Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Carl-zeiss-smt Ag

Carl Zeiss Sms Ltd.

Carl Zeiss X-ray Microscopy, Inc.

Heiko Feldmann

Toralf Gruner

Alexander Epple

Michael Totzeck

Susanne Beder

Hans-Juergen Rostalski

Aurelian Dodoc

Daniel Kraehmer

Wolfgang Singer

Johannes Ruoff

Wilhelm Ulrich

Sascha Bleidistel

Helmut Beierl

Olaf Conradi

Hans-Juergen Mann

Karl-Heinz Schuster

Jochen Hetzler

Norbert Wabra

Aksel Goehnermeier

Vladimir Kamenov

Wolfgang Hummel

Jochen Weber

Wilfried Clauss

Olaf Dittmann

Gerald Richter

Olaf Rogalsky

Andreas Frommeyer

Baerbel Schwaer

Michael Layh

Jozef Petrus Henricus Benschop

Paul Graeupner

Ulrich Matejka

Alexandra Pazidis

Julian Kaller

Thomas Scheruebl

Holger Seitz

Gerhard Fuerter

Wolfgang Harnisch

Joern Greif-Wuestenbecker

Norbert Rosenkranz

Valentin Bolsinger

Thomas Okon

Ari Kazi

Jean-Claude Perrin

William Peter Van Drent

Thomas Zeuner

Markus Deguenther

David R Shafer

Rolf Freimann

Klaus Edinger

Ulrich Loering

Michael Budach

Markus Schwab

Ralf Mueller

Thomas Anthony Case

Thorsten Hofmann

Holger Walter

Ulrich Mueller

Johannes Zellner

Oliver Natt

Hans-Jochen Paul

Arif Kazi

Joerg Zimmermann

Joachim Stuehler

Rafael Egger

Stephan Six

Thomas Thaler

Ulrich Stroessner

Oswald Gromer

Tristan Bret

Sascha Perlitz

Tilmann Heil

Christoph Hilmar Graf Vom Hagen

Reiner Garreis

Alexander Sohmer

Karl-Stefan Weissenrieder

Bernd Hillerich

Achim Zirkel

Patrick Scheible

Joerg Frederik Blumrich

Bruno Thome

Shao-Chi Wei

Thomas Matthew Gregorich

Ella Mizkewicz

Artur Moegele

Michael Raum

Ulrich Gebhardt

Juan Atkinson Mora

Gerhard Krampert

Erik Matthias Sohmen

Marc Bienert

Hans-Jürgen Rostalski

Martin VÖLCKER

An imaging optical arrangement serves to image an object illuminated by X-rays. An imaging optics serves to image a transfer field in a field plane into a detection field in a detection plane. A layer of scintillator material is arranged at the transfer field. A stop is arranged in a pupil plane of the imaging optics. The imaging optics has an optical axis. A center of a stop opening of the stop is arranged at a decentering distance with respect to the optical axis. Such imaging optical arrangement ensures a high quality imaging of the object irrespective of a tilt of X-rays entering the transfer field. The imaging optical arrangement is part of a detection assembly further comprising a detection array and an object mount. Such detection assembly is part of a detection system further comprising a X-ray source.

Imaging optical arrangement to image an object illuminated by X-rays

An optical diffraction component has a periodic grating structure profile. The diffraction structure levels are arranged so that a wavelength range around two different target wavelengths diffracted by the grating structure profile has radiation components with three different phases that interfere destructively with one another. Diffraction structure levels predefine a topography of a grating period of the grating structure profile that is repeated regularly along a period running direction. These include a neutral diffraction structure level, a positive diffraction structure level raised relative thereto, and a negative diffraction structure level lowered relative thereto. The neutral diffraction structure level has an extent along the period running direction which is less than 50% of the extent of the grating period. A difference between the two target wavelengths is less than 50%. The result is an optical diffraction component whose possibilities for use can be extended, for example, to stray light suppression.

Optical diffraction component

The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for characterizing a microlithographic mask. According to one aspect, an apparatus according to the invention comprises at least one light source which emits coherent light, an illumination optical unit which produces a diffraction-limited light spot on the mask from the coherent light of the at least one light source, a scanning device, by use of which it is possible to implement a scanning movement of the diffraction-limited light spot relative to the mask, a sensor unit, and an evaluation unit for evaluating the light that is incident on the sensor unit and has come from the mask, an output coupling element for coupling out a portion of the coherent light emitted by the at least one light source, and an intensity sensor for capturing the intensity of this output coupled portion.

