Patents by Inventor Olaf Conradi
Olaf Conradi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8773638Abstract: A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a primary illumination system producing projection light, a projection objective and a correction optical system. The correction optical system includes a secondary illumination system, which produces an intensity distribution of correction light in a reference surface, and a correction element which includes a heating material and is arranged in a plane that is at least substantially optically conjugate to the reference surface such that the correction light and the projection light pass through at least one lens contained in the projection objective before they impinge on the correction element. All lenses through which both the correction light and the projection light pass are made of a lens material which has a lower coefficient of absorption for the correction light than the heating material contained in the correction element.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2010Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Aurelian Dodoc, Sascha Bleidistel, Olaf Conradi, Arif Kazi
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Publication number: 20130301024Abstract: A method of operating a projection exposure tool for microlithography is provided. The projection exposure tool has a projection objective for imaging object structures on a mask into an image plane using electromagnetic radiation, during which imaging the electromagnetic radiation causes a change in optical properties of the projection objective.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2013Publication date: November 14, 2013Inventors: Olaf Conradi, Michael Totzeck, Ulrich Loering, Dirk Juergens, Ralf Mueller, Christian Wald
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Publication number: 20130250261Abstract: A method for improving imaging properties of an optical system and an optical system of this type having improved imaging properties are described. The optical system can have a plurality of optical elements. In some embodiments, an optical element is positioned and/or deformed by mechanical force action and by thermal action. In certain embodiments, one optical element is positioned and/or deformed by mechanical force action and another optical element is deformed by thermal action.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2013Publication date: September 26, 2013Applicant: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventor: Olaf Conradi
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Publication number: 20130182234Abstract: A projection exposure system includes an illumination system configured to illuminate a mask with radiation. The projection exposure system also includes a projection objective configured to project an image of a pattern of the mask onto a radiation-sensitive substrate. The projection exposure system further includes an angle-selective filter arrangement arranged at or close to a field surface of the projection objective in a projection beam path optically downstream of the object surface. The angle-selective filter arrangement is effective to filter radiation incident on the filter arrangement according to an angle-selective filter function.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2013Publication date: July 18, 2013Applicant: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Paul Graupner, Olaf Conradi, Christoph Zaczek, Wilhelm Ulrich, Helmut Beierl, Toralf Gruner, Volker Graeschus
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Patent number: 8462315Abstract: A method for improving imaging properties of an optical system and an optical system of this type having improved imaging properties are described. The optical system can have a plurality of optical elements. In some embodiments, an optical element is positioned and/or deformed by mechanical force action and by thermal action. In certain embodiments, one optical element is positioned and/or deformed by mechanical force action and another optical element is deformed by thermal action.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2009Date of Patent: June 11, 2013Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventor: Olaf Conradi
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Patent number: 8325323Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for compensating image errors, generated by intensity distributions in optical systems, such as in projection lens arrays of microlithography systems, and to respective optical systems, such as projection lens arrays of microlithography systems.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2009Date of Patent: December 4, 2012Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Olaf Conradi, Toralf Gruner
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Publication number: 20120069310Abstract: The disclosure relates to an optical correction arrangement including at least one optical element and at least one irradiation mechanism for the targeted local irradiation of the optical element with electromagnetic heating radiation for the targeted local heating of the optical element. The optical correction arrangement also includes a mechanism for dissipating the thermal energy introduced into the optical element by the at least one irradiation mechanism. The disclosure furthermore relates to a projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography including an optical correction arrangement according to the disclosure.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2011Publication date: March 22, 2012Applicant: CARL ZEISS SMT GMBHInventors: Sascha Bleidistel, Olaf Conradi, Arif Kazi
