| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080198353 | Projection Objective, Projection Exposure Apparatus and Reflective Reticle For Microlithography - A projection objective for microlithography serves for imaging a pattern of a mask arranged in its object surface into an image field arranged in its image surface with a demagnifying imaging scale. It has a multiplicity of optical elements arranged along the optical axis of the projection objective, the optical elements being designed and arranged in such a way that the projection objective has an imageside numerical aperture NA>0.85 and a demagnifying imaging scale where |b|<0.05, and the planar image field having a minimum image field diameter suitable for microlithography of more than 1 mm. | 08-21-2008 |
| 20080204877 | ILLUMINATION SYSTEM OR PROJECTION LENS OF A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC EXPOSURE SYSTEM - In some embodiments, the disclosure provides an optical system, in particular an illumination system or a projection lens of a microlithographic exposure system, having an optical system axis and at least one element group including three birefringent elements each of which includes optically uniaxial material and having an aspheric surface, wherein a first birefringent element of the group has a first orientation of its optical crystal axis, a second birefringent element of the group has a second orientation of its optical crystal axis, wherein the second orientation can be described as emerging from a rotation of the first orientation, the 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 of the group has a third orientation of its optical crystal axis, wherein the third orientation can be described as emerging from a rotation of the second orientation, the rotation not corresponding to a rotation around the optical system axis by an angle of 90° or an integer multiple thereof. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080212170 | CATADIOPTRIC PROJECTION OBJECTIVE - 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; | 09-04-2008 |
| 20080285121 | CATADIOPTRIC PROJECTION OBJECTIVE - 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;
| 11-20-2008 |
| 20080297889 | CATADIOPTRIC PROJECTION OBJECTIVE - 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;
| 12-04-2008 |
| 20080309904 | OPTICAL SYSTEM OF A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - An optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus contains a module, which can be fitted in the optical system and removed from it as a unit. The module contains a cavity which can be completely filled with a liquid and hermetically sealed, and a concavely curved optical surface which bounds the cavity at the top during operation of the projection exposure apparatus. This makes it possible to fill the module outside the optical system. The module can be tilted there so that no air bubble, which prevents complete filling, can form below the concavely curved optical surface. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20080310014 | CATADIOPTRIC PROJECTION OBJECTIVE - 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; | 12-18-2008 |
| 20080316452 | MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus contains an illumination system ( | 12-25-2008 |
| 20090021714 | COMBINATION STOP FOR CATOPTRIC PROJECTION ARRANGEMENT - The disclosure relates to an optical projection arrangement that can be used to image a reticle onto a substrate. The projection arrangement includes reflective elements, by which a ray path is defined. A combination stop is in a pupil of the ray path. The combination stop has a first opening (aperture opening) for use as an aperture stop. The combination stop also has a second opening for allowing passage of a ray bundle of the ray path, such that the combination stop acts as a combined aperture stop and stray light stop. In addition, the disclosure relates to a corresponding combination stop for optical arrangements, as well as related systems, components and methods. | 01-22-2009 |
| 20090021830 | PROJECTION LENS OF A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC EXPOSURE SYSTEM - In some embodiments, the disclosure provides a projection lens configured to configured to image radiation from an object plane of the projection lens to an image plane of the projection lens. The projection lens can, for example, be used in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. The projection lens includes a last lens on the image plane side. The last lens includes at least one intrinsically birefringent material. The material can be, for example, magnesium oxide, a garnet, lithium barium fluoride and/or a spinel. The last lens can have a thickness d which satisfies the condition 0.8*y | 01-22-2009 |
| 20090080086 | SYMMETRICAL OBJECTIVE HAVING FOUR LENS GROUPS FOR MICROLITHOGRAPHY - 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. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090115986 | Microlithography projection objective - Microlithography projection objectives for imaging into an image plane a pattern arranged in an object plane are described with respect to suppressing false light in such projection objectives. | 05-07-2009 |
| 20090190208 | CATADIOPTRIC PROJECTION OBJECTIVE - 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 has a first, refractive objective part for imaging the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image; a second objective part including at least one concave mirror for imaging the first intermediate imaging into a second intermediate image; and a third, refractive objective part for imaging the second intermediate imaging onto the image plane; wherein the projection objective has a maximum lens diameter D | 07-30-2009 |
| 20100014153 | CATADIOPTRIC PROJECTION OBJECTIVE - 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 has a first, refractive objective part for imaging the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image; a second objective part including at least one concave mirror for imaging the first intermediate imaging into a second intermediate image; and a third, refractive objective part for imaging the second intermediate imaging onto the image plane; wherein the projection objective has a maximum lens diameter D | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100020390 | CATADIOPTRIC PROJECTION OBJECTIVE WITH PUPIL CORRECTION - A catadioptric projection objective includes a plurality of optical elements arranged to image an off-axis object field arranged in an object surface onto an off-axis image field arranged in an image surface of the projection objective. The optical elements form: a first, refractive objective part that can generate a first intermediate image from radiation coming from the object surface and including a first pupil surface; a second objective part including at least one concave mirror that can image the first intermediate image into a second intermediate image and including a second pupil surface optically conjugated to the first pupil surface; and a third objective part that can image the second intermediate image onto the image surface and including a third pupil surface optically conjugated to the first and second pupil surface. The optical elements are arranged between the object surface and the first pupil surface form a Fourier lens group which includes a negative lens group arranged optically close to the first pupil surface. | 01-28-2010 |
