Abstract: The invention concerns an illumination system, particularly for mircolithography with wavelengths<193 nm, comprising: a primary light source; a first optical component; a second optical component; an image plane; and an exit pupil; wherein said first optical component transforms said primary light source into a plurality of secondary light sources that are imaged by said second optical component in said exit pupil, wherein said first optical component includes a first optical element having a plurality of first raster elements, that are imaged into said image plane producing a plurality of images being superimposed at least partially on a field in said image plane, wherein said first raster elements that are image into the image plane are illuminated almost completely.

Abstract: There is provided an illumination system, particularly for microlithography with wavelengths ?193 nm. The illumination system includes a primary light source, a first optical component, a second optical component, an image plane, and an exit pupil. The first optical component transforms the primary light source into a plurality of secondary light sources that are imaged by the second optical component in the exit pupil. The first optical component includes a first optical element having a plurality of first raster elements that are imaged into the image plane producing a plurality of images being superimposed at least partially on a field in the image plane. The plurality of first raster elements have negative optical power.

Abstract: There is provided a projection exposure system operable in a scanning mode along a scanning direction. The projection exposure system includes a collector that receives light having a wavelength ?193 nm and illuminates a region in a plane. The plane is defined by a local coordinate system having a y-direction parallel to the scanning direction and an x-direction perpendicular to the scanning direction. The collector includes (a) a first mirror shell, (b) a second mirror shell within the first mirror shell, and (c) a fastening device for fastening the first and second mirror shells. The mirror shells are substantially rotational symmetric about a common rotational axis. The fastening device has a support spoke that extends in a radial direction of the mirror shells, and the support spoke, when projected into the plane, yields a projection that is non-parallel to the y-direction.

Abstract: An illumination system for a microlithography projection exposure apparatus is designed for illuminating an illumination field with an illumination radiation with a predeterminable degree of coherence ?, it being possible to adjust the degree of coherence within a degree of coherence range extending into the range of very small degrees of coherence of significantly less than ?=0.2. The illumination system may have a first optical system for generating a predeterminable light distribution in an entrance plane of a light mixing device, and also a light mixing device for homogenizing the impinging radiation. The first optical system and the light mixing device can in each case be changed over between a plurality of configurations corresponding to different degree of coherence ranges. The degree of coherence ranges overlap and are dimensioned such that the resulting total degree of coherence range is larger than the individual degree of coherence ranges.

Abstract: There is provided a collector for illumination systems for light having a wavelength ?193 nm comprising. The collector includes (a) a first mirror shell adjacent to, and positioned inside of, a second mirror shell around a common axis of rotation, in which the first and second mirror shells are rotationally symmetric, and (b) a component in a region between the first and second mirror shells. The collector is for receiving the light from a light source via an object-side aperture and for illuminating an area in an image-side plane, and the region is not used by the light.

Abstract: There is provided a collector for illumination systems for light having a wavelength ?193 nm comprising. The collector includes (a) a first mirror shell adjacent to, and positioned inside of, a second mirror shell around a common axis of rotation, in which the first and second mirror shells are rotationally symmetric, and (b) a component in a region between the first and second mirror shells. The collector is for receiving the light from a light source via an object-side aperture and for illuminating an area in an image-side plane, and the region is not used by the light.

Abstract: There is provided an illumination system for scannertype microlithography along a scanning direction with a light source emitting a wavelength ?193 nm. The illumination system includes a plurality of raster elements. The plurality of raster elements is imaged into an image plane of the illumination system to produce a plurality of images being partially superimposed on a field in the image plane. The field defines a non-rectangular intensity profile in the scanning direction.

Abstract: An illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus contains a light mixer for the homogenization of radiation distributions. The latter may, in one embodiment, comprise at least one plane beam-splitter layer which is arranged between two transparent sub-elements, parallel to an optical axis of the illumination system. An alternative embodiment of a light mixer contains at least one row of beam splitters, wherein the beam splitters in at least one row are arranged mutually parallel, at an inclination angle with respect to an entry-side optical axis of the illumination system, and offset behind one another in a direction perpendicular to the entry-side optical axis.

Abstract: There is provided an illumination system that includes (a) a light source that emits light having a wavelength ?193 nm, where the light provides a predetermined illumination in a plane distant from the light source and defines a used area in the plane, and (b) a sensor, situated in or near the plane, for detecting light outside the used area.

Abstract: There is provided a collector for guiding light with a wavelength of ?193 nm onto a plane. The collector includes a first mirror shell for receiving a first ring aperture section of the light and irradiating a first planar ring section of the plane with a first irradiance, and a second mirror shell for receiving a second ring aperture section of the light and irradiating a second planar ring section of the plane with a second irradiance. The first and second mirror shells are rotationally symmetrical and concentrically arranged around a common axis of rotation, the first and second ring aperture sections do not overlap with one another, the first planar ring section substantially abuts the second planar ring section, and the first irradiance is approximately equal to the second irradiance.

