Carl Zeiss Sms Ltd.

Carl Zeiss Microelectric Systems Gmbh

Joern Greif-Wuestenbecker

Michael Totzeck

Ulrich Stroessner

Toralf Gruner

Thomas Scheruebl

Norbert Rosenkranz

Karl-Heinz Schuster

Heiko Feldmann

Wolfgang Harnisch

Hans-Juergen Dobschal

Daniel Kraehmer

Ulrich Matejka

Bernd Geh

Vladimir Kamenov

Olaf Dittmann

Robert Brunner

Beate Boehme

An optical imaging system for inspection microscopes with which lithography masks can be checked for defects particularly through emulation of high-aperture scanner systems. The microscope imaging system for emulating high-aperture imaging systems comprises imaging optics, a detector and an evaluating unit, wherein polarizing optical elements are selectively arranged in the illumination beam path for generating different polarization states of the illumination beam and/or in the imaging beam path for selecting different polarization components of the imaging beam, an optical element with a polarization-dependent intensity attenuation function can be introduced into the imaging beam path, images of the mask and/or sample are received by the detector for differently polarized beam components and are conveyed to the evaluating unit for further processing.

Microscope imaging system and method for emulating a high aperture imaging system, particularly for mask inspection

A method for determining intensity distribution in the focal plane of a projection exposure arrangement, in which a large aperture imaging system is emulated and a light from a sample is represented on a local resolution detector by an emulation imaging system. A device for carrying out the method and emulated devices are also described. The invention makes it possible to improve a reproduction quality since the system apodisation is taken into consideration. The inventive method includes determining the integrated amplitude distribution in an output pupil, combining the integrated amplitude distribution with a predetermined apodization correction and calculating a corrected apodization image according to the modified amplitude distribution.

Method for determining intensity distribution in the image plane of a projection exposure arrangement

A method for analyzing the imaging behavior of a first optical imaging element, in which an object is imaged by a second optical imaging element and light in the image plane is detected in a spatially resolved manner. The two optical imaging elements differ in at least one imaging characteristic. Values are determined for intensity and at least one second characteristic and then stored in image points, and processed in an emulation step. An emulation image is produced, taking into account the influence of the second characteristic. A series of images is produced by dividing a range of values of the second characteristic into subdomains, associating an image with each subdomain, and associating the corresponding intensity value with the image points of each image, in case the value of the second characteristic, associated with the image point, falls in the subdomain associated with the respective image.

Method and device for analysing the imaging behavior of an optical imaging element

An optical imaging system for inspection microscopes with which lithography masks can be checked for defects particularly through emulation of high-aperture scanner systems is provided. The imaging system for emulating high-aperture scanner systems includes imaging optics, a detector and an evaluating unit, wherein at least one polarization-active optical element is arranged as desired in the imaging beam path for selection of different polarization components of the imaging beam, an optical element with intensity attenuation function can be introduced in the imaging beam path, images of the mask and/or sample are received by the detector for differently polarized beam components and are conveyed to the evaluating unit for further processing. It is possible to examine lithography masks for defects in spite of increasingly smaller structures and increasingly higher image-side numerical apertures of the imaging systems Realistic images of the stepper systems can be generated by emulating the occurring vector effects.

Imaging system for emulation of a high aperture scanning system

Imaging system for a microscope based on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation. The present invention is directed to a reflective imaging system for an x-ray microscope for examining and object in an object plane, wherein the object is illuminated by rays of a wavelength of less than 100 nm, particularly less than 30 nm, and is imaged in a magnified manner in an image plane. In the imaging system, according to the invention, for a microscope based on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation with wavelengths in the range of less than 100 nm, with a magnification of 0.1&#xd7; to 1000&#xd7; and a structural length of less than 5 m, at least one of the imaging optical elementsandin the beam path has a diffractive-reflective structure which is arranged on a spherical or plane area and has a non-rotationally symmetric, asymmetric shape. The arrangement according to the invention provides an imaging system which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art and ensures a high imaging quality. The manufacturing cost remains reasonable due to the exclusive use of spherical mirrors.

Imaging system for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) beam-based microscope

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Vienna, Austria

Joern Greif-Wuestenbecker