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Patent number: 7990622Abstract: A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises a manipulator for reducing rotationally asymmetric image errors. The manipulator in turn contains a lens, an optical element and an interspace formed between the lens and the optical element, which can be filled with a liquid. At least one actuator acting exclusively on the lens is furthermore provided, which can generate a rotationally asymmetric deformation of the lens.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2010Date of Patent: August 2, 2011Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbHInventors: Olaf Conradi, Boris Bittner, Sascha Bleidistel, Markus Hauf, Wolfgang Hummel, Arif Kazi, Baerbel Schwaer, Jochen Weber, Hubert Holderer, Payam Tayebati
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Publication number: 20110019169Abstract: A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises a manipulator for reducing rotationally asymmetric image errors. The manipulator in turn contains a lens, an optical element and an interspace formed between the lens and the optical element, which can be filled with a liquid. At least one actuator acting exclusively on the lens is furthermore provided, which can generate a rotationally asymmetric deformation of the lens.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2010Publication date: January 27, 2011Applicant: CARL ZEISS SMT AGInventors: Olaf Conradi, Boris Bittner, Sascha Bleidistel, Markus Hauf, Wolfgang Hummel, Arif Kazi, Baerbel Schwaer, Jochen Weber, Hubert Holderer, Payam Tayebati
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Publication number: 20100290024Abstract: The invention relates to a method-for improving the imaging properties of a micro lithography projection objective, wherein the projection objective has a plurality of lenses between an object plane and an image plane, a first lens of the plurality of lenses being assigned a first manipulator (ml, Mn) for actively deforming the lens, the first lens being deformed for at least partially correcting an aberration, at least one second lens of the plurality of lenses furthermore being assigned at least one second manipulator, and the second lens being deformed in addition to the first lens. Furthermore, a method is described for selecting at least one lens of a plurality of lenses of a projection objective as actively deformable element, and a projection objective.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 14, 2010Publication date: November 18, 2010Applicant: CARL ZEISS SMT AGInventors: Olaf Conradi, Heiko Feldmann, Gerald Richter, Sascha Bleidistel, Andreas Frommeyer, Toralf Gruner, Wolfgang Hummel
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Patent number: 7830611Abstract: A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises a manipulator for reducing rotationally asymmetric image errors. The manipulator in turn contains a lens, an optical element and an interspace formed between the lens and the optical element, which can be filled with a liquid. At least one actuator acting exclusively on the lens is furthermore provided, which can generate a rotationally asymmetric deformation of the lens.Type: GrantFiled: January 9, 2008Date of Patent: November 9, 2010Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT AGInventors: Olaf Conradi, Sascha Bleidistel, Markus Hauf, Wolfgang Hummel, Arif Kazi, Baerbel Schwaer, Jochen Weber, Hubert Holderer, Payam Tayebati, Boris Bittner
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Patent number: 7808615Abstract: The invention concerns a method for operating a projection exposure apparatus to project the image of a structure of an object (5) arranged in an object plane (6) onto a substrate (10) arranged in an image plane (8). The object (5) is illuminated with light of an operating wavelength of the projection exposure apparatus according to one of several adjustable exposure modes. The light produces changes in at least one optical element (9) of the projection exposure apparatus, by which the optical properties of the projection exposure apparatus are influenced. The operation of the projection exposure apparatus makes allowance for the influencing of the optical properties of the projection exposure apparatus or a quantity dependent on the former, being calculated approximately on the basis of the exposure mode used and the structure of the object (5).Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2006Date of Patent: October 5, 2010Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT AGInventors: Toralf Gruner, Olaf Conradi, Nils Dieckmann, Markus Schwab, Olaf Dittmann, Michael Totzeck, Daniel Kraehmer, Vladimir Kamenov
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Publication number: 20100231883Abstract: A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a primary illumination system producing projection light, a projection objective and a correction optical system. The correction optical system includes a secondary illumination system, which produces an intensity distribution of correction light in a reference surface, and a correction element which includes a heating material and is arranged in a plane that is at least substantially optically conjugate to the reference surface such that the correction light and the projection light pass through at least one lens contained in the projection objective before they impinge on the correction element. All lenses through which both the correction light and the projection light pass are made of a lens material which has a lower coefficient of absorption for the correction light than the heating material contained in the correction element.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2010Publication date: September 16, 2010Applicant: CARL ZEISS SMT AGInventors: Aurelian Dodoc, Sascha Bleidistel, Olaf Conradi, Arif Kazi
