Abstract: In a method for heating workpieces, in particular optical elements such as lenses, in particular lenses made from calcium fluoride material, which are optically transparent over a large IR wavelength region of up to approximately 9 &mgr;m, the heating by thermal radiation takes place in the transition region of the optical element between optical transparency and an optically absorbing region in a wavelength region from 9 to 12 &mgr;m.

Abstract: An apparatus for the precision positioning of an optical component a group of lenses or mirror, in the axial direction and/or for tilting the component and has an axial adjustment device and/or a tilting device. The axial adjustment device has an adjusting nut that includes a guide ring and a clamping ring. The two rings are connected to one another elastically via a blade. Individual clamping jaws are formed by axial incisions in the clamping ring and are braced with the guide ring via tensioning members. The tilting device has an inner and an outer tilting part. The inner tilting part is connected to the outer tilting part via torsion joints, and the outer tilting part is connected to a bearing part via torsion joints.

Abstract: A diffraction grating (1) has a multiplicity of parallel diffraction structures succeeding one another periodically. The latter are arranged on a support (2) and each incorporate a slat (3) extending from a base area (4) of the support (2). Said slat has a substantially rectangular cross-section. The width w of the slat (3) comes to less than 100 nm, preferably between 20 nm and 60 nm, more preferably in the area of 50 nm. Advantageous uses of the diffraction grating (1) are obtained e.g. in a Littrow configuration, preferably in third order of the incident light beams (8), in particular at a light wavelength that is less than 250 nm.

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 stereomicroscopy system is disclosed for viewing an object and/or an intermediate image produced of an object, in microsurgery. The stereomicroscopy system includes an objective system with an object plane for positioning the object and/or the intermediate image to be viewed. The stereomicroscopy system also includes a beam interchanging and image inverting system. The beam interchanging and image inverting system supplies a first beam bundle directed to the left from the object plane in the direction of the objective system to the right of the objective system. The beam interchanging and image inverting system also supplies a second beam bundle directed to the right from the object plane in the direction of the objective system to the left of the objective system. The beam interchanging and image inverting system also inverts image orientations of the two beam bundles. The beam interchanging and image inverting system includes at least one Porro prism of the second kind.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an optical unit having elements (6, 7) which are juxtaposed without an air gap therebetween. The two elements (6, 7) are joined by wringing the same to each other. At least one element (7) is of crystalline material and has an amorphous inorganic layer (70) on the side thereof facing toward the other element (6). The invention is also directed to a method of preparing an element made of crystalline material, such as a fluoride, as well as a method for making a thin optical element of the crystalline material.

Abstract: A spectrometer arrangement is disclosed for the determination of a radiation wavelength of radiation emitted from a radiation source to be measured. The arrangement includes a diffraction grating on which the radiation of the radiation source to be measured is incident at a predetermined angle, wherein the diffraction grating is provided by a reflection grating having a variable lattice constant. The arrangement also includes a radiation detector for receiving from the radiation source to be measured radiation diffracted at a predetermined angle at the diffraction grating.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an optical system for the vacuum ultraviolet range wherein the optical system utilizes the isotropic point at which the wavelength of the double refraction of a crystal is eliminated. The crystal is preferably of MgF2. With the optical system, a known good optical material, namely, MgF2, which is limited only by its double refraction, becomes usable for the VUV optics.

Abstract: A microlithographic projection exposure arrangement has an off-axis field and has a catoptric or catadioptric projection objective (P). In this arrangement, the illumination system (ILL) is made as small as possible in that a lateral offset (&Dgr;y) of the optical axes (OAI, OAP) is introduced relative to each other. A corrective element (AE) is arranged off-axis and functions to adapt the telecentry.

Abstract: A process for balancing a video signal is set forth. In order to be able to utilize, with particular advantage in the medical field, processes that have been known for a long time, the video signal is balanced in a manner such that the color effect of an image, displayed by a monitor, of a white surface that is illuminated with a selected light source corresponds as closely as possible to the color effect of the original white surface that results from direct observation by the human eye.

Abstract: An optical projection lens system comprising one lens with an aspherical surface and comprising a first bulge followed by a first waist followed by a second bulge, wherein the diameter of the second bulge is smaller than the diameter of the first bulge.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method for correcting the measuring results of a coordinate measuring apparatus wherein a workpiece is continuously scanned. The dynamic bending characteristic of the probe is determined or a multidimensional parameter field especially as a dynamic tensor (D). Corrective values are computed from the parameter field D while considering the acceleration of the probe ({right arrow over (b)}). Then, the measuring results are corrected with corrective values. To improve the accuracy of the method, the parameter field is the product of the static bending tensor (NT) of the probe and the mass tensor (MT+mE) of the probe and/or the parameter field describes the deviations normal to the workpiece surface by accelerating the probe.

