Patents by Inventor Alexandra Pazidis
Alexandra Pazidis 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).
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Publication number: 20240035163Abstract: The disclosed techniques relate to a method for depositing at least one layer composed of an ionically bonded solid on a substrate, comprising the following steps: converting a coating material to the gas phase and depositing the coating material converted to the gas phase on the substrate. The layer is irradiated with UV/VIS light during the deposition. The disclosed techniques also relate to an apparatus for implementing the disclosed method and optical elements and devices created using the disclosed method.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2023Publication date: February 1, 2024Inventors: Felix LANGE, Alexandra PAZIDIS, Marcel HAERTLING, Alexander WIEGAND
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Patent number: 11520087Abstract: Reflective optical element with extended service life for VUV wavelengths includes a substrate (41) and a metal layer (49) thereon. At least one metal fluoride layer (43) on the metal layer faces away from the substrate and at least one oxide layer (45) on the metal fluoride layer faces away from the substrate. The thicknesses of the layers on the metal layer facing away from the substrate are selected so that the electrical field of a standing wave, formed when a relevant wavelength is reflected, has a minimum in the region of the oxide layer. In addition, the relevant wavelength is selected so that, from a minimum VUV wavelength range to the relevant wavelengths, the integral over the extinction coefficients of the material of the at least one oxide layer is between 15% and 47% of the corresponding integral from the minimum wavelengths to a maximum wavelength.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2021Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignee: CARL ZEISS SMT GMBHInventors: Konstantin Forcht, Alexandra Pazidis, Christoph Zaczek
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Publication number: 20220206401Abstract: A mirror arrangement (30) includes: a substrate (31), which has a front side (31a) having a mirror face (32a) for reflecting radiation (5), and a rear side (31b) facing away from the front side (31a), as well as at least one actuator (27) arranged to generate deformations of the mirror face (32a). The at least one actuator (27) is secured on the rear side (31b) of the substrate (31), and the mirror arrangement (30) has a hydrogen barrier (38) which is configured to protect a hydrogen-sensitive material (M) on the rear side (31b) of the substrate (31), in particular on the at least one actuator (27), from the attack by hydrogen (37) from the surroundings (36) of the mirror arrangement (30). An associated optical arrangement, in particular an EUV lithography apparatus (1), incorporating such a mirror arrangement (30) is also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2022Publication date: June 30, 2022Inventors: Alexandra PAZIDIS, Kerstin HILD, Thilo POLLAK, Martin NOAH, Juergen NASER, Dirk KLEINHENZ
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Publication number: 20220187516Abstract: A mirror arrangement (30) includes: a substrate (31) with a front side (31a) having a mirror face (32a) reflecting radiation (5), and a rear side (31b) facing away from the front side and on which at least one actuator (27) generating deformations of the mirror face is arranged. A water vapor (36)-sorbing material (33, 42) is formed on the rear side (31b) and forms an adhesive layer (33) for securing the actuator. The layer extends into interspaces (35) between the actuators (27). A surface (33a, 42a) of the water vapor-sorbing material is covered at least partly by a coating (37) which forms a water vapor diffusion barrier.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2022Publication date: June 16, 2022Inventors: Alexandra PAZIDIS, Kerstin HILD, Thilo POLLAK
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Publication number: 20210293996Abstract: A method for forming in particular reflection-reducing nanostructures (5) on a preferably polished surface (3) of a crystalline, in particular ionic, substrate (1) for transmission of radiation in the FUV/VUV wavelength range. The method includes: providing a surface (3, 7), which surface is not oriented along a lattice plane having a minimum surface energy, on the substrate (1) or on a layer (6) applied to the substrate (1) by a coating method, in particular vacuum vapor deposition, and introducing an energy input (E) into the surface (7) for rearranging the surface (7) to form the nanostructures (5), wherein the energy input (E) is generated by irradiating the surface (7) with electromagnetic radiation (4). Also, an optical element for transmission of radiation in the FUV/VUV wavelength range.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 7, 2021Publication date: September 23, 2021Inventors: Vitaliy SHKLOVER, Alexandra PAZIDIS
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Publication number: 20210132269Abstract: Reflective optical element with extended service life for VUV wavelengths includes a substrate (41) and a metal layer (49) thereon. At least one metal fluoride layer (43) on the metal layer faces away from the substrate and at least one oxide layer (45) on the metal fluoride layer faces away from the substrate. The thicknesses of the layers on the metal layer facing away from the substrate are selected so that the electrical field of a standing wave, formed when a relevant wavelength is reflected, has a minimum in the region of the oxide layer. In addition, the relevant wavelength is selected so that, from a minimum VUV wavelength range to the relevant wavelengths, the integral over the extinction coefficients of the material of the at least one oxide layer is between 15% and 47% of the corresponding integral from the minimum wavelengths to a maximum wavelength.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2021Publication date: May 6, 2021Inventors: Konstantin FORCHT, Alexandra PAZIDIS, Christoph ZACZEK
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Publication number: 20170322343Abstract: The disclosure relates to a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, such as are used for the production of large-scale integrated electrical circuits and other microstructured components. The disclosure relates in particular to coatings of optical elements in order to increase or reduce the reflectivity.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2017Publication date: November 9, 2017Inventors: Vladimir Kamenov, Daniel Kraehmer, Toralf Gruner, Karl-Stefan Weissenrieder, Heiko Feldmann, Achim Zirkel, Alexandra Pazidis, Bruno Thome, Stephan Six
