Abstract: A method for operating an optical apparatus (100A, 100B, 200), having a structural element (201) which is arranged in a residual gas atmosphere (RGA) of the apparatus and which is formed at least partly from an element material subjected to a chemical reduction process and/or an etching process with a plasma component (PK) present in the residual gas atmosphere includes: feeding (S2) a gas component (GK) that at least partly suppresses the reduction process depending on a detected suppression extent (UM) for a suppression of the etching process and/or reduction process by the suppressing gas component in the residual gas atmosphere; and detecting (S1) the suppression extent with a sensor unit (208) arranged in the residual gas atmosphere. The sensor unit includes a sensor material section (211) composed of a sensor material and exhibiting a sensor section property that is measurable under the influence of the suppressing gas component.

Abstract: An optical assembly includes an optical element (13), configured in particular for the reflection of EUV radiation (4), and a protective element (30) for protecting a surface (31) of the optical element (13, 14) from contaminating substances (P). The protective element (30) has a membrane (33a-c) and a frame (34) on which the membrane (33a-c) is mounted. The membrane is formed by a plurality of membrane segments (33a, 33b, 33c) which respectively protect a partial region (T) of the surface (31) of the optical element (13) from the contaminating substances (P). The optical assembly can form part of an overall optical arrangement, for example an EUV lithography system.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus (400) for semiconductor lithography contains at least one partial volume (4) that is closed off from the surroundings. The partial volume (4) contains a gas, from which a plasma can be produced. Conditioning elements (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) for conditioning the plasma, in particular for neutralizing the plasma, are present in the partial volume. An associated method for operating a projection exposure apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for operating an optical apparatus (100A, 100B, 200), having a structural element (201) which is arranged in a residual gas atmosphere (RGA) of the apparatus and which is formed at least partly from an element material subjected to a chemical reduction process and/or an etching process with a plasma component (PK) present in the residual gas atmosphere includes: feeding (S2) a gas component (GK) that at least partly suppresses the reduction process depending on a detected suppression extent (UM) for a suppression of the etching process and/or reduction process by the suppressing gas component in the residual gas atmosphere; and detecting (S1) the suppression extent with a sensor unit (208) arranged in the residual gas atmosphere. The sensor unit includes a sensor material section (211) composed of a sensor material and exhibiting a sensor section property that is measurable under the influence of the suppressing gas component.

Abstract: In order to prevent delamination of a reflective coating from the substrate under the influence of reactive hydrogen, a reflective optical element (50) for EUV lithography is provided, which has a substrate (51) and a reflective coating (54) for reflecting radiation in the wavelength range of 5 nm to 20 nm. A functional layer (60) is arranged between the reflective coating (54) and the substrate (51). With the functional layer, the concentration of hydrogen in atom % at the side of the substrate facing the reflective coating is reduced by at least a factor of 2.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus (400) for semiconductor lithography contains at least one partial volume (4) that is closed off from the surroundings. The partial volume (4) contains a gas, from which a plasma can be produced. Conditioning elements (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) for conditioning the plasma, in particular for neutralizing the plasma, are present in the partial volume. An associated method for operating a projection exposure apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: In order to prevent delamination of a reflective coating from the substrate under the influence of reactive hydrogen, a reflective optical element (50) for EUV lithography is provided, which has a substrate (51) and a reflective coating (54) for reflecting radiation in the wavelength range of 5 nm to 20 nm. A functional layer (60) is arranged between the reflective coating (54) and the substrate (51). With the functional layer, the concentration of hydrogen in atom % at the side of the substrate facing the reflective coating is reduced by at least a factor of 2.

Abstract: An EUV lithography system (1) includes: at least one optical element (13, 14) having an optical surface (13a, 14a) arranged in a vacuum environment (17) of the EUV lithography system (1), and a feed device (27) for feeding hydrogen into the vacuum environment (17), in which at least one silicon-containing surface (29a) is arranged. The feed device (27) additionally feeds an oxygen-containing gas into the vacuum environment (17) and has a metering device (28) that sets an oxygen partial pressure (pO2) at the at least one silicon-containing surface (29a) and/or at the optical surface (13a, 14a).

