Abstract: An illumination system for illuminating a reticle that moves along a scanning direction in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus has an optical axis and an optical component producing an illumination angle distribution of the projection light. In accordance with the illumination angle distribution, a plurality of poles is illuminated in a pupil plane of the illumination system. The poles form an arrangement that is only mirror-symmetrical with respect to an axis that is orthogonal to the optical axis of the illumination, but neither parallel nor perpendicular to the scanning direction.

Abstract: A beam delivery system of a projection exposure system comprises a laser generating a beam of laser light from a plurality of longitudinal laser modes in a cavity, wherein light generated by a single longitudinal laser mode has an average line width ?lat, wherein the laser light of the beam has, at each of respective lateral positions of the beam, a second line width ?lat corresponding to lateral laser modes, and wherein the laser light of the beam has, when averaged over a whole cross section thereof, a line width ?b corresponding to plural lateral laser modes, and wherein ?m<?lat<?b, and wherein an optical delay apparatus disposed in the beam provides an optical path difference ?l, wherein 0.8 · ? 0 2 ( 2 · ? ? ? ? l ) < ? ? ? l < 1.8 · ? 0 2 ( 2 · ? ? ? ? l ) , wherein ?0 is an average wavelength of the light of the first beam of laser light, and ??lat represents the second line width.

Abstract: An illumination system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a light source (1) for generating projection light, a masking arrangement (5) for masking a reticle (R) and a masking objective (6) for imaging the masking arrangement (5) on the reticle (R). A polarizer (10) for generating linearly polarized light is arranged in the masking objective (6). The polarizer (10) may comprise, for example, polarization-selective beam splitting layers (54, 56; 154, 156; 292, 294) arranged at an angle to one another, which are transparent to light in a first polarisation state (68) and reflect light in different second polarisation state (70).

Abstract: An objective for a microlithography projection system has at least one fluoride crystal lens. The effects of birefringence, which are detrimental to the image quality, are reduced if the lens axis of the crystal lens is oriented substantially perpendicular to the {100}-planes or {100}-equivalent crystallographic planes of the fluoride crystal. If two or more fluoride crystal lenses are used, they should have lens axes oriented in the (100)-, (111)-, or (110)-direction of the crystallographic structure, and they should be oriented at rotated positions relative to each other. The birefringence-related effects are further reduced by using groups of mutually rotated (100)-lenses in combination with groups of mutually rotated (111)- or (110)-lenses. A further improvement is also achieved by applying a compensation coating to at least one optical element of the objective.

Abstract: The invention relates to a filter device for an illumination system, especially for the correction of the illumination of the illuminating pupil, including a light source, with the illumination system being passed through by a bundle of illuminating rays from the light source to an object plane, with the bundle of illuminating rays impinging upon the filter device, including at least one filter element which can be introduced into the beam path of the bundle of illuminating rays, with the filter element including an actuating device, so that the filter element can be brought with the help of the actuating device into the bundle of illuminating rays.

Abstract: 1. Method for patterning a substrate using multiple exposure. 2.1. The invention relates to a method for patterning a substrate using exposure processes of an adjustable optical system, a multiple exposure being used for producing a structure image on the substrate. 2.2. According to the invention, for at least one of the plurality of exposures, the imaging quality of the optical system is determined by means of a respective measurement step and at least one parameter of the optical system that influences the imaging quality is set depending on this. 2.3. Use e.g. for the patterning of semiconductor wafers in microlithography projection exposure apparatuses.

Abstract: A method of optimizing an imaging performance of a projection exposure system is provided, wherein the projection exposure system includes an illumination optical system for illuminating a patterning structure and a projection optical system for imaging a region of the illuminated patterning structure onto a corresponding field. The method involves setting the field to a first exposure field, setting optical parameters of the projection exposure system to a first setting such that the imaging performance within the first exposure field is a first optimum performance, changing the field to a second exposure field, and changing the optical parameters to a second setting such that the imaging performance within the second exposure field is a second optimum performance.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a light mixing device, comprising a first arrangement composed of first beam-deflecting elements and a second arrangement composed of second beam-deflecting elements, each of the first beam-deflecting elements being assigned a second beam-deflecting element, which, upon irradiation of the light mixing device with a beam bundle, receives a partial beam of the beam bundle that has been deflected by the respective first beam-deflecting element and deflects it in a direction parallel to the propagation direction of the partial beam upstream of the first beam-deflecting element, wherein the first arrangement and the second arrangement are coordinated with one another in such a way that the beam bundle, after exiting from the second arrangement, over the beam bundle cross section, is composed alternately of partial beams that were arranged on one side of a central plane before entering into the light mixing device and partial beams that were arranged on the other side of the central plane

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an optical system of an illumination device of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, comprising at least one first light-conductance-increasing element having a plurality of diffractively or refractively beam-deflecting structures extending in a common first preferred direction the light-conductance-increasing element having an optically uniaxial crystal material in such a way that the optical crystal axis of the crystal material is substantially parallel or substantially perpendicular to the first preferred direction.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for reducing the coherence of a wave front-emitting laser radiation, especially for a projection lens for use in semiconductor lithography, wherein a first partial beam of a laser beam incident on a surface of a resonator body is partially reflected. A second partial beam penetrates the resonator body and emerges from the resonator body at least approximately in the area of entry after a plurality of total internal reflections. The two partial beams are then passed on jointly to an illumination plane. The resonator body is adapted, in addition to splitting the laser beam into partial beams, to modulate the wave fronts of at least one partial beam during a laser pulse. The partial beams reflected on the resonator body and penetrating the resonator body are superimposed downstream of the resonator body. The resonator body is provided with a phase plate having different local phase distribution.