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Patent number: 7777963Abstract: The invention relates to a method -for improving the imaging properties of a micro lithography projection objective (50), wherein the projection objective has a plurality of lenses (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, L7, L8) between an object plane and an image plane, a first lens of the plurality of lenses being assigned a first manipulator (ml, Mn) for actively deforming the lens, the first lens being deformed for at least partially correcting an aberration, at least one second lens of the plurality of lenses furthermore being assigned at least one second manipulator, and the second lens being deformed in addition to the first lens. Furthermore, a method is described for selecting at least one lens of a plurality of lenses of a projection objective as actively deformable element, and a projection objective.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2006Date of Patent: August 17, 2010Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT AGInventors: Olaf Conradi, Heiko Feldmann, Gerald Richter, Sascha Bleidistel, Andreas Frommeyer, Toralf Gruner, Wolfgang Hummel
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Publication number: 20090231565Abstract: A method for improving imaging properties of an optical system and an optical system of this type having improved imaging properties are described. The optical system can have a plurality of optical elements. In some embodiments, an optical element is positioned and/or deformed by mechanical force action and by thermal action. In certain embodiments, one optical element is positioned and/or deformed by mechanical force action and another optical element is deformed by thermal action.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2009Publication date: September 17, 2009Applicant: Carl Zeiss SMT AGInventor: Olaf Conradi
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Publication number: 20090153831Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for compensating image errors, generated by intensity distributions in optical systems, such as in projection lens arrays of microlithography systems, and to respective optical systems, such as projection lens arrays of microlithography systems.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2009Publication date: June 18, 2009Applicant: CARL ZEISS SMT AGInventors: Olaf Conradi, Toralf Gruner
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Publication number: 20090115986Abstract: Microlithography projection objectives for imaging into an image plane a pattern arranged in an object plane are described with respect to suppressing false light in such projection objectives.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2006Publication date: May 7, 2009Applicant: Carl Zeiss SMT AGInventors: Heiko Feldmann, Daniel Kraehmer, Jean-Claude Perrin, Julian Kaller, Aurelian Dodoc, Vladimir Kamenov, Olaf Conradi, Toralf Gruner, Thomas Okon, Alexander Epple
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Publication number: 20080310029Abstract: The invention relates to a method -for improving the imaging properties of a micro lithography projection objective (50), wherein the projection objective has a plurality of lenses (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, L7, L8) between an object plane and an image plane, a first lens of the plurality of lenses being assigned a first manipulator (ml, Mn) for actively deforming the lens, the first lens being deformed for at least partially correcting an aberration, at least one second lens of the plurality of lenses furthermore being assigned at least one second manipulator, and the second lens being deformed in addition to the first lens. Furthermore, a method is described for selecting at least one lens of a plurality of lenses of a projection objective as actively deformable element, and a projection objective.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2006Publication date: December 18, 2008Applicant: CARL ZEISS SMT AGInventors: Olaf Conradi, Heiko Feldmann, Gerald Richter, Sascha Bleidistel, Andreas Frommeyer, Toralf Gruner, Wolfgang Hummel
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Publication number: 20080239503Abstract: A projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprises a manipulator for reducing rotationally asymmetric image errors. The manipulator in turn contains a lens, an optical element and an interspace formed between the lens and the optical element, which can be filled with a liquid. At least one actuator acting exclusively on the lens is furthermore provided, which can generate a rotationally asymmetric deformation of the lens.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 9, 2008Publication date: October 2, 2008Applicant: CARL ZEISS SMT AGInventors: Olaf Conradi, Sascha Bleidistel, Markus Hauf, Wolfgang Hummel, Arif Kazi, Baerbel Schwaer, Jochen Weber, Hubert Holderer, Payam Tayebati, Boris Bittner
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Publication number: 20080002167Abstract: The invention concerns a method for operating a projection exposure apparatus to project the image of a structure of an object (5) arranged in an object plane (6) onto a substrate (10) arranged in an image plane (8). The object (5) is illuminated with light of an operating wavelength of the projection exposure apparatus according to one of several adjustable exposure modes. The light produces changes in at least one optical element (9) of the projection exposure apparatus, by which the optical properties of the projection exposure apparatus are influenced. The operation of the projection exposure apparatus makes allowance for the influencing of the optical properties of the projection exposure apparatus or a quantity dependent on the former, being calculated approximately on the basis of the exposure mode used and the structure of the object (5).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2006Publication date: January 3, 2008Applicant: Carl Zeiss SMT AGInventors: Toralf Gruner, Olaf Conradi, Nils Dieckmann, Markus Schwab, Olaf Hmann, Michael Totzeck, Daniel Kraehmer, Vladimir Kamenov