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:
Jul. 02, 2013
Filed:
Dec. 20, 2010
Dirk Heinrich Ehm, Lauchheim, DE;
Arnoldus Jan Storm, Delft, NL;
Johannes Hubertus Josephina Moors, Helmond, NL;
Almut Czap, Aalen, DE;
Mona Nagel, Aalen, DE;
Jacques Cor Johan Van Der Donck, Alpen aan den Rijn, NL;
Jetske Karina Stortelder, den Haag, NL;
Marijn Sandtke, Delfgauw, NL;
Maria Isabel Catalina Caballero, Den Haag, NL;
Luigi Scaccabarozzi, Valkenswaard, NL;
Dirk Heinrich Ehm, Lauchheim, DE;
Arnoldus Jan Storm, Delft, NL;
Johannes Hubertus Josephina Moors, Helmond, NL;
Almut Czap, Aalen, DE;
Mona Nagel, Aalen, DE;
Jacques Cor Johan van der Donck, Alpen aan den Rijn, NL;
Jetske Karina Stortelder, den Haag, NL;
Marijn Sandtke, Delfgauw, NL;
Maria Isabel Catalina Caballero, Den Haag, NL;
Luigi Scaccabarozzi, Valkenswaard, NL;
Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH, Oberkochen, DE;
ASML Netherlands B.V., Veldhoven, NL;
Abstract
An optical assembly is mounted in a projection exposure apparatus () for EUV microlithography and includes at least one vacuum chamber (), at least one optical element () arranged in the vacuum chamber (), the optical element () having an optical surface () arranged to be impinged upon by a useful beam bundle () of the projection exposure apparatus (), and a cleaning device () configured to clean the optical surface (). The cleaning device () is configured to perform particle cleaning of the optical surface () at a gas pressure within the vacuum chamber () which is higher than a vacuum pressure (p) for performing an exposure operation with the projection exposure apparatus (). As a result, optical elements having respective optical surfaces arranged to be impinged upon by a useful beam bundle can be cleaned reliably of foreign particles.