| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 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 |
| 20080212060 | Method for Determining Intensity Distribution in the Image Plane of a Projection Exposure Arrangement - A method for determining intensity distribution in the focal plane of a projection exposure arrangement, in which a large aperture imaging system is emulated and a light from a sample is represented on a local resolution detector by an emulation imaging system. A device for carrying out the method and emulated devices are also described. The invention makes it possible to improve a reproduction quality since the system apodisation is taken into consideration. The inventive method consists in includes determining the integrated amplitude distribution in an output pupil, combining the integrated amplitude distribution with a predetermined apodization correction and calculating a corrected apodization image according to the modified amplitude distribution. | 09-04-2008 |
| 20080278799 | PROJECTION OBJECTIVE OF A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus is disclosed. The projection objective can project an image of a mask that can be set in position in an object plane onto a light-sensitive coating layer that can be set in position in an image plane. The projection objective can be designed to operate in an immersion mode, and it can produce at least one intermediate image. The projection objective can include an optical subsystem on the image-plane side which projects the intermediate image into the image plane with an image-plane-side projection ratio having an absolute value of at least 0.3. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20080297754 | Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus - The disclosure relates to a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, such as are used for the production of large-scale integrated electrical circuits and other microstructured components. The disclosure relates in particular to coatings of optical elements in order to increase or reduce the reflectivity. | 12-04-2008 |
| 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 |
| 20090103184 | LITHOGRAPHY PROJECTION OBJECTIVE, AND A METHOD FOR CORRECTING IMAGE DEFECTS OF THE SAME - Projection objectives, as well as related components, systems and methods, are disclosed. In general, a projection objective is configured to image radiation from an object plane to an image plane. A projection objective can include a plurality of optical elements along the optical axis. The plurality of optical elements can include a group of optical elements and a last optical element which is closest to the image plane, and a positioning device configured to move the last optical element relative to the image plane. Typically, a projection objective is configured to be used in a microlithography projection exposure machine. | 04-23-2009 |
| 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 |
| 20090195876 | METHOD FOR DESCRIBING A RETARDATION DISTRIBUTION IN A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - In a method for describing a retardation distribution of a light bundle emerging from a selected field point, which passes through a birefringent optical element contained in an optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, a distribution of retardation vectors is determined so that precisely one direction of a retardation vector is allocated to each directionless orientation of the retardation. The retardation vector distribution is then at least approximately described as a linear superposition of predetermined vector modes with scalar superposition coefficients. | 08-06-2009 |
| 20090284831 | PROJECTION OBJECTIVE OF A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus has a high index refractive optical element (L | 11-19-2009 |
| 20090306921 | SPECIFICATION, OPTIMIZATION AND MATCHING OF OPTICAL SYSTEMS BY USE OF ORIENTATIONAL ZERNIKE POLYNOMIALS - The present disclosure relates to specification, optimization and matching of optical systems by use of orientation Zernike polynomials. In some embodiments, a method for assessing the suitability of an optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus is provided. The method can include determining a Jones pupil of the optical system, at least approximately describing the Jones pupil using an expansion into orientation Zernike polynomials, and assessing the suitability of the optical system on the basis of the expansion coefficient of at least one of the orientation Zernike polynomials in the expansion. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20100079739 | PROJECTION OBJECTIVE FOR MICROLITHOGRAPHY - A projection objective for applications in microlithography, a microlithography projection exposure apparatus with a projection objective, a microlithographic manufacturing method for microstructured components, and a component manufactured using such a manufacturing method are disclosed. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100079741 | PROJECTION OBJECTIVE FOR MICROLITHOGRAPHY - A projection objective for use in microlithography, a microlithography projection exposure apparatus with a projection objective, a microlithographic manufacturing method for microstructured components, and a component manufactured under the manufacturing method are disclosed. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100097592 | HIGH TRANSMISSION, HIGH APERTURE CATADIOPTRIC PROJECTION OBJECTIVE AND PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - The disclosure provides projection objectives which may be used in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus to expose a radiation-sensitive substrate arranged in the region of an image surface of the projection objective with at least one image of a pattern of a mask arranged in the region of an object surface of the projection objective. The disclosure also provides projection exposure apparatus which include such projection objectives, as well as related components and methods. | 04-22-2010 |
| 20100149510 | METHODS FOR PRODUCING AN ANTIREFLECTION SURFACE ON AN OPTICAL ELEMENT, OPTICAL ELEMENT AND ASSOCIATED OPTICAL ARRANGEMENT - Methods for producing an antireflection surface ( | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100157435 | LITHOGRAPHY PROJECTION OBJECTIVE, AND A METHOD FOR CORRECTING IMAGE DEFECTS OF THE SAME - Projection objectives, as well as related components, systems and methods, are disclosed. In general, a projection objective is configured to image radiation from an object plane to an image plane. A projection objective can include a plurality of optical elements along the optical axis. The plurality of optical elements can include a group of optical elements and a last optical element which is closest to the image plane, and a positioning device configured to move the last optical element relative to the image plane. Typically, a projection objective is configured to be used in a microlithography projection exposure machine. | 06-24-2010 |
| 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 |
| 20110069295 | OPTICAL SYSTEM FOR MICROLITHOGRAPHY - An optical system ( | 03-24-2011 |
