratech Inc.

Carl Zeiss Microscopy Gmbh

David R Shafer

Yung-Ho Alex Chuang

Wilhelm Ulrich

J Joseph Armstrong

Bin-Ming Benjamin Tsai

Helmut Beierl

Karl-Heinz Schuster

Alexander Epple

Aurelian Dodoc

Wolfgang Singer

Hans-Juergen Mann

Russell M Hudyma

David Lee Brown

Richard William Solarz

Erik Roelof Loopstra

Heiko Feldmann

Martin Endres

Susanne Beder

Rudolf Von Buenau

John H Bruning

Alois Herkommer

Daniel Kraehmer

Rama Nand Singh

Hwan J Jeong

Ulrich Loering

Jörg Siebenmorgen

Hans-Jürgen Mann

Holger Walter

Berndt Warm

Alan D White

Anthony R Phillips, Jr

Johannes Zellner

Shiow-Hwei Hwang

Gerhard F&uuml;rter

Gerhard Fuerter

Henry N Chapman

Donald W Sweeney

Rudolf Von B&uuml;nau

Artur Degen

Abe Offner

Gerd F&uuml;rter

Simon J Cohen

Carmelo J Aresco

Gerd Füerter

Rudolph Von Büenau

Gerhard Fürter

Gregory L Kirk

David L Brown

Rudolf Von BÜNAU

Joseph J Armstrong

An imaging optical system has a plurality of mirrors which image an object field in an object plane in 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 result is an imaging optical system that provides a combination of small imaging errors, manageable production and a good throughput for the imaging light.

Imaging optical system and projection exposure installation for microlithography with an imaging optical system of this type

An imaging optics has a plurality of mirrors to image an object field in an object plane into an image field in an image plane. The imaging optics includes a first partial objective to image the object field onto an intermediate image, and the imaging optics includes a second partial objective to image the intermediate image onto the image field. The second partial objective includes a penultimate mirror in the beam path of imaging light between the object field and the image field, and the second partial objective includes a last mirror in the beam path. The penultimate mirror images the intermediate image onto a further intermediate image, and the last mirror images the further intermediate image onto the image field.

Imaging optics, microlithography projection exposure apparatus having same and related methods

Inspection of EUV patterned masks, blank masks, and patterned wafers generated by EUV patterned masks requires high magnification and a large field of view at the image plane. An EUV inspection system can include a light source directed to an inspected surface, a detector for detecting light deflected from the inspected surface, and an optic configuration for directing the light from the inspected surface to the detector. In particular, the detector can include a plurality of sensor modules. Additionally, the optic configuration can include a plurality of mirrors that provide magnification of at least 100&#xd7; within an optical path less than 5 meters long. In one embodiment, the optical path is approximately 2-3 meters long.

EUV high throughput inspection system for defect detection on patterned EUV masks, mask blanks, and wafers

A catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective has a first, refractive objective part for imaging the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image; a second objective part including at least one concave mirror for imaging the first Intermediate imaging into a second intermediate image; and a third, refractive objective part for imaging the second intermediate imaging onto the image plane; wherein the projection objective has a maximum lens diameter D, a maximum image field height Y', and an image side numerical aperture NA; wherein COMP=D/(Y&#x2032;&#xb7;NA) and wherein the condition COMP&#x3c;10 holds.

Immersion catadioptric projection objective having two intermediate images

A system and method for inspection is disclosed. The design includes an objective employed for use with light energy having a wavelength in various ranges, including approximately 266 to 1000 nm, 157 nm through infrared, and other ranges. The objective includes a focusing lens group having at least one focusing lens configured to receive light, a field lens oriented to receive focused light energy from said focusing lens group and provide intermediate light energy, and a Mangin mirror arrangement positioned to receive the intermediate light energy from the field lens and form controlled light energy. Each focusing lens has a reduced diameter, such as a diameter of less than approximately 100 mm, and a maximum corrected field size of approximately 0.15 mm. An immersion substance, such as oil, water, or silicone gel, may be employed prior to passing controlled light energy to the specimen inspected.

