Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Carl-zeiss-smt Ag

Olaf Rogalsky

Boris Bittner

Toralf Gruner

Wolfgang Singer

Alexander Epple

Heiko Feldmann

Norbert Wabra

Sascha Bleidistel

Susanne Beder

Helmut Beierl

Thomas Petasch

Jochen Weber

Baerbel Schwaer

Jochen Haeussler

Ari Kazi

Jens Kugler

Bernhard Gellrich

Rolf Freimann

Sonja Schneider

Arif Kazi

Konstantin Forcht

Irene Ament

Proposed for cleaning optical elements for the ultraviolet wavelength range having at least one metal-containing layer on a surface is a process that includes: &#x2014;supplying activated hydrogen to the surface having the metal-containing layer; subsequently supplying inert gas having an H2O volume fraction of below 5 ppm, preferably below 1 ppm, particularly preferably below 0.2 ppm. To this end, an optical system () includes a housing (), a supply line () of activated hydrogen, a supply line () of inert gas having an HO volume fraction of below 5 ppm and a discharge line () for pumping gas out of the housing.

Process for cleaning optical elements for the ultraviolet wavelength range

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

Projection objectives, such as projection objectives of lithography projection exposure apparatuses, as well as related systems, components and methods, such as methods of revising and/or repairing such objectives, are disclosed.

Lithographic projection objective

A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises a projection objective which images an object onto an image plane and has a lens with a curved surface. In the projection objective there is a liquid or solid medium which directly adjoins the curved surface over a region which is usable for imaging the object. The projection exposure apparatus also has an adjustable manipulator for reducing an image field curvature which is caused by heating of the medium during the projection operation.

Projection lens system of a microlithographic projection exposure installation

Projection objectives, related systems and components, and methods are disclosed. The methods include providing a projection objective of a lithography projection exposure apparatus, where the projection objective includes a plurality of optical elements between an object plane of the projection objective and an image plane of the projection objective, and the plurality of optical elements includes a first optical element having a refractive power and being disposed in the projection objective at a first location. The methods also include removing the first optical element from the projection objective, and inserting a first spare optical element into the projection objective at the first location, where the removing and inserting steps are performed at a location of use of the lithography projection exposure apparatus in a lithography process.

Growing community of inventors

Oberkochen, Germany

Olaf Rogalsky