Diffraction-optical component, illumination system and exposure system comprising such a diffraction-optical component as well as an exposure method employing such an exposure system
First Claim
1. A diffraction-optical component for providing a radiation-diffracting grating structure, comprising:
- a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region;
a surface wave source excitable with an adjustable frequency for producing surface waves on the surface of the substrate;
wherein the surface wave source has a directional characteristic and emits surface waves stronger in a preferred direction than in a direction opposite thereto, the surface waves emitted in the preferred direction forming a grating structure in the interaction region.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A diffraction-optical component for providing a radiation-diffracting grating structure is proposed, comprising a surface wave device including a substrate 43, a surface wave source 47 excitable with an adjustable frequency for producing surface waves on a surface 45 of the substrate 43 and an interaction region 17 of the substrate surface 45 which is provided for the radiation to interact with a grating structure provided by the surface waves produced.
To this end, the surface wave source 47 may have a directional characteristic and emits surface waves stronger in a preferred direction 53 than in a direction 54 opposite thereto, the surface wave source may comprises an electro-acoustic transducer which includes spaced apart sections for emitting surface waves at different wavelengths, an electro-acoustic transducer of the surface wave source may be operated as a voltage divider with an intermediate electrode, the frequency for exciting the surface wave source may be adjusted in response to a measuring signal which is obtained by a surface wave receiver 73, a surface wave damper 73, 87 may be provided in the form of an acousto-electric transducer, a closed propagation path may be provided for the surface waves and the grating structure may be formed by standing surface waves.
Moreover, an exposure system is proposed which comprises such a diffraction-optical component and a radiation source.
48 Citations
56 Claims
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1. A diffraction-optical component for providing a radiation-diffracting grating structure, comprising:
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a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region;
a surface wave source excitable with an adjustable frequency for producing surface waves on the surface of the substrate;
wherein the surface wave source has a directional characteristic and emits surface waves stronger in a preferred direction than in a direction opposite thereto, the surface waves emitted in the preferred direction forming a grating structure in the interaction region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A diffraction-optical component for providing a radiation-diffracting grating structure, comprising:
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a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region;
a surface wave source excitable with an adjustable frequency for producing surface waves to form a grating structure on the surface of the substrate;
a surface wave receiver for receiving surface waves produced by the surface wave source and for delivering a measuring signal representing an amplitude of the surface waves at the location of the surface wave receiver; and
a controller for adjusting the frequency for the excitation of the surface wave source in response to the measuring signal. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A diffraction-optical component for providing a radiation-diffracting grating structure, comprising:
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a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region;
a surface wave source for producing surface waves to form a grating structure on the surface of the substrate; and
a surface wave damper provided outside of the interaction region, wherein the surface wave damper comprises an acousto-electric transducer for converting energy of the surface waves at the location of the acousto-electric transducer into electric energy. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A diffraction-optical component for providing a radiation-diffracting grating structure, comprising:
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a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region;
a surface wave source for producing surface waves to form a grating structure on the surface of the substrate; and
a plurality of surface wave mirrors disposed on the substrate such that the plurality of surface wave mirrors provide a closed propagation path for the surface waves, the interaction region being disposed in the closed propagation path. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A diffraction-optical component for providing a radiation-diffracting grating structure for light having a wavelength within a range from about 1 nm to about 100 nm, comprising:
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a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region; and
at least one surface wave source for producing surface waves to form a surface grating structure on the surface within the interaction region of the substrate, wherein the surface wave source is disposed at a distance from the interaction region, wherein the surface grating structure is formed by standing surface waves. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A diffraction-optical component for providing a radiation-diffracting grating structure, comprising:
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a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region; and
at least one surface wave source for producing surface waves to form a grating structure on the surface of the substrate, wherein the grating structure is formed by standing surface waves, wherein the interaction region is disposed within a surface wave resonator into which surface waves emitted by the surface wave source are fed-in. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33. An illumination system comprising:
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a diffraction-optical component, the diffraction-optical component comprising;
a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region, at least one surface wave source for producing surface waves to form a surface grating structure on the surface of the substrate, wherein the surface grating structure is formed by standing surface waves; and
a radiation source, the radiation of which is directed to the interaction region of the surface wave device, wherein the radiation has a wavelength in a range of about 1 nm to about 100 nm. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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37. An illumination system comprising:
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a diffraction-optical component, the diffraction-optical component comprising;
a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region, at least one surface wave source for producing surface waves to form a grating structure on the surface of the substrate, wherein the grating structure is formed by standing surface waves; and
a pulsed radiation source, the radiation of which is directed to the interaction region of the surface wave device and the radiation pulses of which are synchronized with the surface wave device such that the pulses are incident on the interaction region during periods of time if amplitudes of the standing surface waves exceed a predetermined threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
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40. A method for manufacturing a device, comprising at least one photolithographic step, wherein the photolithographic step comprises:
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providing an exposure system, the exposure system comprising;
an illumination system, the illumination system comprising;
a diffraction-optical component, the diffraction-optical component comprising;
a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region, at least one surface wave source for producing surface waves to form a grating structure on the surface of the substrate, wherein the grating structure is formed by standing surface waves;
and a radiation source, the radiation of which is directed to the interaction region of the surface wave device;
the exposure system further comprising, at least one condenser system, a mask provided with a pattern to be imaged, an imaging system and a substrate support, wherein the condenser system and the mask are disposed such that radiation of the radiation source deflected in the interaction region in different spatial directions is directed to the mask, and wherein the imaging system and the substrate support are disposed such that radiation reflected by the mask is imaged onto a substrate mountable to the substrate support mounting a substrate provided with a radiation sensitive layer on the substrate support; and
exposing the radiation sensitive substrate with radiation of the radiation source deflected into different spatial directions.
