Illumination optical unit for EUV projection lithography guides illumination light to an object field. The illumination optical unit has a first facet mirror, which comprises a multiplicity of individual mirrors which can be switched between at least two tilt positions. A second facet mirror of the illumination optical unit is arranged downstream of the first facet mirror in the beam path of the illumination light. The second facet mirror has a plurality of facets, which respectively contribute to imaging a group of the individual mirrors of the first facet mirror into the object field via a group mirror illumination channel. The images of the groups are superposed on one another in the object field. At least some of the individual mirrors belong to at least two different groups of the individual mirror groups, which are respectively associated with a dedicated second facet via a dedicated group mirror illumination channel.

An illumination optical apparatus guides exposure light emitted from an exposure light source, to an illumination target object. The illumination optical apparatus has a plurality of spatial light modulation members arranged in an array form, and each spatial light modulation member is so configured that a plurality of reflecting optical elements each including a movable reflecting surface are arranged in an array form. At least one of the spatial light modulation members is arranged in an optical path of the light emitted from the light source.

An illumination optical apparatus guides exposure light emitted from an exposure light source, to an illumination target object. The illumination optical apparatus has a plurality of spatial light modulation members arranged in an array form, and each spatial light modulation member is so configured that a plurality of reflecting optical elements each including a movable reflecting surface are arranged in an array form. At least one of the spatial light modulation members is arranged in an optical path of the light emitted from the light source.

A raster arrangement includes at least one raster element of a first type and at least one raster element of a second type. Each raster element of the first type has a first bundle-influencing effect. Each raster element of the second type has a second bundle-influencing effect which is different from the first bundle-influencing effect. Each raster element of the first type is located in a first area of the raster arrangement. Each raster element of the second type is located in a second area of the raster arrangement which is different from the first area of the raster arrangement.

An illumination intensity correction device serves for predefining an illumination intensity over an illumination field of a lithographic projection exposure apparatus. The correction device has a plurality of bar-shaped individual stops arranged alongside one another and having bar axes arranged parallel to one another, which are arranged in a manner lined up alongside one another transversely with respect to the bar axes. The individual stops are displaceable into a predefined intensity correction displacement position at least along their respective bar axis with the aid of a displacement drive individually for the purpose of predefining an intensity correction of an illumination of the illumination field.

The present disclosure relates to lithographic apparatuses and processes, and more particularly to tools for optimizing illumination sources and masks for use in lithographic apparatuses and processes. According to certain aspects, the present disclosure significantly speeds up the convergence of the optimization by allowing direct computation of gradient of the cost function. According to other aspects, the present disclosure allows for simultaneous optimization of both source and mask, thereby significantly speeding the overall convergence. According to still further aspects, the present disclosure allows for free-form optimization, without the constraints required by conventional optimization techniques.

A lithography method comprises: providing a substrate with a target region; determining a topology of the substrate within the target region; determining a correcting telecentricity profile based on the topology of the substrate within the target region; providing a radiation beam; and projecting the radiation beam onto the target region of the substrate so as to form an image on the substrate. The radiation beam is such that a net direction of the total radiation received by one or more points in the target region of the substrate is chosen in dependence on the determined correcting telecentricity. The correcting telecentricity profile is such that the net direction of the total radiation received by at least one point in the target region of the substrate is chosen so as to at least partially correct for an overlay error introduced by a curvature of a surface of the substrate at said point.

Projection exposure methods, systems, sub-systems and components are disclosed. Methods can include performing a first exposure to image a first sub-pattern of the pattern, where the first sub-pattern includes a plurality of first features extending in a first direction and spaced apart essentially periodically at a predominant periodicity length P in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first exposure can be performed using a multipolar illumination mode that includes at least one substantially dipolar intensity distribution having two illumination poles positioned on a pole orientation axis substantially parallel to the second direction and spaced apart from each other.

An illumination system of a micro-lithographic projection exposure apparatus is provided, which is configured to illuminate a mask positioned in a mask plane. The system includes a pupil shaping optical subsystem and illuminator optics that illuminate a beam deflecting component. For determining a property of the beam deflecting component, an intensity distribution in a system pupil surface of the illumination system is determined. Then the property of the beam deflecting component is determined such that the intensity distribution produced by the pupil shaping subsystem in the system pupil surface approximates the intensity distribution determined before. At least one of the following aberrations are taken into account in this determination: (i) an aberration produced by the illuminator optics; (ii) an aberration produced by the pupil shaping optical subsystem; (iii) an aberration produced by an optical element arranged between the system pupil surface and the mask plane.

A projection exposure method for exposing a radiation-sensitive substrate with at least one image of a pattern includes providing the pattern between an illumination system and a projection lens of a projection exposure apparatus so that the pattern is arranged in the region of an object plane of the projection lens and can be imaged via the projection lens into an image plane of the projection lens. The image plane is optically conjugate with respect to the object plane, and imaging-relevant properties of the pattern can be characterized by pattern data. The method also includes illuminating an illumination region of the pattern with an illumination radiation provided by the illumination system in accordance with an illumination setting which is specific to a use case and which can be characterized by illumination setting data.