Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Kerstin Hild

Toralf Gruner

Vitaliy Shklover

Johannes Lippert

Joachim Hartjes

Oliver Dier

Hans Michael Stiepan

Jan Horn

Hartmut Enkisch

Bernd Geh

Stefan Schulte

Frederik Bijkerk

Franz-Josef Stickel

Moritz Becker

Petrus Theodorus Rutgers

Dirk Juergens

Stephan Six

Joern Weber

Ralf Winter

Daniel Golde

Martin Hermann

Sebastian Strobel

Matus Kalisky

Mohammad Awad

Christian Grasse

Richard Petrus Hogervorst

Robert Fichtl

Thilo Pollak

Philip Lucke

Jeffrey Cavaco

Mohammadreza Nematollahi

Bjoern Liebaug

Simon Haas

Simone Weyler

Ben Wylie-Van Eerd

Wouter Bernardus Johannes Hakvoort

Jörn Weber

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

A mirror including a substrate (), a reflection layer system (), and at least one continuous piezoelectric layer (, . . . ) arranged between the substrate and the layer system. An electric field producing a locally variable deformation is applied to the piezoelectric layer via a first, layer-system-side electrode arrangement and a second, substrate-side electrode arrangement. At least one of the electrode arrangements is assigned a mediator layer () setting an at least regionally continuous profile of the electrical potential along the respective electrode arrangement. The electrode arrangement to which the mediator layer is assigned has a plurality of electrodes (, . . . ), each of which is configured to receive an electrical voltage relative to the respective other electrode arrangement. In the region that couples two respectively adjacent electrodes, the mediator layer is subdivided into a plurality of regions (, . . . ) that are electrically insulated from one another.

Mirror, in particular for microlithography

A mirror, e.g. for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, includes an optical effective surface, a mirror substrate, a reflection layer stack for reflecting electromagnetic radiation incident on the optical effective surface, at least one first electrode arrangement, at least one second electrode arrangement, and an actuator layer system situated between the first and the second electrode arrangements. The actuator layer system is arranged between the mirror substrate and the reflection layer stack, has a piezoelectric layer, and reacts to an electrical voltage applied between the first and the second electrode arrangements with a deformation response in a direction perpendicular to the optical effective surface. The deformation response varies locally by at least 20% in PV value for a predefined electrical voltage that is spatially constant across the piezoelectric layer.

Mirror, in particular for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus

A mirror that has a mirror substrate (), a reflection layer stack () 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 applied by way of a first electrode arrangement and a second electrode arrangement situated on alternate sides of the piezoelectric layer. In one aspect, both the first and the second electrode arrangements have a plurality of electrodes (), to each of which an electrical voltage relative to the respective other electrode arrangement can be applied via leads (). Separate mediator layers () set continuous electrical potential profiles along the respective electrode arrangement, and where said mediator layers differ from one another in their average electrical resistance by a factor of at least 1.5.

Mirror, in particular for a microlithographic projection exposure system

A mirror having a mirror substrate (), a reflection layer stack () reflecting electromagnetic radiation having an operating wavelength that is incident on the optical effective surface (), and at least one piezoelectric layer (), arranged between the substrate and the reflection layer stack and to which an electric field producing a locally variable deformation is applied. A first electrode arrangement () situated on the side of the piezoelectric layer faces the reflection layer stack, and a second electrode arrangement () is situated on the side of the piezoelectric layer facing the mirror substrate. Optionally, a bracing layer () is provided, which limits sinking of the piezoelectric layer () into the mirror substrate () when an electric field is applied, in comparison with an analogous construction lacking the bracing layer, thereby increasing the piezoelectric layer's effective deflection.

Treating a reflective optical element () for the EUV wavelength range that has a reflective coating on a substrate. The reflective optical element in a holder () is irradiated with at least one radiation pulse of a radiation source () having a duration of between 1 &#x3bc;s and 1 s. At least one radiation source () and the reflective optical element move relative to one another. Preferably, this is carried out directly after applying the reflective coating in a coating chamber (). Reflective optical elements of this type are suitable in particular for use in EUV lithography or in EUV inspection of masks or wafers, for example.