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Patent number: 9733395Abstract: The disclosure relates to a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, such as are used for the production of large-scale integrated electrical circuits and other microstructured components. The disclosure relates in particular to coatings of optical elements in order to increase or reduce the reflectivity.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2011Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Vladimir Kamenov, Daniel Kraehmer, Toralf Gruner, Karl-Stefan Weissenrieder, Heiko Feldmann, Achim Zirkel, Alexandra Pazidis, Bruno Thome, Stephan Six
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Patent number: 9684252Abstract: An optical element (14) transparent for radiation with a wavelength ? in the ultraviolet wavelength range below 250 nm, in particular at 193 nm, comprises a substrate (17) with a refractive index ns larger than 1.6, and an antireflection coating (16) formed on at least part of the surface of the substrate (17) between the substrate (17) and an ambient medium with a refractive index nA, preferably with nA=1.0. The antireflection coating (16) consists of a single layer of a material with a refractive index nL of about nL=?{square root over (nAnS)}, in particular nL>1.3, and the optical thickness dL of the single layer is about ?/4. The optical element (14) is preferably part of a projection objective (5) in a microlithography projection exposure apparatus (1) and located adjacent to a light-sensitive substrate (10).Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2011Date of Patent: June 20, 2017Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Christoph Zaczek, Alexandra Pazidis
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Patent number: 9581910Abstract: A method of lithographically transferring a pattern on a light sensitive surface in a multiple exposure process comprises the following steps: a) providing a mask comprising a first mask pattern area and a second mask pattern area; b) directing projection light on the mask, thereby producing on the light sensitive surface a first exposed pattern area, which is an image of the first mask pattern area, and a second exposed pattern area, which is an image of the second mask pattern area. The projection light illuminating the first and second mask pattern area has different angular light distributions. c) repeating step b) using the same mask so that an image of the first mask pattern area is superimposed on the second exposure pattern area.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2015Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Frank Schlesener, Ingo Saenger, Olaf Dittmann, Aksel Goehnermeier, Alexandra Pazidis, Thomas Schicketanz, Michael Patra, Markus Deguenther
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Patent number: 9297936Abstract: A mirror with a dielectric coating (2) on a substrate (3), wherein the dielectric coating (2) has exactly two layer stacks (4, 5), a first layer stack (4), on the substrate, of layers (41, 42) of high refractive index and low refractive index oxides in alternating arrangement and a second layer stack (5), arranged thereon, of layers of fluorides (52) and oxides (51) in alternating arrangement, and wherein the number of fluoride layers (52) as a proportion of the total number of layers of the dielectric coating (2) is less than 0.45.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2012Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: Carl Zeiss Laser Optics GmbHInventors: Jeffrey Erxmeyer, Alexandra Pazidis, Horst Feldermann
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Publication number: 20150301455Abstract: A method of lithographically transferring a pattern on a light sensitive surface in a multiple exposure process comprises the following steps: a) providing a mask comprising a first mask pattern area and a second mask pattern area; b) directing projection light on the mask, thereby producing on the light sensitive surface a first exposed pattern area, which is an image of the first mask pattern area, and a second exposed pattern area, which is an image of the second mask pattern area. The projection light illuminating the first and second mask pattern area has different angular light distributions. c) repeating step b) using the same mask so that an image of the first mask pattern area is superimposed on the second exposure pattern area.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2015Publication date: October 22, 2015Inventors: Frank Schlesener, Ingo Saenger, Olaf Dittmann, Aksel Goehnermeier, Alexandra Pazidis, Thomas Schicketanz, Michael Patra, Markus Deguenther
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Patent number: 8928980Abstract: A micromirror arrangement (1) having: at least one micromirror (3) having a reflective surface (11) formed at a mirror substrate (2), and an antireflective coating (7) formed at the mirror substrate (2) outside the reflective surface (11). A reflective coating (8) is formed within the reflective surface (11) and has at least two layer subsystems, wherein the first layer subsystem has layers (8e, 8f) composed of a periodic sequence of alternate high and low refractive index layers composed of a nonmetallic material and is optimized with regard to the reflectivity in respect of a used wavelength of the micromirror arrangement, and wherein the second layer subsystem is optimized with regard to the reflectivity in respect of a measurement wavelength of the micromirror arrangement, said measurement wavelength deviating from the used wavelength.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 2012Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Karl-Stefan Weissenrieder, Roland Loercher, Alexandra Pazidis
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Publication number: 20140320955Abstract: The disclosure relates to a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, such as are used for the production of large-scale integrated electrical circuits and other microstructured components. The disclosure relates in particular to coatings of optical elements in order to increase or reduce the reflectivity.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2014Publication date: October 30, 2014Inventors: Vladimir Kamenov, Daniel Kraehmer, Toralf Gruner, Karl-Stefan Weissenrieder, Heiko Feldmann, Achim Zirkel, Alexandra Pazidis, Bruno Thome, Stephan Six
