A multifunction UV or DUV (ultraviolet/deep-ultraviolet) lithography system uses a modified Schwarzschild flat-image projection system to achieve diffraction-limited, distortion-free and double-telecentric imaging over a large image field at high numerical aperture. A back-surface primary mirror enables wide-field imaging without large obscuration loss, and additional lens elements enable diffraction-limited and substantially distortion-free, double-telecentric imaging. The system can perform maskless lithography (either source-modulated or spatially-modulated), mask-projection lithography (either conventional imaging or holographic), mask writing, wafer writing, and patterning of large periodic or aperiodic structures such as microlens arrays and spatial light modulators, with accurate field stitching to cover large areas exceeding the image field size.

An imaging optical unit for EUV microlithography is configured so that, when used in an optical system for EUV microlithography, relatively high EUV throughput and high imaging quality can achieved.

A method of operating an optical component having a mirror element, a substrate for carrying the mirror element, an actuator device for tilting the mirror element about one or two tilt axes, having a plurality of active actuator electrodes and one or more passive actuator electrodes, and a sensor device having a sensor electrode structure for detecting a tilt angle of the mirror element based on changes in capacitance, having a plurality of active sensor electrodes and a plurality of passive sensor electrodes, wherein the method comprises: generating a first voltage between a first portion of the active actuator electrodes and the passive actuator electrodes; and generating a second voltage between a second portion of the active actuator electrodes and the passive actuator electrodes. A respective potential different from a reference potential is applied to the one or more passive actuator electrodes by a voltage source with the reference potential.

A projection optical unit for microlithography includes a plurality of mirrors and has a numerical aperture having a value larger than 0.5. The plurality of mirrors includes at least three grazing incidence mirrors, which deflect a chief ray of a central object field point with an angle of incidence of greater than 45°. Different polarized light beams passing the projection optical unit are rotated in their polarization direction by different angles of rotation. The projection optical unit includes first and second groups of mirrors. The second group of mirrors includes the final two mirrors of the plurality of mirrors at the image side. A linear portion in the pupil dependence of the total geometrical polarization rotation of the projection optical unit is less than 20% of a linear portion in the pupil dependence of the geometrical polarization rotation of the second group of mirrors.

A system includes a plate configured for mounting of a reflective extreme ultra-violet (EUV) mask thereon and a zone plate configured to divide EUV light into zero-order light and first-order light and to pass the zero-order light and the first-order light to the reflective EUV mask. The system further includes a detector configured to receive EUV light reflected by the EUV mask and including a zero-order light detection region configured to generate a first image signal and a first-order light detection region configured to generate a second image signal, and a calculator configured to generate a compensated third image signal from the first image signal and the second image signal. The third image signal may be used to determine a distance between mask patterns of the EUV mask.

A catoptric system having a reference axis and including a reflective pattern-source (carrying a substantially one-dimensional pattern) and a combination of two optical reflectors disposed sequentially to transfer EUV radiation incident onto the first optical component to the pattern-source the substantially one-dimensional pattern of which is disposed in a curved surface. In one case, such combination includes only two optical reflectors (each may contain multiple constituent components). The combination is disposed in a fixed spatial and optical relationship with respect to the pattern-source, and represents an illumination unit (IU) of a 1D EUV exposure tool that additionally includes a projection optical sub-system configured to form an optical image of the pattern-source on an image plane with the use of only two beams of radiation. These only two beams of radiation originate at the pattern-source from the EUV radiation transferred onto the pattern-source.

An optical system transfers original structure portions (13) of a lithography mask (10), which have an x/y-aspect ratio of greater than 4:1, and are aligned on the lithography mask, separated respectively by separating portions (14) that carry no structures to be imaged. The optical system transfers the original structure portions onto image portions (31) of a substrate (26). Each of the original structure portions is transferred to a separate image portion. The image portions onto which the original structure portions are transferred are arranged in a line next to one another. An associated projection optical unit may have an anamorphic embodiment with different imaging scales for two mutually perpendicular field coordinates specifically, one that is reducing for one of the field coordinates and the other is magnifying for the other field coordinates.

A system includes a plate configured for mounting of a reflective extreme ultra-violet (EUV) mask thereon and a zone plate configured to divide EUV light into zero-order light and first-order light and to pass the zero-order light and the first-order light to the reflective EUV mask. The system further includes a detector configured to receive EUV light reflected by the EUV mask and including a zero-order light detection region configured to generate a first image signal and a first-order light detection region configured to generate a second image signal, and a calculator configured to generate a compensated third image signal from the first image signal and the second image signal. The third image signal may be used to determine a distance between mask patterns of the EUV mask.

An imaging optical unit includes a plurality of mirrors to guide imaging light along an imaging beam path. The plurality of mirrors includes a number of mirrors for grazing incidence (GI mirrors), which deflect a chief ray of a central object field point with an angle of incidence of more than 45°. At least two of the GI mirrors are in the imaging beam path as basic GI mirrors so that the deflection effect thereof adds up for the chief ray. At least one further GI mirror is arranged in the imaging beam path as a counter GI mirror so that the deflection effect thereof acts in subtractive fashion for the chief ray in relation to the deflection effect of the basic GI mirrors. This can yield an imaging optical unit having enhanced flexibility in relation to an installation space used for mirror bodies of the mirrors of the imaging optical unit.

When producing a mirror as an optical component for an optical system of a projection exposure apparatus for projection lithography, first, an average value of a global gravitational acceleration is determined. Next, a gravitational acceleration difference between the gravitational acceleration at the production location and the gravitational acceleration average value is determined. After a determination of a target surface shape of a reflection surface of the mirror, a mirror substrate is machined at the production location taking into consideration the gravitational acceleration difference in a manner such that, under the influence of the gravitational acceleration average value, a current surface shape of the reflection surface of the mirror substrate does not deviate from the target surface shape by more than a prescribed figure tolerance value (P.sub.max). The result is an optical element with a relatively small figure at a use location of the mirror.