Optical module for guiding a radiation beam

Abstract

An optical module is used to guide an EUV radiation beam. The optical module has a chamber that can be evacuated and at least one mirror accommodated in the chamber. The mirror has a plurality of individual mirrors, the reflection faces of which complement one another to form an overall mirror reflection face. A support structure is in each case mechanically connected via a thermally conductive portion to a mirror body of the respective individual mirror. At least some of the mirror bodies have an associated actuator for the predetermined displacement of the mirror body relative to the support structure in at least one degree of freedom. The thermally conductive portions are configured to dissipate a thermal power density of at least 1 kW/m 2 absorbed by the mirror bodies to the support structure. In one aspect of the optical module, an integrated electronic displacement circuit is associated with each of the displaceable individual mirrors in spatial proximity, and a central control device has a signal connection with the integrated electronic displacement circuits of the displaceable individual mirrors. The result is an optical module, with which an illumination optical system can be constructed, which, even with a non-negligible thermal load on the individual mirrors, ensures a high EUV radiation throughput.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An optical module, comprising:
 a mirror, comprising a plurality of individual mirrors, each individual mirror comprising:
 a mirror body including a reflection face; 
 a support structure; and 
 a thermally conductive portion that mechanically connects the support structure to the mirror body; 
   a plurality of integrated electronic displacement circuits; and   a control device having a signal connection with the integrated electronic displacement circuits;   wherein:
 each mirror has an integrated electronic displacement circuit associated therewith and in spatial proximity thereto; 
 for at least one individual mirror, an actuator is associated with the mirror body, the actuator being configured to displace the mirror body relative to the support structure in at least one degree of freedom; 
 the reflection faces complement each other to provide an overall mirror reflection face; and 
 the optical module is configured to guide a radiation beam. 
   
     
     
         2 . The optical module of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of integrated electronic displacement circuits are configured to be cascaded. 
     
     
         3 . The optical module of  claim 1 , further comprising a displacement activation circuit board accommodating the integrated electronic displacement circuits, wherein the displacement activation circuit board is arranged on a side of the individual mirrors opposing the reflection faces. 
     
     
         4 . The optical module of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a Lorentz actuator, and the integrated electronic displacement circuit of the Lorentz actuator is activated by protective extra-low voltage. 
     
     
         5 . The optical module of  claim 1 , wherein control lines are configured to activate the integrated electronic displacement circuits, the control lines are guided parallel to earth lines, and one of the control lines is directly adjacent to one of the earth lines. 
     
     
         6 . The optical module of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of individual coils adjacent to each of the integrated electronic supply circuits, wherein the plurality of individual coils are part of the actuator, and an integrated electronic displacement circuit has a signal connection with these individual coils. 
     
     
         7 . The optical module of  claim 1 , wherein the displacement activation circuit board comprises conductive layers separated from one another by insulating layers. 
     
     
         8 . The optical module of  claim 1 , wherein the displacement activation board comprises a substrate layer comprising a ceramic and/or silicon material. 
     
     
         9 . The optical module of  claim 3 , further comprising a heat sink on the side of the displacement activation circuit board opposing the individual mirrors. 
     
     
         10 . The optical module of  claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of heat sink fingers that extend from the heat sink through the displacement activation circuit board and into a region of the integrated electronic displacement circuits. 
     
     
         11 . The optical module of  claim 4 , wherein the Lorentz actuator comprises a permanent magnet. 
     
     
         12 . The optical module of  claim 1 , wherein each integrated electronic displacement circuit is associated with a group of individual mirrors. 
     
     
         13 . The optical module of  claim 1 , wherein the optical module is divided into a plurality of individual arrays, and each individual array comprises individual mirrors arranged line-wise and column-wise. 
     
     
         14 . The optical module of  claim 1 , wherein for each of the plurality of individual mirrors:
 an actuator is associated with the mirror body; and   the actuator is configured to displace the mirror body relative to the support structure in at least one degree of freedom.   
     
     
         15 . An illumination system, comprising:
 an optical module according to  claim 1 ,   wherein the illumination system is microlithography illumination system.   
     
     
         16 . A system, comprising:
 an illumination system comprising an optical module according to  claim 1 ; and   a projection optical system,   wherein the system is a microlithography projection exposure system.   
     
     
         17 . A method, comprising:
 using a microlithography projection exposure system to project at least a part of a reticle onto a region of a layer of a wafer,   wherein the method is used to produce structured components, and the microlithography illumination system comprises:
 an illumination system comprising an optical module according to  claim 1 ; and 
 a projection optical system. 
   
     
     
         18 . An optical module, comprising:
 a chamber capable of being evacuated; and   a mirror in the chamber, the mirror comprising a plurality of individual mirrors, each individual mirror comprising:
 a mirror body including a reflection face; 
 a support structure; and 
 a thermally conductive portion that mechanically connects the support structure to the mirror body, the thermally conductive portion being configured to dissipate a thermal power density of at least 1 kW/m 2  from the mirror body to the support structure, 
   wherein:
 for at least one individual mirror, an actuator is associated with the mirror body, the actuator being configured to displace the mirror body relative to the support structure in at least one degree of freedom; 
 the reflection faces complement each other to provide an overall mirror reflection face; and 
 the optical module is configured to guide a radiation beam. 
   
     
     
         19 . An optical module, comprising:
 a chamber capable of being evacuated; and   a mirror in the chamber, the mirror comprising a plurality of individual mirrors, each individual mirror comprising:
 a mirror body including a reflection face; 
 a support structure; and 
 a thermally conductive portion that mechanically connects the support structure to the mirror body, 
   wherein:
 for at least one individual mirror, the thermally conductive portion comprises a plurality of thermally conductive strips, adjacent thermally conductive strips being separated from each other, and each of the plurality of thermally conductive strips connecting the mirror body to the support structure; 
 for at least one individual mirror, an actuator is associated with the mirror body, the actuator being configured to displace the mirror body relative to the support structure in at least one degree of freedom; 
 the reflection faces complement each other to provide an overall mirror reflection face; and 
 the optical module is configured to guide a radiation beam. 
   
     
     
         20 . A method of controlling an optical module comprising a plurality of individual mirrors arranged line-wise and column-wise, the individual mirrors being displaceable, the individual mirrors having respective associated integrated electronic displacement circuits, the method comprising:
 specifying an individual mirror column to be activated; and   after specifying the individual mirror column to be activated, transferring control values to the electronic displacement circuits associated with the individual mirror column.