Optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus
AssigneeCarl Zeiss SMT GmbH
InventorsAurelian Dodoc, Albrecht Ehrmann, Sascha Bleidistel
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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.
Claims34
1-56. (canceled)
An optical system comprising a module, which can be fitted in the optical system and removed from it as a unit, said module comprising:
- a) a cavity which is configured to be completely filled with a liquid and to, be hermetically sealed,
- b) a concavely curved optical surface, which bounds the cavity at the top during operation of the projection exposure apparatus
- wherein the optical system is an optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus.
An immersion objective, comprising:
- a) a lens which has a concavely curved surface on the image side and is the last optical element on the image side,
- b) a lens holder to hold the lens,
- c) a closure element, which is releasably connectable to the lens holder directly or via an intermediate element, so as to create a sealable cavity to hold a liquid between the lens and the closure element,
- wherein the lens holder, together with the closure element connected to it, form a module which is configured to be fitted in the immersion objective and to be removed therefrom as a unit, and the immersion objective is an immersion objective of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus.
An optical system, comprising:
- a) a cavity which is configured to be completely filled with a liquid and to be hermetically sealed,
- b) a concavely curved optical surface, which bounds the cavity at the top during operation of the projection exposure apparatus, and
- c) a displacement element which is arranged in the cavity and is movable into a displacement position where the displacement element bears substantially seamlessly on the concavely curved optical surface,
- wherein the optical system is an optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.