Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Carl-zeiss-smt Ag

Asml Netherlands B.v.

Carl Zeiss Semiconductor Manufacturing Technologies Ag

Jens Kugler

Bernhard Gellrich

Ulrich Weber

Franz Sorg

Bernhard Geuppert

Stefan Hembacher

Thomas Ittner

Armin Schoeppach

Andreas Wurmbrand

Thomas Schletterer

Hubert Holderer

Guido Limbach

Yim-Bun Patrick Kwan

Stefan Xalter

Ulrich Loering

Thomas Petasch

Dirk Schaffer

Johannes Rau

Gerhard Fuerter

Martin Mahlmann

Toralf Gruner

Karl-Heinz Schuster

Norbert Wabra

Ulrich Wegmann

Julian Kaller

Albrecht Ehrmann

Bernhard Kneer

Payam Tayebati

Rainer Hoch

Tilman Schwertner

Joerg Mallmann

Karl-Heinz Schimitzek

Hans-Juergen Scherle

Manfred Maul

Rolf Freimann

Dirk Heinrich Ehm

Christian Wagner

Sascha Bleidistel

Aksel Goehnermeier

Alexander Kohl

Dirk Hellweg

Ulrich Bingel

Winfried M Kaiser

Martin Brunotte

Jürgen Hartmaier

Peter Meyer

Michaela Schmid

Nicolai Wengert

Erik Roelof Loopstra

Boris Bittner

Johannes Lippert

Bernd Doerband

Timo Laufer

Sonja Schneider

Martin Riedel

Bernd Geh

Stefan Schulte

Jochen Becker

Jens Prochnau

Marwène Nefzi

Peter Deufel

Willi Heintel

Olaf Rogalsky

Andreas Frommeyer

Guenther Seitz

Harald Kirchner

Dieter Schmerek

Burkhard Corves

Christian Zengerling

Karlfrid Osterried

Bernhard Fellner

Wolfgang Keller

Benjahman Julius Modeste

Detlev Mueller

Mathias Huesing

David Schoenen

Gerhard Fürter

Mark Feygin

Alexander Kharitonov

Franz Keller

Sabine Hafenrichter

Fraser G Morrison

Hans-Jürgen Scherle

Ulrich Nieken

Ben Banney

Stephane Bruynooghe

Martin Wahle

Michael Lorenz

Tim Detert

Aksel Göhnermeier

Armin SCHÖPPACH

A method for maintaining a projection exposure apparatus comprising at least two modules and a reference element, wherein the modules are referenced to the reference element, comprises: removing a module; attaching a service module to or in the vicinity of the projection exposure apparatus; referencing the service module to the reference element of the projection exposure apparatus; and implementing a maintenance measure with the aid of the service module.

Method for maintaining a projection exposure apparatus, service module and arrangement for semiconductor lithography

The disclosure relates to a damping arrangement for vibration damping of an element in an optical system, for example in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. A damping arrangement according to the disclosure has an element, a fluid located in a cavity, and at least one channel connected to the cavity. A vibration of the element causes vibration energy of the element to be dissipated by partial displacement of the fluid from the cavity into the at least one channel.

Damping arrangement for vibration damping of an element in an optical system

An optical arrangement for use in an optical imaging device includes an optical element unit and a detection device and/or an actuating device. The optical element unit includes at least one optical element. The detection device determines in a plurality of M degrees of freedom in each case a detection value which is representative of a relative position or orientation of an element reference of the optical element in relation to a primary reference of the detection device in the respective degree of freedom. The detection device includes a plurality of N detection units, each of which outputs a detection signal which is representative of a distance and/or a displacement of the detection unit in relation to a secondary reference assigned to the optical element and the respective detection unit.

Supporting an optical element

A projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography having a projection optical unit. The projection optical unit includes a sensor frame, a carrying frame, and a module. The module includes an optical element and actuators for positioning and orienting the optical element. The module is on the carrying frame, and the sensor frame is a reference for the positioning of the optical element. The module includes an infrastructure which includes interfaces for separating a module from the projection optical unit. A method exchanges the module of a projection optical unit of a projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography, wherein the module includes an optical element, while the reference remains in the projection exposure apparatus.

Projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography

An optical imaging arrangement includes an optical projection system, a support structure system and a control device. The optical projection system includes a group of optical elements supported by the support structure system and configured to transfer, in an exposure process using exposure light along an exposure light path, an image of a pattern of a mask onto a substrate. The group of optical elements includes a first optical element and a second optical element and the control device includes a sensor device and an active device. The sensor device is functionally associated to the first optical element and is configured to capture mechanical disturbance information representative of a mechanical disturbance acting on the first optical element in at least one degree of freedom up to all six degrees of freedom.

