Electromechanical element, mirror, mirror arrangement and method for producing same

Abstract

The invention relates to an electromechanical component comprising an electromechanical arrangement and a protective layer. The electromechanical element is characterized in that a protective layer is at least partially applied to the at least one surface and / or at least partially applied in the at least one cavity. The invention also relates to a separate mirror for reflecting DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation, comprising an electromechanical element according to the invention and a reflective coating, the reflective coating being at least partially applied to a surface. The invention also relates to a micromirror array having at least two individual mirrors according to the invention. The invention also relates to a facet mirror having at least two micromirror arrays according to the invention. The invention also relates to a semiconductor technology system comprising at least one facet mirror according to the invention. The invention further relates to a method for producing the electromechanical element according to the invention and to a method for producing the individual mirror according to the invention.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electromechanical component comprising an electromechanical arrangement and a protective layer. The electromechanical component is characterized in that the protective layer is at least partially applied to at least one surface and / or at least partially applied within at least one cavity. The present invention also relates to an individual reflector, in particular an individual reflector for reflecting DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation, comprising an electromechanical component according to the invention and a reflective coating, wherein the reflective coating is applied to the surface of the protective layer or to the surface of the electromechanical arrangement. The present invention also relates to a micromirror array having at least two individual reflectors according to the invention. The present invention further relates to a facet reflector having at least two micromirror arrays according to the invention. In addition, the present invention relates to a semiconductor technology device comprising at least one facet reflector according to the invention. In addition, the present invention relates to a method for producing an electromechanical component according to the invention and furthermore to a method for producing an individual reflector according to the invention.

[0002] The contents of the following patent applications are incorporated herein by reference:

[0003] DE 10 2020 208 665、DE 102008009600 A1 Background Art

[0004] In semiconductor lithography, microstructured and nanostructured components are produced as integrated circuits, where the structural features are defined by irradiating a substrate with a directed radiation source, for example, using light. For this purpose, projection exposure systems are typically used, which comprise, among other things, a radiation source, an illumination system, a photomask (referred to as a reticle), and a projection system. These partial systems of a projection exposure system each consist of separate optical units that, starting from the radiation source, first transmit the radiation used for lithography via the illumination system to the photomask. From there, the projection system generates a corresponding image of the photomask on a photosensitive layer of the substrate. Typically, the photosensitive layer is a photoresist, and the substrate is a silicon wafer.

[0005] To produce the smallest possible structures on substrates using microlithography in projection exposure systems, systems using extremely short-wavelength light from the so-called extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelength range, with wavelengths between 0.1 nm and 30 nm (particularly 13.5 nm), as radiation have been used for several years. Due to the intrinsic absorption of radiation by matter in this wavelength range, the use of transmissive optical elements in the beam path of projection exposure systems, which consist of multiple elements, is not possible with this radiation. Therefore, with EUV radiation, only reflective optical elements, such as mirrors, are used. To continuously reduce the feature size of integrated circuits, projection exposure systems using optical elements with large numerical apertures (high NA) or very large numerical apertures (super NA) have recently been proposed. As the numerical aperture increases, the surface area of ​​the optical elements required and used to reflect the radiation becomes correspondingly larger.

[0006] Optical components used for DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV semiconductor lithography in semiconductor technology equipment (e.g., EUV mirrors in projection exposure equipment) must meet stringent requirements regarding the prevailing environmental conditions. First, in such systems, at least one area of ​​the equipment is typically characterized by a reactive chemical environment generated by a hydrogen plasma. In such an environment, the optical components are exposed to high concentrations of reactive gaseous components of the hydrogen plasma, such as free charge carriers, free ions, free radicals, and / or radical ions. Such components can damage optical components, particularly reflective surfaces, and thus negatively impact the optical properties of the optical components. Second, high radiation intensities are present in such systems, and this can damage unprotected optical components due to absorption of DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation. Third, this absorption is accompanied by high thermal stresses on the optical components, which also have a detrimental effect on their optical properties.

[0007] The optical properties of optical elements in the beam path of semiconductor technology equipment, in particular projection exposure equipment for EUV semiconductor lithography, must be free from any time-dependent and uncontrollable changes, as such effects are reflected, for example, in wavefront errors of the EUV radiation or reflectivity losses of the optical elements and thus in a reduction in the manufacturability of the equipment.

[0008] To achieve purposefully adjustable lighting conditions within semiconductor technology equipment, recent proposals for guiding DUV, VUV, and / or EUV radiation in semiconductor technology equipment involve the use of micromirrors as optical elements. For example, [DE 102008009600] discloses such micromirrors as optical elements. Such optical elements, used in semiconductor lithography, further comprise an array of mirrors arranged in facets to enable spatial control of the reflective state of certain portions of a larger mirror surface. The faceted mirrors are equipped with hundreds of micromirrors, which are configured to be actuable about multiple axes, enabling flexible illumination settings.

[0009] [DE 10 2015 225 535 A1] describes a method for producing a multi-mirror arrangement having a plurality of displaceable individual mirrors, and a multi-mirror arrangement having a plurality of displaceable individual mirrors.

[0010] [DE 10 2017 213 176] describes EUV mirrors coated with a protective layer.

[0011] [DE 10 2014 213 181 A1] and [DE 10 218 204 364 A1] describe optical elements which are protected from hydrogen plasma by a protective layer.

[0012] In hydrogen plasma environments, the solutions known from the prior art do not meet the requirements regarding chemical resistance to highly aggressive media and flexibility during manufacturing, in particular regarding the coating of shielded surfaces and the requirements regarding cavities, which are imposed on individual mirrors, micromirror arrays, and faceted mirrors constructed therefrom. Therefore, there is a constant need to improve such components and the manufacturing processes for producing them. Summary of the Invention

[0013] Problems to be solved by the present invention

[0014] The problem addressed by the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and to specify an electromechanical element that can be actuated in at least one spatial direction, wherein the electromechanical element or parts of the electromechanical element are protected from reactive components of the hydrogen plasma and wherein the electromechanical element is part of an optical arrangement in a semiconductor technology device, in particular part of a mirror or part of a mirror for reflecting DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation.

[0015] Subject matter of the invention

[0016] The problem on which the invention is based is solved by an electromechanical component, an individual mirror, a micromirror array, a faceted mirror, and furthermore by a semiconductor device having the features of the independent claims, and furthermore by a method for producing an electromechanical component and a method for producing an individual mirror having the features of the independent claims. Further advantageous configurations of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims and of the exemplary embodiments of the invention described below.

[0017] In the following description of the present invention and in the associated exemplary embodiments, the numerals such as "one" do not necessarily refer to the limitation of exactly one partial body, one composite body, one cladding, one element, one component, one method etc. On the contrary, a plurality of partial bodies, composite bodies, cladding, elements, components or methods can also be provided, for example two, three or more. Any other numerals used herein should not be interpreted as having the effect of limitation on the exact stated number of partial bodies, composite bodies, cladding, elements, components or methods. On the contrary, numerical deviations upward and downward are possible, unless otherwise stated.

[0018] Other possible implementations of the present invention also include combinations not explicitly mentioned of features or embodiments described above or below with respect to the exemplary embodiments. Those skilled in the art will also add individual aspects as improvements or supplements to the corresponding basic forms of the present invention.

[0019] The present invention relates to an electromechanical component comprising an electromechanical arrangement and a protective layer. According to the invention, the electromechanical component is characterized in that the protective layer is applied at least partially to at least one surface and / or at least partially within at least one cavity of the electromechanical arrangement. In this advantageous embodiment, the entirety of the surface and cavity of the electromechanical component is protected from external influences, in particular from hydrogen plasma, thereby reducing the probability of failure of the electromechanical component due to damaging environmental influences.

[0020] In an advantageous variant of the invention, the electromechanical arrangement comprises in each case at least one substrate and / or a connecting element and / or an actuator system and / or a substrate. In another variant of the invention, the electromechanical arrangement further comprises a sensor unit. In another variant of the invention, the connecting element consists of a plurality of individual elements, for example a joining structure and / or a joining substrate. In another variant of the invention, the protective layer is located in each case between two of the partial bodies of the electromechanical element, for example between the substrate plate and the joining substrate. The joining structure is designed in such a way that the connecting element establishes a movable connection between the elements to be connected, for example an actuator system and a substrate. This advantageous embodiment therefore makes it possible to coat all parts of the electromechanical arrangement with a protective layer and thus makes it possible to comprehensively protect these parts from environmental influences.

[0021] In another embodiment of the present invention, the sensor unit includes at least one sensor that measures at least one chemical and / or physical property of the actuator system and / or another component (in particular, the substrate, and more particularly, the mirror). In one aspect of the present invention, the corresponding sensor unit measures the translational displacement or tilt of the substrate in at least one dimension of a Cartesian coordinate system via the actuator system. The information about the deflection is then transmitted to the evaluation unit via the circuit unit.

[0022] In a special variant of the invention, the sensor unit comprises an orientation sensor and / or a capacitance sensor and / or a temperature sensor and / or a pressure sensor. The sensor unit is not limited to the application of exactly one of the described sensor types, but in another variant comprises a combination of a plurality of different sensor types. In principle, other types of sensors are also conceivable, in particular optical sensors. In this advantageous variant of the embodiment, the position and orientation of the substrate of the electromechanical element in space are known at all times of use, can be tracked over time and, in the event of deviations from target values, can be corrected by the actuation effect of the actuator system. In another aspect of the invention, the sensor unit comprises a dedicated integrated circuit and / or a circuit for an open-loop or closed-loop control loop.

[0023] In one aspect of the present invention, the electromechanical component, in particular the substrate and / or the connecting element and / or the actuator system and / or the sensor unit and / or the body, comprises silicon. For example, the substrate is a silicon wafer or a portion thereof. Such substrates can have very good control over their surface properties, allowing for very low surface roughness values, particularly those required for use as optical components (in particular, mirrors). Furthermore, silicon has excellent thermal and elastic properties, and the surface of the material can be precisely structured.

[0024] In a refinement of the invention, the substrate and / or the connecting element and / or the actuator system and / or the sensor unit and / or the body are made, for example, of silicon-containing quartz glass, in particular titanium-doped quartz glass, such as is known under the trade name ULE®, for example silicon-containing glass ceramics, such as the glass ceramic known under the trade name Zerodur®, or silicon, in particular single-crystal or polycrystalline silicon. Such materials have very high dimensional stability over a very wide temperature range and can be processed very well in terms of their form using various chemical and / or physical processing methods. In a special refinement of the invention, structures are formed within the substrate, which serve as channels for the substrate to be temperature-controlled by means of a suitable medium, such as water or gas.

