Projection lens and microlithographic projection exposure apparatus

US6879379B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Martin Brunotte · Aalen, DE
• Jurgen Hartmaier · Aalen, DE
• Hubert Holderer · Oberkochen, DE
• Winfried Kaiser · Cologne, DE
• Alexander Kohl · Aalen, DE
• Jens Kugler · Heubach, DE
• Manfred Maul · Aalen, DE
• Christian Wagner · Rosenheim, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 14, 2003
• Grant date: Apr 12, 2005
• Expiry date: Nov 14, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03F7/70966
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A projection exposure apparatus for microlithography has a light source, an illumination system, a mask-positioning system and a projection lens. The latter has a system aperture plane and an image plane and contains at least one lens that is made of a material which has a birefringence dependent on the transmission angle. The exposure apparatus further has an optical element, which has a position-dependent polarization-rotating effect or a position-dependent birefringence. This element, which is provided close to a pupil plane of the projection exposure apparatus, compensates at least partially for the birefringent effects produced in the image plane by the at least one lens.