Claims
- 1-27. (Cancelled).
- 28. Previously Presented A projection exposure system defining an optical axis and comprising:
an illuminating unit mounted on said optical axis for transmitting a light beam along said optical axis; a projection objective arranged on said optical axis downstream of said illuminating unit; a mask held in the beam path of said light beam between said illuminating unit and said projection objective; a substrate holder for holding a substrate in said beam path downstream of said projection objective; and, said projection objective defining a maximum lens diameter and including: a plurality of lenses defining an object plane and an image plane; at least two of said lenses having respective mutually adjacent lens surfaces which are aspheric to define a double asphere; said double asphere being mounted at a distance from said image plane corresponding at least to said maximum lens diameter; the lenses of said double asphere defining a mean lens diameter; and, said mutually adjacent lens surfaces being mounted at a spacing from each other which is less than half of said mean lens diameter.
- 29. A method of making a microstructured component utilizing a projection exposure system including an illuminating unit mounted on said optical axis for transmitting a light beam along said optical axis; a projection objective arranged on said optical axis downstream of said illuminating unit; a mask held in the beam path of said light beam between said illuminating unit and said projection objective and said mask holding a pattern; a substrate holder for holding a substrate in said beam path downstream of said projection objective; and, said projection objective defining a maximum lens diameter and including: a plurality of lenses defining an object plane and an image plane; at least two of said lenses having respective mutually adjacent lens surfaces which are aspheric to define a double asphere; said double asphere being mounted at a distance from said image plane corresponding at least to said maximum lens diameter; the lenses of said double asphere defining a mean lens diameter; and, said mutually adjacent lens surfaces being mounted at a spacing from each other which is less than half of said mean lens diameter, the method comprising the steps of:
providing said substrate as a substrate having a light-sensitive layer thereon; holding said substrate in said beam path exposing said light-sensitive layer with ultraviolet laser light from said illuminating unit; and, developing the exposed light-sensitive layer to structure said substrate to have said pattern of said mask.
- 30. A refractive projection objective comprising:
two lens groups of negative refractive power; at least one of said lens groups of negative refractive power including only two lenses of negative refractive power; the other one of said lens groups of negative refractive power having maximally two lenses of negative refractive power; and, said lens groups defining at least two constrictions and an aspheric lens surface is arranged in the second constriction.
- 31. The refractive projection objective of claim 30, further comprising a lens group of positive refractive power including at least one lens having an aspheric surface; and, a diaphragm mounted in said lens group of positive refractive power.
- 32. The refractive projection objective of claim 30, further comprising at least two lenses having respective mutually adjacent lens surfaces which are aspheric to define a double asphere.
- 33. The refractive projection objective of claim 30, wherein said refractive projection objective defines a maximum lens diameter and said refractive projection objective further comprises:
a plurality of lenses defining an object plane and an image plane; at least two of said lenses having respective mutually adjacent lens surfaces which are aspheric to define a double asphere; said double asphere being mounted at a distance from said image plane corresponding at least to said maximum lens diameter; the lenses of said double asphere defining a mean lens diameter; and, said mutually adjacent lens surfaces being mounted at a spacing from each other which is less than half of said mean lens diameter.
- 34. The projection objective of claim 33, wherein said plurality of lenses defines at least two constrictions.
- 35. The projection objective of claim 33, comprising at least two of said double aspheres and said spacings thereof being equidistant.
- 36. The projection objective of claim 33, wherein the radii of the best-fitting spherical lens surfaces of one of said double aspheres differ from one another by less than 30%.
- 37. The projection objective of claim 33, wherein the apex radii of the best-fitting spherical lens surfaces of a double asphere, which are assigned to the respective aspheric lens surfaces, differ from one another by less than 30%.
- 38. The projection objective of claim 33, wherein the diameters of the first thirteen lens surfaces hardly differ from each other, preferably by less than 10%.
- 39. The projection objective of claim 33, wherein a numerical aperture of at least 0.8 is made available by the double asphere.
- 40. The projection objective of claim 33, wherein a numerical aperture of at least 0.9 is made available by the double asphere.
- 41. The projection objective of claim 33, wherein two mutually adjacent lens surfaces define an intermediate space chargeable with a fluid.