Abstract: An optical assembly includes an optical element (13), configured in particular for the reflection of EUV radiation (4), and a protective element (30) for protecting a surface (31) of the optical element (13, 14) from contaminating substances (P). The protective element (30) has a membrane (33a-c) and a frame (34) on which the membrane (33a-c) is mounted. The membrane is formed by a plurality of membrane segments (33a, 33b, 33c) which respectively protect a partial region (T) of the surface (31) of the optical element (13) from the contaminating substances (P). The optical assembly can form part of an overall optical arrangement, for example an EUV lithography system.

Abstract: An EUV lithography system (1) includes: at least one optical element (13, 14) having an optical surface (13a, 14a) arranged in a vacuum environment (17) of the EUV lithography system (1), and a feed device (27) for feeding hydrogen into the vacuum environment (17), in which at least one silicon-containing surface (29a) is arranged. The feed device (27) additionally feeds an oxygen-containing gas into the vacuum environment (17) and has a metering device (28) that sets an oxygen partial pressure (pO2) at the at least one silicon-containing surface (29a) and/or at the optical surface (13a, 14a).

Abstract: An optical assembly including: a beam generating system generating radiation (6) at an operating wavelength, an optical element (13, 14) arranged in a residual gas atmosphere (16) and subjected to the radiation, which induces a degradation of a surface of the optical element, and a feed device feeding at least one gaseous constituent into the residual gas atmosphere, to suppress the degradation of the surface. Either a beam diameter (d) of the radiation at the surface of the optical element, lies above a threshold value (dc), thereby suppressing the degradation by the gaseous constituent, or, if the beam diameter (d) at the surface (14a) of the optical element (14) lies below the threshold value (dc) so that the effectiveness of the suppression of the degradation is reduced, at least one further device (25, 27) enhancing suppression of the degradation of the surface (14a) is assigned to the optical element (14).

Abstract: An optical hollow waveguide assembly (1) includes an optical hollow waveguide (2) for guiding illumination light (3). The hollow waveguide (2) has a tubular main body (6) with a continuous waveguide cavity (7). The waveguide cavity has an illumination light inlet (8) and an illumination light outlet (9). A cavity inner wall (10) of the waveguide cavity (7) is configured to be highly reflective for the illumination light (3) under grazing incidence. A gas source (12) has a fluid connection (13) to the waveguide cavity (7). The resulting hollow waveguide assembly exhibits a reduced risk of contamination of the hollow waveguide.

Abstract: An arrangement for use in a projection exposure tool (100) for microlithography comprises a reflective optical element (10; 110) and a radiation detector (30; 32; 130). The reflective optical element (10; 110) comprises a carrier element (12) guaranteeing the mechanical strength of the optical element (10; 110) and a reflective coating (18) disposed on the carrier element (12) for reflecting a use radiation (20a). The carrier element (12) is made of a material which upon interaction with the use radiation (20a) emits a secondary radiation (24) the wavelength of which differs from the wavelength of the use radiation (20a), and the radiation detector (30; 32; 130) is configured to detect the secondary radiation (24).

Abstract: An optical hollow waveguide assembly (1) includes an optical hollow waveguide (2) for guiding illumination light (3). The hollow waveguide (2) has a tubular main body (6) with a continuous waveguide cavity (7). The waveguide cavity has an illumination light inlet (8) and an illumination light outlet (9). A cavity inner wall (10) of the waveguide cavity (7) is configured to be highly reflective for the illumination light (3) under grazing incidence. A gas source (12) has a fluid connection (13) to the waveguide cavity (7). The resulting hollow waveguide assembly exhibits a reduced risk of contamination of the hollow waveguide.

