Method for operating a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, microlithographic mask and projection exposure apparatus

A method of operating a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus which comprises an illumination device and a projection lens, the method comprising:

• using the illumination device to illuminate a mask located in an object plane of the projection lens;
• and
• using the projection lens to image illuminated structures on the mask onto a light-sensitive material located in an image plane of the projection lens;
• wherein:
• the method comprises a scanning operation in which an illuminated region of the mask is varied;
• illuminating the mask takes place as field-dependent illumination in which different field regions of the object plane are illuminated with differing illumination settings;
• and
• during imaging of the object plane onto the image plane, a field-dependent image offset is produced in which differing field regions of the object plane are converted to differing image offsets.