In one example, an apparatus includes an extreme ultraviolet illumination source and an illuminator. The extreme ultraviolet illumination source is arranged to generate a beam of extreme ultraviolet illumination to pattern a resist layer on a substrate. The illuminator is arranged to direct the beam of extreme ultraviolet illumination onto a surface of a photomask. In one example, the illuminator includes a field facet mirror and a pupil facet mirror. The field facet mirror includes a first plurality of facets arranged to split the beam of extreme ultraviolet illumination into a plurality of light channels. The pupil facet mirror includes a second plurality of facets arranged to direct the plurality of light channels onto the surface of the photomask. The distribution of the second plurality of facets is denser at a periphery of the pupil facet mirror than at a center of the pupil facet mirror.

A system for a projection exposure apparatus which comprises a first component, a second component, and a decoupling device configured to decouple the second component in more than one degree of freedom from mechanical excitations of the first component. The decoupling device comprises first decoupling elements which have a positive stiffness. The decoupling device also comprises second decoupling elements, which have a negative stiffness. The decoupling device further comprises a third component, which is arranged between the first and second components.

An optical assembly guides an output beam of a free electron laser to a downstream illumination-optical assembly of an EUV projection exposure apparatus. The optical assembly has first and a second GI mirrors, each with a structured reflection surface to be impinged upon by the output beam. A first angle of incidence on the first GI mirror is between one mrd and 10 mrad. A maximum first scattering angle is produced, amounting to between 50% and 100% of the first angle of incidence. A second angle of incidence on the second GI mirror is at least twice as large as the first angle of incidence. A maximum second scattering angle of the output beam amounts to between 30% and 100% of the second angle of incidence. The two planes of incidence on the two GI mirrors include an angle with respect to one another that is greater than 45.

An illumination optical unit for projection lithography illuminates an object field with illumination light along an illumination beam path. The arrangement of field facets of a field facet mirror and also of pupil facets of a pupil facet mirror is such that an illumination channel is guided over each of them. The field facet mirror images a light source image along in each case one illumination channel onto one of the pupil facets. The pupil facet mirror superimposedly images of the field facets into the object field. The illumination optical unit is designed for the settable specification of a spatial resolution of an illumination light illumination of an entrance pupil of a projection optical unit arranged downstream of the object field in the illumination light beam path. The result of this is an illumination optical unit with which illumination light can be used efficiently for high-contrast imaging of the structures to be projected.

An illumination optical unit for projection lithography serves to illuminate an object field along an illumination light beam path. The illumination optical unit includes an optical rod with end-side entrance and exit areas. The optical rod is designed in such a way that illumination light is mixed and homogenized at lateral walls of the optical rod by multiple instances of total internal reflection. An optical rod illumination specification element is disposed upstream of the optical rod in the illumination light beam path and serves to specify an illumination of the entrance area with a distribution, specified over the entrance area, of an illumination intensity and, simultaneously, an illumination angle distribution. The specified illumination intensity distribution deviates from a homogeneous distribution over the entrance area. This can result in an illumination optical unit including an optical rod, in which a specified illumination setting can be set with lower illumination light losses.

An ultraviolet (UV) light source is provided. The device uses a high-uniformity diode array. A lens unit of collimated illumination lenses is used. A light source of UV light-emitting diode (UVLED) array is formed and passes through the lens unit to uniformly distribute the light source and obtain a collimated light. The present invention comprises a light source of UVLED array; a collimated illumination lens unit; and a substrate. The construction is simple. The present invention can be applied in the lithography of a semiconductor. The lithography forms contact lines of widths not greater than 3 microns (m); soft-contact lines of widths of 330 m; and short-spaced lines of widths of 30200 m. The present invention avoids the mask from contact wear-out for multiple uses, and further reduces the replacement rate.

An illuminator includes a first facet mirror receiving and reflecting an exposure radiation, an adjustable shielding element disposed on the first facet mirror, the adjustable shielding element adjusting intensity uniformity of the exposure radiation reflected by the first facet mirror, and a second facet mirror receiving and reflecting the exposure radiation reflected by the first facet mirror.

One of gamma ray lithography systems includes a gamma ray generator and a wafer stage. The gamma ray generator is configured to generate a substantially uniform gamma ray. The gamma ray generator includes a plurality of gamma ray sources and a rotational carrier. The rotational carrier is configured to hold the gamma ray sources and rotate along a rotational axis. The wafer stage is disposed below the gamma ray generator and configured to secure a wafer.

An exposure device, an exposure method and a photolithography method are provided. The exposure device includes an exposure light source and an optical-path assembly, the optical-path assembly is configured to guide light emitted by the exposure light source to an exposing position, the optical-path assembly includes a light valve array, the light emitted by the exposure light source is able to be guided to the light valve array and then guided to the exposing position after the light is transmitted or reflected by the light valve array, the light valve array includes a plurality of light valve units, and optical transmittance or reflectivity of each of the light valve units is adjustable.

In an optical system for a projection exposure apparatus, the angle space of the illumination radiation of the projection optical unit at the reticle is twice as large in a first direction as the angle space of the illuminating radiation of the illuminating optical unit.