Patent · US Active

Method for describing, evaluating and improving optical polarization properties of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus

US7728975B1 · kind B1 · utility

5Cited by

5References

27Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH · DE

Inventors

Michael Totzeck · Schwäbisch Gmünd, DE
Heiko Feldmann · Aalen, DE
Daniel Kraehmer · Aalen, DE
Olaf Dittmann · Bopfingen, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Feb 22, 2006
Grant date	Jun 1, 2010
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jul 17, 2028

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG03F7/706
WIPO fieldOptics
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In a method for describing, evaluating and improving optical polarization properties of a projection objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, the Jones or Stokes vectors are firstly determined at one or more points in the exit pupil of the projection objective. These are then described at least approximately as a linear superposition of predetermined vector modes with scalar superposition coefficients. The optical polarization properties can subsequently be evaluated on the basis of the superposition coefficients.

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