Methods and devices for driving micromirrors
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- providing a micromirror array arranged in a microlithographic illumination system, the micromirror array comprising more than two micromirrors; and
switching the micromirrors from a first illumination setting to a second illumination setting,wherein;
the second illumination setting is different from the first illumination setting;
when the micromirrors are in the first setting, after impinging on the micromirror array, light impinges on an illumination field;
when the micromirrors are in in the second setting, after impinging on the micromirror array, light impinges on the illumination field; and
switching from the first illumination setting to the second illumination setting takes less than 50 milliseconds for each of the micromirrors.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A micromirror of a micromirror array in an illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus can be tilted through a respective tilt angle about two tilt axes. The micromirror is assigned three actuators which can respectively be driven by control signals in order to tilt the micromirror about the two tilt axes. Two control variables are specified, each of which is assigned to one tilt axis and which are both assigned to unperturbed tilt angles. For any desired combinations of the two control variables, as a function of the two control variables, one of the three actuators is selected and its control signal is set to a constant value, in particular zero. The control signals are determined so that, when the control signals are applied to the other two actuators, the micromirror adopts the unperturbed tilt angles as a function of the two control variables.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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providing a micromirror array arranged in a microlithographic illumination system, the micromirror array comprising more than two micromirrors; and switching the micromirrors from a first illumination setting to a second illumination setting, wherein; the second illumination setting is different from the first illumination setting; when the micromirrors are in the first setting, after impinging on the micromirror array, light impinges on an illumination field; when the micromirrors are in in the second setting, after impinging on the micromirror array, light impinges on the illumination field; and switching from the first illumination setting to the second illumination setting takes less than 50 milliseconds for each of the micromirrors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An illumination system, comprising:
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a micromirror array comprising more than two micromirrors; and drive electronics configured to drive each of the micromirrors, wherein; for at least some of the micromirrors, the drive electronics are configured to switch the micromirror from a first illumination setting to a second illumination setting in less than 50 milliseconds; the second illumination setting is different from the first illumination setting; for each of the at least some micromirrors, the illumination system is configured so that during use; when the micromirrors are in the first setting, after impinging on the micromirror array, light impinges on an illumination field; and when the micromirrors are in the second setting, after impinging on the micromirror array, light impinges on the illumination field; and the illumination system is a microlithographic illumination system. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus, comprising:
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a projection objective having an object plane and an image plane; and an illumination system configured to illuminate the object plane of the projection objective, wherein; the illumination system comprises; a micromirror array comprising more than two micromirrors; and drive electronics configured to drive each of the micromirrors; for at least some of the micromirrors, the drive electronics are configured to switch the micromirror from a first illumination setting to a second illumination setting in less than 50 milliseconds; the second illumination setting is different from the first illumination setting; for each of the at least some micromirros, the illumination system is configured so that during use; when the micromirrors are in the first setting, after impinging on the micromirror array, light impinges on an illumination field; and when the micromirrors are in the second setting, after impinging on the micromirror array, light impinges on the illumination field; the illumination system is a microlithographic illumination system; and the apparatus is a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification