Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Carl-zeiss-smt Ag

Stephan Six

Alexandra Pazidis

Ruediger Duesing

Toralf Gruner

Heiko Feldmann

Bernhard Gellrich

Daniel Kraehmer

Vladimir Kamenov

Vitaliy Shklover

Kerstin Hild

Oliver Dier

Gennady Fedosenko

Joern Weber

Ralf Winter

Martin Hermann

Sebastian Strobel

Karl-Stefan Weissenrieder

Michael Lill

Bruno Thome

Michael Widmann

Achim Zirkel

Christian Grasse

Steffen Bezold

Andreas Schubert

Tilmann Von Papen

Thomas Ihl

Jörn Weber

Rüdiger Düsing

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 method for determining material removal by an ion beam () on a test workpiece () which is disposed in a machining chamber () of a housing () of a device () for beam machining, wherein the test workpiece () has a substrate () and a layer () applied to the substrate. The method includes a) optically determining a layer thickness (d) of the layer applied to the substrate, b) removing material of the layer from the test workpiece with the ion beam, c) optically determining the layer thickness (d) of the layer applied to the substrate, and d) determining the material removal by comparing the layer thickness determined in step a) with the layer thickness determined in step c). Also disclosed is a device () for beam machining a workpiece () with which the method can be carried out.

Method for determining material removal and device for the beam machining of a workpiece

The present disclosure relates to an optical arrangement for use in an optical imaging process. The optical arrangement includes an optical element, an immersion zone and a liquid repelling device. During the optical imaging process, the immersion zone is located adjacent to the optical element and is filled with an immersion liquid. The optical element has a first surface region and a second surface region. During the optical imaging process, the first surface region is wetted by the immersion liquid. At least temporarily during the optical imaging process, the liquid repelling device generates an electrical field in the region of the second surface. The electrical field being is adapted to cause a repellent force on parts of the immersion liquid which are responsive to the electrical field and inadvertently contact the second surface region. The repellent force has a direction to drive away the parts of the immersion liquid from the second surface region.

Optical imaging with reduced immersion liquid evaporation effects

The disclosure relates to a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, such as are used for the production of large-scale integrated electrical circuits and other microstructured components. The disclosure relates in particular to coatings of optical elements in order to increase or reduce the reflectivity.

Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus

An optical arrangement for use in an optical imaging process includes an optical element, an immersion zone and a liquid repelling device. During the optical imaging process, the immersion zone is located adjacent to the optical element and is filled with an immersion liquid. The optical element has a first surface region and a second surface region. During the optical imaging process, the first surface region is wetted by the immersion liquid. At least temporarily during the optical imaging process, the liquid repelling device generates an electrical field in the region of the second surface. The electrical field being is adapted to cause a repellent force on parts of the immersion liquid which are responsive to the electrical field and inadvertently contact the second surface region. The repellent force has a direction to drive away the parts of the immersion liquid from the second surface region.

A wafer chuck () having a substrate () and having, applied to the substrate (), an electrically conductive coating () for fixing a wafer () by electrostatic attraction and preferably having a reflective coating () applied to the substrate (). The coating () has at least a first layer () under compressive stress and at least a second layer () under tensile stress for compensating for the compressive stress of the first layer () in order to keep deformation of the wafer chuck () by the coating () as low as possible.

Wafer chuck for EUV lithography

An optical arrangement for immersion lithography, having at least one component () to which a hydrophobic coating () is applied, the hydrophobic coating () being exposed to UV radiation during operation of a projection lens, and the at least one component () being wetted at least in part by an immersion fluid during operation of the projection lens. The hydrophobic coating () includes at least one UV-resistant layer () that absorbs and/or reflects UV radiation at a wavelength of less than 260 nm.

Optical arrangement for immersion lithography with a hydrophobic coating, as well as projection exposure apparatus comprising the same

An optical element () made of a material that is transparent to wavelengths in the UV region, which optical element () includes an oleophobic coating () outside of its optically free diameter whose disperse component of the surface energy is preferably 25 mN/m or less, particularly preferably 20 mN/m or less, in particular 15 mN/m or less. In addition or as an alternative, the optical element () within its optically free diameter comprises an oleophilic coating () that is transparent to wavelengths in the UV region, with the disperse component of the surface energy of this coating preferably being more than 25 mN/m, particularly preferably more than 30 mN/m, in particular more than 40 mN/m. The optical element may be provided in an arrangement in which it dips at least partially into an organic liquid.

Optical element, projection lens and associated projection exposure apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Aalen, Germany

Stephan Six