[0025] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the electromechanical component is characterized in that the protective layer is stable with respect to chemical reactions with the hydrogen plasma and its components and / or DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation and / or temperatures > 473 K. In a further variant of this embodiment, the electromechanical component is characterized in that the protective layer is impermeable to the components of the hydrogen plasma. The protective layer that is stable according to the invention is characterized in that under the ambient conditions, for example in semiconductor technology devices, in particular EUV semiconductor technology devices, i.e. under the influence of EUV radiation and / or in the presence of a hydrogen plasma of the composition defined below, the protective layer is guaranteed to not fall below a minimum thickness of at least five monolayers over the entire service life of the semiconductor technology device (typically about five years or more). The hydrogen plasma comprises gaseous ions (such as H2 + 、H3 + etc.), free protons, free electrons and / or free radicals (H, H2, etc.), and are generated in an environment with a generally negative pressure of hydrogen gas as low as vacuum compared to standard conditions.

[0026] Since parts of the electromechanical component contain silicon in elemental or chemically bonded form, the components of the hydrogen plasma chemically attack various parts of the electromechanical component, while changing the functionality of the substrate, such as mechanical and / or electrical properties. In addition, the attack leads to the formation of volatile silane Si x H y , where x and y serve as stoichiometric factors for the silanes. These silanes are physically volatile, chemically reactive compounds and tend to self-deposit when forming a monolayer or multilayer on a surface, which in turn leads to degradation of the corresponding optical component. Therefore, a central and advantageous aspect of the present invention is to prevent chemical attack of parts of the electromechanical component by components of the hydrogen plasma, and thus to prevent the formation of silanes.

[0027] In another advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the electromechanical element is characterized in that the position of the substrate in space and / or the orientation of the substrate relative to the surface of the body are each adjustable in at least one degree of freedom by means of an actuator system. In one aspect of the invention, the adjustable degree of freedom is, for example, a translational displacement in the spatial direction of a Cartesian coordinate system. In another aspect, the adjustable degree of freedom is an angle at which the substrate is tilted relative to the axes of a Cartesian coordinate system. In another aspect of the invention, tilting and translational displacement can also be combined.

[0028] In an advantageous variant of this embodiment, the engagement structure is configured as a spring element or as a spring structure.In another variant of this advantageous embodiment of the invention, the movement of the substrate imparted by the engagement structure is damped so that the substrate does not vibrate due to the deflection movement of the engagement structure.

[0029] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the electromechanical component is further characterized in that the surface of the substrate is configured to be planar or to have a convex or concave shape or as a free-form surface. In a special embodiment, the substrate comprises a structuring of the surface, for example in the form of a pseudo two-dimensional grating.

[0030] The outer profile of the substrate according to the present invention is not subject to any geometric restrictions. In a modification of the present invention, the outer profile of the substrate is, for example, polygonal, particularly a triangle, quadrilateral, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon or a higher order polygon, and the edge lengths of the side edges of the polygonal structure of the substrate are equal in length. In another modification of the present invention, the edge lengths of the side edges of the polygonal structure of the substrate are at least partially unequal in length. In each configuration, one or more edges of the substrate can have a curved profile. In another modification, the quadrilateral profile is especially designed as a square or rectangle. In another modification of the present invention, the outer profile of the substrate is circular or elliptical. In another modification of the present invention, the profile of the substrate is configured as a free form.

[0031] An advantage of this aspect of the invention is the high flexibility in the use of the electromechanical element, which according to the invention is arranged to act as a larger surface which in turn is composed of small, individually actuatable partial surfaces.

[0032] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the electromechanical component is characterized in that the protective layer has a layer thickness of 10 to 1000 nm, preferably 30 to 300 nm, particularly preferably 50 to 150 nm, with a layer thickness deviation of no more than 1 nm. Such a layer thickness advantageously prevents penetration of the protective layer by reactive components of the hydrogen plasma during the service life of the component in semiconductor technology systems. The maximum thickness of the protective layer is determined by the application-specific requirements regarding the prevailing layer stresses, the resulting layer adhesion between the protective layer and the substrate, and the surface properties of the substrate area to be coated.

[0033] In another advantageous embodiment, the electromechanical component is characterized in that the surface of the protective layer or the surface of the substrate has a surface roughness in the range of 80 to 500 μm, with a standard deviation of no more than 20 μm. The advantages of this aspect of the invention lie in the wide applicability of the protective layer and the substrate as components of semiconductor technology devices and, in particular, in ensuring, for example, a highly precisely controlled layer thickness of the protective layer when applying the protective layer to the surface.

[0034] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the electromechanical component is characterized in that the protective layer is amorphous, crystalline or partially crystalline. In this embodiment, the above-mentioned surface roughness can be easily achieved and specifically set by appropriate processing steps (such as polishing).

[0035] In another embodiment of the present invention, the conductivity in at least a portion of the protective layer is set to 10 -2 to 10 -4 The electrical conductivity is set by suitable selection of the coating parameters in appropriate steps of the coating process. It is advantageous to use an at least partially conductive protective layer in order to be able to control the charging effects on the coated surface or on surfaces adjacent to the coated surface that are also at least partially conductive.

[0036] In another advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the electromechanical component is characterized in that at least a portion of the protective layer is grounded by means of a grounding element. Due to the presence of charged components in the hydrogen plasma environment, such as charged ions, clusters, and / or free radicals and radical ions, which interact with surfaces in contact with the hydrogen plasma, charge carriers accumulate on the surface coated with the protective layer under operating conditions, and this can alter the properties of the surface and the coating material through physical and / or chemical processes. Furthermore, charge carriers can be mobilized from the material, for example, by external irradiation with EUV light. As a result of the generation of mobile charge carriers, the charged surface is susceptible to contamination effects, for example, by spontaneous discharge or by electropolarizable and / or charged particles from the vicinity of the surface. Furthermore, the charge carriers react with chemical components surrounding the surface, for example through oxidation and / or reduction processes, thereby causing modifications to the surface structure. Furthermore, charge carriers can directly cause structural damage to the protective layer due to chemical reactions or physical interactions within the protective layer, for example by influencing relative layer stresses.

[0037] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the electromechanical element is characterized in that the protective layer consists of at least one layer of an electrically conductive material and / or at least one layer of an electrically insulating material, wherein the composition of the protective layer on the individual surfaces is respectively uniform. In a variant of the invention, the first layer as seen from the body is a layer of an electrically conductive material in a repeating periodic sequence of alternating layers of a first electrically conductive material and a second electrically insulating material. In another variant of the invention, the first layer as seen from the body is a layer of an electrically insulating material in a repeating periodic sequence of alternating layers of a first electrically conductive material and a second electrically insulating material. In all variants of the invention, there is no limit to the number of layers of electrically conductive material and electrically insulating material. The use of such a repeating periodic sequence of alternating layers of a first electrically conductive material and a second electrically insulating material advantageously allows to simultaneously achieve electrical conductivity to exclude electrostatic charging of the electromechanical element and an insulating effect to avoid short circuits, in particular for applications with a plurality of electromechanical elements. According to the invention, any material with a specific resistivity of 1 to 1000 MΩm is considered to be an electrically insulating material.

[0038] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the electromechanical component is characterized in that each layer of electrically conductive material and / or each layer of electrically insulating material has a layer thickness of 1 to 100 nm with a layer thickness tolerance of 1 nm. The layer thickness tolerance is defined here as the maximum permissible deviation of the actual layer thickness observed over the entire layer from a specified target layer thickness.

[0039] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the electromechanical component is characterized in that the conductive material comprises an element from Groups 3-6 and / or 8-11 of the Periodic Table of Elements and / or Re. In this case, in a variant embodiment, the layer of conductive material consists of an alloy of two, three, or more of the aforementioned elements in an adjustable stoichiometric ratio. In this case, the physical and / or chemical properties of the protective layer, in particular its electrical conductivity, are determined by the stoichiometric composition of the layer of conductive material and can be adjusted by this during the coating process.

[0040] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the electromechanical component is characterized in that the electrically insulating material comprises an oxide and / or a nitride and / or consists of a ceramic material. In particular, the layer of electrically insulating material comprises a compound with the composition AlOx, AlxOy, and / or TixOy, where x and y are stoichiometric factors, which can also assume odd values.

[0041] The present invention also relates to an individual reflector, wherein the individual reflector according to the invention comprises an electromechanical element as described above and a reflective coating, in particular a reflective coating that reflects DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation. In one embodiment of the invention, the individual reflector according to the invention is characterized in that the reflective coating is at least partially applied to at least one of the surfaces. In another embodiment, the individual reflector according to the invention is characterized in that the reflective coating is applied to the surface of the substrate described above. In both embodiments, the surface of the protective layer and / or the surface of the substrate has a surface roughness in the range of 80 to 500 μm, with a standard deviation of no more than 20 μm.

[0042] In another embodiment of the present invention, the reflective coating is, for example, a plurality of alternating layers of molybdenum and silicon, such that the reflective coating reflects EUV light in the spectral range of 5 to 30 nm, in particular at 13.5 nm. In addition to the actual reflective layer, a specific configuration of such a reflective coating may include one or more additional layers, such as protective layers, base layers, or adhesion promoter layers, which are known to those skilled in the art and are therefore not described in detail in this application.

[0043] In a special variant of the invention, the reflective coating is designed to reflect DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation incident at grazing incidence. In another variant, the reflective coating is designed to reflect EUV radiation incident at normal incidence and at an angle of incidence deviating from it by + / - 45°, in particular at an angle of incidence deviating from it by + / - 25°, and further in particular at an angle of incidence deviating from it by + / - 15°.

[0044] According to the invention, the outer contours and the reflective optical surfaces of the individual mirrors adopt the same embodiments as the variants already described for the structure of the substrate, taking into account the protective layers which additionally contribute to the structure and the reflective coating.

[0045] In a special embodiment, the reflective optical surfaces of the individual mirrors include a pseudo-two-dimensional grating structure, in particular in the form of a diffraction grating. In this special embodiment of the invention, the grating structure diffracts, for example, different spectral components of light incident on the individual mirrors (e.g., DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation to be reflected) into defined spatial directions, thereby allowing spatial separation of the incident spectral components. In addition to DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation, the grating structure in another special embodiment of the invention diffracts IR radiation incident on the individual mirrors in the same direction into further defined spatial directions, thereby allowing spatial spectral separation of IR radiation from DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation.

