Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for characterizing a microlithographic mask. According to one aspect, an apparatus according to the invention comprises at least one light source which emits coherent light, an illumination optical unit which produces a diffraction-limited light spot on the mask from the coherent light of the at least one light source, a scanning device, by use of which it is possible to implement a scanning movement of the diffraction-limited light spot relative to the mask, a sensor unit, and an evaluation unit for evaluating the light that is incident on the sensor unit and has come from the mask, an output coupling element for coupling out a portion of the coherent light emitted by the at least one light source, and an intensity sensor for capturing the intensity of this output coupled portion.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for characterizing a microlithographic mask. According to one aspect, an apparatus according to the invention comprises at least one light source which emits coherent light, an illumination optical unit which produces a diffraction-limited light spot on the mask from the coherent light of the at least one light source, a scanning device, by use of which it is possible to implement a scanning movement of the diffraction-limited light spot relative to the mask, a sensor unit, and an evaluation unit for evaluating the light that is incident on the sensor unit and has come from the mask, an output coupling element for coupling out a portion of the coherent light emitted by the at least one light source, and an intensity sensor for capturing the intensity of this output coupled portion.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for characterizing a microlithography mask. In one aspect, in a method according to the invention, the mask to be characterized is illuminated with light from a light source via an illumination optics unit, said light having a wavelength of less than 30 nm, wherein light that passes in a used beam path from the light source via the mask to a sensor unit is evaluated, wherein, at least intermittently, a portion of the light emitted by the light source is outcoupled from the used beam path by use of a mirror array having a multitude of independently adjustable mirror elements, and wherein, intermittently by use of the mirror array, all light is outcoupled from the used beam path for establishment of a defined illumination time of the sensor unit.

Abstract: In an optical system for a projection exposure apparatus, the angle space of the illumination radiation of the projection optical unit at the reticle is twice as large in a first direction as the angle space of the illuminating radiation of the illuminating optical unit.

Abstract: An image sensor for a position sensor apparatus for ascertaining a position of at least one mirror of a lithography apparatus includes: a plurality of integrated optical waveguides; a plurality of incoupling areas; a multiplexer apparatus; and an image reconstruction apparatus.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for characterizing a microlithographic mask. According to one aspect, an apparatus according to the invention comprises at least one light source which emits coherent light, an illumination optical unit which produces a diffraction-limited light spot on the mask from the coherent light of the at least one light source, a scanning device, by use of which it is possible to implement a scanning movement of the diffraction-limited light spot relative to the mask, a sensor unit, and an evaluation unit for evaluating the light that is incident on the sensor unit and has come from the mask, an output coupling element for coupling out a portion of the coherent light emitted by the at least one light source, and an intensity sensor for capturing the intensity of this output coupled portion.

Abstract: In an optical system for a projection exposure apparatus, the angle space of the illumination radiation of the projection optical unit at the reticle is twice as large in a first direction as the angle space of the illuminating radiation of the illuminating optical unit.

Abstract: In an optical system for a projection exposure apparatus, the angle space of the illumination radiation of the projection optical unit at the reticle is twice as large in a first direction as the angle space of the illuminating radiation of the illuminating optical unit.

Abstract: An illumination optical unit for projection lithography illuminates an object field. The illumination optical unit has an optical rod with an entrance area and an exit area for illumination light. The optical rod is configured so that the illumination light is mixed and homogenized at lateral walls of the optical rod by multiple in-stances of total internal reflection. At least one correction area serves to correct a field dependence of an illumination angle distribution when illuminating the object field. The correction area is disposed in the region of the exit area of the optical rod. This can result in an illumination optical unit, in which an unwanted field dependence of a specified illumination angle distribution is reduced or entirely avoided, even in the case of illumination angle distributions with illumination angles deviating extremely from a normal incidence on the object field.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a lithography apparatus for writing to substrate wafers. The apparatus includes: a light generating device including one or a plurality of light sources for generating light; a writing device; a light transferring device including a number of optical waveguides for transferring the light from the light generating device to a writing device, the writing device including a plurality of individually controllable write heads for projecting the light from the one or the plurality of light sources in different regions of a substrate wafer; a transport device for moving the substrate wafer relative to the writing device in a predefined transport direction; and a control device for controlling the writing process on the substrate wafer.

Abstract: An illumination optical unit for projection lithography serves to illuminate an object field along an illumination light beam path. The illumination optical unit includes an optical rod with end-side entrance and exit areas. The optical rod is designed in such a way that illumination light is mixed and homogenized at lateral walls of the optical rod by multiple instances of total internal reflection. An optical rod illumination specification element is disposed upstream of the optical rod in the illumination light beam path and serves to specify an illumination of the entrance area with a distribution, specified over the entrance area, of an illumination intensity and, simultaneously, an illumination angle distribution. The specified illumination intensity distribution deviates from a homogeneous distribution over the entrance area. This can result in an illumination optical unit including an optical rod, in which a specified illumination setting can be set with lower illumination light losses.

