Catadioptric reduction lens

US6717746B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Carl Zeiss Semiconductor Manufacturing Technologies AG · DE

Inventors

• Alexander Epple · Aalen, DE
• Helmut Beierl · Heidenheim, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 22, 2002
• Grant date: Apr 6, 2004
• Expiry date: May 22, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03F7/70275
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A catadioptric projection lens configured for imaging a pattern arranged in an object plane (2) onto an image plane (4) while creating a single, real, intermediate image (3) has a catadioptric first section (5) having a concave mirror (6) and a beam-deflection device (7), and a dioptric second section (8) that commences after the beam-deflection device. The system is configured such that the intermediate image follows the first lens (17) of the dioptric section (8) and is preferably readily accessible. Arranging the intermediate image both between a pair of lenses (17, 21) of the dioptric section and at a large distance behind the final reflective surface of the beam-deflection device helps to avoid imaging aberrations.