Mirror module, in particular for a microlithographic projection exposure appararatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9996015-B2
Application number	US-201715432082-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2017
Priority date	Aug 21, 2014
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a mirror module, in particular for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, including a mirror, which has a mirror body and an optically effective surface. The mirror body has a first material, and a supporting structure for connecting the mirror body to an objective structure. The supporting structure has a second material. The first material and the second material differ in terms of their coefficients of thermal expansion by less than 0.5*10 −6 K −1 in a temperature range around an operating temperature which is reached by the mirror module during operation in the region of the connection of the mirror body to the supporting structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a mirror module which comprises a mirror, the mirror comprising a mirror body and an optically effective surface; and
a supporting structure,
wherein:
the mirror body comprises a first material having a coefficient of thermal expansion;
the supporting structure comprises a second material having a coefficient of thermal expansion;
the supporting structure is connected to the mirror body via a first connection;
the supporting structure is configured to be connected to an objective structure via a second connection;
the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first material differs from the coefficient of thermal expansion of the second material by less than 0.5*10 −6 K 1 during operation in a temperature range around an operating temperature of the mirror module in a region of the first connection;
the supporting structure is configured so that, during operation, less than 0.1% of deformations occurring in the second connection are transferred to the first connection;
a minimum spacing between the second connection and the center point of the optically effective surface is at least 1.5 times greater than a minimum spacing between the first connection and the optically effective surface of the mirror; and
the apparatus is a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the minimum spacing between the second connection and the center point of the optically effective surface is at least two times greater than the minimum spacing between the first connection and the optically effective surface of the mirror.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the minimum spacing between the second connection and the center point of the optically effective surface is at least three times greater than the minimum spacing between the first connection and the optically effective surface of the mirror.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first material differs from the coefficient of thermal expansion of the second material by less than 0.3*10 −6 K −1 during operation in a temperature range around an operating temperature of the mirror module in a region of the first connection.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first material differs from the coefficient of thermal expansion of the second material by less than 0.1*10 −6 K −1 during operation in a temperature range around an operating temperature of the mirror module in a region of the first connection.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature range is ±10 K of the operating temperature.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature range is ±5 K of the operating temperature.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature range is ±1 K of the operating temperature.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first material is different from the second material.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second material has a stiffness that is at least 1.1 times greater than a stiffness of the first material.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second material has a stiffness that is at least 1.2 times greater than a stiffness of the first material.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second material has a stiffness that is at least 1.5 times greater than a stiffness of the first material.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a decoupling element between the supporting structure and the mirror body.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises titanium-doped quartz glass or Zerodur.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second material comprises cordierite, Zerodur or amorphous quartz glass.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mirror module is configured for an operating wavelength of less than 30 nm.

17. An apparatus, comprising:
an objective structure;
a mirror module which comprises a mirror, the mirror comprising a mirror body and an optically effective surface; and
a supporting structure configured to connect the mirror body to the objective structure,
wherein:
the mirror body comprises a first material having a coefficient of thermal expansion;
the supporting structure comprises a second material having a coefficient of thermal expansion;
the first material is different from the second material;
the second material has a stiffness that is at least 1.1 times greater than a stiffness of the first material;
the supporting structure is connected to the mirror body via a first connection;
the supporting structure is connected to the objective structure via a second connection;
the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first material differs from the coefficient of thermal expansion of the second material by less than 0.5*10 −6 K −1 in a temperature that is ±10K an operating temperature of the mirror module during operation in a region of the first connection;
the supporting structure is configured so that, during operation, less than 0.1% of deformations occurring in the second connection are transferred to the first connection;
a minimum spacing between the second connection and the center point of the optically effective surface is at least 1.5 times greater than a minimum spacing between the first connection and the optically effective surface of the mirror; and
the apparatus is a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein:
the first material comprises titanium-doped quartz glass or Zerodur; and
the second material comprises cordierite, Zerodur or amorphous quartz glass.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising a decoupling element between the supporting structure and the mirror body.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the apparatus has a wafer exposure zone;
the second connection is in a region which is spaced a first distance from the wafer exposure zone;
the optically effective surface of the mirror is spaced a second distance from the wafer exposure zone; and
the first distance is greater than the second distance.

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Smt Gmbh

Inventors

• Prochnau Jens
• Schaffer Dirk
• Wurmbrand Andreas
• Gellrich Bernhard
• Kern Markus

Classifications

• G03F7/7095 Primary

  Materials, e.g. materials for housing, stage or other support having particular properties, e.g. weight, strength, conductivity, thermal expansion coefficient · CPC title

• G02B5/0891

  Ultraviolet [UV] mirrors (apparatus for microlithography exposure G03F7/70; X-ray multilayer structures G21K1/06) · CPC title

• G03F7/70883 Primary

  of optical system · CPC title

• G03F7/709

  Vibration, e.g. vibration detection, compensation, suppression or isolation · CPC title

• G02B7/181

  with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation · CPC title