Apparatus and method for characterizing a microlithographic mask

The invention relates to an inspection device for masks for semiconductor lithography, comprising an imaging device for imaging a mask, and an image recording device, wherein one or more correction bodies which exhibit a dispersive behavior for at least one subrange of the illumination radiation used for the imaging are arranged in the light path between the mask and the image recording device. The invention furthermore relates to a method for taking account of longitudinal chromatic aberrations in inspection devices for masks, comprising the following steps: recording a specific number of images having differently defocused positions, and selecting a subset of the images and simulating a longitudinal chromatic aberration of a projection exposure apparatus.

Inspection device for masks for semiconductor lithography and method

A detection system serves for X-ray inspection of an object. An imaging optical arrangement serves to image the object in an object plane illuminated by X-rays generated by an X-ray source. The imaging optical arrangement comprises an imaging optics to image a transfer field in a field plane into a detection field in a detection plane. A detection array is arranged at the detection field. An object mount holds the object to be imaged and is movable relative to the X-ray source via an object displacement drive along at least one lateral object displacement direction in the object plane. A shield stop with a transmissive shield stop aperture is arranged in an arrangement plane in a light path and is movable via a shield stop displacement drive in the arrangement plane. A control device has a drive control unit, which is in signal connection with the shield stop displacement drive and with the object displacement drive for synchronizing a movement of the shield stop displacement drive and the object displacement drive. The result is an optimization of an X-ray illumination of the object to achieve a high-resolution object imaging.

Detection system for X-ray inspection of an object

An optical diffraction component is configured to suppress at least one target wavelength by destructive interference. The optical diffraction component includes at least three diffraction structure levels that are assignable to at least two diffraction structure groups. A first of the diffraction structure groups is configured to suppress a first target wavelength &#x3bb;. A second of the diffraction structure groups is configured to suppress a second target wavelength &#x3bb;, where (&#x3bb;&#x2212;&#x3bb;)/(&#x3bb;+&#x3bb;)&#x3c;20%. A topography of the diffraction structure levels can be described as a superimposition of two binary diffraction structure groups. Boundary regions between adjacent surface sections of each of the binary diffraction structure groups have a linear course and are superimposed on one another at most along sections of the linear course.

Optical diffraction component for suppressing at least one target wavelength by destructive interference

Microlithography projection objectives for imaging into an image plane a pattern arranged in an object plane are described with respect to suppressing false light in such projection objectives.

Microlithography projection objective

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.

Mirror and related EUV systems and methods

An illumination system and a projection objective of a mask inspection apparatus are provided. During operation of the mask inspection apparatus, the illumination system illuminates a mask with an illumination bundle of rays having a centroid ray that has a direction dependent on the location of the incidence of the illumination bundle of rays on the mask.

Illumination system and projection objective of a mask inspection apparatus

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&#x3e;0.8 with electromagnetic radiation from a wavelength band around a wavelength &#x3bb; includes a number N of dioptric optical elements, each dioptric optical element i made from a transparent material having a normalized optical dispersion&#x394;(&#x3bb;)&#x2212;(&#x3bb;+1 pm)for a wavelength variation of 1 pm from a wavelength &#x3bb;. The objective satisfies the relation for any ray of an axial ray bundle originating from a field point on an optical axis in the object field, where sis a geometrical path length of a ray in an ith dioptric optical element having axial thickness dand the sum extends on all dioptric optical elements of the objective. Where A=0.2 or below, spherochromatism is sufficiently corrected.

Chromatically corrected objective with specifically structured and arranged dioptric optical elements and projection exposure apparatus including the same

The disclosure relates to a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, such as are used for the production of large-scale integrated electrical circuits and other microstructured components. The disclosure relates in particular to coatings of optical elements in order to increase or reduce the reflectivity.

Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus

A mirror for EUV radiation comprises a total reflection surface, which has a first EUV-radiation-reflecting region and at least one second EUV-radiation-reflecting region, wherein the EUV-radiation-reflecting regions are structurally delimited from one another, wherein the first region comprises at least one first partial reflection surface which is surrounded along a circumference in each case by the at least one second region, and wherein the at least one second EUV-radiation-reflecting region comprises at least one second partial reflection surface which is embodied in a path-connected fashion and which is embodied in a continuous fashion.

Arrangement of a mirror

A projection lens for imaging a pattern arranged in an object plane of the projection lens into an image plane of the projection lens via electromagnetic radiation having an operating wavelength &#x3bb;&#x3c;260 nm has a multiplicity of optical elements having optical surfaces which are arranged in a projection beam path between the object plane and the image plane. Provision is made of a wavefront manipulation system for dynamically influencing the wavefront of the projection radiation passing from the object plane to the image plane.

Projection lens with wavefront manipulator

Growing community of inventors

Aalen, Germany

Heiko Feldmann