[0046] The present invention further relates to a micromirror array, wherein the micromirror array according to the invention comprises a first individual mirror and a second individual mirror. The micromirror array according to the invention is further characterized in that, taking into account the maximum range of movement of all movement axes of the actuators of the at least one actuator system, the first individual mirror and the second individual mirror can be arranged independently of one another in each degree of freedom adjustable by the actuator system, are arranged contactlessly relative to one another, and are arranged in an approximately gap-free arrangement for the reflective coating.

[0047] The bodies of the individual reflectors of the micromirror array are arranged in a common plane in a special embodiment, i.e. the individual reflectors are in a coplanar construction position. To this end, the individual reflectors are fixed on a common substrate of the micromirror array in another special embodiment. In another variant of the present invention, the bodies of the individual reflectors in the micromirror array form a non-coplanar arrangement, in particular a pseudo-concave arrangement or a pseudo-convex arrangement or an arrangement configured according to a free-form surface. In another variant, a micromirror array with a generally approximately curved reflective surface is realized by a plurality of individual reflectors with planar surfaces. The approximate accuracy of the arrangement of the individual reflectors with planar surfaces depends on the edge length of the individual reflectors, wherein each edge of the individual reflectors is understood as a tangential approximation of the shape of the curved reflective surface of the micromirror array.

[0048] In a modification, the outer contour of the micro-mirror array is, for example, polygonal, particularly a triangle, quadrilateral, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon or a higher order polygon. In a specific modification of the present invention, one or more edges of the outer contour of the micro-mirror array have a curved shape in each of the configurations. In another modification, the quadrilateral contour is especially designed as a square or a rectangle. In another modification of the present invention, the outer contour of the micro-mirror array is circular or elliptical. In another modification of the present invention, the contour of the micro-mirror array is configured as a free form.

[0049] The present invention further relates to a facet mirror, wherein the facet mirror according to the invention comprises a base plate and at least one first micromirror array and at least one second micromirror array. Furthermore, the facet mirror according to the invention is characterized in that the first micromirror array and the second micromirror array are fixed to the base plate and form a total reflection surface for actuator-controlled reflection of DUV, VUV and / or EUV radiation. Each individual mirror of each micromirror array can be independently arranged in each degree of freedom that can be adjusted by the actuator system. In this case, in a variant of the invention, the reflection surfaces of the micromirror arrays are arranged without offset and thus form a quasi-stepless surface that is interrupted only by the gaps between the individual mirrors of the micromirror arrays and the gaps between the individual micromirror arrays.

[0050] Similar to the above-described arrangement of the individual mirrors in the micromirror array, the first micromirror array and the second micromirror array are also in a coplanar configuration in a special embodiment of the facet mirror. In a further embodiment of the invention, the base plates of the micromirror arrays in the facet mirror form a non-coplanar arrangement, in particular a pseudo-concave arrangement or a pseudo-convex arrangement or an arrangement configured according to a free-form surface. The facet mirror can be designed in particular as a polyellipsoidal mirror. Instead of curved individual mirrors, such curved facet mirrors can be replaced by groups of individual mirrors with flat reflective surfaces, wherein the non-flat surfaces of such replacement curved facet mirrors are approximated by the polyhedrons of the individual mirrors of the micromirror array.

[0051] In another aspect of the present invention, the micro-mirror arrays in the facet mirror have the same shape and size. In a specific embodiment, the micro-mirror arrays in the facet mirror have different shapes and / or sizes designed according to the above embodiments, and thus the facet mirror can be approximated as a free-form surface by an appropriate combination of the shape and contour of the micro-mirror arrays.

[0052] Furthermore, the invention relates to a semiconductor technology device. The semiconductor technology device according to the invention comprises at least one facet mirror according to the invention and is characterized in that the at least one facet mirror as part of the illumination system directs DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation from a radiation source to a mask. In one embodiment, the semiconductor technology device is in particular a device for producing structured semiconductor substrates. In a further embodiment, the semiconductor technology device is a device for identifying optical units used in the field of semiconductor technology. In another embodiment, the semiconductor technology device is a device from the field of DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV semiconductor technology, in particular a projection exposure device for semiconductor lithography of wafers or similar substrates. In another embodiment, the semiconductor technology device is a mask inspection device for semiconductor lithography or a wafer inspection device for semiconductor lithography.

[0053] The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing an electromechanical element. In a first step of the method according to the invention, at least one component of an electromechanical arrangement is provided, in particular a body and / or an actuator system and / or a connection unit and / or a substrate. In a further method step, an electromechanical arrangement is produced from the aforementioned components using suitable joining techniques, such as adhesive joining and / or mechanical joining methods and / or joining methods. In a further variant, separate components are grown on the surface of existing components by suitable methods. In several embodiments of the present invention, the electromechanical arrangement comprises in each case one, two or more of the aforementioned components. In a third method step, a protective layer is applied on at least one of the surfaces of the electromechanical arrangement and / or in at least one cavity of the electromechanical arrangement, thereby producing an electromechanical element.

[0054] In a first advantageous variant of the method according to the invention, the individual components of the electromechanical arrangement are provided separately, coated separately and subsequently assembled to form the electromechanical element, for example by adhesive bonding, mechanical joining or bonding. This variant is advantageous because the protective layer is formed on all surfaces, i.e. also on surfaces between the components of the electromechanical arrangement.

[0055] In another advantageous variant of the method according to the invention, a first component of an electromechanical arrangement is first provided and coated with a protective layer. Subsequently, another component of the electromechanical arrangement is provided and bonded to the coated first component, for example by adhesive bonding, mechanical bonding, bonding, or other processes known to those skilled in the art in thin-film technology, bulk microstructuring, and bonding techniques in MEMS, thereby producing a partially coated mechatronic component arrangement. In a subsequent step, the partially coated mechatronic component arrangement, consisting of the coated first component and the second component, is coated with an additional protective layer. This results in a second layer of protective layer on some surfaces and in the cavity of the first component, and a first layer of protective layer on some surfaces and in the cavity of the second component. In a particular embodiment, this process is continued for the remaining components of the electromechanical arrangement until all desired components of the electromechanical arrangement have been assembled and coated. The result of this manufacturing method is an electromechanical component that, from the first component provided to the last component provided, in each case has an additional layer of protective layer on some of the components' surfaces and in the cavity.

[0056] In another variant of the method according to the invention, coating the electromechanical arrangement or at least one of its components with the protective layer is performed using a highly conformal coating method. According to the invention, the highly conformal coating method is characterized by achieving a layer thickness error of less than 1 nm, as a deviation from a predetermined target layer thickness, across the entire coated surface and across the entire cavity. Highly conformal coating methods are, for example, atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), sputtering deposition, liquid precursor deposition, or pulsed laser deposition (PLD). These methods are advantageous in that the surface is highly uniform. Therefore, in particular variants of the invention, a particularly closed layer of the protective layer is advantageously formed on the component. Furthermore, surface roughness at uneven locations, such as steps of atomic layers or clusters formed on the surface, creates attack points for chemically reactive components of the medium surrounding the surface. Consequently, the highly conformal nature of the protective layer reduces the risk of chemically induced degradation reactions of the protective layer with components of the hydrogen plasma. Furthermore, such highly conformal surfaces can be coated in a simple manner with a reflective layer to form a reflective surface, in particular a surface that reflects DUV, VUV and EUV light, and can acquire the surface properties required for the function, in particular roughness and / or layer thickness variations and / or cleanliness.

[0057] In another embodiment of the method according to the invention, the coating method during the step of coating the electromechanical arrangement with the protective layer consists of a series of separate coating steps. In another embodiment of this embodiment of the invention, the coating method for the conductive material and the electrically insulating material is the same coating method. In another embodiment of the invention, the coating method for the conductive material and the electrically insulating material is different coating methods.

[0058] In another embodiment of the method for producing an electromechanical component according to the invention, the method further comprises a chemical and / or physical treatment of the protective layer. An advantageous aspect of this variant is the cleaning of the protective layer after the coating method. Another advantageous aspect of this variant is, for example, a chemical and / or physical post-treatment of the surface in order to achieve the surface roughness according to the invention. Another advantageous aspect of this variant is, for example, a chemical and / or physical treatment in order to increase the chemical and / or physical stability of the protective layer and / or to prepare for further processing and / or coating method steps. In another aspect of this embodiment, as described above, after each of the sequential (partial) coating of the individual components of the electromechanical arrangement and / or the individual electromechanical part arrangements, a corresponding chemical and / or physical treatment method is also performed.

[0059] In another embodiment of the method according to the invention, a further method step includes creating a ground connection for at least one layer of the conductive material of the protective layer via a grounding element. In a special variant of the invention, the grounding element is connected to the conductive material layer of the protective layer in such a way that respective potential equalization of the conductive material layers is ensured. In another special variant of the method, one, two, or more grounding elements are used to establish the potential equalization of the protective layer. Multiple grounding elements are used in such a way that the potential equalization of all the conductive layers of the protective layer is achieved in a specific geometric configuration of the electromechanical arrangement and / or its components and is achieved by applying chemical and / or physical treatment methods to the layers of the protective layer during the method for manufacturing the electromechanical component. This is advantageous because all the conductive layers have potential equalization, and, for example, even between multiple conductive material layers and electrically insulating material layers, no damage to the protective layer can occur due to a lack of potential equalization.

[0060] The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing an individual reflector according to the present invention. The method for manufacturing an individual reflector according to the present invention comprises, in a first method step, providing an electromechanical component according to the present invention according to the above-described embodiments. A second, subsequent method step involves coating at least one surface of a protective layer and / or a surface of a component of the electromechanical arrangement and / or the electromechanical component with a reflective coating, in particular a reflective coating that reflects DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation. In another aspect of the present invention, the coating method comprises a plurality of separate steps, during each of which a layer having defined physical properties, in particular optical properties, is at least partially applied to the surface. The coating method is particularly suitable for coating an existing grating structure having the configuration according to the present invention for layer thickness and surface roughness with a reflective coating, in particular a reflective coating that reflects DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation, on a substrate and / or protective layer. The use of the method according to the present invention is advantageous because reflective optical components, in particular mirrors configured to reflect DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation, are manufactured using an electromechanical component according to the present invention, which includes a protective layer according to the present invention on at least one surface of a component of the individual reflector and within at least one cavity. According to the invention, this results in a reflective optical element which meets the requirements relating to reflective optical elements in semiconductor technology devices in an improved form.

[0061] In another variant of the method according to the invention, before at least partially coating the electromechanical arrangement with the protective layer a step of coating at least one surface of the electromechanical arrangement with a coating reflecting DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation is performed.

[0062] In a further advantageous variant of the method according to the invention, coating at least one surface of an individual component of the electromechanical arrangement with a coating reflecting DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation is performed before production of the electromechanical arrangement.

