Carl-zeiss-smt Ag

Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Carl Zeiss Sms Ltd.

Ulrich Wegmann

Martin Schriever

Helmut Haidner

Albrecht Ehrmann

Wolfgang Emer

Markus Mengel

Rainer Hoch

Reiner Clement

Toralf Gruner

Karl-Heinz Schuster

Bernhard Geuppert

Joachim Stuehler

Markus Goeppert

Ludo Mathijssen

Jens Kugler

Norbert Wabra

Rolf Freimann

Ulrich Loering

Franz Sorg

Bernhard Kneer

Uwe Schellhorn

Joerg Mallmann

Manfred Maul

Michael Totzeck

Paul Graeupner

Gerd Reisinger

Markus Hauf

Michael Layh

Stefan Hembacher

Michael Hartl

Thomas Korb

Jochen Hetzler

Matthias Manger

Eric Eva

Vladimir Kamenov

Norbert Kerwien

Karl Heinz Schuster

Hans-Michael Stiepan

Christian Hettich

Ralph Klaesges

Gordon Doering

Thomas Muelders

Harald Sakowski

Juergen Huber

Manfred Dahl

Uwe Shellhorn

Ludo Mathussen

Markus Gobppert

Steffen Lauer

Jürgen Huber

The imaging quality of an optical imaging system is interferometrically measured. A wavefront measurement has a first imaging scale &#x3b2;in a first direction and a second imaging scale &#x3b2;in a second, perpendicular direction. The second imaging scale differs from the first imaging scale by a scale ratio (&#x3b2;/&#x3b2;)&#x2260;1 (anamorphic imaging system). A first measurement structure (MS) on a first structure carrier arranged on the object side of the imaging system has a two-dimensional mask structure suitable for shaping the coherence of measurement radiation. A second measurement structure (MS) on a second structure carrier arranged on the image side of the imaging system has a diffraction grating. The first and second measurement structures are mutually adapted, taking account of the scale ratio so that an interference pattern arises upon imaging the first measurement structure onto the second measurement structure using the anamorphic imaging system.

Measuring method and measuring system for interferometrically measuring the imaging quality

A measurement arrangement and a method for measuring a wavefront aberration of an imaging optical system () of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. The method includes separate measurement of respective wavefront aberrations of different partial arrangements (M; M; M; M, M) of the optical elements.

Measuring method and measuring arrangement for an imaging optical system

A device and a method for wavefront analysis. The device is designed for analyzing the wavefront of at least one light wave passing through an optical system, and has at least one illumination mask (), at least one first grating (), at least one second grating () arranged in the predefined plane and at least one detector () for detecting said superimposition pattern. The at least one first grating has at least one first grating structure and generates an interferogram in a predefined plane from a wavefront to be analyzed which proceeds from the illumination mask and passes through the optical system. The at least one second grating has at least one second grating structure and generates a superimposition pattern by the superimposition of the second grating structure with the interferogram generated by the first grating.

Device and method for wavefront analysis

A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a projection lens that is configured for immersion operation. For this purpose an immersion liquid is introduced into an immersion space that is located between a last lens of the projection lens on the image side and a photosensitive layer to be exposed. To reduce fluctuations of refractive index resulting from temperature gradients occurring within the immersion liquid, the projection exposure apparatus includes heat transfer elements that heat or cool partial volumes of the immersion liquid so as to achieve an at least substantially homogenous or at least substantially rotationally symmetric temperature distribution within the immersion liquid.

Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and measuring device for a projection lens

An optical imaging device, including an imaging unit and a measuring device. The imaging unit includes a first optical element group having at least one first optical element, which contributes to the imaging. The measuring device determines an imaging error, which occurs during the imaging, using a capturing signal. The measuring device includes a measurement light source, a second optical element group and a capturing unit. The measurement light source emits at least one measurement light bundle, The second optical element group includes an optical reference element and a second optical element, which guide the measurement light bundle onto the capturing unit, to generate the capturing signal. Each second optical element has a defined spatial relationship with a respective one of the first optical elements, The second optical elements differ from the first optical elements. The measuring device determines the imaging error with the capturing signal.

