Carl-zeiss-smt Ag

Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Carl-zeiss-stiftung

Carl Zeiss Semiconductor Manufacturing Technologies Ag

Other

Helmut Beierl

Wilhelm Ulrich

Alexander Epple

David R Shafer

Wolfgang Singer

Karl-Heinz Schuster

Heiko Feldmann

Toralf Gruner

Aurelian Dodoc

Michael Totzeck

Norbert Wabra

Sascha Bleidistel

Susanne Beder

Jochen Hetzler

Jochen Weber

Olaf Rogalsky

Baerbel Schwaer

Hans-Juergen Mann

Hans-Juergen Rostalski

Aksel Goehnermeier

Gerhard F&uuml;rter

Ari Kazi

Daniel Kraehmer

Christoph Zaczek

Olaf Conradi

Arif Kazi

Reiner Garreis

Volker Graeschus

Paul Gräupner

Willi Ulrich

Gerhard Fürter

A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises a projection objective which images an object onto an image plane and has a lens with a curved surface. In the projection objective there is a liquid or solid medium which directly adjoins the curved surface over a region which is usable for imaging the object. The projection exposure apparatus also has an adjustable manipulator for reducing an image field curvature which is caused by heating of the medium during the projection operation.

Projection lens system of a microlithographic projection exposure installation

A projection exposure system includes an illumination system configured to illuminate a mask with radiation. The projection exposure system also includes a projection objective configured to project an image of a pattern of the mask onto a radiation-sensitive substrate. The projection exposure system further includes an angle-selective filter arrangement arranged at or close to a field surface of the projection objective in a projection beam path optically downstream of the object surface. The angle-selective filter arrangement is effective to filter radiation incident on the filter arrangement according to an angle-selective filter function.

Projection exposure system and projection exposure method

The disclosure relates to a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, as well as related components, methods and articles made by the methods. The microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes an illumination system and a projection objective. The illumination system can illuminate a mask arranged in an object plane of the projection objective. The mask can have structures which are to be imaged. The method can include illuminating a pupil plane of the illumination system with light. The method can also include modifying, in a plane of the projection objective, the phase, amplitude and/or polarization of the light passing through that plane. The modification can be effected for at least two diffraction orders in mutually different ways. A mask-induced loss in image contrast obtained in the imaging of the structures can be reduced compared to a method without the modification.

Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus

A projection objective for microlithography includes at least one optical assembly with optical elements which are disposed between an object plane and an image plane. The optical assembly includes at least one optical terminal element, which is disposed close to the image plane. A first immersion liquid is disposed on the image oriented surface of the optical terminal element. A second immersion liquid is disposed on the object oriented surface of the optical terminal element. The object oriented surface includes a first surface section for the imaging light to enter into the terminal element, and the image oriented surface includes a second surface portion for the imaging light to exit from the terminal element.

Projection objective for microlithography

A projection exposure lens has an object plane, optical elements for separating beams, a concave mirror, an image plane, a first lens system arranged between the object plane and the optical elements for separating beams, a second double pass lens system arranged between the optical elements for separating beams and the concave mirror, a third lens system arranged between the optical elements for separating beams and the image plane. The second lens system has a maximum of five lenses.

Catadioptric projection objective with geometric beam splitting

A purely refractive projection objective suitable for immersion microlithography is designed as a single-waist system with five lens groups, in the case of which a first lens group with negative refractive power, a second lens group with positive refractive power, a third lens group with negative refractive power, a fourth lens group with positive refractive power and a fifth lens group with positive refractive power are provided. A constriction site of narrowest constriction of the beam bundle lies in the region of the waist. A waist distance AT exists between the object plane and the constriction site X. The condition AT/L&#x2266;0.4 holds for a distance ratio AT/L between the waist distance AT and an object-image distance L of the projection objective. Embodiments of inventive projection objectives reach very high numerical apertures NA&#x3e;1.1 in conjunction with a large image field and are distinguished by a compact overall size and good correction of the lateral chromatic aberration.

Refractive projection objective for immersion lithography

A projection objective has at least five lens groups (Gto G) and has several lens surfaces. At least two aspheric lens surfaces are arranged so as to be mutually adjacent. These mutually adjacently arranged lens surfaces are characterized as a double asphere. This at least one double asphere () is mounted at a minimum distance from an image plane (') which is greater than the maximum lens diameter (D) of the objective.

Projection objective having adjacently mounted aspheric lens surfaces

A catadioptric projection lens for imaging a pattern arranged in an object plane onto an image plane, preferably while creating a real intermediate image, including a catadioptric first lens section having a concave mirror and a physical beamsplitter having a beamsplitting surface, as well as a second lens section that is preferably refractive and follows the beamsplitter, between its object plane and image plane. Positive refractive power is arranged in an optical near-field of the object plane, which is arranged at a working distance from the first optical surface of the projection lens. The beamsplitter lies in the vicinity of low marginal-ray heights, which allows configuring projection lenses that are fully corrected for longitudinal chromatic aberration, while employing small quantities of materials, particularly those materials needed for fabricating their beamsplitters.

Catadioptric reduction lens

A catadioptric projection lens configured for imaging a pattern arranged in an object plane () onto an image plane () while creating a single, real, intermediate image () has a catadioptric imaging group () having a concave mirror () and a beam-deflector (), and a dioptric imaging lens group () that commences after the beam-deflector. The system is configured such that the intermediate image follows the first lens () of a dioptric section () and is preferably readily accessible. Arranging the intermediate image both between a pair of lenses () of the dioptric section and at a large distance behind the final reflective surface of the beam-deflector helps to avoid imaging aberrations.

A projection exposure lens system has an object side catadioptric system, and intermediate image and a refractive lens system. The refractive lens system from its intermediate image side and in the direction of its image plane has a first lens group of positive refractive power, a second lens group of negative refractive power, a third lens group of positive refractive power, a fourth lens group of negative refractive power, and a fifth lens group of positive refractive power.

Catadioptric optical system and exposure apparatus having the same

Growing community of inventors

Heidenheim, Germany

Helmut Beierl