An illumination optical unit for EUV projection lithography illuminates an object field with illumination light. The illumination optical unit has a first facet mirror including a plurality of first facets on a first mirror carrier. Disposed downstream of the first facet mirror is a second facet mirror including a plurality of second facets arranged on a second mirror carrier around a facet arrangement center. Partial beams of the illumination light are guided superposed on one another into the object field, respectively via illumination channels which have one of the first facets and one of the second facets. Second maximum angle facets are arranged at the edge of the second mirror carrier. The second maximum angle facets predetermine maximum illumination angles of the illumination light which deviate maximally from a chief ray incidence on the object field.

An optical unit, in particular a facet mirror unit, includes an optical element and a supporting device. The optical element has an optical surface, in particular an elongate optical surface, which defines a plane of main extension and a direction of main extension in the plane of main extension. The supporting device includes a supporting unit and an actuator unit. The actuator unit is configured for tilting the optical surface, in that a tilting moment is exerted on the optical element by way of the actuator unit. The tilting moment runs in an inclined manner in relation to the plane of main extension. The supporting unit is configured to predefine a tilting axis for the optical surface that lies substantially in the plane of main extension of the optical surface when there is tilting of the optical surface by the tilting moment of the actuator unit.

A mirror assembly (32) for directing a beam (28) includes a base (450), and an optical element (454) that includes (i) a mirror (460), (ii) a stage (462) that retains the mirror (460), (iii) a mover assembly (464) that moves the stage (462) and the mirror (460) relative to the base (450), and (v) a thermally conductive medium (466) that is positioned between the stage (462) and the base (450) to transfer heat between the stage (462) and the base (450). The thermally conductive medium (466) has a thermal conductivity that is greater than the thermal conductivity of air. The thermally conductive medium (466) can include an ionic fluid or a liquid metal.

An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light uniformity control apparatus includes a plurality of nano thin-films each having a band shape extending in a first direction that is a scanning direction of EUV exposure equipment and linearly arranged under a reticle of the EUV exposure equipment in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. The apparatus further includes thin film mounts fixing the nano thin-films on both sides in the first direction, and a thin film control device connected to the thin film mounts and controlling the nano thin-films. EUV light from the EUV exposure equipment is projected onto a wafer that is an exposure target, after passing through the nano thin-films twice by being incident to and reflected from the reticle, and the EUV light projected on the wafer is uniformly adjusted by using the thin film control device.

An optical apparatus, which illuminates a first area with light from a light source while the first area is longer in a second direction intersecting a first direction than in the first direction, includes a collector optical member which is arranged in an optical path between the light source and the first area, and condenses the light from the light source to form a second area in a predetermined plane, the second area being longer in a fourth direction intersecting a third direction than in the third direction; and a first fly's eye optical member which is provided within the predetermined plane including the second area, and has a plurality of first optical elements guiding the light of the collector optical member to the first area.

An illumination optical system includes a fly's-eye lens having a back focal plane arranged on a pupil plane of the illumination optical system or in a vicinity of the pupil plane; a first spatial light modulator which is arranged on an incident side of the fly's-eye lens and which includes a plurality of first mirror elements; a first optical system arranged in an optical path between the first spatial light modulator and the fly's-eye lens; a second spatial light modulator arranged in an optical path between the first optical system and the fly's-eye lens and which includes a plurality of second mirror elements; and a polarizing element arranged in the optical path between the first spatial light modulator and the fly's-eye lens.

A component for a mirror array for EUV lithography, particularly for use in faceted mirrors in illumination systems of EUV lithography devices. A component (500) for a mirror array for EUV lithography is proposed which is at least partially made from a composite material including matrix material (502) that contains copper and/or aluminium, and reinforcing material in the form of fibers (504). The composite material also includes particles (508) that consist of one or more of the materials from the group: graphite, adamantine carbon, and ceramic.

An optical apparatus, which illuminates a first area with light from a light source while the first area is longer in a second direction intersecting a first direction than in the first direction, includes a collector optical member which is arranged in an optical path between the light source and the first area, and condenses the light from the light source to form a second area in a predetermined plane, the second area being longer in a fourth direction intersecting a third direction than in the third direction; and a first fly's eye optical member which is provided within the predetermined plane including the second area, and has a plurality of first optical elements guiding the light of the collector optical member to the first area.

System and method for monitoring of performance of a mirror array of a digital scanner with a use of a lateral shearing interferometer (operated in either static or a phase-shifting condition) to either simply identify problematic pixels for further troubleshooting or measure the exact magnitude of the mirror's deformation.

A sensor device for capturing the displacement position of an optical component includes a plurality of stator electrodes and a mechanism or restricting the electric field that is relevant to the measurement of the displacement position to the region of the stator electrodes