[0063] In another variant of the method according to the invention, a step of coating at least one surface of the electromechanical arrangement with a coating reflecting DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation is carried out between a first coating step of at least one part of the electromechanical arrangement and a second coating step of another part of the electromechanical arrangement, wherein the first coating step and the second coating step comprise at least partial coating of at least one part of the electromechanical arrangement with a protective layer.

[0064] Other features and advantages of the invention become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show details essential to the invention, and from the claims. The individual features can be implemented individually or together in any combination in the variants of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0065] Exemplary embodiments are shown in the schematic drawings and explained in the following description. In the drawings:

[0066] Figure 1a A schematic diagram of an electromechanical arrangement (100') is shown.

[0067] Figure 1b Schematic diagram showing an electromechanical arrangement (100') and related surfaces.

[0068] Figure 1c Another schematic diagram showing an electromechanical arrangement (100') and related surfaces.

[0069] Figure 1d Another schematic diagram showing an electromechanical arrangement (100') and associated cavities.

[0070] Figure 1e A schematic diagram of an electromechanical component (100) with a protective layer is shown.

[0071] Figure 1f Another schematic diagram of an electromechanical component (100) with a protective layer and associated surfaces is shown.

[0072] Figure 1g Another schematic diagram of an electromechanical component 100 with a protective layer and associated surfaces is shown.

[0073] Figure 2 The mode of operation of the protective layer of the electromechanical component (100) against components of the hydrogen plasma is shown.

[0074] Figure 3 A detailed view of an electromechanical component with a protective layer is shown.

[0075] Figure 4a A schematic diagram of individual reflectors (127), (128) is shown.

[0076] Figure 4b Another schematic diagram of individual reflectors (127), (128) is shown.

[0077] Figure 5a Detailed views of individual mirrors (127), (128) are shown.

[0078] Figure 5b Further detailed views of the individual mirrors (127), (128) are shown.

[0079] Figure 5c Further detailed views of the individual mirrors (127), (128) are shown.

[0080] Figure 5dFurther detailed views of the individual mirrors (127), (128) are shown.

[0081] Figure 5e Further detailed views of the individual mirrors (127), (128) are shown.

[0082] Figure 5f Further detailed views of the individual mirrors (127), (128) are shown.

[0083] Figure 5g Further detailed views of the individual mirrors (127), (128) are shown.

[0084] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a micro-mirror array (200) is shown.

[0085] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a faceted mirror (300) is shown.

[0086] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a semiconductor technology apparatus (400) in a meridional cross section showing an example of a projection exposure apparatus for EUV semiconductor lithography is shown.

[0087] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of method steps for producing an electromechanical component (100) is shown.

[0088] Figure 10 Schematic diagram showing the method steps for producing individual mirrors (127), (128). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0089] FIG1(a) shows a schematic diagram of an electromechanical arrangement (100') and its components. FIG1(b) and FIG1(c) each also show a schematic diagram of an electromechanical arrangement (100') and its components, supplemented by relevant surfaces (107)-(119). FIG1(d) also shows a schematic diagram of an electromechanical arrangement (100') and its components, supplemented by relevant cavity (132). The electromechanical arrangement (100') is always a basic element for an electromechanical component (100) according to the invention. FIG1(e) shows a schematic diagram of an electromechanical component (100) and its components by way of example. FIG1(f) shows a schematic diagram of an electromechanical component (100) and its components, supplemented by relevant surfaces (107.3) and (108.3). FIG1(g) shows a schematic diagram of an electromechanical component (100) and its components, supplemented by relevant surfaces (107.4) and (108.4).

[0090] The electromechanical arrangement (100') comprises a substrate (101), a connecting element (102), an actuator system (103) and a body (105). In this case, the connecting element (102) further comprises a joint having at least one joint base (133) and at least one joint structure (131). The electromechanical component (100) according to the invention is characterized in that the protective layer (106) is at least partially applied to at least one surface (107)-(119) and / or at least partially applied within at least one cavity (132).

[0091] In a variant of the invention, a protective layer ( 106 ) is likewise located in each case between two of the components of the electromechanical arrangement ( 100 ′), for example between the main body ( 105 ) and the joining substrate ( 133 ).

[0092] In another variant of the invention, the electromechanical arrangement (100') additionally comprises a sensor unit (104).

[0093] In a variant of the embodiment, the substrate (101) and / or the connecting element (102) and / or the actuator system (103) and / or the sensor unit (104) and / or the body (105) contain silicon. In a preferred variant, the substrate (101) is a silicon wafer or a portion of a silicon wafer, which is manufactured, for example, by means of MEMS technology. In this case, the substrate (101) consists of amorphous silicon, single-crystal silicon or polycrystalline silicon. In a refinement of the invention, the substrate (105) and / or the connecting element (102) and / or the actuator system (103) and / or the sensor unit (104) and / or the body (105) are made, for example, of silicon-containing quartz glass. In another aspect of the invention, the quartz glass used is doped with titanium and / or boron and / or phosphorus and / or scandium. In a further variant, the quartz glass is a silicon-containing glass ceramic.

[0094] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the electromechanical element (100) is characterized in that the position of the substrate (101) in space and / or the orientation of the substrate (101) relative to the surface (114) of the body (105) is set in at least one degree of freedom by means of an actuator system (103). To facilitate the explanation of the positional relationships, a global Cartesian xyz coordinate system is used below, as shown in FIG1 (a). By way of example, the substrate (101) is mounted so that, by means of the connecting element (102), a translational movement of the substrate (101) is performed along the z-axis with a positive or negative z-displacement, starting from a rest position of the connecting element (102) as the zero position. In this case, the actuator system (103) acts on the substrate and / or the connecting element (102) and / or the body (105) in such a way that the substrate (101) moves along the z-axis. In an advantageous variant of this embodiment, the engagement structure (131) is respectively designed as a spring element or as a spring structure, which moves the connecting element (102) back into the rest position after the connecting element (102) has been deflected from its rest position. In another variant of this advantageous embodiment of the invention, the movement imposed by the engagement structure (131) is damped so that the substrate (101) cannot vibrate due to the deflection movement of the engagement structure (131).

[0095] In another advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the substrate (101) is designed to be tiltable by means of a coupling structure (131). In this context, the substrate (101) is tilted in the x-direction and / or the y-direction by means of the coupling structure (131). In this case, at least one actuator system (103) acts on the substrate (101) and / or the connecting element (102) and / or the body (105) in such a way that the substrate (101) is tilted in the x-direction and / or the y-direction. The connecting element (102) also has a zero position for tilting the substrate (101) in the x-direction and the y-direction, and the substrate (101) is tilted from the zero position to a positive or negative value by means of the actuator control. In this case, the tilting in the x-direction and the y-direction has an advantageous damping and the deflection returns to the zero position, which is similar to the translational movement in the z-direction and has already been discussed above.

[0096] In another advantageous variant of the invention, the translational movement of the substrate (101) in the z direction and the tilting movement of the substrate (101) in the x and y directions are combined with one another, so that there is a high degree of adjustability of the position and orientation of the substrate (101) in three-dimensional space.

[0097] A sensor unit (104) comprising at least one sensor measures at least one chemical and / or physical property of the actuator system (103) and / or the substrate (101). In a first variant of this advantageous embodiment, the respective sensor unit (104) measures a deflection or tilt of the substrate (101) in the x-direction and / or in the y-direction and / or in the z-direction relative to the respective rest position or zero position and transmits the information to an evaluation unit via a line unit (130). For the sake of clarity, the latter is not shown in FIG. 1 . In a special variant of this embodiment according to the invention, the sensor unit (104) comprises an orientation sensor. In a further special variant of this embodiment according to the invention, the sensor unit (104) comprises a capacitive sensor or a temperature sensor or a pressure sensor. The sensor unit (104) is not limited to the use of exactly one of the described sensor types, but in another variant comprises a combination of a plurality of different sensor types. In principle, other types of sensors, in particular optical sensors, are also conceivable.

[0098] In a special variant of the invention, the surface (107) of the substrate (101) is configured as a plane, a convexly curved or concavely curved surface or as a free-form surface. In an additional aspect of the invention, the surface (107) of the substrate (101) has a structuring in a special embodiment, for example in the form of a pseudo two-dimensional grating, in particular in the form of a diffraction grating.

[0099] The outer contour of such a substrate (101) is not subject to any geometric restrictions. In another variant of the invention, the outer contour of the substrate (101) is, for example, polygonal, in particular triangular, quadrilateral, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal or a higher-order polygon, and the edge lengths of the side edges of the polygonal structure of the substrate (101) are equal in length. In another variant of the invention, the edge lengths of the side edges of the polygonal structure of the substrate (101) are at least partially unequal in length. In another variant of the invention, the outer contour of the substrate (101) is circular or elliptical. In each of the configurations, one or more edges of the substrate (101) can have a curved contour. In a further variant, the quadrilateral contour is in particular designed as a square or a rectangle. In another variant of the invention, the outer contour of the substrate (101) is circular or elliptical. In another variant of the invention, the contour of the substrate (101) is configured as a free form.

[0100] According to the invention, the protective layer (106) has an average layer thickness in the range of 10 to 1000 nm, preferably 30 to 300 nm, further preferably 50 to 150 nm, with a layer thickness error of no more than 1 nm.

[0101] According to the present invention, the surface (107.3) of the protective layer (106) and / or the surface (107.1) of the substrate (101) has a surface roughness in the range of 80 to 500 μm with a standard deviation of no more than 20 μm.

[0102] In another variant of the present invention, the protective layer (106) is amorphous, crystalline or partially crystalline. In this embodiment, the aforementioned surface roughness can be easily achieved.

[0103] In addition, in another embodiment, the conductivity of the protective layer (106) is set to 10 -2 to 10 -4 S, wherein the electrical conductivity is set by suitable selection of coating parameters in appropriate steps of the coating process.

[0104] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 As shown in the schematic diagram in FIG, the electromechanical component (100) is characterized in that the protective layer (106) is stable to chemical reactions with hydrogen plasma and its components (120) and (121) and / or DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123) and / or temperatures >473 K. For the sake of clarity, the connecting element (102), the actuator system (103) and the sensor unit (104) are depicted in a simplified manner compared to FIG. 1 (a) - (g). However, the embodiments of the aforementioned components designed according to FIG. 1 are analogously applicable to the embodiment from FIG. Figure 2 All other embodiments starting with the following figures.

