Abstract: A mirror having a mirror substrate (12, 32, 52), a reflection layer stack (21, 41, 61) reflecting electromagnetic radiation having an operating wavelength that is incident on the optical effective surface (11, 31, 51), and at least one piezoelectric layer (16, 36, 56), arranged between the substrate and the reflection layer stack and to which an electric field producing a locally variable deformation is applied. A first electrode arrangement (20, 40, 60) situated on the side of the piezoelectric layer faces the reflection layer stack, and a second electrode arrangement (14, 34, 54) is situated on the side of the piezoelectric layer facing the mirror substrate. Optionally, a bracing layer (98) is provided, which limits sinking of the piezoelectric layer (96) into the mirror substrate (92) when an electric field is applied, in comparison with an analogous construction lacking the bracing layer, thereby increasing the piezoelectric layer's effective deflection.

Abstract: For a working wavelength in the range from 1 nm to 12 nm, a reflective optical element has, on a substrate, a multilayer system that includes at least two alternating materials having a different real part of the refractive index at the working wavelength. The multilayer system includes a first alternating material from the group formed from thorium, uranium, barium, nitrides thereof, carbides thereof, borides thereof, lanthanum carbide, lanthanum nitride, lanthanum boride, and a second alternating material from the group formed from carbon, boron, boron carbide, or lanthanum as first alternating material and carbon or boron as second alternating material. It has, on the side of the multilayer system remote from the substrate, a protective layer system including a nitride, an oxide and/or a platinum metal.

Abstract: A mirror having a mirror substrate (12, 32, 52), a reflection layer stack (21, 41, 61) reflecting electromagnetic radiation having an operating wavelength that is incident on the optical effective surface (11, 31, 51), and at least one piezoelectric layer (16, 36, 56), arranged between the substrate and the reflection layer stack and to which an electric field producing a locally variable deformation is applied. A first electrode arrangement (20, 40, 60) situated on the side of the piezo-electric layer faces the reflection layer stack, and a second electrode arrangement (14, 34, 54) is situated on the side of the piezoelectric layer facing the mirror substrate. Optionally, a bracing layer (98) is provided, which limits sinking of the piezoelectric layer (96) into the mirror substrate (92) when an electric field is applied, in comparison with an analogous construction lacking the bracing layer, thereby increasing the piezoelectric layer's effective deflection.

Abstract: For a working wavelength in the range from 1 nm to 12 nm, a reflective optical element has, on a substrate, a multilayer system that includes at least two alternating materials having a different real part of the refractive index at the working wavelength. The multilayer system includes a first alternating material from the group formed from thorium, uranium, barium, nitrides thereof, carbides thereof, borides thereof, lanthanum carbide, lanthanum nitride, lanthanum boride, and a second alternating material from the group formed from carbon, boron, boron carbide, or lanthanum as first alternating material and carbon or boron as second alternating material. It has, on the side of the multilayer system remote from the substrate, a protective layer system including a nitride, an oxide and/or a platinum metal.

Abstract: Method for measuring and processing by means of a broadband spectrometer (1) a spectrum of light (7) generated by an XUV source for generating light in a wavelength range from soft x-rays to infrared wavelengths, wherein the processing is based on the assessment of a wavelength range in the measured spectrum which has a negligible higher order contribution to longer-wavelengths than said range.

Abstract: An EUV mirror (1000) has a mirror element which forms a mirror surface of the mirror. The mirror element has a substrate (1020) and a multilayer arrangement (1030) applied on the substrate and having a reflective effect with respect to radiation from the extreme ultraviolet range (EUV). The multilayer arrangement has a multiplicity of layer pairs having alternate layers composed of a high refractive index layer material and a low refractive index layer material, has an active layer (1040) arranged between a radiation entrance surface and the substrate and consisting of a piezoelectrically active layer material, the layer thickness (z) of which active layer can be altered by the action of an electric field, and has an electrode arrangement to generate the electric field acting on the active layer.

Abstract: A multilayer mirror (M) reflecting extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation from a first wavelength range in an EUV spectral region includes a substrate (SUB) and a stack of layers (SL). The stack of layers has layers having a low index material and layers having a high index material. The low index material has a lower real part of the refractive index than does the high index material at a given operating wavelength in the first wavelength range. The stack of layers also includes a spectral purity filter on the stack of layers. The spectral purity filter is effective as an anti-reflection layer for ultraviolet (UV) radiation from a second wavelength range in a UV spectral region to increase an EUV-UV-reflectivity ratio of the multilayer mirror. The spectral purity filter (SPF) includes a non-diffractive graded-index anti-reflection layer (GI-AR) effective to reduce reflectivity in the second wavelength range.

