Lifetime stabilization of coated optical systems through electron beam heating
AssigneeCarl Zeiss SMT GmbH
InventorsMatthias KAES, Stefan LINK, Pavel ALEXEEV
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Abstract
A method for stabilizing an optical element includes providing an optical element having a substrate and a coating, and subjecting the optical element to heat treatment. The heat treatment of the optical element includes irradiating the coating of the optical element with electrons. Also disclosed are an associated optical element, a microlithographic projection lens having such an optical element, and a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus including such a projection lens, as well as an associated device for electron irradiation.
Claims18
A method for stabilizing an optical element, comprising:
- providing the optical element with a substrate and a coating;
- tempering the optical element,
- wherein said tempering of the optical element comprises irradiating the coating of the optical element with electrons;
- and
- at least partially compacting the substrate of the optical element, wherein said compacting of the substrate comprises irradiating the optical element with electrons,
- wherein said compacting of the substrate of the optical element is performed either before or substantially simultaneously with said irradiating of the coating of the optical element.
A device for electron irradiation, comprising:
- a vacuum apparatus comprising a vacuum chamber and at least one electron beam source for generating an electron beam, and
- a field generator configured to generate an opposing field.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.