The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 24, 2021
Filed:
Jun. 06, 2019
Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh, Oberkochen, DE;
Robert Meier, Munich, DE;
Holger Kierey, Aalen, DE;
Christof Jalics, Heidenheim, DE;
Eric Eva, Aalen, DE;
Ralf Winter, Gmuend, DE;
Arno Schmittner, Koenigsbronn, DE;
Alexey Kuznetsov, Zaltbommel, NL;
Vitaliy Shklover, Heidenheim, DE;
Christoph Nottbohm, Ulm, DE;
Wolfgang Merkel, Neu-Ulm, DE;
CARL ZEISS SMT GMBH, Oberkochen, DE;
Abstract
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 ().