Abstract: A method aleviating blistering, cracking and chipping in topmost layers of a multilayer system exposed to reactive hydrogen, when producing a reflective optical element (50) having a maximum reflectivity at an operating wavelength of 5 nm to 20 nm. A multilayer system (51) composed of 30-60 stacks (53) is applied to a substrate (52). Each stack has a layer (54) of thickness dMLs composed of a high refractive index material and a layer (55) of thickness dMLa composed of a low refractive index material. The thickness ratio is dMLa/(dMLa+dMLs)=?ML. Two to five further stacks (56) are applied to the multilayer system. at least one further stack having a layer (54) of thickness ds composed of a high refractive index material and a layer (55) of thickness da composed of a low refractive index material, wherein the thickness ratio is da/(da+ds)=? and wherein ???ML.

Abstract: An EUV mirror (1000) has a mirror element which forms a mirror surface of the mirror. The mirror element has a substrate (1020) and a multilayer arrangement (1030) applied on the substrate and having a reflective effect with respect to radiation from the extreme ultraviolet range (EUV). The multilayer arrangement has a multiplicity of layer pairs having alternate layers composed of a high refractive index layer material and a low refractive index layer material, has an active layer (1040) arranged between a radiation entrance surface and the substrate and consisting of a piezoelectrically active layer material, the layer thickness (z) of which active layer can be altered by the action of an electric field, and has an electrode arrangement to generate the electric field acting on the active layer.

Abstract: An EUV mirror arrangement (100) has a multiplicity of mirror elements (110, 111, 112) which are arranged alongside one another and jointly form a mirror surface of the mirror arrangement. Each mirror element has a substrate (120) and a multilayer arrangement (130) applied on the substrate and having a reflective effect with respect to radiation from the extreme ultraviolet range (EUV), said multilayer arrangement comprising a multiplicity of layer pairs (135) having alternate layers composed of a high refractive index layer material and a low refractive index layer material. The multilayer arrangement has an active layer (140) arranged between a radiation entrance surface and the substrate and consisting of a piezoelectrically active layer material, the layer thickness (z) of which active layer can be altered by the action of an electric field. For each active layer provision is made of an electrode arrangement for generating an electric field acting on the active layer.

Abstract: An optical element (50), comprising: a substrate (52), and a multilayer coating (51) applied to the substrate (52), including: at least one first layer system (53) consisting of an arrangement of identically constructed stacks (X1 to X4) each having at least two layers (53a-d), and at least one second layer system (54) consisting of an arrangement of identically constructed stacks (Y1, Y2) each having at least two layers (54a, 54b), wherein, upon a thermal loading of the multilayer coating (51), the first layer system (53) is configured to experience an irreversible contraction of the thicknesses (dX) of the stacks (X1 to X4) and the second layer system (54) is configured to experience an irreversible expansion of the thicknesses (dY) of the stacks (Y1, Y2).

Abstract: An EUV mirror arrangement (100) has a multiplicity of mirror elements (110, 111, 112) which are arranged alongside one another and jointly form a mirror surface of the mirror arrangement. Each mirror element has a substrate (120) and a multilayer arrangement (130) applied on the substrate and having a reflective effect with respect to radiation from the extreme ultraviolet range (EUV), said multilayer arrangement comprising a multiplicity of layer pairs (135) having alternate layers composed of a high refractive index layer material and a low refractive index layer material. The multilayer arrangement has an active layer (140) arranged between a radiation entrance surface and the substrate and consisting of a piezoelectrically active layer material, the layer thickness (z) of which active layer can be altered by the action of an electric field. For each active layer provision is made of an electrode arrangement for generating an electric field acting on the active layer.

Abstract: A method aleviating blistering, cracking and chipping in topmost layers of a multilayer system exposed to reactive hydrogen, when producing a reflective optical element (50) having a maximum reflectivity at an operating wavelength of 5 nm to 20 nm. A multilayer system (51) composed of 30-60 stacks (53) is applied to a substrate (52). Each stack has a layer (54) of thickness dMLs composed of a high refractive index material and a layer (55) of thickness dMLa composed of a low refractive index material. The thickness ratio is dMLa/(dMLa+dMLs)=?ML. Two to five further stacks (56) are applied to the multilayer system. at least one further stack having a layer (54) of thickness ds composed of a high refractive index material and a layer (55) of thickness da composed of a low refractive index material, wherein the thickness ratio is da/(da+ds)=? and wherein ???ML.