[0105] In this case, hydrogen plasma includes gaseous ions (such as H2 + 、H3 + The hydrogen plasma generates free protons, free electrons, and / or free radicals (H, H2, etc.) in an environment with a generally negative hydrogen pressure, down to vacuum, compared to standard conditions. These components of the hydrogen plasma react with many chemical materials, particularly silicon, and reactively attack them. Chemical dissolution or etching processes, chemical reconstruction or reorganization of the material, accumulation, and / or storage processes occur in and / or on the attacked material and / or on its surface.

[0106] In a variation of this embodiment, the protective layer (106) is impermeable to all components of the hydrogen plasma.

[0107] In another embodiment, the hydrogen plasma contains additional components, such as noble gas atoms or other molecular compounds, such as nitrogen. In the presence of other components in the hydrogen plasma environment, the other components also react with the reactive component (120) and the components (121) of the hydrogen plasma, thereby also forming reactive other components. In this variation of this embodiment, the protective layer (106) is also resistant to these reactive other components.

[0108] The protective layer ( 106 ) acts as a physical and / or chemical barrier to the components ( 121 ) and reactive components ( 120 ) of the hydrogen plasma and ensures its dimensional and chemical stability and its integrity.

[0109] In a variant of the invention, a plasma is induced in a hydrogen environment by laser-mediated evaporation of metal clusters and droplets, in particular tin. This results in the emission of spectrally different radiation, which has different intensities and whose wavelengths are in particular within the spectral range (5 to 300 nm) of DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123). This radiation generates a hydrogen plasma from gaseous hydrogen. The corresponding DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123) acts on all materials located in the reach of the hydrogen plasma and, accordingly, also on the protective layer (106). Due to the influence of the DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123) on the protective layer (106), the DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123) can be absorbed by the protective layer (106), whereby the introduced radiation energy is dissipated thermally and / or chemical components of the protective layer (106) are ionized during the excitation of electrons in the protective layer (106). For this reason, the protective layer (106) is advantageously stable against the influence of the conditions prevailing at the target location of the DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123). Since any known material does not completely exclude electron excitation by DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123) in the range of 5 to 300 nm, and therefore, due to the influence of the DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123) on the protective layer (106), thermal dissipation processes of the absorbed radiation energy inevitably occur, the material of the protective layer (106) is advantageously resistant to temperatures greater than 473 K, in particular temperatures in the range of 473 to 2500 K, further in particular temperatures in the range of 473 to 1500 K, and further in particular temperatures in the range of 473 to 800 K.

[0110] Figure 3A schematic diagram of another advantageous embodiment of the present invention is shown, in which an electromechanical component (100) includes a protective layer (106). For the sake of clarity, only a portion of the electromechanical component (100) is shown by way of example, specifically a body (105) having a surface (114.1), a surface (114.2) and a surface (115.1), to each of which a coating (106) has been applied. There are a number of variations of this embodiment, which are defined below. It will be understood that a person skilled in the art will combine the various variations of the embodiment in whole or in part.

[0111] In a first variant of this embodiment, a coating (106) similar to surfaces (114.1), (114.2) and (115.1) is also at least partially located on at least one of surfaces (107)-(119). In a variant of the embodiment shown, the protective layer consists of a repeating cyclic sequence of alternating layers of a first electrically conductive material (124) and a second electrically insulating material (125). When viewed from the body (105), the first layer of the protective layer (106) is a layer of electrically insulating material (125). Subsequent layers at a greater distance from the body (105) are layers of electrically conductive material (124). In this variant of this embodiment, the described continuous sequence of electrically conductive material (124) and electrically insulating material (125) is then repeated as the distance from the body (105) increases. The invention does not impose any restrictions on the number of sequences. In an advantageous variant of the invention, the number of sequences does not exceed 30, in particular does not exceed 20, and further in particular does not exceed 10. In one aspect of this variation, the electromechanical component (100) is constructed sequentially from individual components and corresponding protective layers (106), whereby the protective layer (106) is present between components of the electromechanical component (100), such as on the surface (118.2) or on the surface (112.2), etc.

[0112] In another variation of this embodiment, the first layer of the protective layer (106), viewed from the body (105), is a layer of electrically insulating material (125).

[0113] In another variation of this embodiment, the first layer of the protective layer (106), viewed from the body (105), is a layer of electrically conductive material (124).

[0114] In another variation of this embodiment, the protective layer ( 106 ) consists of exactly one layer of electrically insulating material ( 125 ) or exactly one layer of electrically conductive material ( 124 ).

[0115] In another variant of this embodiment, the protective layer (106) consists of exactly two consecutive layers of different materials, namely a layer of electrically insulating material (125) and a layer of electrically conductive material (124). In this case, the first layer seen from the body can be the layer of electrically insulating material (125) or the layer of electrically conductive material (124).

[0116] In another variation of this embodiment, a uniformly configured protective layer (106) having the same number and sequence of layers of electrically conductive material (124) and / or layers of electrically insulating material (125) is located on all surfaces (107)-(119).

[0117] In another variation of this embodiment, respective protective layers (106) having different numbers and different sequences of layers of electrically conductive material (124) and / or layers of electrically insulating material (125) are located on at least two of the surfaces (107)-(119).

[0118] In another variation of this embodiment, no protective layer (106) is located on at least a portion of at least one surface (107)-(119). In particular, in this variation of this embodiment, no protective layer (106) is present at least partially between two portions of the electromechanical component (100), such as on surface (114.1), surface (112.2), surface (107.2), surface (111.2), surface (118.1), or surface (118.2). Further in particular, in this variation of this embodiment, no protective layer (106) is present on surface (107.1).

[0119] In another aspect of this variant, the protective layer (106) at least partially continues on at least one surface (108.1) and / or (108.2) adjacent to the surface (107.1), wherein the continuation of the protective layer (106) is an extension of up to 10 micrometers. Further particularly, in this variant of this embodiment, the protective layer (106) is at least partially absent on the surfaces (108.1) and / or (108.2).

[0120] According to the invention, the composition of the layer of electrically conductive material (124) and the layer of electrically insulating material (125) is selected such that the prevailing layer stresses are at least partially compensated. In another variant of this embodiment, an additional layer of material having the desired stress-compensating effect can be introduced into the protective layer (106).

[0121] In another variation of this embodiment, the protective layer (106) of the electromechanical element (100) is grounded using a grounding element (129). For this purpose, Figure 3As shown, an electrical conductor (e.g., a cable) is integrated into a layer of conductive material (124) and is electrically conductively connected to the protective layer (106), the cable being designed for charge compensation of the protective layer (106) using the reference potential of the ground element (129). In a variant of the illustrated embodiment, corresponding line elements for the current flow are integrated into each layer of conductive material (124).

[0122] In another variant of this embodiment, the corresponding line elements are connected to multiple layers of the conductive material (124) in such a way that charge equalization exists between all layers of the conductive material (124) and the reference potential of the ground element (129).

[0123] According to the invention, each layer of electrically conductive material (124) and / or each layer of electrically insulating material (125) has a layer thickness of 1 to 100 nm with a layer thickness tolerance of 1 nm.

[0124] The layer of conductive material (124) includes one of the elements of Groups 3-6 and / or Groups 8-11 and / or Re.

[0125] In another embodiment, the layer of conductive material (124) consists of an alloy of two, three or more of the above elements in an adjustable stoichiometric ratio. In this case, the physical and / or chemical properties of the protective layer (106), in particular the electrical conductivity, are defined by the stoichiometric composition of the layer of conductive material (124) and are set by this during the coating process.

[0126] The layer of electrically insulating material (125) consists of a ceramic material and / or includes an oxide or a nitride. In particular, the layer of electrically insulating material (125) comprises a composition of AlO x 、Al x O y and / or Ti x O y where x and y are stoichiometric factors.

[0127] FIG4 shows a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an individual reflector 127 according to the invention, comprising an electromechanical element 100 according to the invention as described above. Again, for the sake of clarity, the connection element (102), the actuator system (103) and the sensor unit (104) are depicted in a simplified manner compared to FIG1 (a) - (g). The individual reflector (127) comprises a reflective coating (126), in particular a reflective coating that reflects DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123). Similar to Figure 3In the embodiment of the present invention, there are several variants of this embodiment of the individual reflector (127), which are defined below. It should be understood that a person skilled in the art can also combine here, in whole or in part, the variants of the embodiment of the electromechanical element 100 described above with various variants of the applied reflective coating 126 in order to obtain the individual reflector (127) according to the invention.

[0128] In a first variant of the embodiment shown in FIG4( a ), a coating ( 126 ) is applied to the surface ( 107 . 3 ).

[0129] In another variation of this embodiment, a coating (126) is applied to the surface (107.4).

[0130] In another variant of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4( b ), a coating ( 126 ) is additionally applied at least partially to the surface ( 108 . 3 ).

[0131] In another variation of this embodiment, in addition to the coating (126) on the surface (107.4), the coating (126) is at least partially applied to the surface (108.4).

[0132] Other advantageous variants of the embodiment of the individual mirrors (127) are depicted in Figures 5(a)-(g). For the sake of simplicity, only the substrate (101) is shown in Figure 5 as part of the electromechanical element (100).

[0133] In FIG5 (a), a first variant of a preferred embodiment of a separate reflector (127) is shown in a schematically simplified manner. In this variant, the reflective coating (126) is applied to the surface (107.3) or the surface (107.4) of the protective layer (106). In this case, the protective layer (106) consists of a plurality of separate layers, wherein, in the variant shown, two separate layers each form a layer of electrically conductive material (124) and two separate layers each form a layer of electrically insulating material (125). As in the above Figure 3 As described in the process of FIG. 4 , the protective layer ( 106 ) and the reflective coating ( 126 ) may also be configured in another described variation.

[0134] In another variation of this embodiment, depicted in FIG5( b ), the individual mirrors ( 127 ) feature a reflective coating ( 126 ) applied to the surface ( 107 . 1 ) of the substrate.

[0135] In another variation of this embodiment, as shown in FIG5( c ), the individual reflectors ( 127 ) are characterized in that a reflective coating ( 126 ) is applied to the surface ( 107 . 1 ) of the substrate and is also at least partially applied to the surface ( 108 . 1 ). The portion of the reflective coating ( 126 ) applied to the surface ( 108 . 1 ) is at least partially covered by the protective layer ( 106 ) on the surface ( 108 . 5 ).

[0136] In another variation of this embodiment, as shown in FIG5( d ), the individual reflectors ( 127 ) are characterized in that the reflective coating ( 126 ) is applied to the surface ( 107 . 1 ) of the substrate and is also at least partially applied to the portion of the protective layer ( 106 ) located on the surface ( 108 . 1 ). As a result, the portion of the protective layer ( 106 ) applied to the surface ( 108 . 1 ) is at least partially covered by the reflective coating ( 126 ) on the surface ( 108 . 3 ) or the surface ( 108 . 4 ).

