Patent · US Expired

Projection objectives including a plurality of mirrors with lenses ahead of mirror M3

US7190530B2 · kind B2 · utility

45Cited by
20References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 16, 2006
Grant dateMar 13, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 16, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03F7/70225
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

According to one exemplary embodiment, a projection objective is provided and includes at least two non-planar (curved) mirrors, wherein an axial distance between a next to last non-planar mirror and a last non-planar mirror, as defined along a light path, is greater than an axial distance between the last non-planar mirror and a first refracting surface of lenses following in the light path. In one exemplary embodiment, the first refracting surface is associated with a single pass type lens. The present objectives form images with numerical apertures of at least about 0.80 or higher, e.g., 0.95. Preferably, the objective does not include folding mirrors and there is no intermediate image between the two mirrors, as well as the pupil of the objective being free of obscuration.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.