Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh

Carl-zeiss-smt Ag

Asml Netherlands B.v.

Carl Ziess Smt Gmbh

Kwan, Yim-bun Patrick

Yim-Bun Patrick Kwan

Stefan Xalter

Damian Fiolka

Florian Bach

Markus Deguenther

Johannes Wangler

Michael Patra

Manfred Maul

Michael Layh

Jan Horn

Johannes Eisenmenger

Andras G Major

Jens Kugler

Hermann Bieg

Uy-Liem Nguyen

Franz Sorg

Johannes Lippert

Erik Roelof Loopstra

Bernhard Gellrich

Michael Muehlbeyer

Karl-Eugen Aubele

Peter Deufel

Jasper Wesselingh

Martin Schmidt

Saverio Sanvido

Ulrich Weber

Bernhard Geuppert

Sascha Bleidistel

Frank Melzer

Thomas Bischoff

Severin Waldis

Armin Werber

Willi Heintel

Axel Lorenz

Andreas Frommeyer

Daniel Benz

Harald Kirchner

Dick Antonius Hendrikus Laro

Marcus Will

Wolfgang Keller

Hans-Juergen Mann

Harmen Klaas Van Der Schoot

Armin Schoeppach

Andreas Wurmbrand

Ulrich Schoenhoff

Marwène Nefzi

Ralf Zweering

Frank Eisert

Gerjan P Veldhuis

Viktor Kulitzki

Pascal Marsollek

Michael Mühlbeyer

Konrad Carl Steimer

Tim Groothuijsen

Erik Ruinemans

Hans-Jürgen Scherle

Fraser G Morrison

Nico Kemper

G Fraser Morrison

Eylem Bektas Knauf

Gerrit Maarten Bonnema

An arrangement of a microlithographic optical imaging device includes first and 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 supporting spring device defines a supporting force direction and a supporting length along the supporting force direction. The second supporting structure supports a measuring device configured to measure the position and/or orientation of the optical element in relation to a reference in at least one degree of freedom and up to all six degrees of freedom in space. A creep compensation device compensates 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

An optical imaging arrangement includes an optical element and a piezoelectric device. The optical element includes an optical element body carrying an optical surface on a front side of the optical element body. The piezoelectric device includes a first electrode and at least one piezoelectric element. The first electrode is configured to cooperate with the at least one piezoelectric element and at least one second electrode, when the at least one second electrode is located on a rear side of the optical element body and the at least one piezoelectric element is located between the first electrode and the at least one second electrode, the rear side of the optical element body being opposite to the front side of the optical element body. The first electrode is located on the front side of the optical element body, and the at least one piezoelectric element is formed by at least one piezoelectric section of the optical element body.

Optical imaging arrangement with a piezoelectric device

An optical module includes: a first holding device with a circumference extending in a first circumferential direction; and a plurality of first supporting devices configured to support a first optical element, the first supporting devices being fixed at the circumference of the first holding device. Along the first circumferential direction, at least one of the first supporting devices is located in a non-equidistant manner between two neighboring first supporting devices. The optical module is configured to be used in a microlithography objective.

Optical module for a microlithography objective holding optical elements with supporting devices located in a non-equidistant manner

The disclosure pertains to an optical apparatus, in particular for microlithography, that includes an optical module, a support structure and a connection apparatus. The connection apparatus includes at least one connection unit which includes a first connector part and a second connector part. The first connector part is connected to the optical module, and the second connector part is connected to the support structure.

Optical apparatus with adjustable action of force on an optical module

The invention relates to an optical imaging device, in particular an objectivefor microlithography in the field of EUVL for producing semiconductor components, having a beam path, a plurality of optical elementsand a diaphragm devicewith an adjustable diaphragm opening shape. The diaphragm device has a diaphragm storewith a plurality of different diaphragm openingswith fixed shapes in each case, which can be introduced into the beam path

Diaphragm changing device

A semiconductor lithography projection exposure apparatus includes a projection lens which includes a manipulator. The manipulator includes an optical element; a base frame; a sensor frame arranged on the base frame; and a sensor arranged on the sensor frame. The manipulator is configured to correct wavefront aberrations of used optical radiation that pass through the optical element during the operation of the projection lens. The manipulator is arranged directly after an object plane of the apparatus along a path of the used optical radiation. The sensor is configured to measure a deformation or a deflection of the optical element. A coefficient of thermal expansion of the sensor frame is within 16 ppm/K of a coefficient of thermal expansion of the base frame.

