Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Asml Netherlands B.v.

Stefan Hembacher

Jens Kugler

Bernhard Gellrich

Guido Limbach

Ulrich Loering

Markus Hauf

Bernhard Geuppert

Timo Laufer

Holger Walter

Franz-Josef Stickel

Oliver Natt

Norman Baer

Jan Van Schoot

Yim-Bun-Patrick Kwan

Gero Wittich

Peter Kuerz

Armin Schoeppach

Hubert Holderer

Ulrich Weber

Stefan Xalter

Thomas Ittner

Payam Tayebati

Karl-Heinz Schimitzek

Sascha Bleidistel

Aksel Goehnermeier

Franz Sorg

Dirk Hellweg

Marwène Nefzi

Michaela Schmid

Peter Meyer

Erik Roelof Loopstra

Michael Totzeck

Ulrich Wegmann

Dirk Heinrich Ehm

Martin Schriever

Dirk Schaffer

Martin Riedel

Stefan-Wolfgang Schmidt

Norbert Kerwien

Hin Yiu Anthony Chung

Ralf Zweering

Dieter Kraus

Stefan Wiesner

Tilman Schwertner

Almut Czap

Pascal Marsollek

Stefan Troeger

Stefan Koehler

Juergen Huber

Burkhard Corves

Mathias Huesing

Konrad Carl Steimer

Tim Detert

Michael Lorenz

Martin Wahle

Mark Feygin

David Schoenen

Aksel Göhnermeier

Armin SCHÖPPACH

Jürgen Huber

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 arrangement of a microlithographic optical imaging device includes first and second supporting structures. The first supporting structure supports an optical element of the imaging device. The first supporting structure supports the second supporting structure via supporting spring devices of a vibration decoupling device. The supporting spring devices act kinematically parallel to one another between the first and second supporting structures. Each of the supporting spring devices defines a supporting force direction and a supporting length along the supporting force direction. The second supporting structure supports a measuring device which measures the position and/or orientation of the at least one optical element in relation to a reference in at least one degree of freedom up to all six degrees of freedom in space. A reduction device reduces a change in a static relative situation between the first and second supporting structures in at least one correction degree of freedom.

Compensation of creep effects in an imaging device

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

For the purposes of positioning a component part, provision is made in an optical system for a stray magnetic field to be detected via a sensor device and for a correction signal for compensating the effect of the stray magnetic field on the positioning of the component part to be ascertained.

Method for positioning a component of an optical system

When producing a mirror as an optical component for an optical system of a projection exposure apparatus for projection lithography, first, an average value of a global gravitational acceleration is determined. Next, a gravitational acceleration difference between the gravitational acceleration at the production location and the gravitational acceleration average value is determined. After a determination of a target surface shape of a reflection surface of the mirror, a mirror substrate is machined at the production location taking into consideration the gravitational acceleration difference in a manner such that, under the influence of the gravitational acceleration average value, a current surface shape of the reflection surface of the mirror substrate does not deviate from the target surface shape by more than a prescribed figure tolerance value (P). The result is an optical element with a relatively small figure at a use location of the mirror.

Method for producing a mirror as an optical component for an optical system of a projection exposure apparatus for projection lithography

An optical element serves for the beam guidance of imaging light in projection lithography. The optical element has a main body and at least one optical surface carried by the main body. At least one coupling unit is arranged on the main body. The coupling unit serves to attach a compensation weight element for compensating a figure deformation of the optical surface. The result is an optical element which can be provided at the use location with a relatively small figure deformation.

Optical element for the beam guidance of imaging light in projection 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

A projection lens of an EUV-lithographic projection exposure system with at least two reflective optical elements each comprising a body and a reflective surface for projecting an object field on a reticle onto an image field on a substrate if the projection lens is exposed with an exposure power of EUV light, wherein the bodies of at least two reflective optical elements comprise a material with a temperature dependent coefficient of thermal expansion which is zero at respective zero cross temperatures, and wherein the absolute value of the difference between the zero cross temperatures is more than 6K.

EUV exposure apparatus with reflective elements having reduced influence of temperature variation

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

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

There is provided an optical imaging device, in particular for microlithography, comprising at least one optical element and at least one holding device associated to the optical element (), wherein the holding device holds the optical element and a first part () of the optical element contacts a first atmosphere and a second part () of the optical element at least temporarily contacts a second atmosphere. There is provided a reduction device at least reducing dynamic fluctuations in the pressure difference between the first atmosphere and the second atmosphere.

Optical imaging device and method for reducing dynamic fluctuations in pressure difference

An optical imaging device, in particular for use in microlithography, includes a mask device for receiving a mask having a projection pattern, a projection device with an optical element group, a substrate device for receiving a substrate and an immersion zone. The optical element group is adapted to project the projection pattern onto the substrate and includes a plurality of optical elements with an immersion element to which the substrate is at least temporarily located adjacent to during operation. During operation, the immersion zone is located between the immersion element and the substrate and is at least temporarily filled with an immersion medium. A thermal attenuation device is provided, the thermal attenuation device being adapted to reduce fluctuations within the temperature distribution of the immersion element induced by the immersion medium.

Optical imaging device with thermal attenuation

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Bobingen, Germany

Stefan Hembacher