Method for treating a reflective optical element for the EUV wavelength range, method for producing same, and treating apparatus

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

An optical arrangement () for EUV radiation includes: at least one reflective optical element () having a main body () with a coating () that reflects EUV radiation (). At least one shield () is fitted to at least one surface region () of the main body () and protects the at least one surface region () against an etching effect of a plasma (H+, H*) that surrounds the reflective optical element () during operation of the optical arrangement (). A distance (A) between the shield () and the surface region () of the main body () is less than double the Debye length (&#x3bb;), preferably less than the Debye length (&#x3bb;), of the surrounding plasma (H+, H*).

Optical arrangement for EUV radiation with a shield for protection against the etching effect of a plasma

An optical element for an optical system, in particular an optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus or mask inspection apparatus, and a method for correcting the wavefront effect of an optical element. The optical element has at least one correction layer () and a manipulator that manipulates the layer stress in this correction layer such that a wavefront aberration present in the optical system is at least partially corrected by this manipulation. The manipulator has a radiation source for spatially resolved irradiation of the correction layer with electromagnetic radiation (). This spatially resolved irradiation enables a plurality of spaced apart regions (, . . . ) to be generated, equally modified in terms of their respective structures, in the correction layer.

Optical element, and method for correcting the wavefront effect of an optical element

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 ().

An optical system for a lithography machine includes: a main mirror element and a manipulator device for positioning and/or orienting said main mirror element. The optical system also includes an optically active surface for reflecting radiation. The optical system further includes an actuator matrix positioned between the main mirror element and the optically active surface. The actuator matrix is configured to deform the optically active surface to influence the reflective properties of the optically active surface. A gap is present between the actuator matrix and a front side of the main mirror element so that the actuator matrix is spaced apart from the main mirror element.

Optical system, and method

Mirror elements () include a substrate () and a multilayer arrangement (). The multilayer arrangement includes a reflective layer system () having a radiation entrance surface () and a piezoelectric layer () arranged between the radiation entrance surface and the substrate. Each mirror element includes an electrode arrangement () associated with the piezoelectric layer. A layer thickness (tp) of the piezoelectric layer is controlled by the electric field generated. An interconnection arrangement () electrically interconnects adjacent electrodes of adjacent electrode arrangements. According to one formulation, the interconnection arrangement generates an electric field in a gap region () between the adjacent electrodes. According to another, an electric resistance (Ri) of the interconnection arrangement in the gap region is greater than an electric resistance (Rw) of the adjacent electrodes and less than an electric resistance (Rl) of the piezoelectric layers of adjacent electrode arrangements.

Mirror arrangement for lithography exposure apparatus and optical system comprising mirror arrangement

A mirror, in particular for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, has an optically effective surface, a mirror substrate (), a reflection layer (), which is configured to provide the mirror with a reflectivity of at least 50% for electromagnetic radiation with a predetermined operating wavelength incident on the optically effective surface () at angles of incidence in relation to the respective surface normals of at least 65&#xb0;, and a substrate protection layer () which is arranged between the mirror substrate () and the reflection layer (). The substrate protection layer has a transmission of less than 0.1% for EUV radiation.

A method for producing an optical element includes: providing a substrate (), applying a layer system (), wherein an optically effective surface () is formed and wherein the layer system has a layer () that is thermally deformable for manipulating the geometric shape of the optically effective surface, and applying a temperature field to the optical element while at least regionally heating the thermally deformable layer to above a specified operating temperature of the optical system. The thermally deformable layer is configured such that a deformation that is induced when the temperature field is applied is at least partially maintained after the optical element has cooled. Also disclosed is an optical element () that has an optically effective surface (), a substrate (), and a layer system () that has a reflection layer system (), which includes a shape-memory alloy.

Method for producing an optical element for an optical system, in particular for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus

A mirror, in particular for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus has an optically effective surface (), a mirror substrate (), a reflection layer stack () for reflecting electromagnetic radiation that is incident on the optical effective surface, and at least two piezoelectric layers (), which are arranged successively between the mirror substrate and the reflection layer stack in the stack direction of the reflection layer stack and to which an electric field can be applied to produce a locally variable deformation, wherein at least one intermediate layer () made of crystalline material is arranged between the piezoelectric layers (), wherein the intermediate layer is designed to leave an electric field, which is present in the region of the piezoelectric layers () that adjoin the intermediate layer () in the stack direction of the reflection layer stack (), substantially uninfluenced.

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Schwaebisch Gmuend, Germany

Kerstin Hild