Immersion lithography objective

US7649702B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH · DE
• ASML NETHERLANDS B.V. · NL

Inventors

• Bernhard Gellrich · Aalen, DE
• Paul Graeupner · Aalen, DE
• Juergen Fischer · Adelsheim, DE
• Andreas Wurmbrand · Aalen, DE
• Bauke Jansen · Deurne, NL
• Bob Streefkerk · Tilburg, NL
• Christiaan Alexander Hoogendam · Veldhoven, NL
• Johannes Jacobus Matheus Baselmans · Oirschot, NL

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 25, 2008
• Grant date: Jan 19, 2010
• Expiry date: Jan 25, 2028

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03F7/70825
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An immersion lithography objective has a housing in which at least one first optical element is arranged, a second optical element, which follows the first optical element in the direction of the optical axis of the objective, an immersion medium that adjoins the second optical element being located downstream of the latter in the direction of the optical axis, and a retaining structure for the second optical element. The retaining structure has a greater stiffness in the direction of the optical axis than in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.