Diaphragm changing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10139733-B2
Application number	US-201615060257-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2016
Priority date	Oct 29, 2003
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to an optical imaging device, in particular an objective 1 for microlithography in the field of EUVL for producing semiconductor components, having a beam path 2 , a plurality of optical elements 3 and a diaphragm device 7 with an adjustable diaphragm opening shape. The diaphragm device has a diaphragm store 7 a, 7 b with a plurality of different diaphragm openings 6 with fixed shapes in each case, which can be introduced into the beam path 2.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical imaging device having an object plane and an image plane, the optical imaging device comprising:
a housing having an interior and an exterior;
a plurality of optical elements within an interior of the housing, the plurality of optical elements configured to image the object plane into the image plane via light passing along a beam path;
a plurality of diaphragms, each diaphragm having an opening; and
a diaphragm device in the exterior of the housing, the diaphragm device comprising a diaphragm store configured to hold the plurality of diaphragms arranged in a stack, each diaphragm being movable between a first position and a second position independently of the position of the other diaphragms,
wherein for each diaphragm:
in its first position, the diaphragm is in the diaphragm store, and the opening of the diaphragm is outside the beam path; and
in its second position, the diaphragm is in the interior of the housing, and the opening of the diaphragm device is in the beam path.

2. The optical imaging device of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of diaphragms comprises a second diaphragm;
the opening of the first diaphragm has a fixed geometry;
the opening of the second diaphragm has a fixed geometry; and
the fixed geometry of the opening of the first diaphragm is different from the fixed geometry of the opening of the second diaphragm.

3. The optical imaging device of claim 2 , wherein the optical imaging device is configured to be selectively stopped down based on the position of the first diaphragm and the position of the second diaphragm.

4. The optical imaging device of claim 1 , wherein each diaphragm comprises a revolving disc diaphragm.

5. The optical imaging device of claim 4 , wherein the diaphragm store comprises a plurality of separate plug-in units, and each revolving disc diaphragm is storable in a respective one of the individual plug-in units.

6. The optical imaging device of claim 4 , wherein the housing includes an opening configured to allow diaphragms to be exchanged between the diaphragm store and the interior of the housing, and the revolving disc diaphragm stack is displaceable relative to the opening in the housing to position the first diaphragm in its second position.

7. The optical imaging device of claim 6 , wherein, for each revolving disc diaphragm, the diaphragm device is configured to:
remove the revolving disc diaphragm from its corresponding plug-in unit to introduce the revolving disc diaphragm into the beam path independently of the position of the other revolving disc diaphragms; and
remove the revolving disc diaphragm from the beam path to position the revolving disc diaphragm into its corresponding plug-in unit independently of the position of the other revolving disc diaphragms.

8. The optical imaging device of claim 6 , wherein, for each revolving disc diaphragm, the diaphragm device comprises a robot arm configured to:
remove the revolving disc diaphragm from its corresponding plug-in unit to introduce the revolving disc diaphragm into the beam path independently of the position of the other revolving disc diaphragms; and
remove the revolving disc diaphragm from the beam path to position the revolving disc diaphragm into its corresponding plug-in unit independently of the position of the other revolving disc diaphragms.

9. The optical imaging device of claim 8 , wherein the diaphragm device comprises a lifting device configured to position a revolving disc diaphragm in the beam path, and the lifting device is configured to pick up the revolving disc diaphragm from the robot arm.

10. The optical imaging device of claim 9 , wherein the lifting device is configured to move the revolving disc diaphragm via a rocking steering movement.

11. The optical imaging device of claim 9 , wherein the lifting device defines a set of scales.

12. The optical imaging device of claim 9 , wherein the lifting device defines a parallelogram guide.

13. The optical imaging device of claim 9 , wherein the lifting device has a pantographic design.

14. The optical imaging device of claim 9 , wherein the lifting device comprises solid joints.

15. The optical imaging device of claim 4 , wherein the diaphragm device comprises a lifting device configured to position a revolving disc diaphragm in the beam path.

16. The optical imaging device of claim 4 , wherein the diaphragm device comprises a holding device configured hold a revolving disc diaphragm in the beam path.

17. The optical imaging device of claim 4 , wherein an optical element comprises a holding device configured to hold a revolving disc diaphragm in the beam path.

18. The optical imaging device of claim 4 , wherein the diaphragm device comprises a lifting device which comprises a holding device configured to hold a revolving disc diaphragm in the beam path.

19. The optical imaging device of claim 18 , further comprising spring elements configured to press the lifting device against the holding device to dynamically decouple a revolving disc diaphragm from the optical elements.

20. The optical imaging device of claim 18 , wherein the revolving disc diaphragm is configured to be held by magnetic forces to dynamically decouple a revolving disc diaphragm from the optical elements.

21. The optical imaging device of claim 20 , wherein the lifting device is dynamically decoupled from the optical elements.

22. The optical imaging device of claim 4 , wherein the housing has an opening through which a revolving disc diaphragm is movable between the diaphragm store and the beam path.

23. The optical imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm device is dynamically decoupled from the optical elements.

24. The optical imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm store comprises a strip wound onto rollers.

25. The optical imaging device of claim 24 , wherein the strip has a plurality of openings, and the strip is movable in the beam path to introduce the openings into the beam path by rotating the rollers.

26. The optical imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of optical elements comprises a plurality of mirrors, and the light comprises EUV light.

27. A machine, comprising:
an illuminating system; and
an optical imaging system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the illuminating system is configured to illuminate the object plane of the optical imaging system, and the machine is a projection exposure machine.

28. The machine of claim 27 , wherein the plurality of optical elements of the optical imaging system comprises a plurality of mirrors, and the light comprises EUV light.

29. An optical imaging device having an object plane and an image plane, the optical imaging device comprising:
a housing having an interior and an exterior;
a plurality of mirrors within an interior of the housing, the plurality of mirrors configured to image the object plane into the image plane via EUV light passing along a beam path;
a plurality of diaphragms, each diaphragm having an opening; and
a diaphragm device in the exterior of the housing, the diaphragm device comprising a diaphragm store configured to hold the plurality of diaphragms arranged in a stack, each diaphragm being movable between a first position and a second position independently of the position of the other diaphragms,
wherein for each diaphragm:
in its

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Smt Gmbh

Inventors

• Bieg Hermann
• Will Marcus
• Bischoff Thomas
• Kwan Yim-Bun Patrick
• Nguyen Uy-Liem
• Xalter Stefan
• Muehlbeyer Michael

Classifications

• G21K1/04

  using variable diaphragms, shutters, choppers · CPC title

• G02B17/02

  Catoptric systems, e.g. image erecting and reversing system · CPC title

• G03F7/70191 Primary

  Optical correction elements, filters or phase plates for controlling intensity, wavelength, polarisation, phase or the like · CPC title

• G02B5/005 Primary

  Diaphragms (for cameras G03B9/02) · CPC title

• G02B13/143

  for use with ultraviolet radiation · CPC title