Adaptive optical element for microlithography
AssigneeCarl Zeiss SMT GmbH
InventorsMatthias Manger, Markus Raab, Alexander Vogler
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Abstract
An adaptive optical element for microlithography comprises at least one manipulator for changing the shape of an optical surface of the optical element. The manipulator comprises a one-piece dielectric medium which is deformable by applying an electric field, electrodes that are arranged in interconnection with the one-piece dielectric medium, and a voltage generator which is wired to the electrodes and configured to apply to the electrodes, firstly, a control voltage that serves to change a longitudinal extent of the dielectric medium and, secondly, an AC voltage that serves to heat the dielectric medium.
Claims20
An optical element, comprising:
- a manipulator configured to change a shape of an optical surface of the optical element, the manipulator comprising:
- a one-piece dielectric medium configured to deform when an electric field is applied thereto;
- electrodes interconnected with the one-piece dielectric medium;
- and
- a voltage generator connected to the electrodes,
- wherein:
- the voltage generator is configured to apply to the electrodes:
- i) a control voltage configured to change a longitudinal extent of the dielectric medium;
- and ii) an AC voltage having a frequency of from 100 kHz to 1 MHz to heat the dielectric medium.
A method of operating an optical element of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus to change a shape of an optical surface of the optical element via a manipulator, the method comprising:
- providing the manipulator with a one-piece dielectric medium which is deformable by applying an electric field and which comprises electrodes that are arranged in interconnection with the one-piece dielectric medium;
- applying a control voltage to the electrodes to change a longitudinal extent of the dielectric medium;
- and
- applying an AC voltage having a frequency of from 100 kHz to 1 MHz to the electrodes for heating the dielectric medium.
A method of operating an adaptive optical element of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus for changing the shape of an optical surface of the optical element via a manipulator, the method comprising:
- providing the manipulator with a dielectric medium which is deformable by applying an electric field;
- and
- generating an AC voltage having a frequency of from 100 kHz to 1 MHz within the dielectric medium so that a vibration amplitude of a deformation of the dielectric medium generated thereby is damped by at least one order of magnitude in relation to a deformation of the dielectric medium generated by means of a corresponding static voltage.
An optical element, comprising:
- a manipulator configured to change a shape of an optical surface of the optical element, the manipulator comprising:
- a dielectric medium configured to deform when an electric field is applied thereto;
- and
- a voltage generator configured to generate an AC voltage having a frequency of from 100 kHz to 1 MHz within the dielectric medium so that a vibration amplitude of a deformation of the dielectric medium generated by the AC voltage is damped by at least one order of magnitude relative to a deformation of the dielectric medium generated via a corresponding static voltage.
A method of operating an optical element of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus to change a shape of an optical surface of the optical element via a manipulator, the method comprising:
- providing the manipulator with a one-piece dielectric medium which is deformable by applying an electric field and which comprises electrodes that are arranged in interconnection with the one-piece dielectric medium;
- applying a control voltage to the electrodes to change a longitudinal extent of the dielectric medium;
- and
- applying an AC voltage to the electrodes for heating the dielectric medium,
- wherein:
- the optical element comprises a further manipulator that is heatable via an AC voltage;
- and
- the AC voltage applied to the electrodes of the manipulator and the AC voltage for heating the further manipulator are controlled so that the temperatures of the manipulators equalize.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.