A projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor technology includes an optical arrangement with an optical element having an optically effective surface. The optical arrangement also includes an actuator embedded in the optical element. The actuator is outside the optically effective surface and outside the region located behind the optically effective surface. The optical arrangement is set up to deform the optically effective surface.

An arrangement of a microlithographic optical imaging device includes first and second supporting structures. The first supporting structure supports at least one optical element of the imaging device via an active relative situation control device of a control device. The first supporting structure supports the second supporting structure via supporting spring devices of a vibration decoupling device. The supporting spring devices act kinematically parallel to one another. Each supporting spring device defines a supporting force direction and a supporting length along the supporting force direction. The second supporting structure supports a measuring device of the control device. The measuring device is connected to the relative situation control device. The measuring device outputs to the relative situation control device measurement information representative for the position and/or the orientation of the at least one optical element in relation to a reference in at least one degree of freedom in space.

Some implementations described herein provide an exposure tool. The exposure tool includes a reticle deformation detector and one or more processors configured to obtain, via the reticle deformation detector, reticle deformation information associated with a reticle during a scanning process for scanning multiple fields of a wafer. The one or more processors determine, based on the reticle deformation information, a deformation of the reticle at multiple times during the scanning process, and perform, based on the deformation of the reticle at the multiple times, one or more adjustments of one or more components of the exposure tool during the scanning process.

Disclosed is a projection system for a lithographic apparatus, comprising: a plurality of optical elements configured to direct a beam along a path, and a control system configured to receive an input signal indicative of a deformation of a first optical element of the plurality of optical elements. The plurality of optical elements may be configured to position the beam onto an object arranged on an object support, and a pattern may be imparted on the beam by a patterning device arranged on support structure. The control system is configured to generate an output signal for controlling a position of at least a second optical element of the plurality of optical elements, based on said input signal; and/or an output signal for controlling a position of said object support, based on said input signal; and/or an output signal for controlling a position of said support structure, based on said input signal.

A projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography having a projection optical unit. The projection optical unit includes a sensor frame, a carrying frame, and a module. The module includes an optical element and actuators for positioning and orienting the optical element. The module is on the carrying frame, and the sensor frame is a reference for the positioning of the optical element. The module includes an infrastructure which includes interfaces for separating a module from the projection optical unit. A method exchanges the module of a projection optical unit of a projection exposure apparatus for semiconductor lithography, wherein the module includes an optical element, while the reference remains in the projection exposure apparatus.

A method for determining a component of optical characteristic of a patterning process. The method includes obtaining (i) a plurality of desired features, (ii) a plurality of simulated features based on the plurality of desired features and an optical characteristic of a patterning apparatus, and (iii) a performance metric (e.g., EPE) related to a desired feature of the plurality of desired features and an associated simulated feature of the plurality of simulated features; determining a set of optical sensitivities of the patterning process by computing a change in value of the performance metric based on a change in value of the optical characteristic; and identifying, based on the set of optical sensitivities, a set of components (e.g., principal components) of the optical characteristic that include dominant contributors in changing the value of the performance metric.

An exposure apparatus includes an illumination optical system for illuminating an original including a periodic pattern, a projection optical system for forming an image of the original on a substrate, a controller configured to cause light from the illumination optical system to be obliquely incident on the original such that a light intensity distribution which is line-symmetric with respect to a line, passing through an origin of a pupil region of the projection optical system and orthogonal to a periodic direction of the periodic pattern, is formed in the pupil region by diffracted light beams including diffracted light of not lower than 2nd-order from the periodic pattern, and to control exposure of the substrate such that each point in a shot region of the substrate is exposed in not less than two focus states.

An exposing apparatus for exposing a substrate to transfer a pattern formed on an original to the substrate by using exposure light from a light source includes a projecting optical system configured to guide the exposure light having passed through the original to the substrate, a measuring unit configured to measure a position of the substrate in a first direction perpendicular to a substrate surface of the substrate by making measurement light incident on the substrate surface and to receive the measurement light reflected by the substrate surface, and a traveling direction setting means configured to set a traveling direction of first gas so as to supply the first gas toward a first space between the projecting optical system and the substrate from a first gas supplying mechanism, in which the first space is different from a second space through which the measurement light passes.

A projection exposure apparatus includes a light source, an illumination system, and a projection lens. A method for producing or setting the projection exposure apparatus includes determining a first imaging property to be optimized. Optimizing the first imaging property includes optimizing the setting of the illumination system and/or the structure of the mask and/or at least one first adjustable optical element of the projection lens with respect to the shape of one of its at least one optically effective surfaces or with respect to the optical effect for the purposes of setting an optimized wavefront of the working light. Optimizing the illumination system, mask and/or optical element of the projection lens is implemented so that a further manipulator of the projection exposure apparatus for manipulating the wavefront is set in the central position of its manipulation range during the optimization of the first imaging property.

Methods and apparatuses for aligning and diagnosing the laser beam traversing an optical train in a highly space-efficient, lower cost and/or retrofit-friendly manner are disclosed. The optical components of the optical train are mounted such that one or more optical components can direct their exit laser beam to partially or wholly scan across one or more downstream sensors. Correlation data between physical disposition of optical components and the points of impact data and/or beam quality data are employed to, among others, align and/or diagnose the laser beam and/or localize failure sites and/or optimize maintenance schedule.