Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Asml Netherlands B.v.

Carl-zeiss-smt Ag

Holger Walter

Ulrich Loering

Markus Hauf

Boris Bittner

Norman Baer

Stefan Hembacher

Timo Laufer

Guido Limbach

Franz-Josef Stickel

Oliver Natt

Jan Van Schoot

Gero Wittich

Yim-Bun-Patrick Kwan

Peter Kuerz

Matthias Roesch

Wilhelm Ulrich

Toralf Gruner

David R Shafer

Aurelian Dodoc

Heiko Feldmann

Daniel Kraehmer

Joachim Hartjes

Alexander Wolf

Johannes Zellner

Gerhard Fuerter

Matthias Exler

Matthias RÖSCH

An optical correction arrangement includes a first and a second correction component arranged in succession along an optical axis. The first and the second correction components are provided with aspherical surface contours which at least approximately add up to zero overall in a zero position of the optical correction arrangement. The optical correction arrangement also includes a manipulator for displacing the first correction component in a first direction at a first speed and for displacing the second correction component in a second direction at a second speed. The first speed is greater than the second speed.

Optical correction arrangement, projection objective having such an optical correction arrangement and microlithographic apparatus having such a projection objective

A projection lens of an EUV-lithographic projection exposure system with at least two reflective optical elements each comprising a body and a reflective surface for projecting an object field on a reticle onto an image field on a substrate if the projection lens is exposed with an exposure power of EUV light, wherein the bodies of at least two reflective optical elements comprise a material with a temperature dependent coefficient of thermal expansion which is zero at respective zero cross temperatures, and wherein the absolute value of the difference between the zero cross temperatures is more than 6K.

EUV exposure apparatus with reflective elements having reduced influence of temperature variation

A projection apparatus for microlithography for imaging an object field includes an objective, one or a plurality of manipulators for manipulating one or a plurality of optical elements of the objective, a control unit for regulating or controlling the one or the plurality of manipulators, a determining device for determining at least one or a plurality of image aberrations of the objective, a memory comprising upper bounds for one or a plurality of specifications of the objective, including upper bounds for image aberrations and/or movements for the manipulators, wherein when determining an overshooting of one of the upper bounds by one of the image aberrations and/or an overshooting of one of the upper bounds by one of the manipulator movements by regulation or control of at least one manipulator within at most 30000 ms, or 10000 ms, or 5000 ms, or 1000 ms, or 200 ms, or 20 ms, or 5 ms, or 1 ms, an undershooting of the upper bounds can be effected.

Projection exposure apparatus with optimized adjustment possibility

A method for controlling a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes: determining a wavefront error of the projection exposure apparatus; generating a travel vector, suitable for correcting the wavefront error, with travels for each zone of the optical manipulator; establishing a constraint parameter with respect to the travel for at least one zone of the optical manipulator; and checking the travels of the generated travel vector with respect to implementability.

Projection exposure apparatus comprising a manipulator, and method for controlling a projection exposure apparatus

A microlithographic apparatus includes an objective that includes a transmission filter that is configured to variably modify a light irradiance distribution in a projection light path. The transmission filter includes a plurality of gas outlet apertures that are configured to emit gas flows that pass through a space through which projection light propagates during operation of the microlithographic apparatus. The transmission filter further includes a control unit which is configured to vary a number density of ozone molecules in the gas flows individually for each gas flow. In this manner it is possible to finally adjust the transmittance distribution of the transmission filter.

Microlithographic apparatus and method of varying a light irradiance distribution

A microlithography projection objective includes an optical element, a manipulator configured to manipulate the optical element, and a control unit configured to control the manipulator. The control unit includes a first device configured to control movement of the manipulator, a memory comprising an upper bound for a range of movement of the manipulator, and a second device configured to generate a merit function based on a square of a root mean square (RMS) of at least one error and configured to minimize the merit function subordinate to the upper bound for the range of movement of the manipulator.

The disclosure concerns an arrangement for mirror temperature measurement and/or thermal actuation of a mirror in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. The mirror has an optical effective surface and at least one access passage extending from a surface of the mirror, that does not correspond to the optical effective surface, in the direction of the effective surface. The arrangement is designed for mirror temperature measurement and/or thermal actuation of the mirror via electromagnetic radiation which is propagated along the access passage. The electromagnetic radiation is reflected a plurality of times within the access passage.

Arrangement for mirror temperature measurement and/or thermal actuation of a mirror in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus

A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus has a wavefront correction device including a first refractive optical element and a second refractive optical element. The first refractive optical element includes a first optical material having, for an operating wavelength of the apparatus, an index of refraction that decreases with increasing temperature. The second refractive optical element includes a second optical material having, for an operating wavelength of the apparatus, an index of refraction that increases with increasing temperature. In a correction mode of the correction device, a first heating device produces a non-uniform and variable first temperature distribution in the first optical material, and a second heating device produces a non-uniform and variable second temperature distribution in the second optical material.

Method of operating a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and projection objective of such an apparatus

An optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a wavefront correction device which has a plurality of fluid outlet apertures. The apertures are arranged so that fluid flows emerging from the outlet apertures enter a space through which projection light propagates during operation of the apparatus. A temperature controller sets the temperature of the fluid flows individually for each fluid flow. The temperature distribution is determined such that optical path length differences caused by the temperature distribution correct wavefront deformations.

Optical system of microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and method of correcting wavefront deformation in same

A projection exposure apparatus for microlithography includes: an illumination system configured to illuminate a mask in an object field with exposure light; and a projection objective comprising multiple optical elements configured to image the exposure light from the mask in the object field to a wafer in an image field. The projection exposure apparatus is a wafer scanner configured to move the wafer relative to the mask during an exposure of the wafer with the exposure light. The projection objective further includes at least one manipulator configured to manipulate at least one of the optical elements and a control unit configured to control the manipulator. The control unit is configured to manipulate the optical element with the manipulator during the exposure of the wafer with the exposure light.

Growing community of inventors

Abtsgmuend, Germany

Holger Walter