Catadioptric imaging system for broad band microscopy

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. The mirrors of the mirror group are arranged such that at least one intermediate image is positioned inside the mirror group between mirror group entry and mirror group exit, and that radiation coming from the mirror group entry passes at least four times through the mirror group plane and is reflected at least twice on a concave mirror surface of the mirror group prior to exiting the mirror group at the mirror group exit. The mirror group entry is positioned in a region where radiation exiting the front lens group has an entry chief ray height. A second reflecting area is positioned in a region where radiation impinging on the second mirror has a second chief ray height deviating from the entry chief ray height in a first direction; and a fourth reflecting area is positioned in a region where radiation impinging on the fourth mirror has a fourth chief ray height deviating from the entry chief ray height in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

Catadioptric projection objective with mirror group

In general, in one aspect, the invention features an objective arranged to image radiation from an object plane to an image plane, including a plurality of elements arranged to direct the radiation from the object plane to the image plane, wherein the objective has an image side numerical aperture of more than 0.55 and a maximum image side field dimension of more than 1 mm, and the objective is a catoptric objective.

Catoptric objectives and systems using catoptric objectives

A catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective has a first, refractive objective part for imaging the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image; a second objective part including at least one concave mirror for imaging the first intermediate imaging into a second intermediate image; and a third, refractive objective part for imaging the second intermediate imaging onto the image plane; wherein the projection objective has a maximum lens diameter D, a maximum image field height Y', and an image side numerical aperture NA; wherein COMP1=D/(Y&#x2032;&#xb7;NA) and wherein the condition COMP1&#x3c;10 holds.

Catadioptric projection objective

A relatively high NA objective employed for use in imaging a specimen is provided. The objective includes a lens group having at least one focusing lens configured to receive light energy and form an intermediate image, at least one field lens oriented to receive the intermediate image and provide intermediate light energy, and a Mangin mirror arrangement positioned to receive the intermediate light energy and apply light energy to the specimen. One or more elements may employ an aspheric surface. The objective may provide an uncorrected spectral bandwidth up to approximately 193 to 266 nanometers and numerical apertures in excess of 0.9. Elements are less than 100 millimeters in diameter and may fit within a standard microscope. The field lens may include more than one lens and may be formed of a material different from at least one other lens in the objective.

Small ultra-high NA catadioptric objective using aspheric surfaces

A photolithographic reduction projection catadioptric objective includes a first optical group having an even number of at least four mirrors and having a positive overall magnifying power, and a second substantially refractive optical group more image forward than the first optical group having a number of lenses. The second optical group has a negative overall magnifying power for providing image reduction. The first optical group provides compensative aberrative correction for the second optical group. The objective forms an image with a numerical aperture of at least substantially 0.65, and preferably greater than 0.70 or still more preferably greater than 0.75.

Microlithographic reduction projection catadioptric objective

An ultra-broadband ultraviolet (UV) catadioptric imaging microscope system with wide-range zoom capability. The microscope system, which includes a catadioptric lens group and a zooming tube lens group, has high optical resolution in the deep UV wavelengths, continuously adjustable magnification, and a high numerical aperture. The system integrates microscope modules such as objectives, tube lenses and zoom optics to reduce the number of components, and to simplify the system manufacturing process. The preferred embodiment offers excellent image quality across a very broad deep ultraviolet spectral range, combined with an all-refractive zooming tube lens. The zooming tube lens is modified to compensate for higher-order chromatic aberrations that would normally limit performance.

Ultra-broadband UV microscope imaging system with wide range zoom capability

An objective comprising axial symmetry, at least one curved mirror and at least one lens and two intermediate images. The objective includes two refractive partial objectives and one catadioptric partial objective. The objective includes a first partial objective, a first intermediate a image, a second partial objective, a second intermediate image, and a third partial objective. At least one of the partial objectives is purely refractive. One of the partial objectives is purely refractive and one is purely catoptric.

Catadioptric objective comprising two intermediate images

Growing community of inventors

Fairfield, CT, United States of America

David R Shafer