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:
Oct. 16, 2012
Filed:
Jun. 06, 2011
David Shafer, Fairfield, CT (US);
Wilhelm Ulrich, Aalen, DE;
Aurelian Dodoc, Heidenheim, DE;
Rudolf M. Von Buenau, Jena, DE;
Hans-juergen Mann, Oberkochen, DE;
Alexander Epple, Aalen, DE;
David Shafer, Fairfield, CT (US);
Wilhelm Ulrich, Aalen, DE;
Aurelian Dodoc, Heidenheim, DE;
Rudolf M. Von Buenau, Jena, DE;
Hans-Juergen Mann, Oberkochen, DE;
Alexander Epple, Aalen, DE;
Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH, Oberkochen, DE;
Abstract
A catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective comprises: a first objective part for imaging the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image; a second objective part for imaging the first intermediate imaging into a second intermediate image; a third objective part for imaging the second intermediate imaging directly onto the image plane; wherein a first concave mirror having a first continuous mirror surface and at least one second concave mirror having a second continuous mirror surface are arranged upstream of the second intermediate image; pupil surfaces are formed between the object plane and the first intermediate image, between the first and the second intermediate image and between the second intermediate image and the image plane; and all concave mirrors are arranged optically remote from a pupil surface. The system has potential for very high numerical apertures at moderate lens material mass consumption.