Optically polarizing retardation arrangement, and a microlithography projection exposure machine

US7411656B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Michael Totzeck · Schwäbisch Gmünd, DE
• Birgit Enkisch · Aalen, DE
• Karl-Heinz Schuster · Oberkochen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 24, 2006
• Grant date: Aug 12, 2008
• Expiry date: Jan 24, 2026

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03F7/70308
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A retardation arrangement for converting an input radiation beam, incident from an input side of the retardation arrangement, into an output radiation beam which has over its cross section a spatial distribution of polarization states which can be influenced by the retardation arrangement and differs from the spatial distribution of polarization states of the input radiation, is designed as a reflective retardation arrangement. A useful cross section of the retardation arrangement has a multiplicity of retardation zones of different retardation effect. Such a mirror arrangement having a retardation effect varying as a function of location can be used to compensate undesired fluctuations in the polarization state over the cross section of an input radiation beam and/or to set specific output polarization states, for example in order to set radial or tangential polarization.