Abstract: An optical apparatus for illuminating an object, for example an illumination system of a microlithographic exposure system, comprises a light source that generates a plurality of individual bundles that constitute an illumination bundle. A control device controls the light source in such a way that a desired form of the illumination bundle is determined by selecting an appropriate set of individual bundles.

Abstract: A beam reshaping unit for an illumination system (10) of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises a first beam reshaping element (62) having a first beam reshaping surface (68) and a second beam reshaping element having a second beam reshaping surface (74) which faces the first beam reshaping surface (68). The two beam reshaping surfaces (68; 74) are rotationally symmetrical with respect to an optical axis (22) of the beam reshaping unit. At least the first beam reshaping surface (68, 74) has a concavely or convexly curved region (70, 76).

Abstract: There is provided an optical element for forming an arc-shaped field in a field plane of an illumination system for light having a wavelength of less than or equal to about 193 nanometers. The optical element includes a plurality of mirror surfaces, each having an array of aspherical reflecting elements. The array of aspherical reflecting elements has a plurality of cylindrical mirrors with aspheric curvature in an x-direction. The plurality of mirror surfaces form a nested mirror and includes a pair of adjacent mirror surfaces that have a spacing dspace therebetween. The arc-shaped field has an axis of symmetry. The field plane is defined by a vector in a y-direction that is parallel to the axis of symmetry, and a vector in the x-direction, which is orthogonal to the axis of symmetry.

Abstract: There is provided an illumination system for microlithography with wavelengths ?193 nm. The illumination system includes a primary light source, a first optical component, a second optical component, an image plane, and an exit pupil. The first optical component transforms the primary light source into a plurality of secondary light sources that are imaged by the second optical component in the exit pupil. The first optical component includes a first optical element having a plurality of first raster elements that are imaged into the image plane, producing a plurality of images being superimposed at least partially on a field in the image plane. The plurality of first raster elements are rectangular. The field is a segment of an annulus, and the second optical component includes a first field mirror with negative optical power for shaping the field to the segment of the annulus and a second field mirror with positive optical power.

Abstract: There is provided an illumination system for microlithography with wavelengths ?193 nm. The illumination system includes a primary light source, a first optical component, a second optical component, an image plane, and an exit pupil. The first optical component transforms the primary light source into a plurality of secondary light sources that are imaged by the second optical component in the exit pupil. The first optical component includes a first optical element having a plurality of first raster elements that are imaged into the image plane, producing a plurality of images being superimposed at least partially on a field in the image plane. The second optical component comprises a first optical system that includes at least a third field mirror with positive optical power and a second optical system that includes at least a second field mirror with positive optical power.

Abstract: There is provided an illumination system for wavelengths of ?193 nm. The illumination system includes an object plane, a plane conjugated to the object plane, a first collector between the object plane and the conjugated plane, and a second collector after the conjugated plane. The first collector focuses a beam bundle of rays from the object plane in the conjugated plane. At least one of the first and second collectors includes a mirror shell. The rays strike the mirror shell at an angle of incidence of less than 20° relative to a surface tangent of the mirror shell.

Abstract: In an exposure method for exposing a substrate which is arranged in the area of an image plane of a projection objective as well as in a projection exposure system for performing that method, output radiation directed at the substrate and having an output polarization state is produced. Through variable adjustment of the output polarization state with the aid of at least one polarization manipulation device, the output polarization state can be formed to approach a nominal output polarization state. The polarization manipulation can be performed in a control loop on the basis of polarization-optical measuring data.

Abstract: There is provided an illumination system. The illumination system includes a source for light having a wavelength ?193 nm, a field plane, and a collector having a mirror shell for receiving a part of the light. The mirror shell is arranged so that a real image of the source is formed and comes to lie in a plane that is defocused relative to the field plane by more than 30 mm, so that the field plane is illuminated in a predetermined region, substantially homogeneously.

Abstract: There is provided a projection objective for a projection exposure apparatus that has a primary light source for emitting electromagnetic radiation having a chief ray with a wavelength?193 nm. The projection objective includes an object plane, a first mirror, a second mirror, a third mirror, a fourth mirror; and an image plane. The object plane, the first mirror, the second mirror, the third mirror, the fourth mirror and the image plane are arranged in a centered arrangement around a common optical axis. The first mirror, the second mirror, the third mirror, and the fourth mirror are situated between the object plane and the image plane. The chief ray, when incident on an object situated in the object plane, in a direction from the primary light source, is inclined away from the common optical axis.

Abstract: The invention relates to a diaphragm (1) for an integrator unit of a microlithographic projection exposure system. The diaphragm (1) includes a diaphragm opening (3), which is symmetrical with respect to a first axis of symmetry (5). The widths of the diaphragm aperture (3) in the direction of the axis of symmetry (5) are dependent on the distance (y) from the first axis of symmetry (5). The widths are greater than or equal to the width at y=0. The diaphragm (1), together with a cylindrical integrator, forms an integrator unit, which is located in an illumination system.