Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Carl-zeiss-smt Ag

Carl Zeiss Laser Optics Gmbh

Carl Zelss Smt Ag

Johannes Lippert

Hubert Holderer

Ulrich Weber

Michael Muehlbeyer

Alexander Kohl

Wolfgang Hummel

Jochen Weber

Thorsten Rassel

Karl-Eugen Aubele

Erich Merz

Klaus Rief

Raoul Reiner

Markus Neumaier

Yim-Bun Patrick Kwan

Juergen Fischer

Stefan Schoengart

Toralf Gruner

Kerstin Hild

Baerbel Trossbach

Jasper Wesselingh

Pascal Marsollek

Michael Mühlbeyer

Markus Raab

Andreas Raba

Jens Kugler

Bernhard Gellrich

Udo Dinger

Bernhard Geuppert

Sascha Bleidistel

Stefan Xalter

Franz Sorg

Armin Schoeppach

Matthias Manger

Dirk Schaffer

Martin Weiser

Peter Deufel

Willi Heintel

Heiko Siekmann

Andreas Frommeyer

Hans Michael Stiepan

Baerbel Schwaer

Stephan Back

Claudia Ekstein

Harald Kirchner

Holger Maltor

Wolfgang Keller

Philip Lucke

Hans-Jürgen Scherle

Fraser G Morrison

Mohammadreza Nematollahi

Jürgen Fischer

Stefan Schöngart

Bärbel Trossbach

Thilo Pollak

Jeffrey Cavaco

Reiner Raoul

An optical assembly for semiconductor lithography comprises an optical element and an actuator for deforming the optical element. The actuator is constructed from at least three sections, which include at least first and second group of sections that are controllable in each case via a controller are present. The first group serves for coarse actuation, and the second group serves for fine actuation. The controller is configured to control the groups independently of one another and the sections of a group jointly. The controller is furthermore configured to variably set the number of sections controlled jointly per group. Furthermore, the disclosure relates to a projection exposure apparatus equipped with the assembly, and to a method for controlling the optical assembly.

Optical assembly, method for controlling an optical assembly, and projection exposure apparatus

A projection exposure apparatus comprises a projection objective, and the projection objective comprises an optical device, wherein the optical device comprises an optical element having an optically effective surface and an electrostrictive actuator. The electrostrictive actuator is deformable by a control voltage being applied. The electrostrictive actuator is functionally connected to the optical element to influence the surface shape of the optically effective surface. A control device supplies the electrostrictive actuator with the control voltage. A measuring device is configured, at least at times while the electrostrictive actuator influences the optically effective surface of the optical element, to measure directly and/or to determine indirectly the temperature and/or a temperature change of the electrostrictive actuator and/or the surroundings thereof to take account of a temperature-dependent influence during driving of the electrostrictive actuator by the control device.

Projection objective including an optical device

An optical assembly of a projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography comprises an optical element and an actuator for deforming the optical element. The actuator is subjected to a bias voltage by a controller that is present. A projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography comprises an optical assembly. A method for operating an actuator for deforming an optical element for semiconductor lithography comprises subjecting the actuator to a bias voltage by a controller.

Optical assembly, projection exposure apparatus and method

A mirror for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, and a method for operating a deformable mirror. In one aspect, a mirror includes an optical effective surface (), a mirror substrate (), a reflection layer stack () for reflecting electromagnetic radiation incident on the optical effective surface, and at least one piezoelectric layer () arranged between the mirror substrate and the reflection layer stack and to which an electric field for producing a locally variable deformation is able to be applied by a first electrode arrangement situated on the side of the piezoelectric layer () facing the reflection layer stack, and by a second electrode arrangement situated on the side of the piezoelectric layer facing the mirror substrate. The piezoelectric layer has a plurality of columns spatially separated from one another by column boundaries, wherein a mean column diameter of the columns is in the range of 0.1 &#x3bc;m to 50 &#x3bc;m.

