ILLUMINATION SYSTEM FOR ILLUMINATING A MASK IN A MICROLITHOGRAPHIC EXPOSURE APPARATUS
First Claim
1. An illumination system having an optical axis and a pupil surface, the illumination system comprising:
- an array comprising deflection elements, each deflection element being reflective or transparent, each deflection element configured to deflect an impinging light ray by a deflection angle that can be varied, and the deflection elements being at least substantially arranged in a first plane;
an optical raster element comprising a plurality of microlenses and/or diffractive structures, the optical raster element being arranged in an second plane, the array and the optical raster element being configured to commonly produce a two-dimensional far field intensity distribution; and
an optical imaging system that optically conjugates the first plane to the second plane,wherein the illumination system is configured to illuminate a mask in a microlithography exposure apparatus.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An illumination system for illuminating a mask in a microlithographic exposure apparatus has an optical axis and a pupil surface. The system can include an array of reflective or transparent beam deflection elements such as mirrors. Each deflection element can be adapted to deflect an impinging light ray by a deflection angle that is variable in response to a control signal. The beam deflection elements can be arranged in a first plane. The system can further include an optical raster element, which includes a plurality of microlenses and/or diffractive structures. The beam deflection elements), which can be arranged in a first plane, and the optical raster element, which can be arranged in a second plane, can commonly produce a two-dimensional far field intensity distribution. An optical imaging system can optically conjugate the first plane to the second plane.
41 Citations
38 Claims
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1. An illumination system having an optical axis and a pupil surface, the illumination system comprising:
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an array comprising deflection elements, each deflection element being reflective or transparent, each deflection element configured to deflect an impinging light ray by a deflection angle that can be varied, and the deflection elements being at least substantially arranged in a first plane; an optical raster element comprising a plurality of microlenses and/or diffractive structures, the optical raster element being arranged in an second plane, the array and the optical raster element being configured to commonly produce a two-dimensional far field intensity distribution; and an optical imaging system that optically conjugates the first plane to the second plane, wherein the illumination system is configured to illuminate a mask in a microlithography exposure apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 38)
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29. An illumination system, comprising:
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an array comprising deflection elements, each de-flection element being reflective or transparent, each beam deflection element being configured to deflect an impinging light ray by a deflection angle that can be varied, a first beam deflection element supporting a first diffractive structure, a second beam deflection element supporting a second diffractive structure, wherein the first diffractive structure and the second diffractive structure are configured to produce different far field intensity distributions, and the illumination system is configured to illuminate a mask in a microlithography exposure apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An illumination system, comprising:
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an array comprising deflection elements, each de-flection element being reflective or transparent, each beam deflection element is configured to deflect an impinging light ray by a deflection angle that can be varied, and at least one deflection element is curved in a rotationally asymmetric manner and/or supports a diffractive structure to produce a rotationally asymmetric far field intensity distribution, wherein the at least one beam deflection element is mounted such that it has three rotational degrees of freedom, and the illumination system is configured to illuminate a mask in a microlithography exposure apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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Specification