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41. An exposure system comprising:
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an illumination system comprising;
a diffraction-optical component, the diffraction-optical component comprising;
a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region, at least one surface wave source for producing surface waves to form a grating structure on the surface of the substrate, wherein the grating structure is formed by standing surface waves; and
a pulsed radiation source, the radiation of which is directed to the interaction region of the surface wave device and the radiation pulses of which are synchronized with the surface wave device such that the pulses are incident on the interaction region during periods of time if amplitudes of the standing surface waves exceed a predetermined threshold value;
the exposure system further comprising, at least one condenser system, a mask provided with a pattern to be imaged, an imaging system and a substrate support, wherein the condenser system and the mask are disposed such that radiation of the radiation source deflected in the interaction region in different spatial directions is directed to the mask, and wherein the imaging system and the substrate support are disposed such that radiation reflected by the mask is imaged onto a substrate mountable to the substrate support.
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42. A diffraction-optical component for providing a radiation-diffracting grating structure, comprising:
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a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region;
a surface wave source excitable with an adjustable frequency for producing surface waves to form a grating structure on the surface of the substrate;
wherein the surface wave source comprises an electro-acoustic transducer which comprises an electrode structure with a plurality of sub-electrodes which are disposed spaced apart from adjacent sub-electrodes, a plurality of sections being provided wherein the sub-electrodes are periodically arranged in each section, the arrangement periods of different sections being different from one another. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A diffraction-optical component for providing a radiation-diffracting grating structure, comprising:
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a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region;
a surface wave source excitable with an adjustable frequency for producing surface waves to form a grating structure on the surface of the substrate;
wherein the surface wave source comprises an electro-acoustic transducer comprising two groups of finger electrodes, wherein the finger electrodes of each group are electro-conductively connected with one another and the finger electrodes of different groups are electrically insulated from one another and, wherein between pairs of finger electrodes of different groups, there is arranged at least one intermediate electrode which is electrically insulated from the finger electrodes of each of the two groups. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50)
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51. An illumination system comprising:
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a diffraction-optical component, the diffraction-optical component comprising;
a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region;
a surface wave source excitable with an adjustable frequency for producing surface waves on the surface of the substrate;
wherein the surface wave source has a directional characteristic and emits surface waves stronger in a preferred direction than in a direction opposite thereto, the surface waves emitted in the preferred direction forming a grating structure in the interaction region; and
a radiation source, the radiation of which is directed to the interaction region of the surface wave device.
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52. An illumination system comprising:
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a diffraction-optical component, the diffraction-optical component comprising;
a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region;
a surface wave source excitable with an adjustable frequency for producing surface waves to form a grating structure on the surface of the substrate;
a surface wave receiver for receiving surface waves produced by the surface wave source and for delivering a measuring signal representing an amplitude of the surface waves at the location of the surface wave receiver; and
a controller for adjusting the frequency for the excitation of the surface wave source in response to the measuring signal; and
a radiation source, the radiation of which is directed to the interaction region of the surface wave device.
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53. An illumination system comprising:
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a diffraction-optical component, the diffraction-optical component comprising;
a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region;
a surface wave source for producing surface waves to form a grating structure on the surface of the substrate;
a surface wave damper provided outside of the interaction region, wherein the surface wave damper comprises an acousto-electric transducer for converting energy of the surface waves at the location of the acousto-electric transducer into electric energy; and
a radiation source, the radiation of which is directed to the interaction region of the surface wave device.
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54. An illumination system comprising:
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a diffraction-optical component, the diffraction-optical component comprising;
a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region;
a surface wave source for producing surface waves to form a grating structure on the surface of the substrate; and
a plurality of surface wave mirrors disposed on the substrate such that the plurality of surface wave mirrors provide a closed propagation path for the surface waves, the interaction region being disposed in the closed propagation path; and
a radiation source, the radiation of which is directed to the interaction region of the surface wave device.
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55. An illumination system comprising:
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a diffraction-optical component, the diffraction-optical component comprising;
a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region;
a surface wave source excitable with an adjustable frequency for producing surface waves to form a grating structure on the surface of the substrate;
wherein the surface wave source comprises an electro-acoustic transducer which comprises an electrode structure with a plurality of sub-electrodes which are disposed spaced apart from adjacent sub-electrodes, a plurality of sections being provided wherein the sub-electrodes are periodically arranged in each section, the arrangement periods of different sections being different from one another; and
a radiation source, the radiation of which is directed to the interaction region of the surface wave device.
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56. An illumination system comprising:
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a diffraction-optical component, the diffraction-optical component comprising;
a surface wave device including a substrate having a surface with an interaction region;
a surface wave source excitable with an adjustable frequency for producing surface waves to form a grating structure on the surface of the substrate;
wherein the surface wave source comprises an electro-acoustic transducer comprising two groups of finger electrodes, wherein the finger electrodes of each group are electro-conductively connected with one another and the finger electrodes of different groups are electrically insulated from one another and, wherein between pairs of finger electrodes of different groups, there is arranged at least one intermediate electrode which is electrically insulated from the finger electrodes of each of the two groups; and
a radiation source, the radiation of which is directed to the interaction region of the surface wave device.
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Specification