Mirror for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, and method for operating a deformable mirror

A mirror, in particular for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, has an optical effective surface and includes a substrate (), a reflection layer system () for reflecting electromagnetic radiation impinging on the optical effective surface (), an electrode arrangement () composed of a first material having a first electrical conductivity, the electrode arrangement being provided on the substrate, and a mediator layer () composed of a second material having a second electrical conductivity. The ratio between the first electrical conductivity and the second electrical conductivity is at least 100. The mirror also includes at least one compensation layer () which at least partly compensates for the influence of a thermal expansion of the electrode arrangement () on the deformation of the optical effective surface ().

Mirror, in particular for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus

A semiconductor lithography projection exposure apparatus includes a projection lens which includes a manipulator. The manipulator includes an optical element; a base frame; a sensor frame arranged on the base frame; and a sensor arranged on the sensor frame. The manipulator is configured to correct wavefront aberrations of used optical radiation that pass through the optical element during the operation of the projection lens. The manipulator is arranged directly after an object plane of the apparatus along a path of the used optical radiation. The sensor is configured to measure a deformation or a deflection of the optical element. A coefficient of thermal expansion of the sensor frame is within 16 ppm/K of a coefficient of thermal expansion of the base frame.

Projection exposure apparatus with near-field manipulator

A projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography includes a deformable optical element for the correction of wavefront aberrations. Actuating units for the deformation of the optical element are in mechanical contact with the optical element by way of contact regions. The contact regions are arranged in a regular or irregular arrangement outside an optically active region of the optical element. There are contact regions lying closest to the optically active region and remote contact regions.

Optimum arrangement of actuator and sensor points on an optical element

An optical element unit is provided comprising an optical element group for projecting light along an optical axis of the optical element group and a housing having an inner housing part partly defining a first space and a light passageway between the inner housing part and a second space. The inner housing part receives the optical element group. The optical element group comprises an ultimate optical element located in the region of the light passageway. A load-relieving device is provided adjacent to the ultimate optical element, the load relieving device partly defining the first space and the second space and at least partly relieving the ultimate optical element from loads resulting from pressure differences between the first space.

Optical element unit

An optical element unit is provided comprising an optical element group for projecting light along an optical axis of the optical element group and a housing having an inner housing part partly defining a first space and a light passageway between the inner s housing part and a second space. The inner housing part receives the optical element group. The optical element group comprises an ultimate optical element located in the region of the light passageway. A load-relieving device is provided adjacent to the ultimate optical element, the load relieving device partly defining the first space and the second space and at least partly relieving the ultimate optical element from loads resulting from pressure differences between the first space.

Substrates suitable for mirrors which are used at wavelengths in the EUV wavelength range have a main body () and a polishing layer (). The polishing layer () has a thickness of less than 10 &#x3bc;m and a root-mean-square roughness of less than 0.5 nm and the main body () is produced from an aluminum alloy. Moreover, a highly reflective layer () is provided on the polishing layer () of the substrate () of the EUV mirror ().

Substrate for mirrors for EUV lithography

To reduce deformations which may be caused by a functional coating on a substrate in an optical element for UV or EUV lithography, an optical element is suggested comprising a functional coating () on a first surface () of a substrate (), wherein the substrate () comprises a second surface () having a common edge () with the first surface (), and the second surface () also has a coating () and the thickness tand the stress &#x3c3;of the coating () on the second surface () are chosen such that, in combination with the thickness tand the stress &#x3c3;of the functional coating () on the first surface (), the condition is fulfilled, wherein X has a value between 0.8 and 5.0.

Optical element for UV or EUV lithography with coatings having optimized stress and thickness

An imaging device in a projection exposure machine for microlithography has at least one optical element and at least one manipulator, having a linear drive, for manipulating the position of the optical element. The linear drive has a driven subregion and a nondriven subregion, which are movable relative to one another in the direction of a movement axis. The subregions are interconnected at least temporarily via functional elements with an active axis and via functional elements with an active direction at least approximately parallel to the movement axis.

Imaging device in a projection exposure facility

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Buch am Wald, Germany

Johannes Lippert