Abstract: Method and apparatus for setting optical imaging properties using radiation treatment, specifically a method and an apparatus for setting the imaging properties of an optical system with radiation treatment of at least one optical element of the optical system in the installed state, and a method for setting the imaging properties of an internal optical element with radiation treatment. A measurement is carried out on the optical system in order to determine one or more aberrations in a spatially resolved fashion, a correction that changes the shape and/or refractive index of the internal optical element is calculated in order to reduce the measured aberration or aberrations, and the optical element is irradiated with the aid of a processing radiation that changes the shape and/or refractive index, in accordance with the calculated correction.

Abstract: In a device for reducing the peak power of a pulsed laser light source, in particular for a projection exposure system, there is arranged in the beam path (1) at least one beam splitter apparatus (3, 4) by means of which a detour line (5 or 11) is produced, via reflecting components (6, 7, 8 or 12, 13, 14) for at least one partial beam (1b) with subsequent recombination at a beam recombining element (9 or 15) with the other partial beam or beams (1b or 10b) to form a total beam.

Abstract: Radiation-induced damage to a lens material in a projection exposure system is reduced by selection of maximum design fluence values HD for lenses and at least one lens made of a material having a characteristic transition point TRC after exposure to a given amount of radiation, wherein, for instance, TRC<0.8. HD among other relationships and/or characteristics of the lenses.

Abstract: In a business network environment, each workstation or information access point (IAP) has installed thereon a quality of service (QoS) module to monitor the IAP's performance. The QoS module declares exceptions when it perceives that one or more of a predetermined plurality of functions or conditions of the computer has entered into a state indicative of degraded performance. At the time that an exception is declared, a snapshot is taken of the software applications running on the IAP, the amount of resources that they are using, and presence or absence of the user. As used in calculating a QoS index representative of the operational state of the IAP, exceptions are weighted to take into account the relative importance of these exceptions and the users which they affect. Because the QoS indices are time-normalized, they may be aggregated or compared across the network by an IT administrator.

Abstract: An attenuating filter provides a prescribed attenuation of the intensity of transmitted, short-wavelength, ultraviolet light, in particular, at wavelengths below 200 nm, that is governed by a predefinable spatial distribution of its spectral transmittance. The filter has a transparent substrate (3), e.g. fabricated from crystalline calcium fluoride. A filter coating (5) fabricated from a dielectric material that absorbs over a predefined wavelength range is applied to at least one surface (4) of the substrate. In the case of operating wavelengths of about 193 nm, the filter coating consists largely of tantalum pentoxide. Filters of the type, which may be inexpensively fabricated with high yields, are noted for their high abilities to withstand laser radiation and may be effectively antireflection coated employing simply designed antireflection coatings.

Abstract: Radiation-induced damage to a lens material in a projection exposure system is reduced by selection of maximum design fluence values HD for lenses and at least one lens made of a material having a characteristic transition point TRC after exposure to a given amount of radiation, wherein, for instance, TRC<0.8. HD among other relationships and/or characteristics of the lenses.

Abstract: A method for producing a quartz glass material with high resistance to radiation-induced density modifications when exposed to ultraviolet radiation at about 193 nm and energy densities of the order of the working energy densities of optical systems for microlithography, in which the peroxy defect level in the quartz glass material is minimized. In this way the creation of closely neighbored hydroxyl groups can be inhibited, which have been identified as an essential cause for radiation induced density reduction of the quartz glass material.

Abstract: A method of making a fracture-resistant large-size calcium fluoride single crystal is described, which is suitable for an optical component for radiation in the far UV range. The calcium fluoride raw material for the single crystal is first melted and subsequently solidified by cooling the melt to form a single crystal. However the calcium fluoride raw material is doped with from 1 to 250, preferably 1 to 100, ppm of strontium, preferably added as strontium fluoride, and contains from 1 to 10 ppm of sodium as well as up to 100 ppm of other impurities.

Abstract: A method of making a fracture-resistant large-size calcium fluoride single crystal is described, which is suitable for an optical component for radiation in the far UV range. The calcium fluoride raw material for the single crystal is first melted and subsequently solidified by cooling the melt to form a single crystal. However the calcium fluoride raw material is doped with from 1 to 250, preferably 1 to 100, ppm of strontium, preferably added as strontium fluoride, and contains from 1 to 10 ppm of sodium as well as up to 100 ppm of other impurities.

Abstract: An attenuating filter provides a prescribed attenuation of the intensity of transmitted, short-wavelength, ultraviolet light, in particular, at wavelengths below 200 nm, that is governed by a predefinable spatial distribution of its spectral transmittance. The filter has a transparent substrate (3), e.g. fabricated from crystalline calcium fluoride. A filter coating (5) fabricated from a dielectric material that absorbs over a predefined wavelength range is applied to at least one surface (4) of the substrate. In the case of operating wavelengths of about 193 nm, the filter coating consists largely of tantalum pentoxide. Filters of the type, which may be inexpensively fabricated with high yields, are noted for their high abilities to withstand laser radiation and may be effectively antireflection coated employing simply designed antireflection coatings.