Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080304033 | PROJECTION OBJECTIVE FOR A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - Another approach to decrease the resolution is to introduce an immersion liquid having high refractive index into the gap that remains between a final lens element on the image side of the projection objective and the photoresist or another photosensitive layer to be exposed. Projection objectives that are designed for immersion operation and are therefore also referred to as immersion objective may reach numerical apertures of more than 1, for example 1.3 or 1.4. The term “immersion liquid” shall, in the context of this application, relate also to what is commonly referred to as “solid immersion”. In the case of solid immersion, the immersion liquid is in fact a solid medium that, however, does not get in direct contact with the photoresist but is spaced apart from it by a distance that is only a fraction of the wavelength used. This ensures that the laws of geometrical optics do not apply such that no total reflection occurs. | 12-11-2008 |
20080309894 | MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS AND MEASURING DEVICE FOR A PROJECTION LENS - A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a projection lens that is configured for immersion operation. For this purpose an immersion liquid is introduced into an immersion space that is located between a last lens of the projection lens on the image side and a photosensitive layer to be exposed. To reduce fluctuations of refractive index resulting from temperature gradients occurring within the immersion liquid, the projection exposure apparatus includes heat transfer elements that heat or cool partial volumes of the immersion liquid so as to achieve an at least substantially homogenous or at least substantially rotationally symmetric temperature distribution within the immersion liquid. | 12-18-2008 |
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 |
20100141912 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS AND MEASURING DEVICE FOR A PROJECTION LENS - A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a projection lens that is configured for immersion operation. For this purpose an immersion liquid is introduced into an immersion space that is located between a last lens of the projection lens on the image side and a photosensitive layer to be exposed. To reduce fluctuations of refractive index resulting from temperature gradients occurring within the immersion liquid, the projection exposure apparatus includes heat transfer elements that heat or cool partial volumes of the immersion liquid so as to achieve an at least substantially homogenous or at least substantially rotationally symmetric temperature distribution within the immersion liquid. | 06-10-2010 |
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 |
20100265478 | PROJECTION LENS SYSTEM OF A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE INSTALLATION - A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises a projection objective which images an object onto an image plane and has a lens with a curved surface. In the projection objective there is a liquid or solid medium which directly adjoins the curved surface over a region which is usable for imaging the object. The projection exposure apparatus also has an adjustable manipulator for reducing an image field curvature which is caused by heating of the medium during the projection operation. | 10-21-2010 |
20110228246 | PROJECTION OBJECTIVE FOR A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - Another approach to decrease the resolution is to introduce an immersion liquid having high refractive index into the gap that remains between a final lens element on the image side of the projection objective and the photoresist or another photosensitive layer to be exposed. Projection objectives that are designed for immersion operation and are therefore also referred to as immersion objective may reach numerical apertures of more than 1, for example 1.3 or 1.4. The term “immersion liquid” shall, in the context of this application, relate also to what is commonly referred to as “solid immersion”. In the case of solid immersion, the immersion liquid is in fact a solid medium that, however, does not get in direct contact with the photoresist but is spaced apart from it by a distance that is only a fraction of the wavelength used. This ensures that the laws of geometrical optics do not apply such that no total reflection occurs. | 09-22-2011 |
20110279803 | METHOD FOR CORRECTING A LITHOGRAPHY PROJECTION OBJECTIVE, AND SUCH A PROJECTION OBJECTIVE - A method for correcting at least one image defect of a projection objective of a lithography projection exposure machine, the projection objective comprising an optical arrangement composed of a plurality of lenses and at least one mirror, the at least one mirror having an optically operative surface that can be defective and is thus responsible for the at least one image defect, comprises the steps of: at least approximately determining a ratio VM of principal ray height h | 11-17-2011 |
20120019800 | LITHOGRAPHY PROJECTION OBJECTIVE, AND A METHOD FOR CORRECTING IMAGE DEFECTS OF THE SAME - A lithography projection objective for imaging a pattern to be arranged in an object plane of the projection objective onto a substrate to be arranged in an image plane of the projection objective comprises a multiplicity of optical elements that are arranged along an optical axis of the projection objective. The optical elements comprise a first group, following the object plane, of optical elements, and a last optical element, which follows the first group and is next to the image plane and which defines an exit surface of the projection objective and is arranged at a working distance from the image plane. The projection objective is tunable or tuned with respect to aberrations for the case that the volume between the last optical element and the image plane is filled by an immersion medium with a refractive index substantially greater than 1. The position of the last optical element is adjustable in the direction of the optical axis. A positioning device is provided that positions at least the last optical element during immersion operation such that aberrations induced by disturbance are at least partially compensated. | 01-26-2012 |
20120033296 | PROJECTION OBJECTIVE FOR A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus contains a plurality of optical elements arranged in N>−2 successive sections A | 02-09-2012 |
20120188636 | METHOD FOR CORRECTING A LITHOGRAPHY PROJECTION OBJECTIVE, AND SUCH A PROJECTION OBJECTIVE - A method for correcting at least one image defect of a projection objective of a lithography projection exposure machine, the projection objective comprising an optical arrangement composed of a plurality of lenses and at least one mirror, the at least one mirror having an optically operative surface that can be defective and is thus responsible for the at least one image defect, comprises the steps of: at least approximately determining a ratio VM of principal ray height h | 07-26-2012 |
