Patent · US Active

Optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus

US8212991B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by

4References

33Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH · DE

Inventors

Aurelian Dodoc · Heidenheim an der Brenz, DE
Albrecht Ehrmann · Aalen, DE
Sascha Bleidistel · Aalen, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Dec 1, 2009
Grant date	Jul 3, 2012
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jan 3, 2031

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG03F7/70341
WIPO fieldOptics
WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus contains a module, which can be fitted in the optical system and removed from it as a unit. The module contains a cavity which can be completely filled with a liquid and hermetically sealed, and a concavely curved optical surface which bounds the cavity at the top during operation of the projection exposure apparatus. This makes it possible to fill the module outside the optical system. The module can be tilted there so that no air bubble, which prevents complete filling, can form below the concavely curved optical surface.

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