Optically polarizing retardation arrangement, and a microlithography projection exposure machine

Projection exposure machine comprising:

• an illuminating system for receiving radiation from an EUV light source providing electromagnetic radiation from the extreme ultraviolet spectral region and for illuminating a pattern provided by a reflective mask;
• a projection objective for projecting an image of the pattern onto an image plane of the projection objective;
• and
• at least one reflective polarization influencing arrangement arranged optically between the EUV light source and the image plane influencing a polarization state of radiation incident on the polarization influencing arrangement in a manner predefined by the structure of the polarization influencing arrangement such that a polarization state of radiation downstream of the polarization influencing arrangement differs in a predefined manner from a polarization state of radiation upstream of the polarization influencing arrangement;
• wherein the polarization influencing arrangement is structured such that radiation incident on the image plane has a defined polarization state influenced by the polarization influencing arrangement;
• and
• wherein the polarization influencing arrangement is designed such that the radiation incident on the image plane is polarized in a substantially uniform fashion in the image plane.

Projection exposure machine comprising:

• an illuminating system for receiving radiation from an EUV light source providing electromagnetic radiation from the extreme ultraviolet spectral region and for illuminating a pattern provided by a reflective mask;
• a projection objective for projecting an image of the pattern onto an image plane of the projection objective;
• and
• at least one reflective polarization influencing arrangement arranged optically between the EUV light source and the image plane influencing a polarization state of radiation incident on the polarization influencing arrangement in a manner predefined by the structure of the polarization influencing arrangement such that a polarization state of radiation downstream of the polarization influencing arrangement differs in a predefined manner from a polarization state of radiation upstream of the polarization influencing arrangement;
• wherein the polarization influencing arrangement has a substrate and a reflective coating applied to the substrate, the reflective coating being effective for radiation from the extreme ultraviolet region and having a locally differing polarization-varying reflective effect;
• wherein the reflective coating is designed as a multilayer reflective coating having single layers made of materials with alternating high refractive index and low refractive index lying one above another, wherein diffractive structural elements of structures running next to one another at a spacing are formed in the reflective coating;
• and
• wherein the diffractive structure comprises a multiplicity of webs arranged parallel to one another forming a periodic lattice structure with a periodicity length smaller than the wavelength of the EUV radiation, where different periodic lattice structures are arranged next to each other to provide a local variation of birefringent effect within the structured surface of the multilayer coating.

Projection exposure machine comprising:

• an illuminating system for receiving radiation from an EUV light source providing electromagnetic radiation from the extreme ultraviolet spectral region and for illuminating a pattern provided by a reflective mask;
• a projection objective for projecting an image of the pattern onto an image plane of the projection objective;
• and
• at least one reflective polarization influencing arrangement arranged optically between the EUV light source and the image plane influencing a polarization state of radiation incident on the polarization influencing arrangement in a manner predefined by the structure of the polarization influencing arrangement such that a polarization state of radiation downstream of the polarization influencing arrangement differs in a predefined manner from a polarization state of radiation upstream of the polarization influencing arrangement;
• wherein the polarization influencing arrangement has a substrate and a reflective coating applied to the substrate, the reflective coating being effective for radiation from the extreme ultraviolet region and having a locally differing polarization-varying reflective effect;
• and
• wherein the reflective coating is designed as a multilayer reflective coating having single layers made of materials with alternating high refractive index and low refractive index lying one above another, wherein diffractive structural elements of structures running next to one another are formed in the reflective coating, where the diffractive structural elements have an alignment, a periodicity spacing and a structural depth and wherein at least one of the alignment, the periodicity spacing and the structural depth varies locally to form retardation zones of different retardation effects.

A projection apparatus, comprising:

• a projection objective consisting essentially of a plurality of mirror surfaces projecting radiation from the extreme ultraviolet spectral region, said mirror surfaces projecting a pattern, provided by the radiation reflected by a mask and arranged in an object plane of said projection objective, into an image plane of said projection objective;
• wherein at least one of said mirror surfaces comprises a reflective polarization influencing arrangement having a useful cross section reflecting the radiation and subdivided into a multiplicity of retardation zones providing mutually different retardation of the radiation, wherein a spatial distribution of polarization states of the radiation upstream of the arrangement differs from the spatial distribution of the polarization states of the radiation downstream of the arrangement;
• and
• wherein the retardation zones have a polygonal, circular sectional or annular sectional shape.

Projection exposure machine comprising:

• an illuminating system for receiving radiation from an EUV light source providing electromagnetic radiation from the extreme ultraviolet spectral region and for illuminating a pattern provided by a reflective mask;
• a projection objective for projecting an image of the pattern onto an image plane of the projection objective;
• and
• at least one reflective polarization influencing arrangement arranged optically between the EUV light source and the image plane influencing a polarization state of radiation incident on the polarization influencing arrangement in a manner predefined by the structure of the polarization influencing arrangement such that a polarization state of radiation downstream of the polarization influencing arrangement differs in a predefined manner from a polarization state of radiation upstream of the polarization influencing arrangement;
• wherein the polarization influencing arrangement is a reflective retardation arrangement having a useful cross section onto which radiation impinges, where the useful cross section is subdivided into a multiplicity of retardation zones with different retardation effects, whereby an input radiation beam incident from an input side of the retardation arrangement is converted into an output radiation beam having, over the cross-section of the output radiation beam, a spatial distribution of polarization states which is influenced by the retardation arrangement and differs from the spatial distribution of polarization states of the input radiation;
• and
• wherein there is a constant effect on polarization across each of the retardation zones.