Abstract: An illumination system for an EUV projection lithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises an EUV light source, which generates an output beam of EUV illumination light with a predetermined polarization state. An illumination optical unit guides the output beam along an optical axis, as a result of which an illumination field in a reticle plane is illuminated by the output beam. The light source comprises an electron beam supply device, an EUV generating device and a polarization setting device. The EUV generating device is supplied with an electron beam by the electron beam supply device. The polarization setting device exerts an adjustable deflecting effect on the electron beam for setting the polarization of the output beam. This results in an illumination system, which operates on the basis of an electron beam-based EUV light source and provides an output beam, which is improved for a resolution-optimized illumination.

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.

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.

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.

Abstract: An illumination optical unit comprises a first faceted element and a second faceted element having a multiplicity of displaceable micromirrors which can be grouped flexibly to form facets.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling a projection exposure apparatus for microlithography, embodied as a scanner, in the exposure operation, in which a reticle is moved along a scanning axis with respect to a frame of the projection exposure apparatus such that the reticle is scanned by an illumination field radiated thereon, and the radiation of the illumination field is guided onto a wafer after interaction with the reticle in order to generate a desired dose distribution on the wafer. The method comprises the following steps: measuring positional changes of the illumination field in the direction of the scanning axis with respect to the frame of the projection exposure apparatus, and correcting the influence of a measured positional change of the illumination field on the dose distribution on the wafer by modifying at least one operational parameter of the projection exposure apparatus.

Abstract: An illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises a spatial light modulator which is arranged between a light source and a pupil plane. The spatial light modulator includes an array of micromirrors or other light deflecting elements each being capable of individually deflecting impinging projection into various directions. An irradiance distribution on the mirror array or its envelope has, along a direction X an increasing slope and a decreasing slope. The control unit controls the mirrors in such a way that a first mirror, which is located at the increasing slope, and a second mirror, which is located at the decreasing slope, deflect impinging projection light so that it at least partly overlaps in the pupil plane. This ensures that the angular irradiance distribution at mask level is substantially independent from beam pointing fluctuations.

Abstract: An assembly for a projection exposure apparatus for EUV projection lithography has an illumination optical unit for guiding illumination light to an illumination field, in which a lithography mask can be arranged. The illumination optical unit comprises a first facet mirror, which comprises a plurality of mirror arrays with respectively a plurality of individual mirrors. The individual mirrors provide individual mirror illumination channels for guiding illumination light partial beams to the illumination field. The mirror arrays of the first facet mirror are arranged in an array superstructure. Gaps extend along at least one main direction (HR?) between neighboring ones of the mirror arrays. Furthermore, the illumination optical unit comprises a second facet mirror, which comprises a plurality of facets, which respectively contribute to imaging a group of the individual mirrors of the field facet mirror into the illumination field via a group mirror illumination channel.

Abstract: Illumination optical unit for EUV projection lithography guides illumination light to an object field. The illumination optical unit has a first facet mirror, which comprises a multiplicity of individual mirrors which can be switched between at least two tilt positions. A second facet mirror of the illumination optical unit is arranged downstream of the first facet mirror in the beam path of the illumination light. The second facet mirror has a plurality of facets, which respectively contribute to imaging a group of the individual mirrors of the first facet mirror into the object field via a group mirror illumination channel. The images of the groups are superposed on one another in the object field. At least some of the individual mirrors belong to at least two different groups of the individual mirror groups, which are respectively associated with a dedicated second facet via a dedicated group mirror illumination channel.

Abstract: An optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus has an optical axis, at least one mirror arrangement having a plurality of mirror elements that are adjustable independently of one another for altering an angular distribution of the light reflected by the mirror arrangement, and a deflection device which includes, relative to the optical beam path downstream of the mirror arrangement, at least one deflection surface at which a deflection of the optical axis occurs. The at least one deflection surface has refractive power.

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.