- 42. The projection objective of claim 33, wherein at least 40% of the lenses are spherical.
- 43. The projection objective of claim 33, wherein at least 60% of the lenses are spherical.
- 44. A projection objective defining a maximum lens diameter and including:
a plurality of lenses defining an object plane and an image plane; at least two of said lenses having respective mutually adjacent lens surfaces which are aspheric to define a double asphere; said double asphere being mounted at a distance from said image plane corresponding at least to said maximum lens diameter; the lenses of said double asphere defining a mean lens diameter; said mutually adjacent lens surfaces being mounted at a spacing from each other which is less than half of said mean lens diameter; and, said projection objective being a refractive projection objective defining a maximum lens diameter and including: at least five lens groups having lenses defining lens surfaces and defining an object plane and an image plane; at least two of said lenses having respective mutually adjacent lens surfaces which are aspheric to define a double asphere; and, said double asphere being mounted from said image plane at a distance of at least said maximum lens diameter.
- 45. The refractive projection objective of claim 44, wherein said plurality of lenses defines at least two constrictions.
- 46. The refractive projection objective of claim 44, wherein the aspheric surfaces are arranged on different lenses.
- 47. The refractive projection objective of claim 45, wherein all aspheric are mounted ahead of the first constriction.
- 48. The refractive projection objective of claim 44, comprising two of said double aspheres and the mutually adjacent lens surfaces of each double asphere are mounted at a spacing from each other of at most their mean half lens 5 diameter measured from the optical axis.
- 49. The refractive projection objective of claim 48, wherein the mutually adjacent aspheric lens surfaces of each of said aspheres defines an air gap measured on the optical axis of a maximum of 20% of the mean radius of the corresponding asphere.
- 50. The refractive projection objective of claim 44, wherein a numerical aperture of at least 0.8 is made available by the double asphere.
- 51. The refractive projection objective of claim 44, wherein a numerical aperture of at least 0.9 is made available by the double asphere.
- 52. The refractive projection objective of claim 44, wherein two mutually adjacent lens surfaces define an intermediate space chargeable with a fluid.
- 53. The refractive projection objective of claim 44, wherein at least 40% of the lenses are spherical.
- 54. The refractive projection objective of claim 44, wherein at least 60% of the lenses are spherical.
- 55. A projection objective defining a maximum lens diameter and including:
a plurality of lenses defining an object plane and an image plane; at least two of said lenses having respective mutually adjacent lens surfaces which are aspheric to define a double asphere; said double asphere being mounted at a distance from said image plane corresponding at least to said maximum lens diameter; the lenses of said double asphere defining a mean lens diameter; said mutually adjacent lens surfaces being mounted at a spacing from each other which is less than half of said mean lens diameter; and, said projection objective being a refractive projection objective including: two lens groups of negative refractive power; and, at least one of said lens groups of negative refractive power including only two lenses of negative refractive power.
- 56. The refractive projection objective of claim 55, wherein the other one of said lens groups of negative refractive power has maximally two lenses of negative refractive power.
- 57. The refractive projection objective of claim 56, wherein said lens groups define at least two constrictions and an aspheric lens surface is arranged in the second constriction.
- 58. The refractive projection objective of claim 56, further comprising a lens group of positive refractive power including at least one lens having an aspheric surface; and, a diaphragm mounted in said lens group of positive refractive power.
- 59. The refractive projection objective of claim 55, further comprising at least two lenses having respective mutually adjacent lens surfaces which are aspheric to define a double asphere.
Priority Claims (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
100 02 626.5 |
Jan 2000 |
DE |
|
100 21 739.7 |
May 2000 |
DE |
|
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation application of International patent application PCT/EP 00/13148, filed Dec. 22, 2000, and claiming priority of U.S. provisional application 60/173,523, filed Dec. 29, 1999, and German applications 100 02 626.5 and 100 21 735.7, filed Jan. 22, 2000 and May 4, 2000, respectively.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60173523 |
Dec 1999 |
US |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10177580 |
Jun 2002 |
US |
Child |
10702501 |
Nov 2003 |
US |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
PCT/EP00/13148 |
Dec 2000 |
US |
Child |
10177580 |
Jun 2002 |
US |