20130070221 | MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a projection light source, a heating light source, a catoptric projection lens and a reflecting switching element, which can be arranged outside of the projection lens and can be displaced between a first position and a second position via a drive. Only the projection light can enter the projection lens in the first position of the switching element, and only the heating light can enter the projection lens in the second position of the switching element. | 03-21-2013 |
20130070224 | PROJECTION LENS SYSTEM OF A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE INSTALLATION - A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises a projection objective which images an object onto an image plane and has a lens with a curved surface. In the projection objective there is a liquid or solid medium which directly adjoins the curved surface over a region which is usable for imaging the object. The projection exposure apparatus also has an adjustable manipulator for reducing an image field curvature which is caused by heating of the medium during the projection operation. | 03-21-2013 |
20130120723 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS AND MEASURING DEVICE FOR A PROJECTION LENS - A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a projection lens that is configured for immersion operation. For this purpose an immersion liquid is introduced into an immersion space that is located between a last lens of the projection lens on the image side and a photosensitive layer to be exposed. To reduce fluctuations of refractive index resulting from temperature gradients occurring within the immersion liquid, the projection exposure apparatus includes heat transfer elements that heat or cool partial volumes of the immersion liquid so as to achieve an at least substantially homogenous or at least substantially rotationally symmetric temperature distribution within the immersion liquid. | 05-16-2013 |
20130258302 | Projection Exposure Apparatus with at least One Manipulator - A projection exposure apparatus for microlithography includes a projection lens which includes a plurality of optical elements for imaging mask structures onto a substrate during an exposure process. The projection exposure apparatus also includes at least one manipulator configured to change, as part of a manipulator actuation, the optical effects of at least one of the optical elements within the projection lens by changing a state variable of the optical element along a predetermined travel. The projection exposure apparatus further includes an algorithm generator configured to generate a travel generating optimization algorithm, adapted to at least one predetermined imaging parameter, on the basis of the at least one predetermined imaging parameter. | 10-03-2013 |
20140185024 | PROJECTION OBJECTIVE OF A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises a wavefront correction device comprising a refractive optical element that has two opposite optical surfaces, through which projection light passes, and a circumferential rim surface extending between the two optical surfaces. A first and a second optical system are configured to direct first and second heating light to different portions of the rim surface such that at least a portion of the first and second heating light enters the refractive optical element. A temperature distribution caused by a partial absorption of the heating light results in a refractive index distribution inside the refractive optical element that corrects a wavefront error. At least the first optical system comprises a focusing optical element that focuses the first heating light in a focal area such that the first heating light emerging from the focal area impinges on the rim surface. | 07-03-2014 |
20140239192 | ILLUMINATION AND DISPLACEMENT DEVICE FOR A PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - An illumination and displacement device for a projection exposure apparatus comprises an illumination optical unit for illuminating an illumination field. An object holder serves for mounting an object in such a way that at least one part of the object can be arranged in the illumination field. An object holder drive serves for displacing the object during illumination in an object displacement direction. A correction device serves for the spatially resolved influencing of an intensity of the illumination at least of sections of the illumination field, wherein there is a spatial resolution of the influencing of the intensity of the illumination of the illumination field at least along the object displacement direction. This results in an illumination and displacement device in which field-dependent imaging aberrations which are present during the projection exposure do not undesirably affect a projection result. | 08-28-2014 |
20140307308 | Reflective Optical Element for the EUV Wavelength Range, Method for Producing and for Correcting Such an Element, Projection Lens for Microlithography Comprising Such an Element, and Projection Exposure Apparatus for Microlithography Comprising Such a Projection Lens - A reflective optical element | 10-16-2014 |
20140327891 | LITHOGRAPHY PROJECTION OBJECTIVE, AND A METHOD FOR CORRECTING IMAGE DEFECTS OF THE SAME - A lithography projection objective for imaging a pattern in an object plane onto a substrate in an image plane. The projection objective comprises a multiplicity of optical elements along an optical axis. The optical elements comprise a first group of optical elements following the object plane, and a last optical element, following the first group and next to the image plane. The projection objective is tunable or tuned with respect to aberrations for the case that the volume between the last optical element and the image plane is filled by an immersion medium with a refractive index substantially greater than 1. The position of the last optical element is adjustable in the direction of the optical axis. A positioning device is provided that positions at least the last optical element during immersion operation such that aberrations induced by disturbance are at least partially compensated. | 11-06-2014 |
20140347721 | Projection Lens for EUV Microlithography, Film Element and Method for Producing a Projection Lens Comprising a Film Element - A film element of an EUV-transmitting wavefront correction device is arranged in a beam path and includes a first layer of first layer material having a first complex refractive index n | 11-27-2014 |
20150055109 | PROJECTION OBJECTIVE FOR A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS - A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus contains a plurality of optical elements arranged in N>−2 successive sections A | 02-26-2015 |