Optical system

US8379188B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Ralf Mueller · Germersheim, DE
• Toralf Gruner · Hennef (Sieg), DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 19, 2010
• Grant date: Feb 19, 2013
• Expiry date: Feb 18, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03F7/70966
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The disclosure provides an optical system having an optical axis, where the optical system includes a polarization manipulator which includes first and second subelements. The first subelement has a non-planar, optically effective surface. For light passing through the first subelement, the first subelement causes a change in the polarization state. A maximum effective retardation introduced by the first subelement along the optical axis is less than a quarter of the working wavelength of the optical system. The first subelement and the second subelement have mutually facing surfaces which are mutually complementary. The optical system also includes a position manipulator to manipulate the relative position of the first and second subelements.