Abstract: A projection exposure system for microlithography includes an illuminating system (2), a reflective reticle (5) and reduction objectives (71, 72). In the reduction objective (71, 72), a first beam splitter cube (3) is provided which superposes the illuminating beam path (100) and the imaging beam path (200). In order to obtain an almost telecentric entry at the reticle, optical elements (71) are provided between beam splitter cube (3) and the reflective reticle (5). Advantageously, the reduction objective is a catadioptric objective having a beam splitter cube (3) whose fourth unused side can be used for coupling in light. The illuminating beam path (100) can also be coupled in with a non-parallel beam splitter plate. The illuminating beam path is refractively corrected in passthrough to compensate for aberrations via the special configuration of the rear side of the beam splitter plate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a coordinate measurement device comprising a stylus (11) which can be displaced in the coordinate directions (x, y, z) for sampling a workpiece (12), a mechanism (10) with drive units by means of which the stylus can be moved and a control unit (15, 16) for controlling the mechanism. To define the points (pk2) to be sampled on the workpiece, parameters of geometric elements (k1, k2, e1, e2) and parameters of the points (pk1, pk2, pe1, pe2) to be sampled on the corresponding geometric elements are memorized. To be able to modify the measurement sequence of such a coordinate measurement device more easily, the invention provides for the parameters of the points (pk2) to be sampled on a particular geometric element to be memorized separately in relation to a coordinate system (xk2, yk2, zk2) which is specific to the corresponding geornetric element (k2).

Abstract: The invention relates to an illuminating system of a microlithographic projection exposure arrangement having a light source (1), a first objective (7), a fly-eye-integrator (11), a diaphragm plane (13), a condenser optic (15), and an image plane (21) having a field to be illuminated. The fly-eye-integrator (11) includes at least a first one-dimensional array (39) of first cylinder lenses having first cylinder axes and a second one-dimensional array (47) of second cylinder lenses having second cylinder axes. The second cylinder axes are aligned perpendicularly to the first cylinder axes. A third one-dimensional array (35) of third cylinder lenses having third cylinder axes are mounted forward of the first array (39) to increase divergence. The third cylinder axes are aligned parallelly to the first cylinder axes and a fourth one-dimensional array (43) of fourth cylinder lenses having fourth cylinder axes is arranged forward of the second array (47) for increasing divergence.

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: In the case of a mounting apparatus, an optical element having an inner mount and an outer mount, in particular a lens in a projection lens system for semiconductor lithography, the inner mount is connected to the outer mount via three circumferentially distributed solid-state articulations. Manipulators, by means of which the inner mount can be displaced, act on the solid-state articulations. The solid-state articulations are T-shaped in cross section with a T-bar and a T-support. Attachment points between the inner mount and the outer mount are located in each case in the region of the outer ends of the T-bar. The manipulators act on the T-support in each case.

Abstract: A reduction objective, a projection exposure apparatus with a reduction objective, and a method of use thereof are disclosed. The reduction objective has a first set of multilayer mirrors in centered arrangement with respect to a first optical axis, a second set of multilayer mirrors in centered arrangement with respect to a second optical axis, and an additional mirror disposed at grazing incidence, such that said additional mirror defines an angle between the first optical axis and said second optical axis. The reduction objective has an imaging reduction scale of approximately 4× for use in soft X-ray, i.e.

Abstract: The invention concerns an illumination system for wavelengths<193 nm, especially for EUV-lithography with a plurality of light sources a mirror device for creating secondary light sources comprising several mirrors, said mirrors are comprising raster elements. The invention is characterized in that the plurality of light sources are coupled together in order to illuminate the exit pupil of the illumination system up to a predetermined degree of filling.

Abstract: A process for the structuring of a substrate with structures in the micrometer to nanometer range that does not involve the provision of gaseous fluoro-organic compounds is described. The process is carried out by means of reactive ion etching using a mask arranged on the substrate and a plasma as well as fluorine-containing organic compounds, which fluorine-containing organic compound(s) is/are provided in the form of solid polymers. A process for the etching of a coating on a substrate or the surface of a substrate is also described.