Abstract: An illumination system for a microlithography projection illumination facility for illuminating a sample arranged in a region of an object plane of a downstream projection lens with illumination light generated from light from a primary light source is a double-field illumination system for receiving a single light beam coming from the primary light source and generating therefrom two illumination beams. A first illumination beam is guided along a first illumination beam path to a first illumination field outside the optical axis of the projection lens in the exit plane of the illumination system. At the same time, a second illumination beam is guided along a second illumination beam path to a second illumination field opposite the first illumination field relative to the optical axis and outside the optical axis in the exit plane.

Abstract: A catadioptric projection objective for reproducing a pattern arranged in an object plane of the projection objective in an image plane of the projection objective parallel to the object plane comprises a plurality of optical elements comprises lenses and concave mirrors arranged between the object plane and the image plane along an optical axis. The projection objective is a double-field projection objective to reproduce a first effective object field outside the optical axis in the object plane along a first projection beam path in a first effective image field outside the optical axis in the image plane and at the same time to reproduce a second effective object field, opposite the first object field in relation 10 to the first optical axis, outside the optical axis in the object plane along a second projection beam path in a second effective image field outside the optical axis in the image plane.

Abstract: An illumination optical unit for EUV projection lithography includes a field facet mirror with a plurality of field facets for guiding illumination light into an object field where a lithography mask is arrangeable. At least one spectral output coupling mirror section is arranged on the field facet mirror. The mirror section serves to output couple the spectral analysis partial beam from a beam path of the illumination light. A detector serves for the spectral analysis of the spectral analysis partial beam. This can yield an illumination optical unit in which process monitoring during the projection exposure is improved.

Abstract: An optical system includes an illumination optical unit configured to guide illumination radiation along a path to an object plane. The illumination optical unit includes comprising a first facet mirror; a second facet mirror disposed downstream of the first facet mirror along the path; and a condenser mirror. The optical system also includes a projection optical unit configured to image a first article in the object plane onto a second article in an image plane. The image plane is a first distance from the object plane. The condenser mirror a second distance from the object plane.

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: 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: 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 optical system includes an illumination optical unit configured to guide illumination radiation along a path to an object plane. The illumination optical unit includes comprising a first facet mirror; a second facet mirror disposed downstream of the first facet mirror along the path; and a condenser mirror. The optical system also includes a projection optical unit configured to image a first article in the object plane onto a second article in an image plane. The image plane is a first distance from the object plane. The condenser mirror a second distance from the object plane.

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: 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.

Abstract: A microlithographic illumination unit for post-exposure of a photoresist provided on a wafer in a microlithography process, has at least one light source and a light-guiding and light-mixing element for coupling the electromagnetic radiation generated by the light source into the photoresist. This light-guiding and light-mixing element has a first pair of mutually opposite side faces, the maximum spacing of which has a first value. Multiple reflections of the electromagnetic radiation on these side faces take place, wherein the light-guiding and light-mixing element has a second pair of mutually opposite side faces, the maximum spacing of which has a second value. The maximum extent of the light-guiding and light-mixing element in the light propagation direction of the electromagnetic radiation has a third value. This third value is greater than the first value and is smaller than the second value.

Abstract: A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus (10) includes a projection lens (26) that images an object field (22) arranged in a mask plane (24) onto a substrate (28) during exposure operation of the projection exposure apparatus, and an illumination system (16) that has: an exposure illumination beam path (44) for radiating illumination radiation (14) onto the object field on the illumination side with respect to the mask plane, a measurement illumination beam path (48) for irradiating a measurement structure (54) arranged in the mask plane with the illumination radiation, and a scattering structure (50) arranged on the illumination side with respect to the mask plane and outside the exposure illumination beam path. The measurement illumination beam path extends via the scattering structure and runs rectilinearly between the scattering structure and the mask plane.

Abstract: A microlithographic illumination unit for post-exposure of a photoresist provided on a wafer in a microlithography process, has at least one light source and a light-guiding and light-mixing element for coupling the electromagnetic radiation generated by the light source into the photoresist. This light-guiding and light-mixing element has a first pair of mutually opposite side faces, the maximum spacing of which has a first value. Multiple reflections of the electromagnetic radiation on these side faces take place, wherein the light-guiding and light-mixing element has a second pair of mutually opposite side faces, the maximum spacing of which has a second value. The maximum extent of the light-guiding and light-mixing element in the light propagation direction of the electromagnetic radiation has a third value. This third value is greater than the first value and is smaller than the second value.

Abstract: An illumination system for an optical arrangement such as an EUV lithography apparatus, having: at least one optical element which has at least one optical surface, on which a coating which reflects illumination radiation is applied, and an actuator device aligning the optical surface in at least two angular positions in the radiation path. The coating either has a thickness (dOPT1) at which a mean value (½(R1+R2)) formed from a thickness-dependent reflectivity (R1, R2) of the coating at the at least two angular positions is maximized or has a thickness (dOPT2) at which a maximum change (max(?R1/R1, ?R2/R2)) in the reflectivity (R1, R2) caused by a thickness tolerance of the coating is minimized at the respective angular positions or else the reflecting coating has a thickness (dO2) at which the reflectivity (R1, R2) of the coating has the same magnitude in the at least two angular positions.

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 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 |g| 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 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: An illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes a light source to produce projection light beam, and a first and a second diffractive optical element between the light source and a pupil plane of the illumination system. The diffractive effect produced by each diffractive optical element depends on the position of a light field that is irradiated by the projection light on the diffractive optical elements. A displacement mechanism changes the mutual spatial arrangement of the diffractive optical elements. In at least one of the mutual spatial arrangements, which can be obtained with the help of the displacement mechanism, the light field extends both over the first and the second diffractive optical element. This makes it possible to produce in a simple manner continuously variable illumination settings.

Abstract: A radiation collector comprising a first collector segment comprising a plurality of grazing incidence reflector shells configured to direct radiation to converge in a first location at a distance from the radiation collector, a second collector segment comprising a plurality of grazing incidence reflector shells configured to direct radiation to converge in a second location at said distance from the radiation collector, wherein the first location and the second location are separated from one another.