Refractive projection objective for immersion lithography

Projection exposure machine for microlithography, having a refractive projection objective for projecting a pattern arranged in an object plane of the projection objective into an image plane of the projection objective with the aid of an immersion medium which is arranged between a last optical element of the projection objective and the image plane, comprising:

• a first lens group, following the object plane, with a negative refracting power;
• a second lens group, following the first lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• a third lens group, following the second lens group, with a negative refracting power;
• a fourth lens group, following the third lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• a fifth lens group, following the fourth lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• and
• a system aperture which is arranged in the region of maximum beam diameter between the fourth and the fifth lens group.

Method for producing semiconductor components and other finely structured structural elements comprising:

• providing a mask with a prescribed pattern;
• illuminating the mask with ultraviolet light of a prescribed wavelength;
• and
• projecting an image of the pattern onto a photosensitive substrate, arranged in the region of the image plane of a projection objective, with the aid of a projection objective having:
• a first lens group, following the object plane, with a negative refracting power;
• a second lens group, following the first lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• a third lens group, following the second lens group, with a negative refracting power;
• a fourth lens group, following the third lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• a fifth lens group, following the fourth lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• and
• a system aperture which is arranged in the region of maximum beam diameter between the fourth and the fifth lens group;
• an immersion medium arranged between a last optical surface of the projection objective and the substrate being trans-illuminated during the projection.

Refractive projection objective for projecting a pattern arranged in an object plane of the projection objective into an image plane of the projection objective with the aid of an immersion medium which is arranged between a last optical element of the projection objective and the image plane, comprising:

• a first lens group, following the object plane, with a negative refracting power;
• a second lens group, following the first lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• a third lens group, following the second lens group, with a negative refracting power;
• a fourth lens group, following the third lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• a fifth lens group, following the fourth lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• and
• a system aperture which is arranged between the fourth and the fifth lens group,
• wherein an image-side numerical aperture is NA≧0.9.

Projection exposure machine for microlithography, having a refractive projection objective for projecting a pattern arranged in an object plane of the projection objective into an image plane of the projection objective with the aid of an immersion medium which is arranged between a last optical element of the projection objective and the image plane, comprising:

• a first lens group, following the object plane, with a negative refracting power;
• a second lens group, following the first lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• a third lens group, following the second lens group, with a negative refracting power;
• a fourth lens group, following the third lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• a fifth lens group, following the fourth lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• and
• a system aperture which is arranged between the fourth and the fifth lens group,
• wherein an image-side numerical aperture is NA≧0.9.

Method for producing semiconductor components and other finely structured structural elements comprising:

• providing a mask with a prescribed pattern;
• illuminating the mask with ultraviolet light of a prescribed wavelength;
• and
• projecting an image of the pattern onto a photosensitive substrate, arranged in the region of the image plane of a projection objective, with the aid of a projection objective having:
• a first lens group, following the object plane, with a negative refracting power;
• a second lens group, following the first lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• a third lens group, following the second lens group, with a negative refracting power;
• a fourth lens group, following the third lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• a fifth lens group, following the fourth lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• and
• a system aperture which is arranged between the fourth and the fifth lens group;
• an immersion medium arranged between a last optical surface of the projection objective and the substrate being trans-illuminated during the projection
• wherein an image-side numerical aperture is NA≧0.9.

Refractive projection objective for projecting a pattern arranged in an object plane of the projection objective into an image plane of the projection objective with the aid of an immersion medium which is arranged between a last optical element of the projection objective and the image plane, comprising:

• a first lens group, following the object plane, with a negative refracting power;
• a second lens group, following the first lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• a third lens group, following the second lens group, with a negative refracting power;
• a fourth lens group, following the third lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• and
• a fifth lens group, following the fourth lens group, with a positive refracting power,
• wherein the fourth lens group has at least one doublet with a biconvex positive lens and a downstream negative meniscus lens with lens surfaces which are concave towards the object.

Refractive projection objective for projecting a pattern arranged in an object plane of the projection objective into an image plane of the projection objective with the aid of an immersion medium which is arranged between a last optical element of the projection objective and the image plane, comprising:

• a first lens group, following the object plane, with a negative refracting power;
• a second lens group, following the first lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• a third lens group, following the second lens group, with a negative refracting power;
• a fourth lens group, following the third lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• and
• a fifth lens group, following the fourth lens group, with a positive refracting power,
• wherein the fifth lens group has exclusively lenses with a positive refracting power.

Refractive projection objective for projecting a pattern arranged in an object plane of the projection objective into an image plane of the projection objective with the aid of an immersion medium which is arranged between a last optical element of the projection objective and the image plane, comprising:

• a first lens group, following the object plane, with a negative refracting power;
• a second lens group, following the first lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• a third lens group, following the second lens group, with a negative refracting power;
• a fourth lens group, following the third lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• and
• a fifth lens group, following the fourth lens group, with a positive refracting power,
• wherein an image-side numerical aperture is NA≧0.9, and a last optical element of the fifth lens group is a truncated hemispherical plano-convex lens having a convexly curved entry surface and a substantially flat exit surface.

Refractive projection objective for projecting a pattern arranged in an object plane of the projection objective into an image plane of the projection objective, comprising:

• a first lens group, following the object plane, with a negative refracting power;
• a second lens group, following the first lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• a third lens group, following the second lens group, with a negative refracting power;
• a fourth lens group, following the third lens group, with a positive refracting power;
• and
• a fifth lens group, following the fourth lens group, with a positive refracting power,
• wherein
• an image-side numerical aperture is NA≧0.9,
• a last optical element of the fifth lens group has a substantially flat exit surface, and
• an image-side working distance between the exit surface of the last optical element and the image plane is set to permit sufficient light energy of an optical near-field evanescent from the exit surface to be coupled into a surface of a photosensitive substrate positioned in the image plane of the projection objective,
• whereby the pattern is projected onto the substrate by near-field-lithography.