[0137] In another variation of this embodiment, depicted in FIG5(e), the individual mirrors (127) feature a reflective coating (126) applied to both the surface (107.1) and the surface (108.1) of the substrate.

[0138] In another variation of this embodiment, as depicted in FIG5( f ), the individual reflectors ( 127 ) are characterized by a reflective coating ( 126 ) applied to surface ( 107 . 1 ) and a protective layer ( 106 ) applied to surface ( 134 ). In this variation, the protective layer ( 106 ) serves both as a protective layer for components of the electromechanical element ( 100 ) and as a reflective coating ( 126 ).

[0139] In another variation of this embodiment, shown in FIG5(g), the individual reflectors (127) are characterized in that the reflective coating (126) is applied to both the surface (107.1) and the surface (108.1). In this variation, the protective layer (106) is applied to both the surface (134) and the surface (108.5).

[0140] In all variants of the embodiment according to the invention, the surface (107.1) and / or the surface (107.3) has a surface roughness in the range of 80 to 500 μm with a standard deviation of no more than 20 μm.

[0141] In the variant shown, the reflective coating (126) is composed of a plurality of alternating layers, each having different physical properties, in particular optical properties, such as differences in refractive index. In one aspect of the invention, the reflective coating (126) is composed of alternating layers of molybdenum and silicon, such that the reflective coating (126) is configured as a coating that reflects EUV light for light in the spectral range of 5 to 30 nm, in particular at 13.5 nm. In another aspect of the invention, the number of individual layers of the reflective coating (126) is not more than 100, in particular not more than 70, and further in particular not more than 50.

[0142] According to the invention, the outer contour and the optical surface (134) of the individual reflectors (127) adopt the same embodiments as the variants already described for the structure of the substrate (101), taking into account the protective layer (106) and the reflective coating (126) that additionally contribute to the structure. In a special variant of the invention, the grating structure, for example, diffracts different spectral components of the incident light on the individual reflectors (127), such as the DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123) to be reflected, into defined spatial directions and thus allows spatial spectral separation of the incident spectral components. In addition to the DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123), the grating structure in another special variant of the invention diffracts IR radiation incident on the individual reflectors (127) in the same direction into another defined spatial direction and thus allows spatial spectral separation of the IR radiation from the DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123).

[0143] When the reflective coating (126) is applied to the surface (107), the protective layer (106) and the reflective coating (126) are in contact in such a way that the substrate (101) is completely encapsulated. If the different areas of the protective layer (106) are not electrically conductively connected to each other, as shown in the figure, a separate grounding element (129) is installed for each independent conductive area of ​​the protective layer (106). In another variant of this embodiment, the different, independent conductive areas of the protective layer (106) are connected to the same grounding element (129) via separate line elements, such as cables.

[0144] Figure 6A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a micro-mirror array (200) according to the invention is depicted. A first embodiment of the micro-mirror array (200) according to the invention comprises at least one first individual mirror (127) according to the invention as described above and a second individual mirror (128) according to the invention as described above. The micro-mirror array (200) according to the invention is characterized in that, taking into account the maximum range of movement of all movement axes of the actuator system (103), the first individual mirror (127) and the second individual mirror (128) can be arranged independently of each other in each degree of freedom adjustable by the actuator system (103) and are arranged contactlessly relative to each other and are further arranged for an approximately gap-free arrangement of the reflective coating (126). Taking into account the maximum range of movement of all movement axes of the actuator system (103), the approximately gap-free arrangement of the individual mirrors (127, 128) is defined such that the micro-mirror array (200) according to the invention has a fill level of at least 80%, preferably at least 90%, further preferably at least 95%, and particularly preferably at least 98%. This means that the sum of the areas of the reflective coating (126) of all tiltable individual mirrors (127, 128) provided for reflection of DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123) constitutes a corresponding percentage of the total surface area of ​​the micromirror array (200). This in turn means that the gaps between the individual mirrors (127, 128) have a maximum width of no more than 100 μm, preferably no more than 50 μm, further preferably no more than 20 μm, particularly preferably no more than 10 μm.

[0145] In the shown Figure 6 In a variant of the present invention, the outer contour of the individual reflectors (127, 128) is quadrilateral, and the edge lengths of the side edges of the quadrilateral structure are equal in length. In another variant of this embodiment of the invention, the contour of the individual reflectors (127, 128) is configured according to the above embodiment. In a special variant of the invention, the individual reflectors (127, 128) have a polygonal structure with a different number of sides and / or edge lengths.

[0146] In the present invention shown Figure 6 In a variation of the present invention, the outer contour of the micro-mirror array (200) is a quadrilateral, and the edge lengths of the side edges of the quadrilateral structure are equal in length. In other embodiments of the present invention, the outer contour of the micro-mirror array (200) is configured as an arcuate, annular, circular, elliptical or polygonal. In a special variation of the present invention, the outer polygonal contour of the micro-mirror array (200) is particularly a triangle, a quadrilateral, a pentagon, a hexagon, a heptagon, an octagon or a higher number of sides, wherein the edge lengths of the side edges are configured to be equal in length or different in length.

[0147] In another aspect of the invention, the surfaces (134) of the individual reflectors (127, 128) have the same embodiment. In another aspect of the invention, the surfaces (134) of the individual reflectors (127, 128) have different embodiments.

[0148] In another embodiment of the invention, the areas of the reflective coating (126) of all the individual actuable mirrors (127, 128) provided for reflecting DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123) are arranged without offset in the z direction of the Cartesian coordinate system. This results in a quasi-continuous surface of the micromirror array (200) that reflects DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123) and is interrupted only by gaps between the individual mirrors (127, 128). In particular, this variant relates to a rest position as the zero position of the connecting element (102), in which all the individual actuable mirrors (127, 128) are arranged without offset in the z direction of the Cartesian coordinate system.

[0149] The main body (105) of the individual reflectors (127, 128) of the micro-reflector array (200) is Figure 6 In a special embodiment of the present invention, the mirrors are arranged in a common plane, i.e. the individual mirrors are in a coplanar configuration. In a further variant of the invention, the bodies (105) of the individual mirrors (127, 128) in the micromirror array form a non-coplanar arrangement, in particular a pseudo-concave arrangement or a pseudo-convex arrangement or an arrangement according to a free-form surface configuration.

[0150] Figure 7A schematic diagram depicts an embodiment of a facet mirror (300) according to the invention, wherein the facet mirror (300) comprises at least one first micromirror array (200) as described above and at least one second micromirror array (201) as described above, and further comprises a body (301). According to the invention, the body comprises all electrical and / or pneumatic supply lines, signal lines and their connections required for the operation of the micromirror arrays (200, 201), as well as mechanical components for mounting, adjusting and operating the facet mirror and the integration of the latter for the intended use. The facet mirror (300) according to the invention is further characterized in that the first micromirror array (200) and the second micromirror array (201) are fixed to the body (301) and form a total reflection surface for actuator-controlled reflection of DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123). In a first embodiment of the present invention, the surfaces (134) of the individual mirrors (127, 128) of the micromirror array (200, 201) are arranged without offset, thereby forming a quasi-continuous surface that is interrupted only by gaps between the individual mirrors (127, 128) of the micromirror array (200, 201) and gaps between the individual micromirror arrays (200, 201).

[0151] The facet mirror (300) according to the invention is further characterized in that, as described above, each first individual mirror (127) and each second individual mirror (128) of each micromirror array (200, 201) can be arranged independently of one another in each degree of freedom adjustable by the actuator system (103). In a special variant of the invention, the first micromirror array (200) and the second micromirror array (201) are arranged contactlessly relative to one another and are further arranged for a substantially gap-free arrangement of the reflective coating (126). The substantially gap-free arrangement of the reflective coating (126) is defined such that the facet mirror (300) according to the invention has a fill level of at least 80%, in particular at least 90%, in particular at least 95%, in particular at least 98%, taking into account the maximum range of movement of all movement axes of the actuator system (103) of all individual mirrors (127, 128). This means that the sum of the areas of the reflective coating (126) of all tiltable individual mirrors (127, 128) of the facet mirror (300) provided for reflection of DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123) constitutes a corresponding percentage of the total surface area of ​​the facet mirror (300). This in turn means that the gaps between the micromirror arrays (200, 201) have a maximum width of no more than 100 μm, in particular no more than 50 μm, in particular no more than 20 μm, in particular no more than 10 μm.

[0152] In another aspect of the present invention, the micro-mirror arrays (200, 201) in the facet reflector (300) have the same shape and size. In a special aspect of the present invention, the micro-mirror arrays (200, 201) in the facet reflector (300) have different shapes and / or sizes configured according to the above-mentioned embodiments. Therefore, in the aforementioned variants of the present invention, the facet reflector is realized in a polygonal, circular or elliptical manner and has a free-form outer contour.

[0153] Figure 8 A schematic diagram shows the use of an electromechanical element (100) as part of a facet mirror (300) according to the present invention within a semiconductor technology device (400). By way of example, a projection exposure device is shown as a semiconductor technology device (400). The facet mirror (300) is designed here as a mirror M3-M4 for reflecting radiation, in particular EUV radiation. In another embodiment of the present invention, the semiconductor technology device (400) is a wafer inspection device. In another embodiment of the present invention, the semiconductor technology device (400) is a mask inspection device. The semiconductor technology device (400) is characterized in that the electromechanical element (100) is configured as part of the facet mirror (300) and, as part of an illumination system (401), guides DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123) from a radiation source (402) to a mask (406).

[0154] It should be understood that the use of the electromechanical component (100) as part of the facet mirror (300) is not limited to the use of the electromechanical component (100) within a semiconductor technology device (400).

[0155] In addition, reference Figure 8 , the basic components of the semiconductor technology device (400) are described below by way of example using the example of a microlithography projection exposure device.

[0156] An embodiment of an illumination system (401) of a projection exposure apparatus comprises, in addition to a radiation source (402), an illumination optical unit (403) for illuminating an object field (404) in an object plane (405). In an alternative embodiment, the light source (402) can also be provided as a module separate from the rest of the illumination system. In this case, the illumination system does not comprise the light source (402).

[0157] A reticle (406) arranged in an object field (404) is illuminated. The reticle (406) is held by a reticle holder (407). The reticle holder (407) can be displaced using a reticle displacement drive (408), in particular in a scanning direction.

[0158] exist Figure 8In the figure, a Cartesian xyz coordinate system is drawn for illustration. The x direction extends vertically into the drawing plane. The y direction extends horizontally, and the z direction extends vertically. The scanning direction is Figure 8 The z direction extends perpendicular to the object plane 405.

