Patents by Inventor Manfred Maul

Manfred Maul has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10444631
    Abstract: An illumination system of a microlithographic projection apparatus includes a spatial light modulator having a modulation surface including a plurality of micromirrors. Each micromirror includes a mirror surface having an orientation that can be changed individually for each micromirror. For at least one of the micromirrors, at least one parameter that is related to the mirror surface is measured. The orientation of the mirror surfaces is controlled depending on the at least one measured parameter. A light pattern is produced on the modulation surface, and an image of the light pattern is formed on an optical integrator that has a plurality of light entrance facets. Images of the light entrance facets are superimposed on a mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Deguenther, Johannes Eisenmenger, Stefanie Hilt, Thomas Korb, Frank Schlesener, Manfred Maul
  • Patent number: 10247949
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a display device with a holder that can be fitted on the head of a user includes a front section in which two spectacle lenses are arranged which are connected to each other via a central part, an imaging unit secured to the holder, which generates an image, and an imaging optical system secured to the holder which, when the holder is fitted on the head of the user, images the generated image into an exit pupil such that the user can perceive it as a virtual image with his first eye. The first spectacle lens with the coupling-out section is positioned in such a way that the exit pupil of the imaging optical system coincides at least partially with the pupil of the first eye of the user when the holder is fitted on the head of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: tooz technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Ersun Kartal, Karsten Lindig, Torsten Braendle, Manfred Maul, Norbert Kerwien
  • Patent number: 10146135
    Abstract: A microlithography projection exposure apparatus includes illumination optics configured to illuminate object field points of an object field in an object plane, and projection optics configured to image the object field onto an image field in an image plane. The illumination optics includes a multi-mirror array which includes a plurality of mirrors configured to adjust an intensity distribution in exit pupils associated with the object field points. The illumination optics also includes an optical system configured to produce, via an incoherent superposition of illumination rays, a temporal modification of a temporal stabilization of an illumination of the multi-mirror array. The optical system includes a mirror which includes a mirror surface. In addition, the optical system includes an actuator configured to produce a tilt of at least a portion of the mirror surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Layh, Markus Deguenther, Michael Patra, Johannes Wangler, Manfred Maul, Damian Fiolka, Gundula Weiss
  • Patent number: 10088754
    Abstract: A raster arrangement includes at least one raster element of a first type and at least one raster element of a second type. Each raster element of the first type has a first bundle-influencing effect. Each raster element of the second type has a second bundle-influencing effect which is different from the first bundle-influencing effect. Each raster element of the first type is located in a first area of the raster arrangement. Each raster element of the second type is located in a second area of the raster arrangement which is different from the first area of the raster arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Axel Scholz, Frank Schlesener, Nils Haverkamp, Vladimir Davydenko, Michael Gerhard, Gerhard-Wilhelm Ziegler, Mirco Kern, Thomas Bischoff, Thomas Stammler, Stephan Kellner, Manfred Maul, Daniel Walldorf, Igor Hurevich, Markus Deguenther
  • Publication number: 20180246415
    Abstract: Microlithographic illumination system includes individually drivable elements to variably illuminate a pupil surface of the system. Each element deviates an incident light beam based on a control signal applied to the element. The system also includes an instrument to provide a measurement signal, and a model-based state estimator configured to compute, for each element, an estimated state vector based on the measurement signal. The estimated state vector represents: a deviation of a light beam caused by the element; and a time derivative of the deviation. The illumination system further includes a regulator configured to receive, for each element: a) the estimated state vector; and b) target values for: i) the deviation of the light beam caused by the deviating element; and ii) the time derivative of the deviation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Inventors: Stefan Xalter, Yim-Bun Patrick Kwan, Andras G. Major, Manfred Maul, Johannes Eisenmenger, Damian Fiolka, Jan Horn, Markus Deguenther, Florian Bach, Michael Patra, Johannes Wangler, Michael Layh
  • Patent number: 10054786
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a correction light device for the irradiation of optical elements of an optical arrangement, in particular a lens, such a microlithography lens having a correction light, which include at least one correction light source and at least one mirror arrangement that deflects the light from the correction light source in the beam path to the optical element such that at least part of at least one surface of at least one optical element of the optical arrangement are irradiated in a locally and/or temporally variable fashion. The correction light strikes the surface of the optical element at a flat angle such that the obtuse angle between the optical axis of the optical arrangement at the location of the optical element and the correction light beam is less than or equal to 105°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Sascha Bleidistel, Manfred Maul
  • Publication number: 20180217506