Optical imaging arrangement with actively adjustable metrology support units

An imaging optical system, in particular a projection objective, for microlithography, includes optical elements to guide electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength in a path to image an object field into an image plane. The imaging optical system includes a pupil, having coordinates (p, q), which, together with the image field, having coordinates (x, y) of the optical system, spans an extended 4-dimensional pupil space, having coordinates (x, y, p, q), as a function of which a wavefront W(x, y, p, q) of the radiation passing through the optical system is defined. The wavefront W can therefore be defined in the pupil plane as a function of an extended 4-dimensional pupil space spanned by the image field (x, y) and the pupil (p, q) as W(x, y, p, q)=W(t), with t=(x, y, p, q).

Imaging optical system for microlithography

A projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography includes at least one component, and a support device with at least one support actuator which acts on at least one support location of the component so that deformations of the component are reduced. The support device includes a control unit for triggering the at least one support actuator. The control unit is configured to trigger the support actuator in the event of a dynamic acceleration acting on the component. The disclosure also relates to a method for reducing deformations, resulting from dynamic accelerations, of a projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography.

Projection exposure apparatus, and method for reducing deformations, resulting from dynamic accelerations, of components of the projection exposure apparatus

An optical imaging arrangement includes an optical element unit, and an actuator device connected to the optical element unit and is configured to be connected to a support structure for supporting the optical unit. The actuator device is configured to: actively adjust, in an adjustment state, a position and/or an orientation of the optical unit with respect to the support structure in N degrees of freedom; and support the optical element unit in a statically overdetermined manner in at least one of the N degrees of freedom via a plurality of active first and second actuator components such that, in a holding state following the adjustment state, the first and second actuator components cause a parasitic residual load introduced into the optical element unit in the at least one of the N degrees of freedom.

Optical imaging arrangement with a piezoelectric device

A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a projection lens that is configured for immersion operation. For this purpose an immersion liquid is introduced into an immersion space that is located between a last lens of the projection lens on the image side and a photosensitive layer to be exposed. To reduce fluctuations of refractive index resulting from temperature gradients occurring within the immersion liquid, the projection exposure apparatus includes heat transfer elements that heat or cool partial volumes of the immersion liquid so as to achieve an at least substantially homogenous or at least substantially rotationally symmetric temperature distribution within the immersion liquid.

Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and measuring device for a projection lens

An optical element module includes an optical element unit and a support structure. The optical element module includes an optical element. The support structure includes a support device and a contact device connected to the support device. A surface of the contact device contacts a surface of the optical element unit and exerts a holding force on the optical element unit along a holding force direction.

Optical element module with minimized parasitic loads

An optical element unit including a first optical element module and a sealing arrangement is disclosed. The first optical element module occupies a first module space and includes a first module component of a first component type and an associated second module component of a second component type. The first component type is optical elements and the second component type being different from the first component type. The sealing arrangement separates the first module space into a first space and a second space and substantially prevents, at least in a first direction, the intrusion of substances from one of the first space and the second space into the other one of the first space and the second space. The first module component at least partially contacts the first space and, at least in its area optically used, not contacting the second space. The second module component at least partially contacts the second space.

Optical element unit for exposure processes

An optical module includes: a first holding device with a circumference extending in a first circumferential direction; and a plurality of first supporting devices configured to support a first optical element, the first supporting devices being fixed at the circumference of the first holding device. Along the first circumferential direction, at least one of the first supporting devices is located in a non-equidistant manner between two neighboring first supporting devices. The optical module is configured to be used in a microlithography objective.

Optical module for a microlithography objective holding optical elements with supporting devices located in a non-equidistant manner

The disclosure provides a positioning unit for an optical element in a microlithographic projection exposure installation having a first connecting area for connection to the optical element, and having a second connecting area for connection to an object in the vicinity of the optical element.

Positioning unit and apparatus for adjustment of an optical element

An optical module is configured to be used in a microlithography objective. The optical module includes a first holding device with a circumference extending in a first circumferential direction and a first supporting device configured to support a first optical element. The first supporting device is fixed at the circumference of the first holding device. The optical module also includes a plurality of second supporting devices configured to support a second optical element, the second supporting devices being fixed at the circumference of the first holding device. The first supporting device does not contact the second supporting devices. The first optical element is separate from the second optical element. Along the first circumferential direction, the first supporting device is located in a non-equidistant manner between two neighboring second supporting devices.

Optical module for a microlithography objective holding optical elements with supporting device located in non-equidistant manner

An EUV imaging apparatus is provided, which includes a reference structure and a first optical element, which is actuatable relative to the reference structure with the aid of a first actuator. The first actuator is a self-holding actuator. The apparatus includes a second optical element, which is actuatable relative to the reference structure a second actuator. The second actuator is a non-self-holding actuator.

EUV imaging apparatus

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Aalen, Germany

Jens Kugler