Illumination device of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, and microlithographic projection exposure method

Abstract

Illumination devices of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, include a deflection device with which at least two light beams impinging on the deflection device can be variably deflected independently of one another by variation of the deflection angle in each case in such a way that each of the light beams can be directed onto at least one location in a pupil plane of the illumination device via at least two different beam paths; wherein, on the beam paths, at least one optical property of the respective light beam is influenced differently.

1 . An illumination device of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, comprising:
 a deflection device configured to variably deflect at least two light beams impinging on the deflection device independently of one another by variation of the deflection angle in each case in such a way that each of said light beams are directed onto at least one location in a pupil plane of the illumination device via at least two different beam paths,   wherein, on said beam paths, at least one optical property of the respective light beam is influenced differently relative to the beam paths.   
     
     
         2 . The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein each location in the pupil plane is illuminated by a respective light beam impinging on the deflection device, via at least two different beam paths. 
     
     
         3 . The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein different illumination settings are set in the pupil plane by sole variation of deflection angles produced by the deflection device. 
     
     
         4 . The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein a polarization-manipulating optical element is arranged in at least one of said beam paths. 
     
     
         5 . The illumination device of  claim 4 , wherein at least one polarization-manipulating optical element is an optical retarder or an optical rotator. 
     
     
         6 . The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the optical property that is influenced differently on said beam paths is the polarization state of the respective light beam. 
     
     
         7 . The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the optical property that is influenced differently on said beam paths is the intensity of the respective light beam. 
     
     
         8 . The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the optical property that is influenced differently on said beam paths is the wavelength of the respective light beam. 
     
     
         9 . The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the deflection device is a mirror arrangement having a plurality of mirror elements which can be adjusted independently of one another in order to alter an angle distribution of the light reflected by the mirror arrangement. 
     
     
         10 . The illumination device of  claim 9 , wherein the mirror elements can be adjusted in an angular range comprising at least the range of −2° to +2°. 
     
     
         11 . The illumination device of  claim 10 , wherein the mirror elements can be adjusted in an angular range comprising at least the range of −5° to +5°. 
     
     
         12 . The illumination device of  claim 11 , wherein the mirror elements can be adjusted in an angular range comprising at least the range of −10° to +10°. 
     
     
         13 . The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein the deflection device has an exchange device for exchanging a diffractive optical element. 
     
     
         14 . The illumination device of  claim 1 , further comprising a control device for driving the deflection device in a manner dependent on an operating state of the illumination device. 
     
     
         15 . The illumination device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the light beams are directed onto at least one location in a pupil plane of the illumination device via at least three different beam paths, wherein, on at least two of said beam paths, at least one optical property of the respective light beam is influenced differently relative to the beam paths. 
     
     
         16 . The illumination device of  claim 15 , wherein on all of the beam paths at least one optical property of the respective light beam is influenced differently relative to the beam paths. 
     
     
         17 . A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprising an illumination device and a projection objective, wherein the illumination device is the illumination device of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         18 . A microlithographic projection exposure method, comprising:
 illuminating an object plane of a projection objective with an illumination device; and   imaging the object plane into an image plane of the projection objective with the projection objective,   wherein during the illuminating, light beams impinging on a deflection device provided in the illumination device are deflected by a deflection angle that can be set in variable fashion, and   different illumination settings are set in a pupil plane of the illumination device by sole variation of deflection angles produced by the deflection device.   
     
     
         19 . A method for the microlithographic production of microstructured components, comprising:
 providing a substrate, to which a layer composed of a light-sensitive material is applied at least in part;   providing a mask having structures to be imaged;   providing the microlithographic projection exposure apparatus of  claim 17 ; and   projecting at least one part of the mask onto a region of the layer with the aid of the projection exposure apparatus.