    Abstract: An illumination system of a microlithographic projection apparatus includes a spatial light modulator having a modulation surface including a plurality of micromirrors. Each micromirror includes a mirror surface having an orientation that can be changed individually for each micromirror. For at least one of the micromirrors, at least one parameter that is related to the mirror surface is measured. The orientation of the mirror surfaces is controlled depending on the at least one measured parameter. A light pattern is produced on the modulation surface, and an image of the light pattern is formed on an optical integrator that has a plurality of light entrance facets. Images of the light entrance facets are superimposed on a mask.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Markus Deguenther, Johannes Eisenmenger, Stefanie Hilt, Thomas Korb, Frank Schlesener, Manfred Maul
  • Patent number: 9995938
    Abstract: A spectacle lens for a display device can be fitted on the head of a user and generate an image. The spectacle lens can be constructed with several shells including an outer shell and an inner shell which is joined to the outer shell, wherein a curved channel shell, which includes a curved first reflecting surface and a curved second reflecting surface, is arranged between the outer and inner shell. The light guiding channel includes at least one section of the channel shell and the two reflecting surfaces on which the light bundles are reflected for guiding from the coupling-in section to the coupling-out section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: tooz technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Lisa Riedel, Hans-Juergen Dobschal, Gerhard Kelch, Wolf Krause, Karsten Lindig, Joerg Puetz, Momchil Davidkov, Manfred Maul, Diana Tonova, Georg Michels
  • Patent number: 9964856
    Abstract: An illumination optical unit for projection lithography illuminates an object field with illumination light. The illumination optical unit has a collector for collecting the emission of a light source for the illumination light. The collector is arranged such that it transfers the illumination light from the light source into an intermediate focus. The illumination optical unit furthermore has a field facet mirror and a pupil facet mirror, each having a plurality of facets. The field facets are imaged into the object field by a transfer optical unit. The illumination optical unit additionally has an individual-mirror array having individual mirrors tiltable in a manner driven individually. The array is arranged upstream of the field facet mirror and downstream of the intermediate focus in an illumination beam path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventor: Manfred Maul
  • Patent number: 9955563
    Abstract: An EUV light source serves for generating a usable output beam of EUV illumination light for a projection exposure apparatus for projection lithography. The light source has an EUV generation device which generates an EUV raw output beam. The latter is circularly polarized. For the purposes of setting the polarization of the usable output beam and in respect of the polarization direction, a polarization setting device has a linearly polarizing effect on the raw output beam. This results in an EUV light source, which provides an improved output beam for a resolution-optimized illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Saenger, Manfred Maul, Christoph Hennerkes, Johannes Ruoff, Daniel Kraehmer
  • Patent number: 9897925
    Abstract: Microlithographic illumination system includes individually drivable elements to variably illuminate a pupil surface of the system. Each element deviates an incident light beam based on a control signal applied to the element. The system also includes an instrument to provide a measurement signal, and a model-based state estimator configured to compute, for each element, an estimated state vector based on the measurement signal. The estimated state vector represents: a deviation of a light beam caused by the element; and a time derivative of the deviation. The illumination system further includes a regulator configured to receive, for each element: a) the estimated state vector; and b) target values for: i) the deviation of the light beam caused by the deviating element; and ii) the time derivative of the deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Xalter, Yim-Bun Patrick Kwan, Andras G. Major, Manfred Maul, Johannes Eisenmenger, Damian Fiolka, Jan Horn, Markus Deguenther, Florian Bach, Michael Patra, Johannes Wangler, Michael Layh
  • Patent number: 9766553
    Abstract: The disclosure provides an illumination optical unit for projection lithography, which illuminates an object field with illumination light. The illumination optical unit includes a field facet mirror with a plurality of field facets and a pupil facet mirror with a plurality of pupil facets. The field facets are imaged in the object field by a transfer optical unit. The pupil facet mirror includes a pupil facet mirror polarization section and a pupil facet mirror neutral section. The polarization section is arranged so that the illumination light is reflected in the region of a Brewster angle. The neutral section is arranged so that the illumination light is reflected in the region of a normal incidence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventor: Manfred Maul
  • Patent number: 9753375
    Abstract: An illumination optical unit for projection lithography illuminates an illumination field with illumination light of a primary light source. The illumination optical unit has a raster arrangement to predefine a shape of the illumination field, a transfer optical unit for the superimposing transfer of the illumination light toward the illumination field, and an illumination angle variation device which deflects the illumination light with different deflection angles. The illumination angle variation device has at least one displaceable illumination angle variation unit to generate a deflection angle for the illumination light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Axel Scholz, Michael Patra, Frank Schlesener, Manfred Maul, Wolfgang Emer, Stefanie Hilt
  • Patent number: 9746779