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Patent number: 8605257Abstract: In a projection objective for imaging a pattern arranged in the object plane of the projection objective into the image plane of the projection objective, at least one optical component is provided which has a substrate in which at least one substrate surface is covered with an interference layer system having a great spatial modulation of the reflectance and/or of the transmittance over a usable cross section of the optical component, the modulation being adapted to a spatial transmission distribution of the remaining components of the projection objective in such a way that an intensity distribution of the radiation that is measured in a pupil surface has a substantially reduced spatial modulation in comparison with a projection objective without the interference layer system.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2005Date of Patent: December 10, 2013Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Alexandra Pazidis, Reiner Garreis, Michael Totzeck, Heiko Feldmann, Paul Graeupner, Hans-Juergen Rostalski, Wolfgang Singer, Guenter Scheible, Sigrid Scheible
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Patent number: 8488103Abstract: An optical element (1a, 1b) for reflecting UV radiation at an operating wavelength below 250 nm, preferably at 193 nm, which has a substrate (2a, 2b), a reflective layer (3a, 3b) made of aluminum superimposed on the substrate (2a, 2b). The reflective aluminum layer (3a, 3b) is not transparent to UV radiation and is (111)-plane oriented. The reflective optical element (1a, 1b) has a reflectivity of more than 85%, preferably of more than 88%, and even more preferably of more than 92%, in a range of incident angles of at least 10°, preferably of at least 15°, at the operating wavelength. Also disclosed is an optical element having a reflective layer made from a material having a melting point higher than that of aluminum, as well as methods for producing such optical elements, and optical arrangements incorporating such optical elements.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2010Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Alexandra Pazidis, Christoph Zaczek, Horst Feldermann, Peter Huber
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Patent number: 8435726Abstract: A method of processing an optical element which has a substrate (110) and a layer system (120) applied to the substrate (110), wherein the layer system (120) in a starting condition has a plurality of volume defects (130), wherein the method includes at least partially filling at least one of the volume defects (130) with a filling material (140). Also disclosed is an associated method of manufacturing an optical element.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2008Date of Patent: May 7, 2013Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Alexandra Pazidis, Christoph Zaczek, Alexander Hirnet, Herbert Fink, Dieter Schmerek
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Patent number: 8395753Abstract: The disclosure relates to a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, as well as related components and methods. In some embodiments, a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes an illumination system and a projection objective, where the illumination system can illuminate an object plane of the projection objective and the projection objective can produce the image of the object plane on an image plane. A polarization-dependent transmission can be produced in the illumination system such that, for at least one polarization distribution in respect of the light impinging on the object plane, a non-homogeneous intensity distribution in the object plane is obtained. The non-homogeneous intensity distribution can afford a homogeneous intensity distribution in the image plane by virtue of polarization-dependent transmission properties of the projection objective.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2010Date of Patent: March 12, 2013Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Damian Fiolka, Michael Totzeck, Alexandra Pazidis, Michael Ricker
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Patent number: 8339575Abstract: An objective and a method for operating an objective, in particular a projection objective or an illumination objective for microlithography for imaging a reticle onto a wafer, with a plurality of optical elements that are arranged along a ray path, wherein at least one optical element of a first kind (1) is provided, which is irradiated only partially by a ray bundle, wherein the one or more optical element(s) of the first kind are rotatably mounted or positionable about the optical axis or an axis parallel thereto, wherein, for each optical element of the first kind at least two mounting positions are provided, and wherein the rotation angle between the two mounting positions is defined by the surface (7) irradiated by the ray bundle such that, in the various mounting positions, the surfaces irradiated by the ray path do not overlap.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2008Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Alexandra Pazidis, Aksel Goehnermeier
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Publication number: 20120182606Abstract: A micromirror arrangement (1)having: at least one micromirror (3) having a reflective surface (11) formed at a mirror substrate (2), and an antireflective coating (7) formed at the mirror substrate (2) outside the reflective surface (11). A reflective coating (8) is formed within the reflective surface (11) and has at least two layer subsystems, wherein the first layer subsystem has layers (8e, 8f) composed of a periodic sequence of alternate high and low refractive index layers composed of a nonmetallic material and is optimized with regard to the reflectivity in respect of a used wavelength of the micromirror arrangement, and wherein the second layer subsystem is optimized with regard to the reflectivity in respect of a measurement wavelength of the micromirror arrangement, said measurement wavelength deviating from the used wavelength.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2012Publication date: July 19, 2012Applicant: CARL ZEISS SMT GMBHInventors: Karl-Stefan WEISSENRIEDER, Roland LOERCHER, Alexandra PAZIDIS