[0159] The projection exposure apparatus comprises a projection optical unit (409). The projection optical unit (409) is used to image the object field (404) into an image field (410) in an image plane (411). The image plane (411) extends parallel to the object plane (405). Alternatively, an angle different from 0° can also be present between the object plane (405) and the image plane (411).

[0160] The structures on the mask (406) are imaged onto a photosensitive layer of a substrate 412 arranged in the region of an image field (410) in an image plane (411). Typically, the substrate (412) is a wafer. The wafer (412) is held by a wafer holder (413). The wafer holder (413) can be displaced, in particular in the y-direction, using a wafer displacement drive (414). Firstly, the mask (406) is displaced by the mask displacement drive (408), and secondly, the wafer (412) is displaced by the wafer displacement drive (414) so ​​as to be synchronized with each other.

[0161] The radiation source (402) is an EUV radiation source. The radiation source (402) emits, in particular, EUV radiation (415), which is also referred to hereinafter as used radiation, illumination radiation or illumination light. The used radiation has, in particular, a wavelength in the range between 5 nm and 30 nm. The radiation source (402) can be a plasma source, such as a laser produced plasma (LPP) source or a gas discharge produced plasma (GDPP) source. It can also be a synchrotron-based radiation source. The radiation source (402) can be a free electron laser (FEL).

[0162] The illumination radiation (415) emitted from the radiation source (402) is focused by a light collector (416). The light collector (416) can be a light collector having one or more elliptical and / or hyperbolic reflective surfaces. The illumination radiation (415) can be incident on at least one reflective surface of the light collector (416) at grazing incidence (GI) (i.e., at an angle of incidence greater than 45° relative to the normal of the reflective surface) or at normal incidence (NI) (i.e., at an angle of incidence less than 45°). The light collector (416) can be structured and / or coated, on the one hand, to optimize its reflectivity for the radiation used and on the other hand, to suppress extraneous light.

[0163] After the light collector (416), the illumination radiation (415) propagates through an intermediate focus in an intermediate focal plane (417). The intermediate focal plane (417) may constitute a separation between the radiation source module comprising the radiation source (402) and the light collector 416 and the illumination optics unit (403).

[0164] The illumination optical unit (403) comprises a deflection mirror (418) and a first facet mirror 419 arranged downstream of the deflection mirror (418) in the beam path. The deflection mirror (418) can be a plane deflection mirror or, alternatively, a mirror having a beam-influencing effect that goes beyond a pure deflection effect. Alternatively or in addition, the deflection mirror (418) can be in the form of a spectral filter that separates the wavelength of light used for the illumination radiation (415) from extraneous light of wavelengths deviating therefrom. If the first facet mirror (419) is arranged in a plane of the illumination optical unit (403) that is a field plane and is optically conjugated to the object plane (405), this facet mirror is also referred to as a field facet mirror. The first facet mirror (419) comprises a plurality of individual first facets (420), which are also referred to hereinafter as field facets. Only a few of these facets (420) are described by way of example in Figure 8 Shown in.

[0165] The first facet (420) can be implemented as a macro facet, in particular a rectangular facet or a facet with an arcuate edge profile or an edge profile that is a portion of a circle. The first facet (420) can be in the form of a flat facet or, as an alternative, a facet with a convex or concave shape.

[0166] As is known, for example, from [DE 10 2008 009 600 A1], the first facets (420) themselves can also each consist of a plurality of individual mirrors, in particular a plurality of micromirrors. The first facet mirrors (419) can be embodied as a microelectromechanical system (MEMS system). For details, reference is made to [DE 10 2008 009 600 A1].

[0167] The illuminating radiation (415) travels horizontally (ie in the y-direction) between the light collector (416) and the deflecting mirror (418).

[0168] In the beam path of the illumination optical unit (403), a second facet reflector 421 is arranged downstream of the first facet reflector (419). If the second facet reflector (421) is arranged in the pupil plane of the illumination optical unit (403), this facet reflector is also called a pupil facet reflector. The second facet reflector (421) can also be spaced apart from the pupil plane of the illumination optical unit (403). In this case, the combination of the first facet reflector (419) and the second facet reflector (421) is also called a specular reflector. Specular reflectors are known from [US 2006 / 0132747 A1], [EP 1 614 008 B1] and [US 6,573,978].

[0169] The second facet reflector (421) comprises a plurality of second facets (422). In the case of a pupil facet reflector, the second facets (422) are also referred to as pupil facets.

[0170] The second facet (422) can also be a macro facet, which can have, for example, a circular, rectangular or hexagonal boundary, or alternatively a facet consisting of micromirrors. In this respect, reference is also made to [DE 10 2008 009 600 A1].

[0171] The second facet (422) may have a flat surface, or alternatively a curved reflective surface having a convex or concave shape.

[0172] The illumination optical unit (403) thus forms a two-facet system. This basic principle is also known as a fly's eye condenser (fly's eye integrator).

[0173] It may be advantageous to arrange the second facet mirror (421) not exactly in a plane that is optically conjugate to the pupil plane of the projection optical unit (409). In particular, the pupil facet mirror (421) may be arranged tilted relative to the pupil plane of the projection optical unit (409), as described, for example, in [DE 10 2017 220 586 A1].

[0174] The individual first facets (420) are imaged into the object field (404) using a second facet mirror (421). The second facet mirror (421) is the last beam-shaping mirror in the beam path upstream of the object field (404) or in fact the last mirror for the illumination radiation (415).

[0175] In another embodiment (not shown) of the illumination optical unit (403), a transfer optical unit can be arranged in the beam path between the second facet mirror (421) and the object field (404), which particularly helps to image the first facet (420) into the object field (404). The transfer optical unit can have exactly one mirror or alternatively two or more mirrors, which are arranged one behind the other in the beam path of the illumination optical unit (403). The transfer optical unit can in particular include one or two normal incidence mirrors (NI mirrors) and / or one or two grazing incidence mirrors (GI mirrors).

[0176] The projection exposure apparatus comprises a plurality of mirrors Mi, which are numbered consecutively according to their arrangement in the beam path of the projection exposure apparatus.

[0177] exist Figure 8 In the embodiment shown, the illumination optical unit (403) comprises exactly three mirrors downstream of the light collector (416) (M1), specifically a deflection mirror (418) (M2), a field facet mirror (419) (M3) and a pupil facet mirror (421) (M4).

[0178] In another embodiment of the illumination optical unit (403), the deflection mirror (418) can also be omitted, and the illumination optical unit (403) can therefore then have exactly two mirrors downstream of the light collector (416), specifically a first facet mirror (419) and a second facet mirror (421).

[0179] Typically, the imaging of the first facet (420) into the object plane (405) by the second facet (422) or using the second facet 12 and the transfer optical unit is only approximately imaging.

[0180] exist Figure 8 In the example shown, the projection optical unit (409) comprises six mirrors M6 to M11. Alternatives with four, eight, ten, twelve or any other number of mirrors Mi are also possible. The penultimate mirror M10 and the last mirror M11 each have a through-opening for the illumination radiation 415. The projection optical unit (409) is a double-shaded optical unit. The projection optical unit (409) has an image-side numerical aperture that is greater than 0.5 and can also be greater than 0.6 and can be, for example, 0.7 or 0.75.

[0181] The reflective surface of the reflector Mi can be in the form of a free-form surface without an axis of rotational symmetry. Alternatively, the reflective surface of the reflector Mi can be designed as an aspherical surface with exactly one axis of rotational symmetry of the reflective surface shape. As with the reflector of the illumination optical unit (403), the reflector Mi can have a highly reflective coating for the illumination radiation (415). These coatings can be designed as multilayer coatings, in particular with alternating layers of molybdenum and silicon.

[0182] The projection optical unit (409) has a large object-image shift in the y direction between the y coordinate of the center of the object field (404) and the y coordinate of the center of the image field (410). In the y direction, this object-image shift can have approximately the same magnitude as the z distance between the object plane (405) and the image plane 411.

[0183] The projection optical unit (409) can particularly have a deformed form. In particular, it has different imaging ratios βx, βy in the x-direction and the y-direction. The two imaging ratios βx, βy of the projection optical unit (409) are preferably (βx, βy) = (+ / -0.25, + / -0.125). A positive imaging ratio β means imaging without image inversion. A negative sign of the imaging ratio β means imaging with image inversion.

[0184] The projection optical unit (409) thus results in a size reduction in the x-direction (ie in the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction) by a ratio of 4:1.

[0185] The projection optical unit (409) results in a size reduction of 8:1 in the y-direction (ie in the scanning direction).

[0186] Other imaging ratios are also possible. Imaging ratios with the same sign and the same absolute value in the x-direction and the y-direction (for example with an absolute value of 0.125 or 0.25) are also possible.

[0187] The number of intermediate image planes in the x-direction and the y-direction in the beam path between the object field (404) and the image field (410) can be the same or different, depending on the embodiment of the projection optical unit 409. Examples of projection optical units with a different number of such intermediate image planes in the x-direction and the y-direction are known from [US 2018 / 0074303 A1].

[0188] In each case, one of the pupil facets (422) is assigned to exactly one of the field facets (420) for the purpose of forming a corresponding illumination channel for illuminating the object field (404). This can, in particular, produce an illumination according to the Köhler principle. The far field is decomposed into a plurality of object fields (404) by means of the field facets (420). The field facets (420) produce a plurality of images of the intermediate focus on the pupil facets 422 assigned to them in each case.

[0189] The pupil facets (422) assigned to each of the field facets (420) are imaged onto the reticle (406) in an overlapping manner in order to illuminate the object field 14. The illumination of the object field (404) is particularly uniform as much as possible. It preferably has a uniformity error of less than 2%. Field uniformity can be achieved by superimposing different illumination channels.

[0190] The illumination of the entrance pupil of the projection optical unit (409) can be geometrically defined by the arrangement of pupil facets. The intensity distribution in the entrance pupil of the projection optical unit (409) can be set by selecting the illumination channels (in particular, the subset of pupil facets that guide the light). This intensity distribution is also called an illumination setting.

[0191] A likewise preferred pupil homogeneity in the region of the portion of the illumination pupil of the illumination optical unit (403) that is illuminated in a defined manner can be achieved by redistributing the illumination channels.

[0192] Further aspects and details of the illumination of the object field (404), in particular of the entrance pupil of the projection optical unit (409), are described below.

[0193] In particular, the projection optical unit (409) may have a concentric entrance pupil. The latter may be accessible. It may also be inaccessible.