Abstract: In order to clean optical components (35) inside an EUV lithography device in a gentle manner, a cleaning module for an EUV lithography device includes a supply line for molecular hydrogen and a heating filament for producing atomic hydrogen and hydrogen ions for cleaning purposes. The cleaning module also has an element, (33) arranged to apply an electric and/or magnetic field, downstream of the heating filament (29) in the direction of flow of the hydrogen (31, 32). The element can be designed as a deflection unit, as a filter unit and/or as an acceleration unit for the ion beam (32).

Abstract: An optical arrangement, in particular in a projection exposure apparatus for EUV lithography. In an aspect an optical arrangement has a housing (100, 200, 550, 780) in which at least one optical element is arranged, and at least one subhousing (140, 240, 560, 790, 811, 823, 824, 831, 841) which is arranged within the housing and which surrounds at least one beam incident on the optical element in operation of the optical system, wherein the internal space of the subhousing is in communication with the external space of the subhousing by way of at least one opening, wherein provided in the region of the opening is at least one flow guide portion which deflects a flushing gas flow passing through the opening from the internal space to the external space of the subhousing, at least once in its direction.

Abstract: An EUV (extreme ultraviolet) lithography apparatus (1) including: a housing (1a) enclosing an interior (15), at least one reflective optical element (5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 14.1 to 14.6) arranged in the interior (15), a vacuum generating unit (1b) generating a residual gas atmosphere in the interior (15), and a residual gas analyzer (18a, 18b) detecting at least one contaminating substance (17a) in the residual gas atmosphere. The residual gas analyzer (18a) has a storage device (21) having an ion trap for storing the contaminating substance (17a). Additionally, a method for detecting at least one contaminating substance by residual gas analysis of a residual gas atmosphere of an EUV lithography apparatus (1) having a housing (1a) having an interior (15), in which at least one reflective optical element (5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 14.1 to 14.6), is arranged, wherein the contaminating substance (17a) is stored in a storage device (21) in order to carry out the residual gas analysis.

Abstract: An EUV lithography device including an illumination device for illuminating a mask at an illumination position in the EUV lithography device and a projection device for imaging a structure provided on the mask onto a light-sensitive substrate. The EUV lithography device has a processing device (15) for processing an optical element (6a), in particular the mask, preferably in a locally resolved manner, at a processing position in the EUV lithography device. For activating at least one gas component of the gas stream (27), the processing device (15) includes a particle generator (30) for generating a particle beam, in particular an electron beam (30a), and/or a high-frequency generator.

Abstract: An optical assembly including: a beam generating system generating radiation (6) at an operating wavelength, an optical element (13, 14) arranged in a residual gas atmosphere (16) and subjected to the radiation, which induces a degradation of a surface of the optical element, and a feed device feeding at least one gaseous constituent into the residual gas atmosphere, to suppress the degradation of the surface. Either a beam diameter (d) of the radiation at the surface of the optical element, lies above a threshold value (dc), thereby suppressing the degradation by the gaseous constituent, or, if the beam diameter (d) at the surface (14a) of the optical element (14) lies below the threshold value (dc) so that the effectiveness of the suppression of the degradation is reduced, at least one further device (25, 27) enhancing suppression of the degradation of the surface (14a) is assigned to the optical element (14).

Abstract: An arrangement for use in a projection exposure tool (100) for microlithography comprises a reflective optical element (10; 110) and a radiation detector (30; 32; 130). The reflective optical element (10; 110) comprises a carrier element (12) guaranteeing the mechanical strength of the optical element (10; 110) and a reflective coating (18) disposed on the carrier element (12) for reflecting a use radiation (20a). The carrier element (12) is made of a material which upon interaction with the use radiation (20a) emits a secondary radiation (24) the wavelength of which differs from the wavelength of the use radiation (20a), and the radiation detector (30; 32; 130) is configured to detect the secondary radiation (24).