CATADIOPTRIC PROJECTION OBJECTIVE

• US 20080151364A1
• Filed: 03/11/2008
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Carl Zeiss AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Carl Zeiss AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Ulrich, Wilhelm, Dodoc, Aurelian, Mann, Hans-Juergen, Von Buenau, Rudolf, Epple, Alexander, Shafer, David
• Application Number:
  US12/046,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20080151364A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/365
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/08 Catadioptric systems used in non-imaging applications G02B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0804 using two curved mirrors G02B17/0864, G02B17/0896 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0812 off-axis or unobscured systems in which all of the mirrors share a common axis of rotational symmetry
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0844 off-axis or unobscured systems in which all of the mirrors share a common axis of rotational symmetry
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0856 comprising a refractive element with a reflective surface, the reflection taking place inside the element, e.g. Mangin mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0892 specially adapted for the UV
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70225 Optical aspects of catadioptric systems, i.e. comprising reflective and refractive elements

Abstract

A catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective comprises: a first objective part for imaging the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image; a second objective part for imaging the first intermediate imaging into a second intermediate image; a third objective part for imaging the second intermediate imaging directly onto the image plane;

wherein a first concave mirror having a first continuous mirror surface and at least one second concave mirror having a second continuous mirror surface are arranged upstream of the second intermediate image;
pupil surfaces are formed between the object plane and the first intermediate image, between the first and the second intermediate image and between the second intermediate image and the image plane; and
all concave mirrors are arranged optically remote from a pupil surface. The system has potential for very high numerical apertures at moderate lens material mass consumption.

Claims

1. A catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective comprising:

a first objective part for imaging the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image;

a second objective part for imaging the first intermediate image into a second intermediate image;

a third objective part for imaging the second intermediate image onto the image plane;

wherein a first concave mirror having a first continuous mirror surface and at least one second concave mirror having a second continuous mirror surface are arranged upstream of the second intermediate image;

pupil surfaces are formed between the object plane and the first intermediate image, between the first and the second intermediate image and between the second intermediate image and the image plane; and

all concave mirrors are arranged optically remote from a pupil surface.

2-162. -162. (canceled)