Optical imaging device with image defect determination

Exposure apparatus and measuring device for a projection lens

Methods for measuring the image quality of a projection objective include providing a measuring structure on an image-side of the projection objective, providing an immersion fluid between the projection objective and the measuring structure, directing light through the projection objective and the immersion fluid to the measuring structure while shielding the measuring structure from the immersion fluid, detecting light transmitted by the measuring structure, and determining an image quality of the projection objective based on the detected light.

System for measuring the image quality of an optical imaging system

A device for the optical measurement of an optical system, in particular an optical imaging system, is provided. The device includes at least one test optics component arranged on an object side or an image side of the optical system. An immersion fluid is adjacent to at least one of the test optics components. A container for use in this device, a microlithography projection exposure machine equipped with this device, and a method which can be carried out with the aid of this device are also provided. The device and method provide for optical measurement of microlithography projection objectives with high numerical apertures by using wavefront detection with shearing or point diffraction interferometry, or a Moir&#xe9; measuring technique.

Device and method for the optical measurement of an optical system by using an immersion fluid

First test beams (-), after passing through an optical system on optical paths that differ in pairs, impinge on a first measurement region () at angles that differ in pairs with respect to the measurement plane. Second test beams (-), after passing through the optical system on optical paths that differ in pairs, impinge on a second measurement region () at angles that differ in pairs, wherein the second region differs from the first. A value of a first measurement variable of the test beam at the first region is detected for each of the first test beams, and comparably for a second measurement variable at the second region for the second test beams. Impingement regions (-) on reference surface(s) () of the optical system are determined and a spatial diagnosis distribution of a property of the reference surface(s) for each test beam is calculated.

Method for measuring an optical system

Immersion objective arrangement including an objective, an immersion medium and an optical scattering disk, and associated method. The optical scattering disk includes a transparent substrate () and a light scattering layer () adjoining a surface of the substrate and having light-scattering-active particles (). The light scattering layer has an embedding medium () which is optically denser than air and directly adjoins the facing surface of the substrate without intervening air gaps and by which the light-scattering-active particles are surrounded. Such optical scattering disks may be used, e.g., in apparatuses for wavefront measurement of high-aperture microlithography projection objectives employing lateral shearing interferometry.

Optical scattering disk, use thereof, and wavefront measuring apparatus

An optical imaging device, in particular for microlithography, including an imaging unit adapted to image an object point on an image point and a measurement device. The imaging unit has a first optical element group having at least one first optical element. The imaging device is adapted to participate in the imaging of the object point on the image point, and the measurement unit is adapted to determine at least one image defect occurring on the image point when the object point is imaged. The measuring device includes at least one measurement light source, one second optical element group and at least one detection unit. The measurement light source transmits at least one measurement light bundle. The second optical element group includes at least one optical reference element and one second optical element, the elements adapted to direct the at least one measurement light bundle to the at least one detection unit, to produce at least one detection signal. The second optical element has a defined spatial relationship with the first optical element. The optical reference element has an at least partially reflecting first optical surface and the second optical element has an at least partially reflecting second optical surface. The measurement device is adapted to determine the at least one image defect using the at least one detection signal. The first optical surface and the second optical surface are positioned relative to one another such that a multiple reflection of the at least one measurement light bundle occurs between them.

A measuring system for the optical measurement of an optical imaging system, which is provided to image a pattern arranged in an object surface of the imaging system in an image surface of the imaging system, comprises an object-side structure carrier having an object-side measuring structure, to be arranged on the object side of the imaging system; an image-side structure carrier having an image-side measuring structure, to be arranged on the image side of the imaging system; the object-side measuring structure and the image-side measuring structure being matched to each other in such a way that, when the object-side measuring structure is imaged onto the image-side measuring structure with the aid of the imaging system, a superposition pattern is produced; and a detector for the locally resolving acquisition of the superposition pattern. The imaging system is designed as an immersion system for imaging with the aid of an immersion liquid. A structure carrier to be arranged in the region of the immersion liquid is assigned a protective system in order to increase the resistance of the measuring structure to degradation caused by the immersion liquid. A measurement of immersion systems under immersion conditions is thereby possible without detrimental influence of the immersion liquid on the measuring accuracy.

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Koenigsbronn, Germany

Ulrich Wegmann