Abstract: An image sensor for a position sensor apparatus for ascertaining a position of at least one mirror of a lithography apparatus includes: a plurality of integrated optical waveguides; a plurality of incoupling areas; a multiplexer apparatus; and an image reconstruction apparatus.

Abstract: An illumination optical unit for projection lithography serves to illuminate an object field along an illumination light beam path. The illumination optical unit includes an optical rod with end-side entrance and exit areas. The optical rod is designed in such a way that illumination light is mixed and homogenized at lateral walls of the optical rod by multiple instances of total internal reflection. An optical rod illumination specification element is disposed upstream of the optical rod in the illumination light beam path and serves to specify an illumination of the entrance area with a distribution, specified over the entrance area, of an illumination intensity and, simultaneously, an illumination angle distribution. The specified illumination intensity distribution deviates from a homogeneous distribution over the entrance area. This can result in an illumination optical unit including an optical rod, in which a specified illumination setting can be set with lower illumination light losses.

Abstract: An illumination optical unit for projection lithography illuminates an object field. The illumination optical unit has an optical rod with an entrance area and an exit area for illumination light. The optical rod is configured so that the illumination light is mixed and homogenized at lateral walls of the optical rod by multiple in-stances of total internal reflection. At least one correction area serves to correct a field dependence of an illumination angle distribution when illuminating the object field. The correction area is disposed in the region of the exit area of the optical rod. This can result in an illumination optical unit, in which an unwanted field dependence of a specified illumination angle distribution is reduced or entirely avoided, even in the case of illumination angle distributions with illumination angles deviating extremely from a normal incidence on the object field.

Abstract: In an optical system for a projection exposure apparatus, the angle space of the illumination radiation of the projection optical unit at the reticle is twice as large in a first direction as the angle space of the illuminating radiation of the illuminating optical unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for characterizing a mask for microlithography. In a method according to the invention, structures of a mask intended for use in a lithography process in a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus are illuminated by an illumination optical unit, wherein the mask is imaged onto a detector unit by an imaging optical unit, wherein image data recorded by the detector unit are evaluated in an evaluation unit. In this case, for emulating an illumination setting predefined for the lithography process in the microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, the imaging of the mask onto the detector unit is carried out in a plurality of individual imagings which differ from one another with regard to the illumination setting set in the illumination optical unit or the polarization-influencing effect set in the imaging optical unit.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a lithography apparatus for writing to substrate wafers. The apparatus includes: a light generating device including one or a plurality of light sources for generating light; a writing device; a light transferring device including a number of optical waveguides for transferring the light from the light generating device to a writing device, the writing device including a plurality of individually controllable write heads for projecting the light from the one or the plurality of light sources in different regions of a substrate wafer; a transport device for moving the substrate wafer relative to the writing device in a predefined transport direction; and a control device for controlling the writing process on the substrate wafer.

Abstract: Illumination optical unit for illuminating an object field in a projection exposure apparatus, comprising a first facet mirror with a structure, which has a spatial frequency of at least 0.2 mm?1 in at least one direction, and a second facet mirror, comprising a multiplicity of facets, wherein the facets are respectively provided with a mechanism for damping spatial frequencies of the structure of the first facet mirror.

Abstract: The disclosure provides an illumination system of a microlithographic projection device having an image plane, in which a mask can be arranged, and a first object plane, which is optically conjugate to the image plane. A first illumination optical unit illuminates the first object plane with first projection light so that the first projection light has a first illumination angle distribution in the image plane. A second illumination optical unit illuminates a second object plane, which is optically conjugate to the image plane, with second projection light so that the second projection light has a second illumination angle distribution differing from the first illumination angle distribution in the image plane. An optical integrator is arranged exclusively in the light path of the first projection light.

Abstract: An illumination system of a microlithographic projection apparatus includes a spatial light modulator having a modulation surface including a plurality of micromirrors. Each micromirror includes a mirror surface having an orientation that can be changed individually for each micromirror. For at least one of the micromirrors, at least one parameter that is related to the mirror surface is measured. The orientation of the mirror surfaces is controlled depending on the at least one measured parameter. A light pattern is produced on the modulation surface, and an image of the light pattern is formed on an optical integrator that has a plurality of light entrance facets. Images of the light entrance facets are superimposed on a mask.