Projection lens, projection exposure apparatus and projection exposure method

An apparatus, comprising:

• a light source configured to emit UV radiation at an operating wavelength of greater than 280 nm;
• an illumination system;
• and
• a dioptric projection lens,
• wherein:
• the projection lens comprises a multiplicity of lens elements between the object plane and the image plane along the optical axis;
• the multiplicity of lens elements is configured to image a pattern in the object plane into the image plane via UV radiation at an operating wavelength of greater than 280 nm;
• a stop plane configured to have an aperture stop attached thereto is between the object plane and the image plane so that a chief ray of the UV radiation intersects the optical axis in the stop plane;
• the multiplicity of lens elements comprises at least two positive lens elements on each side of the stop plane and directly next to the stop plane;
• the projection lens is a large field lens having an object field radius of at least 52 mm and a structure with an imaging scale of 1:1 which is mirror symmetric with respect to the stop plane;
• and
• the illumination system configured to receive the UV radiation and provide illumination radiation directed at a pattern in the object plane.