Abstract: A method for determining material removal by an ion beam (3) on a test workpiece (7) which is disposed in a machining chamber (5) of a housing (6) of a device (1) for beam machining, wherein the test workpiece (7) has a substrate (8) and a layer (9) applied to the substrate. The method includes a) optically determining a layer thickness (d1) of the layer applied to the substrate, b) removing material of the layer from the test workpiece with the ion beam, c) optically determining the layer thickness (d2) of the layer applied to the substrate, and d) determining the material removal by comparing the layer thickness determined in step a) with the layer thickness determined in step c). Also disclosed is a device (1) for beam machining a workpiece (2) with which the method can be carried out.

Abstract: A positioning system to position a structure comprises an actuator and a control unit to control the actuator in response to a position setpoint received by the control unit. The actuator comprises a magnet assembly comprises a magnet configured to provide a magnetic flux, and a coil assembly, wherein the coil assembly and the magnet assembly are movable relative to each other, the coil assembly comprising a coil, an actuation of the coil by a drive current providing for a force between the magnet assembly and the coil assembly. The magnet assembly comprises a further electric conductor, the further electric conductor comprising a non-ferromagnetic electrically conductive material, wherein the further electric conductor is magnetically coupled to the coil of the coil assembly and forms a short circuit path for an inductive electrical current induced in the further electric conductor as a result of an actuator current in the coil.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a method and to an apparatus for determining the heating state of a mirror in an optical system, in particular in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. A method for determining the heating state of an optical element includes: measuring values of a first temperature that the optical element has at a first position using a temperature sensor; and estimating a second temperature that the optical element has at a second position, which is located at a distance from the first position, on the basis of the measured values, wherein estimating the second temperature is accomplished while taking into account a temporal change in the previously measured values.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for analyzing at least one defective location of a photolithographic mask, having the following steps: (a) obtaining measurement data for the at least one defective location of the photolithographic mask; (b) determining reference data of the defective location from computer-aided design (CAD) data for the photolithographic mask; (c) correcting the reference data with at least one location-dependent correction value; and (d) analyzing the defective location by comparing the measurement data to the corrected reference data.

Abstract: A projection exposure method for exposing a radiation-sensitive substrate with at least one image of a pattern of a mask is provided in which an illumination field of the mask is illuminated by illumination radiation with an operating wavelength ? that was provided by an illumination system.

Abstract: A method and device for inspection or analysis of a semiconductor sample is provided. The method includes: sandwiching a processed semiconductor sample between two blocks of a semiconductor material; polishing the sandwiched sample such that an even surface is obtained; and measuring the surface of the sandwiched sample. The blocks of a semiconductor material comprise the same semiconductor material as the semiconductor sample.

Abstract: An optical system transfers original structure portions (13) of a lithography mask (10), which have an x/y-aspect ratio of greater than 4:1, and are aligned on the lithography mask, separated respectively by separating portions (14) that carry no structures to be imaged. The optical system transfers the original structure portions onto image portions (31) of a substrate (26). Each of the original structure portions is transferred to a separate image portion. The image portions onto which the original structure portions are transferred are arranged in a line next to one another. An associated projection optical unit may have an anamorphic embodiment with different imaging scales for two mutually perpendicular field coordinates specifically, one that is reducing for one of the field coordinates and the other is magnifying for the other field coordinates.

Abstract: An optical arrangement (1) for EUV radiation includes: at least one reflective optical element (16) having a main body (30) with a coating (31) that reflects EUV radiation (33). At least one shield (36) is fitted to at least one surface region (35) of the main body (30) and protects the at least one surface region (35) against an etching effect of a plasma (H+, H*) that surrounds the reflective optical element (16) during operation of the optical arrangement (1). A distance (A) between the shield (36) and the surface region (35) of the main body (30) is less than double the Debye length (?D), preferably less than the Debye length (?D), of the surrounding plasma (H+, H*).

Abstract: A component for a mirror array for EUV lithography, particularly for use in faceted mirrors in illumination systems of EUV lithography devices. A component (500) for a mirror array for EUV lithography is proposed which is at least partially made from a composite material including matrix material (502) that contains copper and/or aluminium, and reinforcing material in the form of fibers (504). The composite material also includes particles (508) that consist of one or more of the materials from the group: graphite, adamantine carbon, and ceramic.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for characterizing the surface form of an optical element, in particular a mirror or a lens element of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, includes: carrying out a plurality of interferometric measurements, in each of which an interferogram is recorded between a test wave emanating from a portion of the optical element in each case and a reference wave, the position of the optical element relative to the test wave being altered between these measurements, and calculating the figure of the optical element on the basis of these measurements. This calculation is carried out iteratively such that, in a plurality of iteration steps, the figure of the optical element is ascertained in each case by carrying out a forward calculation, each of these iteration steps being based in each case on a reference wave that was adapted based on the preceding iteration step.