Abstract: A mask for microlithography comprises a substrate; a first pattern area on the substrate, the first pattern area comprising a first pattern extending over a first length in a mask scanning direction and a first width in a direction perpendicular to the mask scan direction; and a second pattern area on the substrate adjacent to the first pattern area in the mask scanning direction, the second pattern area comprising a second pattern extending over a second length in the mask scanning direction and a second width identical to the first width in the direction perpendicular to the mask scan direction.

Abstract: An illumination optical unit for EUV projection lithography guides illumination light to an illumination field, in which a lithography mask can be arranged. A facet mirror with a plurality of facets guides the illumination light to the illumination field. Respectively one illumination channel which guides an illumination light partial beam is predetermined by one of the facets. Exactly one illumination channel is guided over respectively one of the facets. The illumination optical unit is configured so that, at any time and at any point in the illumination field when the illumination optical unit is in operation, any pairs of illumination light partial beams guided over different illumination channels are incident on this illumination field point at times of incidence, the time difference of which is greater than a coherence duration of the illumination light.

Abstract: An illumination optical unit for EUV projection lithography serves for guiding illumination light towards an illumination field, in which a lithography mask can be arranged. The illumination optical unit has a first facet mirror having a plurality of individual mirrors. The latter predefine illumination channels for guiding illumination light partial beams towards the illumination field. A second facet mirror of the illumination optical unit is disposed downstream of the first facet mirror and has a plurality of facets. The latter respectively contribute to the imaging of a group of the individual mirrors of the first facet mirror into the object field via a group-mirror illumination channel. The latter comprises the individual-mirror illumination channels of the individual-mirror group. Images of the different individual-mirror groups are superimposed on one another in the object field via the assigned group-mirror illumination channels.

Abstract: In a projection exposure method for the exposure of a radiation-sensitive substrate arranged in the region of an image surface of a 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, laser radiation having a spectral intensity distribution I(?) dependent on the angular frequency ? is used. The laser radiation is characterized by an aberration parameter ? in accordance with: ? := ? I ? ( ? ) ? ? 2 ? ? ? ? I ? ( ? ) ? ? ? and a coherence time ? in accordance with: ? = ? I ? ( ? ) 2 ? ? ? [ ? I ? ( ? ) ? ? ? ] 2 The laser radiation is introduced into an illumination system for generating an illumination radiation directed onto the mask, and the pattern is imaged onto the substrate with the aid of a projection objective. The spectral intensity distribution is set so that ??2?0.3.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus for microlithography comprises illumination optics for illuminating object field points of an object field in an object plane is disclosed. The illumination optics have, for each object field point of the object field, an exit pupil associated with the object point, where sin(?) is a greatest marginal angle value of the exit pupil. The illumination optics include a multi-mirror array that includes a plurality of mirrors to adjust an intensity distribution in exit pupils associated to the object field points.

Abstract: A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes an optical surface, which may be formed by a plurality of micro-mirrors, and a measurement device which is configured to measure a parameter related to the optical surface at a plurality of locations. The measurement device includes an illumination unit with a plurality of illumination members, each having a light exit facet. An optical imaging system establishes an imaging relationship between an object plane in which at least two light exit facets are arranged, and an image plane which at least substantially coincides with the optical surface. A detector unit measures the property of measuring light after it has interacted with the optical surface, and an evaluation unit determines the surface related parameter for each of the locations on the basis of the properties determined by the detector unit.

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.

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.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus for microlithography comprises illumination optics for illuminating object field points of an object field in an object plane is disclosed. The illumination optics have, for each object field point of the object field, an exit pupil associated with the object point, where sin(?) is a greatest marginal angle value of the exit pupil. The illumination optics include a multi-mirror array that includes a plurality of mirrors to adjust an intensity distribution in exit pupils associated to the object field points. The illumination optics further contain at least one optical system to temporally stabilize the illumination of the multi-mirror array so that, for each object field point, the intensity distribution in the associated exit pupil deviates from a second adjusted intensity distribution in the associated exit pupil by less than 0.1 in at least one of an inner ? or an outer ?.