Abstract: A reflective optical element e.g. for use in EUV lithography, configured for an operating wavelength in the range from 5 nm to 12 nm, includes a multilayer system with respective layers of at least two alternating materials having differing real parts of the refractive index at the operating wavelength. The material having the lower real part of the refractive index is a nitride or a carbide. “Alternatively, the material having the lower real part of the refractive index is thorium, uranium or barium and the material having the higher real part of the refractive index is boron or boron carbide.

Abstract: Method for manufacturing a multilayer structure with a lateral pattern, in particular of an optical grating for application in an optical device for electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength in the wavelength range between 0.1 nm and 100 nm, comprising the steps of (i) providing a multilayer structure, and (ii) arranging a lateral three-dimensional pattern in the multilayer structure, wherein step (ii) of arranging the lateral pattern is performed by means of a method for nano-imprint lithography (NIL), and BF and LMAG structures manufactured according to this method.

Abstract: A reflective optical element e.g. for use in EUV lithography, configured for an operating wavelength in the soft X-ray or extreme ultraviolet wavelength range, includes a multilayer system (20) with respective layers of at least two alternating materials (21, 22) having differing real parts of the refractive index at the operating wavelength. Preferably, at least at an interface from the material (21) having the higher real part of the refractive index to the material (22) having the lower real part of the refractive index, a further layer (23) of a nitride or a carbide of the material (22) having the lower real part is arranged. Particularly preferably the material (22) having the lower real part of the refractive index is lanthanum or thorium. Preferably, the layers (21, 22, 23) of at least one material are applied in a plasma-based process for manufacturing a reflective optical element as described.

Abstract: A reflective optical element e.g. for use in EUV lithography, configured for an operating wavelength in the soft X-ray or extreme ultraviolet wavelength range, includes a multilayer system (20) with respective layers of at least two alternating materials (21, 22) having differing real parts of the refractive index at the operating wavelength. Preferably, at least at an interface from the material (21) having the higher real part of the refractive index to the material (22) having the lower real part of the refractive index, a further layer (23) of a nitride or a carbide of the material (22) having the lower real part is arranged. Particularly preferably the material (22) having the lower real part of the refractive index is lanthanum or thorium. Preferably, the layers (21, 22, 23) of at least one material are applied in a plasma-based process for manufacturing a reflective optical element as described.

Abstract: Method for regenerating a surface of an optical element in a radiation source for electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength in the extreme ultraviolet wavelength range, H (EUV, XUV) in particular with a wavelength in the wavelength range between 10 nm and 15 nm, this radiation source comprising at least a chamber for arranging therein a plasma generating XUV or EUV radiation and the optical element, in particular a collector for bundling XUV or EUV radiation generated by the plasma and causing it to exit the chamber, according to which method a first Si, C or metal compound is arranged in the chamber which reacts in an equilibrium reaction with the material of the surface of the collector to form respectively a second Si, C or metal compound bonded to this surface, and XUV or EUV radiation source adapted for such a method.

Abstract: A multilayer system and its production. Multilayer systems, such as those used as mirrors in the extreme ultraviolet wavelength range, suffer contamination or oxidation during storage in air and in long-time operation, i.e. when exposed to EUV radiation in a vacuum environment with certain partial pressures of water or oxygen, which causes a serious reduction in reflectivity. The multilayer system according to the invention will have a long life with constantly high reflectivity. Their reflectivity can be enhanced by barrier layers. The multilayer systems according to the invention have protective layers comprising iridium. The multilayer systems according to the invention are produced by direct, ion-beam-supported growth of the respective layer. The multilayer systems according to the invention are not only resistant to contamination and oxidation, but can also be cleaned if necessary, without losing reflectivity.

Abstract: A radiation source includes an anode and a cathode for creating a discharge in a vapor in a space between anode and cathode and to form a plasma of a working vapor so as to generate electromagnetic radiation. The cathode defines a hollow cavity in communication with the discharge region through an aperture that has a substantially annular configuration around a central axis of said radiation source so as to initiate said discharge. A driver vapor is supplied to the cathode cavity and the working vapor is supplied in a region around the central axis in between anode and cathode.