Projection exposure apparatus with near-field manipulator

A vibration-compensated optical system for a lithography apparatus includes an optical element, a carrying element, an actuator for actuating the optical element relative to the carrying element, a first elastic element which directly couples the optical element to the carrying element, a reaction mass, and a second elastic element. The actuator couples the optical element to the reaction mass. The second elastic element directly couples the reaction mass to the carrying element. For a mass (m) of the optical element, a stiffness (k) of the first elastic element, a mass (m) of the reaction mass and a stiffness (k) of the second elastic element the following holds true: 

Vibration-compensated optical system, lithography apparatus and method

An optical imaging arrangement includes an optical projection system and a support structure system. The optical projection system includes a group of optical elements 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 support structure system includes an optical element support structure and a metrology support structure. The optical element support structure supports the group of optical elements, while the metrology support structure supports a group of metrology devices associated with the group of optical elements and configured to capture status information representative of at least one of a position and an orientation of each of the optical elements in at least one degree of freedom up to all six degrees of freedom.

Optical imaging arrangement with multiple metrology support units

An optical module is configured to be used in a microlithography objective. The optical module includes a first holding device with a circumference extending in a first circumferential direction and a first supporting device configured to support a first optical element. The first supporting device is fixed at the circumference of the first holding device. The optical module also includes a plurality of second supporting devices configured to support a second optical element, the second supporting devices being fixed at the circumference of the first holding device. The first supporting device does not contact the second supporting devices. The first optical element is separate from the second optical element. Along the first circumferential direction, the first supporting device is located in a non-equidistant manner between two neighboring second supporting devices.

Optical module for a microlithography objective holding optical elements with supporting device located in non-equidistant manner

An optical apparatus includes an interchange mechanism and an optical assembly of an illumination system or a projection objective. At least one of the plurality of optical elements of the optical assembly is selected from among a plurality of ones selectable from the interchange mechanism which facilitates exchange of one for another in the beam path. To reduce transmission of vibration from the interchange mechanism to the optical assembly, the interchange mechanism is mounted on a structure which is substantially dynamically decoupled from the housing, and a selected selectable optical element is located at an operating position at which it is separate from the interchange mechanism.

Optical apparatus for use in photolithography

Microlithographic illumination system includes individually drivable elements to variably illuminate a pupil surface of the system. Each element deviates an incident light beam based on a control signal applied to the element. The system also includes an instrument to provide a measurement signal, and a model-based state estimator configured to compute, for each element, an estimated state vector based on the measurement signal. The estimated state vector represents: a deviation of a light beam caused by the element; and a time derivative of the deviation. The illumination system further includes a regulator configured to receive, for each element: a) the estimated state vector; and b) target values for: i) the deviation of the light beam caused by the deviating element; and ii) the time derivative of the deviation.

Method and device for monitoring multiple mirror arrays in an illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus

Optical modules used in exposure processes, in particular to optical modules of microlithography systems, are disclosed. Methods for deforming an optical element of an optical module as well as to optical imaging arrangements, optical imaging of methods and a method of manufacturing an optical element, are also disclosed. The disclosed technology may be used in the context of photolithography processes for fabricating microelectronic devices, in particular semiconductor devices, or in the context of fabricating devices, such as masks or reticles, used during such photolithography processes.

A method for controlling a vibrating optical element of a lithographic system the optical element having a predetermined number of degrees of freedom comprises: detecting a number of displacements of the optical element, each displacement corresponding to a degree of freedom, wherein the number of detected displacements is larger than the number of degrees of freedom; for each displacement according to a degree of freedom, generating a sensor signal corresponding to a movement in a degree of freedom; wherein the optical element moves as a function of a rigid body transformation matrix, the optical element movement including a first type of movement and a second type of movement; and modifying the sensor signals as a function of a modified transformation matrix, wherein the modified transformation matrix at least partially reduces at least one eigen mode or resonance of one of the first type of movements or the second type of movements.

Method for controlling a motion of optical elements in lithography systems

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Aalen, Germany

Yim-Bun Patrick Kwan