    Abstract: An illumination optical unit for projection lithography serves for illuminating an object field, in which an object to be imaged can be arranged, with illumination light. The illumination optical unit has a field facet mirror having a plurality of field facets. Furthermore, the illumination optical unit has a pupil facet mirror having a plurality of pupil facets. The field facets are imaged into the object field by a transfer optical unit. The illumination optical unit additionally has a deflection facet mirror having a plurality of deflection facets, which is arranged in the illumination beam path between the field facet mirror and the pupil facet mirror. This results in an illumination optical unit in which the illumination of the object to be imaged can be configured flexibly and can be adapted well to predefined values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventor: Manfred Maul
  • Patent number: 9720327
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, in particular for operation in the EUV, comprising a mirror arrangement composed of a plurality of mutually independently adjustable mirror elements, and at least one polarization-influencing arrangement arranged upstream of the mirror arrangement relative to the light propagation direction, wherein the polarization-influencing arrangement has a group of first reflection surfaces and a group of second reflection surfaces, wherein the first reflection surfaces are tiltable independently of one another, and wherein, during the operation of the optical system, light reflected at respectively one of the first reflection surfaces can be directed onto the mirror arrangement via respectively a different one of the second reflection surfaces depending on the tilting of the first reflection surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventor: Manfred Maul
  • Publication number: 20170192361
    Abstract: A raster arrangement includes at least one raster element of a first type and at least one raster element of a second type. Each raster element of the first type has a first bundle-influencing effect. Each raster element of the second type has a second bundle-influencing effect which is different from the first bundle-influencing effect. Each raster element of the first type is located in a first area of the raster arrangement. Each raster element of the second type is located in a second area of the raster arrangement which is different from the first area of the raster arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Inventors: Axel Scholz, Frank Schlesener, Nils Haverkamp, Vladimir Davydenko, Michael Gerhard, Gerhard-Wilhelm Ziegler, Mirco Kern, Thomas Bischoff, Thomas Stammler, Stephan Kellner, Manfred Maul, Daniel Walldorf, Igor Hurevich, Markus Deguenther
  • Publication number: 20170192238
    Abstract: A spectacle lens for a display device can be fitted on the head of a user and generate an image. The spectacle lens can be constructed with several shells including an outer shell and an inner shell which is joined to the outer shell, wherein a curved channel shell, which includes a curved first reflecting surface and a curved second reflecting surface, is arranged between the outer and inner shell. The light guiding channel includes at least one section of the channel shell and the two reflecting surfaces on which the light bundles are reflected for guiding from the coupling-in section to the coupling-out section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Inventors: Lisa RIEDEL, Hans-Juergen DOBSCHAL, Gerhard KELCH, Wolf KRAUSE, Karsten LINDIG, Joerg PUETZ, Momchil DAVIDKOV, Manfred MAUL, Diana TONOVA, Georg MICHELS
  • Patent number: 9606441
    Abstract: A microlithography illumination system includes a first raster arrangement including a first plurality of bundle-forming raster elements arranged in or adjacent a first plane of the illumination system. The first plurality of bundle-forming raster elements is configured to generate a raster arrangement of secondary light sources. The illumination system also includes a transmission optics configured to superimpose transmission of the illumination light of the secondary light sources into the object field. The transmission optics includes a second raster arrangement comprising a second plurality of bundle-forming raster elements. The illumination system further includes a displacement device configured to displace a displaceable segment of the first raster arrangement relative to the second raster arrangement. The displaceable segment includes exactly one of the raster elements, a group of several raster elements, a raster column, a raster area, or several groups of raster elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Axel Scholz, Frank Schlesener, Nils Haverkamp, Vladimir Davydenko, Michael Gerhard, Gerhard-Wilhelm Ziegler, Mirco Kern, Thomas Bischoff, Thomas Stammler, Stephan Kellner, Manfred Maul, Daniel Walldorf, Igor Hurevich, Markus Deguenther
  • Patent number: 9575414
    Abstract: Illumination systems for microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, as well as related systems, components and methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, an illumination system includes one or more scattering structures and an optical integrator that produces a plurality of secondary light sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Johannes Wangler, Heiko Siekmann, Kenneth Weible, Ralf Scharnweber, Manfred Maul, Markus Deguenther, Michael Layh, Axel Scholz, Uwe Spengler, Reinhard Voelkel
  • Publication number: 20170038594
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a display device with a holder that can be fitted on the head of a user includes a front section in which two spectacle lenses are arranged which are connected to each other via a central part, an imaging unit secured to the holder, which generates an image, and an imaging optical system secured to the holder which, when the holder is fitted on the head of the user, images the generated image into an exit pupil such that the user can perceive it as a virtual image with his first eye. The first spectacle lens with the coupling-out section is positioned in such a way that the exit pupil of the imaging optical system coincides at least partially with the pupil of the first eye of the user when the holder is fitted on the head of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Inventors: Ersun KARTAL, Karsten LINDIG, Torsten BRAENDLE, Manfred MAUL, Norbert KERWIEN