Illuminating system having a diffuser element

• US 20050002102A1
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Carl Zeiss AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Carl Zeiss AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Trautwein, Franz, Wegmann, Ulrich
• Application Number:
  US10/835,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20050002102A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/599
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/48 Laser speckle optics
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/02 Diffusing elements; Afocal elements
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70075 Homogenization of illumination intensity in the mask plane by using an integrator, e.g. fly's eye lens, facet mirror or glass rod, by using a diffusing optical element or by beam deflection

Abstract

An illuminating system having a diffuser element (2) that is introduced into an illuminating beam path (1) and is arranged movably, in particular for oscillatory movement. Such system has applicability, for example, in microlithography projection exposure machines and associated wavefront measurement interferometers.

Claims

1. An illuminating system comprising:

a diffuser element that is introduced into an illuminating beam path and is arranged movably, wherein the diffuser element is arranged for oscillatory movement.

2. The illuminating system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the diffuser element comprises a diffuser plate that is held for oscillatory movement by at least one of a mechanical support, an electrical-magnetic contactless support, and a suspension.

3. The illuminating system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a gas pressure production device exciting oscillations of the diffuser element.

4. The illuminating system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the gas pressure production device produces at least one of a gas pressure wave and a gas flow that produces the oscillatory movement of the diffuser element.

5. The illuminating system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a holding element coupled to the diffuser element, wherein the gas pressure production device produces at least one of a gas pressure and a gas flow causing the holding element to oscillate, and wherein the oscillations of the holding element transmit to the diffuser element for the oscillatory movement.

6. The illuminating system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the holding element comprises at least one of a supporting foot and a holding arm for the diffuser element.

7. The illuminating system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the diffuser element comprises a gas pressure resistance element arranged to receive the produced gas pressure wave or gas flow.

8. The illuminating system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the gas pressure production device comprises an ellipsoidal gas pressure reflector and a gas pressure production unit arranged at one focal point of the gas pressure reflector, wherein a second focal point of the gas pressure reflector is situated in an oscillatory action range of the diffuser element.

9. The illuminating system as claimed claim 1, further comprising an impulse transmitting device exciting the oscillatory movement of the diffuser element by mechanical impulse impact.

10. The illuminating system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one of an electrostatic device, a magnetic device and an electrodynamic device exciting oscillations of the diffuser element.

11. An illuminating system comprising:

a diffuser element positioned in a path of an illuminating beam, and

means for exciting oscillatory movement of the diffuser element in the illuminating beam path.