Projection objective having a high aperture and a planar end surface
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective suitable for microlithography projection exposure machines comprising:
- a plurality of optical elements transparent for radiation at an operating wavelength of the projection objective; and
at least one concave mirror;
wherein at least one optical element is a high-index optical element made from a high-index material with a refractive index n≧
1.6 at the operating wavelength; and
an object-side numerical aperture NAObj is greater than 0.3.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective suitable for microlithography projection exposure machines has a plurality of optical elements transparent for radiation at an operating wavelength of the projection objective. At least one optical element is a high-index optical element made from a high-index material with a refractive index n≧1.6 at the operating wavelength.
147 Citations
98 Claims
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1. Catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective suitable for microlithography projection exposure machines comprising:
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a plurality of optical elements transparent for radiation at an operating wavelength of the projection objective; and at least one concave mirror; wherein at least one optical element is a high-index optical element made from a high-index material with a refractive index n≧
1.6 at the operating wavelength; andan object-side numerical aperture NAObj is greater than 0.3. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 65)
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11. Projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective suitable for microlithography projection exposure machines comprising:
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a plurality of optical elements transparent for radiation at an operating wavelength of the projection objective; and a first high-index optical element and at least one second high-index optical element; wherein at least one optical element is a high-index optical element made from a high-index material with a refractive index n≧
1.6 at the operating wavelength; andthe first high-index optical element and the second high-index optical element are each made from a high-index material exhibiting birefringence defining an orientation of birefringence of each optical element, where the first and second high-index optical elements are installed differently with regard to the orientation of the birefringence such that effects of birefringence caused by the high-index optical elements are at least partly compensated. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. Catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective suitable for microlithography projection exposure machines comprising:
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a plurality of optical elements transparent for radiation at an operating wavelength of the projection obiective; and at least one concave mirror; wherein at least one optical element is a high-index optical element made from a high-index material with a refractive index n≧
1.6 at the operating wavelength; andthe projection objective has a last optical element closest to the image plane and wherein the last optical element is at least partly made of a high-index material with refractive index n>
1.6. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. Projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective suitable for microlithography projection exposure machines comprising:
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a plurality of optical elements transparent for radiation at an operating wavelength of the projection objective; wherein at least one optical element is a high-index optical element made from a high-index material with a refractive index n≧
1.6 at the operating wavelength; andthe projection objective is designed as an immersion objective adapted with reference to aberrations such that an image side working distance between a last optical element and the image plane is filled up with an immersion medium with a refractive index substantially greater than 1. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. Catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective suitable for microlithography projection exposure machines comprising:
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a plurality of optical elements transparent for radiation at an operating wavelength of the projection objective; and at least one concave mirror; wherein at least one optical element is a high-index optical element made from a high-index material with a refractive index n≧
1.6 at the operating wavelength; andthe projection objective is designed as a solid immersion objective having a finite image side working distance in the order of the operating wavelength or below such that evanescent fields exiting from an image side exit surface of the projection objective can be used for imaging. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59)
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60. Catadioptric projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective suitable for microlithography projection exposure machines comprising:
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a plurality of optical elements transparent for radiation at an operating wavelength of the projection objective; and at least one concave mirror; wherein at least one optical element is a high-index optical element made from a high-index material with a refractive index n≧
1.6 at the operating wavelength; andan image side numerical aperture NA is greater than 1.3. - View Dependent Claims (61)
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62. Microlithography projection exposure method for imaging a pattern provided on a mask positioned in an object plane of a projection objective onto a substrate provided in an image plane of the projection objective, in which a microlithography projection objective is used and an immersion fluid is introduced between a last lens of the microlithography projection objective and the substrate to be exposed,
wherein the projection objective comprises a plurality of optical elements transparent for radiation at an operating wavelength of the projection objective; - and
at least one optical element is a high-index optical element made from a high-index material with a refractive index n≧
1.6 at the operating wavelength. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64)
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66. Projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective suitable for microlithography projection exposure machines comprising:
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a plurality of optical elements transparent for radiation at an operating wavelength of the projection objective; wherein at least one optical element is a high-index optical element made from a high-index material with a refractive index n≧
1.6 at the operating wavelength; andthe projection objective includes at least one aspheric lens group consisting of a number NASPL of at least two immediately consecutive aspheric lenses providing a number NASP of aspheric lens surfaces, where the condition AR>
1 holds for an asphere ratio AR=NASP/NASPL. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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75. Projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective suitable for microlithography projection exposure machines comprising:
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a plurality of optical elements transparent for radiation at an operating wavelength of the projection objective; a first, refractive objective part for imaging the pattern provided in the object plane into a first intermediate image; a second objective part including at least one concave mirror for imaging the first intermediate image into a second intermediate image; and a third objective part for imaging the second intermediate image onto the image plane; wherein at least one optical element is a high-index optical element made from a high-index material with a refractive index n≧
1.6 at the operating wavelength. - View Dependent Claims (76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
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86. Projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective suitable for microlithography projection exposure machines comprising:
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a plurality of optical elements transparent for radiation at an operating wavelength of the projection objective; wherein at least one optical element is a high-index optical element made from a high-index material with a refractive index n≧
1.6 at the operating wavelength;an object-side numerical aperture NAObj is greater than 0.3; and a finite image-side working distance of the projection objective between an image-side exit surface of the projection objective and an image surface is substantially greater than the operating wavelength of the projection objective. - View Dependent Claims (87, 88, 89)
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90. Projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective suitable for microlithography projection exposure machines comprising:
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a plurality of optical elements transparent for radiation at an operating wavelength of the projection objective; wherein at least one optical element is a high-index optical element made from a high-index material with a refractive index n≧
1.6 at the operating wavelength;the projection objective has a last optical element closest to the image plane and wherein the last optical element is at least partly made of a high-index material with refractive index n>
1.6; anda finite image-side working distance of the projection objective between an image-side exit surface of the projection objective and an image surface is substantially greater than the operating wavelength of the projection objective. - View Dependent Claims (91, 92, 93, 94, 95)
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96. Projection objective for imaging a pattern provided in an object plane of the projection objective onto an image plane of the projection objective suitable for microlithography projection exposure machines comprising:
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a plurality of optical elements transparent for radiation at an operating wavelength of the projection objective; wherein at least one optical element is a high-index optical element made from a high-index material with a refractive index n≧
1.6 at the operating wavelength;an image side numerical aperture NA is greater than 1.3; and a finite image-side working distance of the projection objective between an image-side exit surface of the projection objective and an image surface is substantially greater than the operating wavelength of the projection objective. - View Dependent Claims (97, 98)
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Specification