Abstract: An imaging optical unit includes a plurality of mirrors to guide imaging light along an imaging beam path. The plurality of mirrors includes a number of mirrors for grazing incidence (GI mirrors), which deflect a chief ray of a central object field point with an angle of incidence of more than 45°. At least two of the GI mirrors are in the imaging beam path as basic GI mirrors so that the deflection effect thereof adds up for the chief ray. At least one further GI mirror is arranged in the imaging beam path as a counter GI mirror so that the deflection effect thereof acts in subtractive fashion for the chief ray in relation to the deflection effect of the basic GI mirrors. This can yield an imaging optical unit having enhanced flexibility in relation to an installation space used for mirror bodies of the mirrors of the imaging optical unit.

Abstract: A method for analyzing an integrated circuit includes: applying an electric test pattern to the IC; delivering a stream of primary electrons to a back side of the IC on an active region to a transistor of interest, the active region including active structures such as transistors of the IC; detecting light resulting from cathodoluminescence initiated by secondary electrons in the IC; and analyzing the detected light regarding a correlation with the electric test pattern applied to the IC. A system for analyzing an IC is provided.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an optical element, including: a substrate, a first coating, which is disposed on a first side of the substrate and is configured for reflecting radiation having a used wavelength (?EUV) in the EUV wavelength range, and a second coating, which is disposed on a second side of the substrate, for influencing heating radiation that is incident on the second side of the substrate. The disclosure also relates to an optical arrangement having at least one such optical element.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for characterizing a microlithographic mask. A device according to the invention has an illumination optical unit for illuminating structures of a mask intended for use in a lithography process in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, a detector unit, and an evaluation unit for evaluating the data recorded by the detector unit, wherein the detector unit is configured for the spatially resolved determination of both the intensity and the polarization state of the respectively impinging light emanating from the mask.

Abstract: A cost-effective method for repairing reflective optical elements for EUV lithography. These optical elements (60) have a substrate (61) and a coating (62) that reflects at a working wavelength in the range between 5 nm and 20 nm and is damaged as a result of formation of hydrogen bubbles. The method includes: localizing a damaged area (63, 64, 65, 66) in the coating (62) and covering the damaged area (63, 64, 65, 66) with one or more materials having low hydrogen permeability by applying a cover element to the damaged area. The cover element is formed of a surface structure, a convex or concave surface, or a coating corresponding to the coating of the reflective optical element, or a combination thereof. The method is particularly suitable for collector mirrors (70) for EUV lithography. After the repair, the optical elements have cover elements (71, 72, 73).

Abstract: A reflective optical element, in particular for a DUV or VUV operating wavelength range, includes a substrate, a dielectric layer system and a metallic coating between the substrate and the dielectric layer system. The dielectric layer system (26) includes a layer (L) of material having a lower refractive index n1 at the operating wavelength, a layer (H) of material having a higher refractive index n2 at the operating wavelength and a layer (M) of material having a refractive index n3 at the operating wavelength, where n1<n3<n2. The layer (M) is arranged at at least one transition from a layer (L) to a layer (H) and/or from a layer (H) to a layer (L). The dielectric layer system has a four-layer sequence of (LMHM)m or (HMLM)m, where m is equal to the number of four-layer sequences in the dielectric layer system.

Abstract: A beam propagation camera has at least one beam-splitting optical arrangement (240) configured to split a beam, which is incident on the beam-splitting optical arrangement along an optical axis (OA) of the beam propagation camera, into a multiplicity of sub-beams, and a sensor arrangement (250) configured to detect the sub-beams. The beam-splitting optical arrangement has a diffractive structure (241) configured such that at least two of the sub-beams are spatially separated from one another on the sensor arrangement and have respective foci longitudinally offset from one another along the optical axis.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for characterizing the surface form of an optical element, in particular a mirror or a lens element of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, includes: carrying out a plurality of interferometric measurements, in each of which an interferogram is recorded between a test wave emanating from a portion of the optical element in each case and a reference wave, the position of the optical element relative to the test wave being altered between these measurements, and calculating the figure of the optical element on the basis of these measurements. This calculation is carried out iteratively such that, in a plurality of iteration steps, the figure of the optical element is ascertained in each case by carrying out a forward calculation, each of these iteration steps being based in each case on a reference wave that was adapted based on the preceding iteration step.

Abstract: When producing a mirror as an optical component for an optical system of a projection exposure apparatus for projection lithography, first, an average value of a global gravitational acceleration is determined. Next, a gravitational acceleration difference between the gravitational acceleration at the production location and the gravitational acceleration average value is determined. After a determination of a target surface shape of a reflection surface of the mirror, a mirror substrate is machined at the production location taking into consideration the gravitational acceleration difference in a manner such that, under the influence of the gravitational acceleration average value, a current surface shape of the reflection surface of the mirror substrate does not deviate from the target surface shape by more than a prescribed figure tolerance value (Pmax). The result is an optical element with a relatively small figure at a use location of the mirror.

Abstract: A method of operating a particle beam microscope includes repeating a sequence to move a particle beam across a surface of an object. The surface of the object has a region defined by a closed boundary line. The sequence includes moving the particle beam from an entry location of the present sequence to an exit location of the present sequence along a scan path. The entry location of the present sequence and the exit location of the present sequence are located on the boundary line. The scan path is located entirely inside the region of the surface of the object. The sequence also includes moving the particle beam from the exit location of the present sequence to an entry location of the next sequence along a return path. The entry location of the next sequence is located on the boundary line. The return path is located entirely outside the region of the surface of the object.