Abstract: An illumination optical unit for EUV projection lithography guides illumination light toward an object field. A field facet mirror of the illumination optical unit has a multiplicity of individual mirrors which are switchable between at least two tilting positions. A pupil facet mirror of the illumination optical unit has a plurality of stationary pupil facets and is disposed downstream of the field facet mirror in the beam path of the illumination light. The pupil facets serve for the at least sectionally superimposing imaging of a group of the individual mirrors of the field facet mirror into the object field via a group-mirror illumination channel.

Abstract: An illumination optical assembly for projection lithography serves for illuminating an illumination field, in which an object field of a downstream imaging optical assembly is arrangeable, with illumination light of an EUV light source. The illumination optical assembly has a pupil illumination unit, on which the illumination light impinges and which includes facets for illuminating a pupil in the illumination beam path with the illumination light with a predefined pupil intensity distribution. The pupil illumination unit is embodied such that a plurality of illumination channels of the pupil illumination unit illuminate only a part of the entire object field. This results in an illumination optical assembly in which an excessively high illumination intensity on the facets of the pupil illumination unit can be reduced.

Abstract: An illumination optical unit for projection lithography serves for illuminating an object field. A first transmission optical unit serves to guide illumination light emanating from a light source. An illumination-predetermining facet mirror is disposed downstream of the first transmission optical unit and comprises a multiplicity of illumination-predetermining facets. The facet mirror generates a predetermined illumination of the object field via an arrangement of illuminated illumination-predetermining facets. This results in an illumination of an illumination pupil of the illumination optical unit, which predetermines an illumination angle distribution in the object field. The illumination pupil has an envelope deviating from a circular form. The illumination pupil is subdivided into sub-pupil regions, which are present arranged in a line-by-line and/or column-by-column manner.

Abstract: A micromirror array has the form of a sheared rectangle. In an arrangement in an illumination optical unit, one side is aligned perpendicular to a scanning direction.

Abstract: An illumination optical unit comprises a first faceted element and a second faceted element having a multiplicity of displaceable micromirrors which can be grouped flexibly to form facets.

Abstract: A mirror array includes a multiplicity of displaceable individual mirrors which are subdivided into at least two groups. The individual mirrors of the first group are displaceable in a very precise manner, and the individual mirrors of the second group are displaceable in a very quick manner.

Abstract: An EUV collector transfers EUV radiation from an EUV radiation source into an illumination far field. The collector has a normal mirror collector subunit including a mirror for normal incidence, and a grazing mirror collector subunit including a mirror for grazing incidence. The arrangement of the collector subunits is such that an intensity distribution of the EUV radiation over the far field results which is composed of an inner normal mirror intensity distribution, generated by reflection at least also at the normal mirror collector subunit, and of an outer grazing mirror intensity distribution, generated by reflection at least also at the grazing mirror collector subunit. The intensity distribution, at least over a section of the far field which is greater than 40% of the total far field, deviates by less than 20% from an average intensity in the section of the far field.

Abstract: An illumination optical unit for EUV projection lithography serves to illuminate an object field with illumination light. A transmission optical unit images field facets in a manner superposed on one another into the object field via illumination channels, which each have assigned to them one of the field facets and one pupil facet of a pupil facet mirror. The superposition optical unit has at least two mirrors for grazing incidence, downstream of the pupil facet mirror. The mirrors for grazing incidence produce an illumination angle bandwidth of an illumination light overall beam, composed of the illumination channels, in the object field. The bandwith is smaller for a plane of incidence parallel to the object displacement direction than for a plane perpendicular thereto. The result can be an illumination optical unit, by which a projection optical unit can be adapted to a configuration of an EUV light source for the illumination light.

Abstract: Mirror having a fragmented total surface area, wherein the fragmentation forms an aperiodic arrangement.

Abstract: An illumination optical assembly for projection lithography serves for illuminating an illumination field, in which an object field of a downstream imaging optical assembly is arrangeable, with illumination light of an EUV light source. The illumination optical assembly has a pupil illumination unit, on which the illumination light impinges and which includes facets for illuminating a pupil in the illumination beam path with the illumination light with a predefined pupil intensity distribution. The pupil illumination unit is embodied such that a plurality of illumination channels of the pupil illumination unit illuminate only a part of the entire object field. This results in an illumination optical assembly in which an excessively high illumination intensity on the facets of the pupil illumination unit can be reduced.