| 20100026978 | PROJECTION OBJECTIVE OF A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - The disclosure relates a projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, as well as a related microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and method. The projection objective can include a lens of a cubically crystalline material whose crystal orientation is oriented at an angle of at most 15° relative to the optical axis of the projection objective. The projection objective can also include a polarization correction element which has at least two subelements of birefringent, optically uniaxial material and having at least one respective aspheric surface. During use of the projection objective, the polarization correction element at least partially compensates for an intrinsic birefringence of the lens. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100045952 | MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus contains an illumination system ( | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100073655 | OPTICAL SYSTEM OF A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - An optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus contains a module, which can be fitted in the optical system and removed from it as a unit. The module contains a cavity which can be completely filled with a liquid and hermetically sealed, and a concavely curved optical surface which bounds the cavity at the top during operation of the projection exposure apparatus. This makes it possible to fill the module outside the optical system. The module can be tilted there so that no air bubble, which prevents complete filling, can form below the concavely curved optical surface. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100172019 | PROJECTION OBJECTIVE AND PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A reduction projection objective for projection lithography has a plurality of optical elements configured to image an effective object field arranged in an object surface of the projection objective into an effective image field arranged in an image surface of the projection objective at a reducing magnification ratio |β|<1. The optical elements form a dry objective adapted with regard to aberrations to a gaseous medium with refractive index n′<1.01 filling an image space of finite thickness between an exit surface of the projection objective and the image surface. The optical elements include a largest lens having a maximum lens diameter D | 07-08-2010 |
| 20100208225 | PROJECTION OBJECTIVE FOR MICRLOLITHOGRAPHY HAVING AN OBSCURATED PUPIL - A projection objective with obscurated pupil for microlithography has a first optical surface, which has a first region provided for application of useful light, and at least one second optical surface, which has a second region provided for application of useful light. A beam envelope of the useful light extends between the first region and the second region. At least one tube open on the input side and on the output side in the light propagation direction severs to screen scattered light. The at least one tube is between the first optical surface and the second optical surface. The wall of the tube is opaque in the wavelength range of the useful light. The tube extends in the propagation direction of the useful light over at least a partial length of the beam envelope and circumferentially surrounds the beam envelope. | 08-19-2010 |
| 20100231883 | MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a primary illumination system producing projection light, a projection objective and a correction optical system. The correction optical system includes a secondary illumination system, which produces an intensity distribution of correction light in a reference surface, and a correction element which includes a heating material and is arranged in a plane that is at least substantially optically conjugate to the reference surface such that the correction light and the projection light pass through at least one lens contained in the projection objective before they impinge on the correction element. All lenses through which both the correction light and the projection light pass are made of a lens material which has a lower coefficient of absorption for the correction light than the heating material contained in the correction element. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20100253999 | CATADIOPTRIC PROJECTION OBJECTIVE - 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. | 10-07-2010 |
| 20100265480 | MIRROR FOR THE EUV WAVELENGTH RANGE, PROJECTION OBJECTIVE FOR MICROLITHOGRAPHY COMPRISING SUCH A MIRROR, AND PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS FOR MICROLITHOGRAPHY COMPRISING SUCH A PROJECTION OBJECTIVE - A mirror for the EUV wavelength range ( | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100265572 | CATADIOPTRIC PROJECTION OBJECTIVE - 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 has a first, refractive objective part for imaging the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image; a second objective part including at least one concave mirror for imaging the first intermediate imaging into a second intermediate image; and a third, refractive objective part for imaging the second intermediate imaging onto the image plane; wherein the projection objective has a maximum lens diameter D | 10-21-2010 |
| 20110026110 | PROJECTION OBJECTIVE FOR LITHOGRAPHY - In some embodiments, a projection objective for lithography includes an optical arrangement of optical elements between an object plane and an image plane. The arrangement generally has at least one intermediate image plane, the arrangement further having at least two correction elements for correcting aberrations, of which a first correction element is arranged optically at least in the vicinity of a pupil plane and a second correction element is arranged in a region which is not optically near either a pupil plane or a field plane. | 02-03-2011 |