Abstract: An illumination system for a microlithographic projection exposure step-and-scan apparatus has a light source, a first optical raster element and a second optical raster element. The first optical raster element extends in a first pupil plane of the illumination system and is designed such that the geometrical optical flux of the system is increased perpendicular to a scan direction of the projection exposure apparatus. The second optical raster element extends in a second pupil plane of the illumination system, which is not necessarily different from the first pupil plane, and is designed such that the geometrical optical flux of the system is increased in the scan direction and perpendicular thereto. This makes it possible to improve the irradiance uniformity in a reticle plane.

Abstract: An illumination system for a microlithography projection exposure installation is used to illuminate an illumination field with the light from a primary light source (11). The illumination system has a light distribution device (25) which receives light from the primary light source and, from this light, produces a two-dimensional intensity distribution which can be set variably in a pupil-shaping surface (31) of the illumination system. The light distribution device has at least one optical modulation device (20) having a two-dimensional array of individual elements (21) that can be controlled individually in order to change the angular distribution of the light incident on the optical modulation device. The device permits the variable setting of extremely different illuminating modes without replacing optical components.

Abstract: A method of optimizing an imaging performance of a projection exposure system is provided, wherein the projection exposure system includes an illumination optical system for illuminating a patterning structure and a projection optical system for imaging a region of the illuminated patterning structure onto a corresponding field. The method involves setting the field to a first exposure field, setting optical parameters of the projection exposure system to a first setting such that the imaging performance within the first exposure field is a first optimum performance, changing the field to a second exposure field, and changing the optical parameters to a second setting such that the imaging performance within the second exposure field is a second optimum performance.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an illumination system for microlithography, especially for wavelengths ?193 nm, especially preferably for EUV lithography for illuminating a field in a field plane with at least one optical integrator which splits up a light bundle emitted by a light source into a plurality of light channels each having a light intensity, characterized in that a filter is provided in the light path from the light source to the field plane, with the filter comprising filter elements which are configured in such a way that the light intensity of at least one light channel is reduced in the light path after the filter element.

Abstract: An objective for a microlithography projection system has at least one fluoride crystal lens. The effects of birefringence, which are detrimental to the image quality, are reduced if the lens axis of the crystal lens is oriented substantially perpendicular to the {100}-planes or {100}-equivalent crystallographic planes of the fluoride crystal. If two or more fluoride crystal lenses are used, they should have lens axes oriented in the (100)-, (111)-, or (110)-direction of the crystallographic structure, and they should be oriented at rotated positions relative to each other. The birefringence-related effects are further reduced by using groups of mutually rotated (100)-lenses in combination with groups of mutually rotated (111)- or (110)-lenses. A further improvement is also achieved by applying a compensation coating to at least one optical element of the objective.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus for microlithography has a light source, an illumination system, a mask-positioning system and a projection lens. The latter has a system aperture plane and an image plane and contains at least one lens that is made of a material which has a birefringence dependent on the transmission angle. The exposure apparatus further has an optical element, which has a position-dependent polarization-rotating effect or a position-dependent birefringence. This element, which is provided close to a pupil plane of the projection exposure apparatus, compensates at least partially for the birefringent effects produced in the image plane by the at least one lens.

Abstract: In an exposure method for producing an image of a pattern, arranged in the object surface of a projection objective, in the image surface of the projection objective, the mask is illuminated with illumination radiation with the aid of the illumination system. The radiation varied by the mask and which enters the projection objective is thereby produced downstream of the mask. The projection objective is transirradiated with this radiation. An astigmatic variation of the radiation varied by the mask is effected in the region of at least one pupil surface of the projection objective, the astigmatic variation being designed such that an anisotropy of properties of the radiation striking the image surface that leads to direction-dependent contrast differences is at least partially compensated. The astigmatic variation can be achieved, for example, with the aid of an elliptical diaphragm or an elliptical transmission filter.

Abstract: An objective for a microlithography projection system has at least one fluoride crystal lens. The effects of birefringence, which are detrimental to the image quality, are reduced if the lens axis of the crystal lens is oriented substantially perpendicular to the {100}-planes or {100}-equivalent crystallographic planes of the fluoride crystal. If two or more fluoride crystal lenses are used, they should have lens axes oriented in the (100)-, (111)-, or (110)-direction of the crystallographic structure, and they should be oriented at rotated positions relative to each other. The birefringence-related effects are further reduced by using groups of mutually rotated (100)-lenses in combination with groups of mutually rotated (111)- or (110)-lenses. A further improvement is also achieved by applying a compensation coating to at least one optical element of the objective.

Abstract: An illumination system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a light source (12) for generating a projection light beam, a first objective (20) and a masking system (38, 52) for masking a reticle (30). The masking system (38, 52) includes adjustable first blades (40) for masking in a first spatial direction (X) and adjustable second blades (54, 56) for masking in a second spatial direction (Y). The first blades (40) are arranged in the region of a first field plane (36) and the second blades (54, 56) are arranged in the region of a second field plane (44) which is different to the first field plane (36). The masking system can therefore be made spatially less concentrated, whereby constructional difficulties in the region of the field plane before the masking objective resulting from space requirement problems are reduced.

Abstract: An objective for a microlithography projection system has at least one fluoride crystal lens. The effects of birefringence, which are detrimental to the image quality, are reduced if the lens axis of the crystal lens is oriented substantially perpendicular to the {100}-planes or {100}-equivalent crystallographic planes of the fluoride crystal. If two or more fluoride crystal lenses are used, they should have lens axes oriented in the (100)-, (111)-, or (110)-direction of the crystallographic structure, and they should be oriented at rotated positions relative to each other. The birefringence-related effects are further reduced by using groups of mutually rotated (100)-lenses in combination with groups of mutually rotated (111)- or (110)-lenses. A further improvement is also achieved by applying a compensation coating to at least one optical element of the objective.