Abstract: An illumination optical unit for EUV projection lithography illuminates an object field, in which an object to be imaged is arrangeable. A first facet mirror of the illumination optical generates secondary light sources as images of an upstream light source. The first facet mirror includes mirrors which include a mirror surface smaller than 2 mm×2 mm. The first facet mirror is a distance from the light source. The illumination optical unit includes a second facet mirror. The two facet mirrors are a distance b? from each other. The individual mirrors of the first facet mirror have a focal length f in a plane of incidence of the illumination light on the individual mirrors such that [0.1 b?g/(g-b?)]<f<[10 b?g/(g-b?)].

Abstract: An illumination optical assembly for a projection exposure apparatus includes a first facet element having a multiplicity of first facets, which are formed in each case by a multiplicity of displaceable individual mirrors, and a second facet element having a multiplicity of second facets. The displacement positions of the individual mirrors of the first facets are chosen in each case in so that, in the case of a predefined intensity distribution of an illumination radiation in an intermediate focus, the illumination radiation in the region of the facets of the second facet element has an intensity distribution with a maximum which is at most equal to a predefined maximum intensity or which is greater than a mean value of the intensity distribution by at most a predefined factor or absolute value.

Abstract: An illumination optical assembly for projection lithography serves for illuminating an object field, in which an object to be imaged is arrangeable. The object field has a scan length along an object displacement direction. The illumination optical assembly has two facet mirrors for the reflective guidance of illumination light towards the object field. Second facets of the second facet mirror serve for guiding a respective illumination light partial beam into the object field. The second facet mirror is a pupil distance from a pupil plane of the illumination optical assembly that is closest adjacent to the second facet mirror. The second facets are arranged in a grid, wherein at least one grid constant of the grid is predefined by the pupil distance and by the scan length. This results in an illumination optical assembly which achieves an illumination of predefined pupil sections that is relatively homogeneous.

Abstract: An illumination optical unit for projection lithography illuminates an illumination field, in which an object field of a downstream imaging optical unit and an object to be illuminated are arrangeable, with illumination light of an EUV light source. The illumination optical unit includes two facet mirrors for reflecting, overlaid guidance of partial beams of a beam of the EUV illumination light via exactly one facet of one of the two facet mirrors in each case. The facet mirror is a distance from a pupil plane of the illumination optical unit. Individual mirrors of the other facet mirror, which is arranged in, or in the vicinity of, a field plane that is conjugate to the object field, may be grouped into individual mirror groups which are tiltable together.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to an illumination system for EUV lithography, as well as related elements, systems and methods. In some embodiments, an illumination system includes a first optical element and a second optical element. The first optical element can include a plurality of first facet elements configured so that, when impinged by respective partial beams of radiation, the plurality of first facet elements produce secondary light sources. The second optical element can include a second optical element including a plurality of second facet elements. Each of the plurality of second facet elements can be assigned to at least one of the plurality of first facet elements. The plurality of second facet elements can be configured to be impinged by the radiation via the first optical element.

Abstract: An illumination optical unit for an EUV projection exposure apparatus has a diaphragm comprising a radiation-transmissive region having a discrete symmetry group. The form of the diaphragm is adapted to the form of the facets of a pupil facet mirror or to the form of the radiation source. The diaphragm is preferably arranged in the region of an intermediate focal plane.

Abstract: In general, in one aspect, the invention features a system that includes an illumination system of a microlithography tool, the illumination system including a first component having a plurality of elements. During operation of the system, the elements direct radiation from a source along an optical path to an arc-shaped object field at an object plane of a projection objective, and at least one of the elements has a curved shape that is different from the arc-shape of the object field.

Abstract: An illumination optical unit for an EUV projection exposure apparatus has a diaphragm comprising a radiation-transmissive region having a discrete symmetry group. The form of the diaphragm is adapted to the form of the facets of a pupil facet mirror or to the form of the radiation source. The diaphragm is preferably arranged in the region of an intermediate focal plane.

Abstract: A mirror array includes a multiplicity of displaceable individual mirrors which are subdivided into at least two groups. The individual mirrors of the first group are displaceable in a very precise manner, and the individual mirrors of the second group are displaceable in a very quick manner.

Abstract: A method for illuminating an object field of a projection exposure apparatus includes providing a subset of first facets to be positioned in park positions, which are each spaced apart from an associated target position, but at most by a maximum distance.