Abstract:
An optical system, in particular an illumination system or a projection lens of a microlithographic exposure system, according to one aspect of the present invention has an optical system axis (OA) and at least one element group (200) consisting of three birefringent elements (211 ,212,213) each of which being made of optically uniaxial material and having an aspheric surface, wherein a first birefringent element (211 ) of said group has a first orientation of its optical crystal axis, a second birefringent element (212) of said group has a second orientation of its optical crystal axis, wherein said second orientation can be described as emerging from a rotation of said first orientation, said rotation not corresponding to a rotation around the optical system axis by an angle of 90° or an integer multiple thereof, and a third birefringent element (213) of said group has a third orientation of its optical crystal axis, wherein said third orientation can be described as emerging from a rotation of said second orientation said rotation not corresponding to a rotation around the optical system axis by an angle of 90° or an integer multiple thereof.
Abstract:
An illumination system (12) of a microlithographic exposure apparatus (10) comprises a condenser (601; 602; 603; 604; 605; 606) for transforming a pupil plane (54) into a field plane (62) . The condenser has a lens group (L14, L15, L16, L17; L24, L25, L26, L27, L28; L34, L35, L36, L37; L44, L45, L46; L53, L54, L55) that contains a plurality of consecutive lenses. These lenses are arranged such that a light bundle (70) focused by the condenser (601; 602; 603; 604; 605) on an on-axis field point (72) converges within each lens of the lens group. At least one lens (L15, L16, L17; L25, L26; L34, L44, L45; L54) of the lens group has a concave surface. The illumination system may further comprise a field stop objective (66; 666, 666') that at least partly corrects a residual pupil aberration of the condenser (601; 602; 603; 604; 605; 606) .
Abstract:
A microlithographic projection exposure installation comprises a projection lens system (20), which projects an object (24) onto a focal plane (28) and which has a lens (L3) with a curved surface (S). A liquid or solid medium (34) is located in the projection lens system (20) and directly abuts against the curved surface (S) over an area that can be used for the projection of the object (24). The projection exposure installation also comprises an adjustable manipulator (M) for reducing a curvature of field that is caused by a heating of the medium (34) during the projection operation.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a projection exposure apparatus for EUV microlithography comprising an illumination system (1) for illuminating a pattern and a projection objective (2) for imaging the pattern onto a light-sensitive substrate (5). The projection objective (2) has a pupil plane (30) with an obscuration. The illumination system (1) generates light with an angular distribution. The angular distribution has an illumination pole (35, 36) which extends over a range of polar angles and a range of azimuth angles and within which the light intensity is greater than an illumination pole minimum value. From the illumination pole (35, 36) toward large polar angles a dark zone (41, 42) is excluded within which the light intensity is less than the illumination pole minimum value, and which has in regions a form corresponding to the form of the obscuration of the pupil plane (30).
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for analyzing a defect of a photolithographic mask for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelength range (EUV mask) comprising the steps of: (a) generating at least one focus stack relating to the defect using an EUV mask inspection tool, (b) determining a surface configuration of the EUV mask at a position of the defect, (c) providing model structures having the determined surface configuration which have different phase errors and generating the respective focus stacks, and (d) determining a three dimensional error structure of the EUV mask defect by comparing the at least one generated focus stack of the defect and the generated focus stacks of the model structures.
Abstract:
The invention concerns an illumination system and a projection objective of a mask inspection apparatus. In accordance with an aspect of the invention an illumination system (610) in operation of the mask inspection apparatus illuminates a mask (630) with an illumination bundle of rays (615) having a centroid ray, wherein said centroid ray has a direction dependent on the location of the incidence of the illumination bundle of rays (615) on the mask (630).
Abstract:
A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus has a high index refractive optical element (L3) with an index of refraction greater than 1.6. This element (L3) has a volume and a material related optical property which varies over the volume. Variations of this optical property cause an aberration of the objective. In one embodiment at least 4 optical surfaces are provided that are arranged in at least one volume (L3') which is optically conjugate with the volume of the refractive optical element. Each optical surface comprises at least one correction means, for example a surface deformation or a birefringent layer with locally varying properties, which at least partially corrects the aberration caused by the variation of the optical property.
Abstract:
The invention features a system for microlithography that includes a mercury light source configured to emit radiation at multiple mercury emission lines, a projection objective positioned to receive radiation emitted by the mercury light source, and a stage configured to position a wafer relative to the projection objective. During operation, the projection objective directs radiation from the light source to the wafer, where the radiation at the wafer includes energy from more than one of the emission lines. Optical lens systems for use in said projection objective comprise four lens groups, each having two lenses comprising silica, the first and second lens groups on one hand and the third and fourth lens groups on the other hand are positioned symmetrically with respect to a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of said lens system.
Abstract:
Die Erfindung betrifft ein Projektionsobjektiv einer mikrolithographischen Projektionsbelichtungsanlage, zur Abbildung einer in einer Objektebene positionierbaren Maske auf eine in einer Bildebene positionierbare lichtempfindliche Schicht, wobei das Projektionsobjektiv (108) ein bildebenenseitig letztes optisches Element (113) mit einer Lichteintrittsfläche und einer Lichtaustrittsfläche aufweist und für einen Immersionsbetrieb ausgelegt ist, in welchem in einem Bereich zwischen der Lichtaustrittsfläche und der Bildebene (IP) eine Immersionsflussigkeit (114) angeordnet ist, und wobei wenigstens eine zwischen der Lichteintrittsfläche des bildebenenseitig letzten optischen Elements (113) und der Immersionsflussigkeit (114) befindliche Grenzfläche wenigstens bereichsweise eine Mikrostrukturierung (117, 217, 313a, 413a, 515a, 615a) aufweist.
Abstract:
Die Erfindung betrifft eine Projektionsbelichtungsanlage (1) mit einer Mehrzahl von Projektionsobjektiven (10) , von denen jedes ein Objektfeld (50) in ein Bildfeld (60) abbildet. Die Bildfelder (60) sind in einem Substratbereich (40) in einer Substratebene angeordnet, wobei der Substratbereich (40) in einer vorbestimmten Scanrichtung (5) relativ zu der Mehrzahl von Projektionsobjektiven bewegbar ist, wobei wenigstens eines dieser Projektionsobjektive einen Teilabschnitt seiner optischen Achse aufweist, welcher nicht senkrecht zu der Substratebene verläuft und wobei die Projektion dieses Teilabschnitts in die Substratebene nicht parallel zur Scanrichtung (5) verläuft .