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:
Sep. 04, 2012
Filed:
Oct. 06, 2011
Stanislav Y. Smirnov, Bethel, CT (US);
Eric Brian Catey, Danbury, CT (US);
Adel Joobeur, Milford, CT (US);
Stanislav Y. Smirnov, Bethel, CT (US);
Eric Brian Catey, Danbury, CT (US);
Adel Joobeur, Milford, CT (US);
ASML Holding N.V., Veldhoven, NL;
Abstract
Disclosed are high numerical (NA) catadioptric objectives without a central obscuration, and applications thereof. Such objectives can operate through a wide spectral bandwidth of radiation, including deep ultraviolet (DUV) radiation. Importantly, refractive elements in the catadioptric objectives can be manufactured from a single type of material (such as, for example, CaFand/or fused silica). In addition, the elements of such catadioptric objectives are rotationally symmetric about an optical axis. The catadioptric objectives eliminate the central obscuration by (1) using a polarized beamsplitter (which passes radiation of a first polarization and reflects radiation of a second polarization), and/or (2) using one or more folding mirrors to direct off-axis radiation into the pupil of the catadioptric objective. An example catadioptric objective is shown in FIG.