Microlithographic projection exposure apparatus

摘要

The disclosure relates to a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, as well as related components, methods and articles made by the methods. The microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes an illumination system and a projection objective. The illumination system can illuminate a mask arranged in an object plane of the projection objective. The mask can have structures which are to be imaged. The method can include illuminating a pupil plane of the illumination system with light. The method can also include modifying, in a plane of the projection objective, the phase, amplitude and/or polarization of the light passing through that plane. The modification can be effected for at least two diffraction orders in mutually different ways. A mask-induced loss in image contrast obtained in the imaging of the structures can be reduced compared to a method without the modification.

主权项

1. An apparatus, comprising:
an illumination system; and a projection objective comprising an optical filter configured so that, during use of the apparatus, the optical filter manipulates light passing through the optical filter, a positional dependency of the manipulation of the light caused by the optical filter being described by the equation:
M(x,y)=M(−x,−y) wherein:
x and y denote positional coordinates in a plane of the projection objective;M is a parameter characteristic of the light passing through the optical filter;during use of the apparatus, at least two diffraction orders of the light are influenced by the optical filter in ways different from each other with respect to a polarization; andthe apparatus is a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus.