Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Carl Zeiss Laser Optics Gmbh

Cymer, Inc.

Vitaliy Shklover

Kerstin Hild

Toralf Gruner

Holger Muenz

Holger Kierey

Jeffrey Erxmeyer

Ralf Winter

Eric Eva

Michel Le Maire

Johannes Kraus

Konstantin Forcht

Horst Feldermann

Christof Jalics

Michael Schall

Oliver Gloeckl

Robert Meier

Ute Heinemeyer

Palash P Das

Dirk Heinrich Ehm

Michael Gerhard

Alexandra Pazidis

David S Knowles

Stefan-Wolfgang Schmidt

Moritz Becker

Stephan Six

Oliver Dier

Stefan Wiesner

Arno Schmittner

Alexey Sergeevich Kuznetsov

Hans Michael Stiepan

Joern Weber

Bernhard Weigl

Irene Ament

Daniel Golde

Wolfgang Merkel

Sebastian Strobel

Martin Hermann

Christoph Nottbohm

Christian Grasse

Diana Urich

Sebastian Brueck

Christian Hoess

Albert P Cefalo

Jörn Weber

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 method for forming in particular reflection-reducing nanostructures () on a preferably polished surface () of a crystalline, in particular ionic, substrate () for transmission of radiation in the FUV/VUV wavelength range. The method includes: providing a surface (), which surface is not oriented along a lattice plane having a minimum surface energy, on the substrate () or on a layer () applied to the substrate () by a coating method, in particular vacuum vapor deposition, and introducing an energy input (E) into the surface () for rearranging the surface () to form the nanostructures (), wherein the energy input (E) is generated by irradiating the surface () with electromagnetic radiation (). Also, an optical element for transmission of radiation in the FUV/VUV wavelength range.

Method for forming nanostructures on a surface and optical element

In situ dynamic protection of an optical element surface against degradation includes disposing the optical element in an interior of an optical assembly for the FUV/VUV wavelength range and supplying at least one volatile fluorine-containing compound (A, B) to the interior for dynamic deposition of a fluorine-containing protective layer on the surface. The protective layer () is deposited on the surface layer by layer via a molecular layer deposition process. The compound includes a fluorine-containing reactant (A) supplied to the interior in a pulsed manner. A further reactant (B) is supplied to the interior also in a pulsed manner. An associated optical assembly includes an interior in which a surface is disposed, and at least one metering apparatus () that supplies a reactant to the interior. The metering apparatus provides a pulsed supply of the compound as a reactant (A, B) for layer by layer molecular layer deposition.

Method for in-situ dynamic protection of a surface and optical assembly

A method for in situ protection of a surface () of an aluminum layer () of a VUV radiation reflecting coating () of an optical element (), arranged in an interior of an optical arrangement, against the growth of an aluminum oxide layer (), including carrying out an atomic layer etching process for layer-by-layer removal of the aluminum oxide layer from the surface. The etching process includes a surface modification step and a material detachment step. At least one boron halide is supplied as a surface modifying reactant to the interior in pulsed fashion during the surface modification step. A plasma is generated at a surface () of the aluminum oxide layer, at least during the material detachment step. The atomic layer etching process is performed until the aluminum oxide layer reaches a given thickness (D), or the aluminum oxide layer is kept below that thickness (D) by the process.

Method for in situ protection of an aluminum layer and optical arrangement for the VUV wavelength range

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

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 cost-effective method for repairing reflective optical elements for EUV lithography. These optical elements () have a substrate () and a coating () that reflects at a working wavelength in the range between 5 nm and 20 nm and is damaged as a result of formation of hydrogen bubbles. The method includes: localizing a damaged area () in the coating () and covering the damaged area () with one or more materials having low hydrogen permeability by applying a cover element to the damaged area. The cover element is formed of a surface structure, a convex or concave surface, or a coating corresponding to the coating of the reflective optical element, or a combination thereof. The method is particularly suitable for collector mirrors () for EUV lithography. After the repair, the optical elements have cover elements ().

Method for repairing reflective optical elements for EUV lithography

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

In order to prevent delamination of a reflective coating from the substrate under the influence of reactive hydrogen, a reflective optical element () for EUV lithography is provided, which has a substrate () and a reflective coating () for reflecting radiation in the wavelength range of 5 nm to 20 nm. A functional layer () is arranged between the reflective coating () and the substrate (). With the functional layer, the concentration of hydrogen in atom % at the side of the substrate facing the reflective coating is reduced by at least a factor of 2.

Reflective optical element for EUV lithography

In order to make possible both good laser resistance and good antireflection properties, an optical element, in particular for UV lithography, comprising a substrate and a coating on the substrate having at least four layers, is proposed, wherein

Optical element

An optical grating () includes a substrate (), on the surface () of which a periodic structure () is formed that is embodied to diffract incident radiation (), in particular incident EUV radiation, with a specified wavelength (&#x3bb;) into a predetermined order of diffraction, in particular into the first order of diffraction (m=+). The optical grating also has a coating () applied onto the periodic structure with at least one layer () that is embodied to suppress the diffraction of the incident radiation into at least one higher order of diffraction (m=+, . . . ) than the predetermined order of diffraction.

Optical grating and optical assembly for same

An optical element comprises a reflecting coating on a substrate. The reflecting coating contains boron and can have a thickness of more than 50 nm.

Reflective optical element for grazing incidence in the EUV wavelength range

An optical system for shaping an incoming beam having a divergence with an angular distribution at least in a first direction comprises at least one angle selective optical element for clipping the angular distribution in the at least first direction. The approach according to the present invention bases on using an angle-selective device operated by the principle of total internal reflection to reduce divergence of the incoming beam, in contrast to a spatially-selective device as for example a field-stop or slit. The method according to the present invention has the advantage that no physical sharp edges have to be exposed at high energy densities. Thus, thermal impact and demands on the optical elements to withstand a high power laser beam are significantly reduced.

Optical system and method for shaping a profile of a laser beam

The disclosure relates to a light beam intensity non-uniformity correction device that includes an optical element having a light entrance face with an antireflective property. According to the invention the antireflective property is locally amended in order to enhance light beam intensity uniformity. The disclosure further relates to a method for amending intensity distribution of a light beam in an optical system having one or more optical elements, where the method includes: a) assembling the optical system with the one or more optical elements arranged in predetermined positions, b) measuring intensity distribution, c) calculating locally required increase or decrease in absorption and/or reflection of one of the optical elements to amend measured intensity distribution into a predetermined intensity distribution, d) removing the optical element from the optical system, e) locally amending absorption and/or reflection of the one of the optical elements according to the calculation, f) installing the optical element in the predetermined position in the optical system.

Optical devices and related systems and methods

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Konigsbronn, Germany

Vitaliy Shklover