Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Wolfgang Seitz

Damian Fiolka

Manfred Maul

Markus Schwab

Olaf Dittmann

Dirk Heinrich Ehm

Christoph Zaczek

Markus Weiss

Tobias Hackl

The disclosure relates to an illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. The illumination system can include a depolarizer which in conjunction with a light mixing system disposed downstream in the light propagation direction at least partially causes effective depolarization of polarized light impinging on the depolarizer. The illumination system can also include a microlens array which is arranged upstream of the light mixing system in the light propagation direction. The microlens array can include a plurality of microlenses arranged with a periodicity. The depolarizer can be configured so that a contribution afforded by interaction of the depolarizer with the periodicity of the microlens array to a residual polarization distribution occurring in a pupil plane arranged downstream of the microlens array in the light propagation direction has a maximum degree of polarization of not more than 5%.

Illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprising a depolarizing element

Illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus

To prevent reflective optical elements () for EUV lithography from becoming electrically charged as they are irradiated with EUV radiation (), an optical system for EUV lithography is proposed, having a reflective optical element (), including a substrate () with a highly reflective coating () emitting secondary electrons when irradiated with EUV radiation (), and a source () of electrically charged particles, which is arranged in such a manner that electrically charged particles are applied to the reflective optical element (), wherein the source () for the charge carrier compensation is exclusively a flood gun applying electrons to the reflective optical element ().

Optical system for EUV lithography with a charged-particle source

The disclosure relates to an illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. The illumination system can include a depolariser which in conjunction with a light mixing system disposed downstream in the light propagation direction at least partially causes effective depolarisation of polarised light impinging on the depolariser. The illumination system can also include a microlens array which is arranged upstream of the light mixing system in the light propagation direction. The microlens array can include a plurality of microlenses arranged with a periodicity. The depolariser can be configured so that a contribution afforded by interaction of the depolariser with the periodicity of the microlens array to a residual polarisation distribution occurring in a pupil plane arranged downstream of the microlens array in the light propagation direction has a maximum degree of polarisation of not more than 5%.

Growing community of inventors

Rainau, Germany

Wolfgang Seitz