Abstract: An objective comprising axial symmetry, at least one curved mirror and at least one lens and two intermediate images. The objective includes two refractive partial objectives and one catadioptric partial objective. The objective includes a first partial objective, a first intermediate a image, a second partial objective, a second intermediate image, and a third partial objective. At least one of the partial objectives is purely refractive. One of the partial objectives is purely refractive and one is purely catoptric.

Abstract: A projection exposure system for microlithography that has a catadioptric projection objective and a light source is claimed. The projection objective has at least one mirror and at least one lens that are composed of specified materials. Also the positions of the mirror and of the lens within the projection objective are also specified. The material and position are specified in such a way that imaging changes in the projection objective that are due to illumination-induced change in the reflecting surface of the mirror counteract illumination-induced imaging changes in the lens. Illumination-induced imaging changes in the entire projection objective are reduced in this way.

Abstract: An optical element (1) of an optical system has at least one chamber (5) that is sealed against atmospheric pressure and is enclosed by boundary surfaces and that has a fluid filling. At least one of the boundary surfaces of the chamber (5) is exposed at least partially to illumination light. It is configured so that a change in the fluid pressure inside the chamber (5) results in a change in non-rotational-symmetric imaging properties of the optical element (1) having n-fold symmetry. For this purpose, a fluid source has a fluid connection to the chamber via a fluid supply line (17). Furthermore, a control device is provided for the pressure in the fluid filling.

Abstract: An optical system, in particular a microlithographic projection printing installation, has in particular a slot-shaped image field or rotationally non-symmetrical illumination. The system comprises a light source (30) as well as at least one optical element, in particular a lens or a mirror. In the region of at least one surface acted upon by the radiation (1) of the light source (30) the optical element is substantially symmetrical in relation to an axis of rotational symmetry (5). The optical element or its housing (6) is rotatably connected to a frame (7) by at least one bearing (8, 9, 10). An actuator (18) sets the optical element (25) or its housing (6) in rotation about the axis of rotational symmetry (5). The actuation cooperates with a control device (23). The latter activates the actuator (18) for rotation of the optical element at least temporarily during the period, when the optical element is exposed to lumination. In such a manner rotationally non-symmetrical image defects are compensated.

Abstract: An optical arrangement, in particular a microlithographic projection printing installation, has in particular a slot-shaped image field or rotationally non-symmetrical illumination. A refractive optical element, e.g. a lens (2), is heated by the rotationally non-symmetrical radiated impingement (3) of a light source. At least one electric heating element is coupled to the optical element. Said heating element comprises a resistance heating coating carried by the optical element. In the region of the surface (3) of the optical element acted upon by the radiation of the light source the resistance heating coating is substantially optically transparent. It comprises a plurality of parallel, electrically mutually insulated coating strips (5 to 10). A heating current source (17 to 19) is additionally part of the heating element.

Abstract: An optical arrangement, in particular a microlithographic projection printing installation, has in particular a slot-shaped image field or rotationally non-symmetrical illumination. An optical element (1) is therefore acted upon in a rotationally non-symmetrical manner by the radiation of the light source. A compensating light supply device (11, 14 to 19) is optically coupled via the peripheral surface (13) of the optical element (1) to the latter. It supplies compensating light (16, 12) to the optical element (1) in such a way that the temperature distribution in the optical element (1), which arises as a result of cumulative heating of the optical element (1) with projection light (2) and compensating light (12), is at least partially homogenized. In said manner image defects induced by the projection light are corrected.

Abstract: A microlithographic illumination method for imaging a pattern arranged in an object plane of a projection lens onto an image plane of the projection lens, under which a special means for optically correcting the optical path lengths of s-polarized and p-polarized light such that light beams of both polarizations will either traverse essentially the same optical path length between the object plane and the image plane or any existing difference in their optical path lengths will be retained, largely independently of their angles of incidence on the image plane, which will allow avoiding contrast variations due to pattern orientation when imaging finely structured patterns, is disclosed. The contrast variations may be caused by uncorrected projection lenses due to their employment of materials that exhibit stress birefringence and/or coated optical components, such as deflecting mirrors, that are used at large angles of incidence.

Abstract: An optical arrangement, in particular a projection exposure system for microlithography, has, in particular, a slit-shaped image field or a non-rotational-symmetric illumination. As a result, an optical element (101) is exposed in a non-rotational-symmetric manner to the radiation of the light source (110, 111, 112). The optical element (101) has an absorbing coating (104, 105). The absorption of the coating (104, 105) is distributed in such a manner that it is non-rotation-symmetrical in a manner that is at least approximately complementary to the intensity distribution of the exposure to the radiation (107, 108, 109) of the light source (110, 111, 112). As a result of the energy absorbed in the coating (104, 105), an additional heating of the optical element (101) takes place that results in a better non-rotational-symmetric temperature distribution and, consequently, a compensation for light-induced imaging errors.

Abstract: An illuminating device of a projection-microlithographic device includes a light source, an objective, and a device which produces a particular image field configuration. The device has fields which, in the direction of scanning movement, are separated at least in parts by a free zone, and are located in a peripheral region of the circular image field of a downstream projection objective in a manner at least approximating rotation symmetry. The integral of the quantity of light passing through the fields in the scanning direction are constant over the entire extent of the image field configuration in the direction at right angles to the scanning direction. Such an image field configuration replaces a conventional rectangular scanner slot formation whose width in the scanning direction corresponds to the forementioned integral of the image field configuration. The design of the image field configuration permits an approximately rotationally symmetric illumination of the projection objective.