Systems and methods for preventing high-radiant-flux light, such as laser light or a nuclear flash, from causing harm to imaging devices, such as a camera or telescope. In response to detection of high-radiant-flux light, the proposed systems have the feature in common that a shutter is closed sufficiently fast that light from the source will be blocked from reaching the image sensor of the imaging device. Some of the proposed systems include a folded optical path to increase the allowable reaction time to close the shutter.

The invention relates to an optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, in particular for operation in the EUV, comprising a mirror arrangement composed of a plurality of mutually independently adjustable mirror elements, and at least one polarization-influencing arrangement arranged upstream of the mirror arrangement relative to the light propagation direction, wherein the polarization-influencing arrangement has a group of first reflection surfaces and a group of second reflection surfaces, wherein the first reflection surfaces are tiltable independently of one another, and wherein, during the operation of the optical system, light reflected at respectively one of the first reflection surfaces can be directed onto the mirror arrangement via respectively a different one of the second reflection surfaces depending on the tilting of the first reflection surface.

The invention relates to an optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, in particular for operation in the EUV, comprising a mirror arrangement composed of a plurality of mutually independently adjustable mirror elements, and at least one polarization-influencing arrangement arranged upstream of the mirror arrangement relative to the light propagation direction, wherein the polarization-influencing arrangement has a group of first reflection surfaces and a group of second reflection surfaces, wherein the first reflection surfaces are tiltable independently of one another, and wherein, during the operation of the optical system, light reflected at respectively one of the first reflection surfaces can be directed onto the mirror arrangement via respectively a different one of the second reflection surfaces depending on the tilting of the first reflection surface.

A method includes measuring properties of a three-dimensional topography of a lithographic patterning device, the patterning device including a pattern and being constructed and arranged to produce a pattern in a cross section of a projection beam of radiation in a lithographic projection system, calculating wavefront phase effects resulting from the measured properties, incorporating the calculated wavefront phase effects into a lithographic model of the lithographic projection system, and determining, based on the lithographic model incorporating the calculated wavefront phase effects, parameters for use in an imaging operation using the lithographic projection system.

Beam guiding devices for guiding a laser beam, in particular in a direction towards a target region for producing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation, include an adjustment device for adjusting a beam diameter and an aperture angle of the laser beam. The adjustment device includes a first mirror having a first curved reflecting surface, a second mirror having a second curved reflecting surface, a third mirror having a third curved reflecting surface, a fourth mirror having a fourth curved reflecting surface, and a movement device configured to adjust the beam diameter and the aperture angle of the laser beam by moving the first reflecting surface and the fourth reflecting surface relative to one another and, independently thereof, moving the second reflecting surface and the third reflecting surface together relative to the first reflecting surface and the fourth reflecting surface.

A freeform surface off-axial three-mirror imaging system comprising a primary mirror, a secondary mirror, a tertiary mirror, and a detector. The secondary mirror comprises a first freeform surface and a second freeform surface. Each reflective surface of the primary mirror, the first freeform surface, the second freeform surface and the tertiary mirror is an xy polynomial freeform surface. The freeform surface off-axial three-mirror imaging system comprises a first field of view formed by the first freeform surface and a second field of view formed by the second freeform surface.

An imaging optical system includes a primary reflecting mirror, a secondary reflecting mirror, a tertiary reflecting mirror, and an aperture stop. The imaging optical system has a field of view, a focal length of the field of view that is defined as FFL, and an effective aperture of a field of view entrance pupil that is defined as FEPD. The FFL and the FEPD at a central field of view are greater than that at the edge field of views, and the FFL and the FEPD change continuously.

The invention relates to a projector module. In particular, the invention relates to a projector module for the use in mobile devices, wherein a most compact, stable and reliable module structure with high module efficiency can be achieved. A projector module according to the invention comprises a beam path with a laser source, designed to emit coherent electromagnetic radiation with a divergent beam profile; a collection optics, designed to collimate or focus the divergent radiation emitted by the laser source convergently into an image plane; and a diffractive optical element, DOE, designed to generate a projection pattern from the radiation collimated or focused by the collection optics; wherein a deflector, designed to deflect the divergent radiation emitted by the laser source from a first direction into a second direction deviating from the first direction, is arranged in front of the collection optics or is designed as a collection optics.

An optical assembly is manufactured by combining a first optical component with a second optical component. The optical components each comprise respective optical surfaces and alignment structures. The first optical surface is aligned with respect to the second optical surface by a connection between the alignment structures and their predefined relative positions with respect to the optical surfaces. The relative positions are determined by a high-accuracy manufacturing process such as diamond turning wherein, for each optical component, a respective alignment structure is manufactured together with a respect optical surface from a single work piece.

A freeform surface off-axis three-mirror optical system comprises a primary mirror, a secondary mirror, a tertiary mirror, an aperture stop located on the secondary mirror, and an image surface. An incident light beam emitted from an object irradiates and is reflected on the primary mirror to form a first reflected light beam. The first reflected light beam irradiates and is reflected on the secondary mirror to form a second reflected light beam. The second reflected light beam passes through the incident light beam, and then irradiates and is reflected on the tertiary mirror to form a third reflected light beam. The third reflected light beam passes through the incident light beam and does not pass through the secondary mirror, and finally reaches the image surface for imaging. A reflective surface of each of the primary mirror, the secondary mirror, and the tertiary mirror is an xy polynomial freeform surface.