[0194] The entrance pupil of the projection optical unit (409) cannot usually be precisely illuminated by the pupil facet mirror (421). When imaging the projection optical unit (409) by telecentrically imaging the center of the pupil facet mirror (421) onto the wafer (412), the aperture rays usually do not intersect at a single point. However, a region can be found where the separation of the aperture rays determined in pairs becomes minimal. This region constitutes the entrance pupil or a region conjugate thereto in real space. In particular, this region exhibits a finite curvature.

[0195] It is possible that the projection optical unit (409) has different positions of the entrance pupil for the tangential beam path and for the sagittal beam path. In this case, an imaging element, in particular an optical component part of the transmission optical unit, should be provided between the second facet mirror (421) and the reticle (406). With the help of this optical element, the different positions of the tangential entrance pupil and the sagittal entrance pupil can be taken into account.

[0196] exist Figure 8 In the arrangement of the components of the illumination optical unit (403) shown, the pupil facet mirror (421) is arranged in a region conjugate to the entrance pupil of the projection optical unit (409). The field facet mirror (419) has an inclination relative to the object plane (405). The first facet mirror (419) is inclined relative to the arrangement plane defined by the deflection mirror (418).

[0197] The first facet mirror (419) has an inclination relative to an arrangement plane defined by the second facet mirror (421).

[0198] The reflectors M1-M11 can be designed as reflective optical elements, the temperature of which is controlled by means of at least one channel. The individual electromechanical elements can also be configured in such a way that each individual electromechanical element can be subjected to temperature control. In this case, the reflectors M1-M11 include temperature control devices (423-433). Here, the respective temperature control devices (423-433) can be assigned to the respective elements M1-M11. One of the temperature control devices (423-433) can also be used to control the temperature of more than one reflector. In this case, the number of required temperature control devices (423-433) is correspondingly reduced. The temperature control devices (423-433) can be configured in such a way that the fluid flowing in the at least one channel (408) is subjected to temperature control.

[0199] The temperature control process can be a cooling process. The temperature control process can also be a heating process. In this case, the fluid used to control the temperature of the reflectors M1-M11 can be water, in particular high-purity water with a conductivity of <0.1 uS / cm.

[0200] The temperature control device (423-433) may comprise a sensor which measures the temperature of a fluid flowing through at least one channel (408) during operation of the projection exposure apparatus and controls the temperature of the fluid to a set target value via an integrated control unit associated with the temperature control device (423-433). The temperature control device (423-433) may further comprise a sensor for measuring the temperature at a position on or near the reflective surface of the reflector M1-M11. Furthermore, the temperature control device (423-433) may comprise various further sensors which determine the quality of the flowing fluid, for example, by conductivity measurement in the fluid, by pH measurement in the fluid, or by spectroscopic measurement on the fluid. Furthermore, a sensor which measures the flow rate of the fluid may be used. Furthermore, a sensor which measures the pressure of the fluid may be used. Figure 8 The signal line unit and the evaluation unit, not explicitly shown, are used for all sensors contained in the temperature control device (423-433).

[0201] Figure 9 A method for producing an electromechanical component (100) according to the invention is shown. In a first step (S1) of the method, at least one component of an electromechanical arrangement (100'), in particular a body (105) and / or an actuator system (103) and / or a connection unit (102) and / or a substrate (101), is provided. In a variant of the method, a sensor unit (104) is also provided. In a second method step (S2), the electromechanical arrangement (100') is produced from the at least one component (101-105). In a third step (S3), the electromechanical arrangement (100') is at least partially coated with a protective layer (106) on at least one surface (107)-(119) and / or in at least one cavity (132).

[0202] In a variant of the method according to the invention, the substrate (101) and / or the connecting element (102) and / or the actuator system (103) and / or the sensor unit (104) and / or the body (105) are provided separately in a first method step (S1). The second method step (S2) and the third method step (S3) are then carried out multiple times and successively according to the following description, and in this variant of the method according to the invention, a suitable joining step is included as part of the production step (S2). Suitable joining methods are, for example, chemical joining methods, in particular adhesive joining methods, more in particular bonding methods, or physical joining methods, in particular mechanical joining methods.

[0203] In the aforementioned variant of the method according to the invention, the body (105) is initially coated, for example, with a first layer (S3) of a protective layer (106). Subsequently, the sensor unit (104) is bonded to the first layer (S2) of the protective layer (106), for example, by a suitable bonding method. Subsequently, the arrangement (S3) of the exemplary body (105) and the exemplary sensor unit (104) is coated with a second layer (S2) of the protective layer (106). Subsequently, the actuator system (103) is bonded to the second layer (S2) of the protective layer (106), for example, by a suitable bonding method. Subsequently, the arrangement (S3) of the exemplary body (105), the exemplary sensor unit (104) and the exemplary actuator system (103) is coated with a third layer (S3) of the protective layer (106). Subsequently, the connecting element (102) is bonded to the third layer (S2) of the protective layer (106), for example, by a suitable bonding method. Subsequently, the arrangement of the exemplary body (105), the exemplary sensor unit (104), the exemplary actuator system (103) and the exemplary connecting element (102) is coated with a fourth layer of the protective layer (106) (S3). Subsequently, the substrate (101) is bonded to the fourth layer of the protective layer (106) (S2), for example, by a suitable bonding method. Subsequently, the arrangement of the exemplary body (105), the exemplary sensor unit (104), the exemplary actuator system (103), the exemplary connecting element (102) and the exemplary substrate is coated with a fifth layer of the protective layer (106) (S3). Thus, in each partial step, a new partially coated electromechanical component assembly of one, two, three or more components is produced, each component having a different number of layers of the protective layer (106) on different partial components. In a first aspect of this method variant, the layer thicknesses of the individual layers of the protective layer (106) are equal within the range of the layer thickness error according to the invention, as specified above. In another aspect of this method variant, the layer thicknesses of the individual layers of the protective layer (106) are unequal, but are each implemented with a layer thickness tolerance according to the invention.

[0204] In a further variant of the method according to the invention, the individual partial steps consisting of the coating step (S3) and the joining step (S2) can be carried out in a combined order. In another special variant of the method, two, three or more of the components of the electromechanical arrangement (100') are initially assembled or joined to form an electromechanical subassembly (S2) and are subsequently coated with a common protective layer (106) (S3).

[0205] In a variant of the method according to the invention, the coating step (S3) of the electromechanical arrangement (100') or a component of the electromechanical arrangement (100') is performed by means of a highly conformal coating method. According to the invention, the highly conformal coating method is characterized in that a layer thickness error of less than 1 nm is achieved as a deviation from a predetermined target layer thickness over the entire coating surface (107)-(119) and over the entire cavity (132). The highly conformal coating method is, for example, an atomic layer deposition method, a chemical vapor deposition method, a sputter deposition method or a pulsed laser deposition method.

[0206] In another variant of the method according to the invention, each of the individual coating steps (S3) described above is either coating a layer of conductive material (124) or coating a layer of electrically insulating material (125). In the first variant of the invention, the coating methods for coating the layer of conductive material (124) and for coating the layer of electrically insulating material (125) have the same process properties. In another variant of the invention, the coating methods for coating the layer of conductive material (124) and for coating the layer of electrically insulating material (125) are coating methods with different process properties.

[0207] In another variant of the method according to the invention, the coating method during the coating step (S3) comprises a series of multiple coating steps using a layer of electrically conductive material (124) and / or a layer of electrically insulating material (125).

[0208] In another variant of the method according to the invention, after carrying out the coating step (S3) according to the invention, the protective layer (106) applied to one of the surfaces (107)-(119) is at least partially removed on at least one of the surfaces (107)-(119) by a chemical and / or physical treatment method. In one aspect of the invention, the protective layer (106) applied to the surfaces (107)-(119) is completely removed, so that the surfaces (107)-(119) are freely accessible. In one aspect of the invention, the method for removing the protective layer (106) applied to the surfaces (107)-(119) is a chemical etching process and / or a polishing process.

[0209] In another variant of the method according to the invention, the protective layer (106) is treated in a fourth step (S4) by a chemical and / or physical treatment method. In one aspect of the invention, the method step (S4) according to the invention is a shaping method, such as a mechanical processing method, or a polishing process. In another aspect of the invention, the method step (S4) according to the invention is a shaping chemical etching method. In another aspect of the invention, the method step (S4) according to the invention is a cleaning method, such as a wet chemical cleaning method or a physical cleaning method. In another aspect of the invention, after each of the sequential (partial) coating of the individual components of the electromechanical arrangement and / or the individual electromechanical part arrangements, a corresponding chemical and / or physical treatment method (S4) is also performed, as described above.

[0210] In another embodiment of the method according to the invention, during or after the execution of method steps (S2) and / or (S3) and / or (S4), a ground connection (S5) of at least one layer of the conductive material (124) in the protective layer (106) is established by means of a grounding element (129). In one aspect of the invention, the grounding element (129) is an electrical conductor, such as a cable, which is connected to an electrical reference potential. In one embodiment of the invention, all electrically conductive areas of the layers of the conductive material (127) of the protective layer (106) are designed such that an electrical connection to ground is achieved via a common grounding element (129) for the respective layers of the conductive material (127) of the protective layer (106). Another aspect of the invention relates to a specific embodiment of the protective layer (106) in which the partially interrupted layer of the conductive material (124) of the protective layer (106) results from geometrical aspects of components of the electromechanical arrangement (100') and / or parts of the electromechanical arrangement and / or components of the electromechanical arrangement (100') during the manufacturing method and due to aspects of chemical and / or physical treatment of the layer of the protective layer (106) during the manufacturing process. In this aspect of the invention, each portion of the layer of conductive material (124) is conductively connected to a grounding element (129) in such a way that there is an electrical grounding (129) of the respective portion of the layer of conductive material (124). In another aspect of the invention, one, two, three or more such portions of the layer of conductive material (124) are connected to the same grounding element (129). In another aspect of the invention, one, two, three or more such portions of the layer of conductive material (124) are each connected to a separate grounding element (129).

[0211] Figure 10A scheme of a method according to the invention for producing individual reflectors (127, 128) is shown. In a first step (S6) of the method, an electromechanical component (100) produced according to the above-described method is provided. In a further method step (S7), at least one surface (107)-(108) of the electromechanical component (100) is coated with a reflective coating (126), in particular a reflective coating that reflects DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123). The coating method used for the coating according to the invention according to step (S7) is, for example, a highly conformal coating method as defined above. In another aspect of the invention, the coating method of method step (S7) consists of a plurality of individual steps, during each step a layer with defined physical properties, in particular optical properties, is applied.

[0212] Reference Signs List

[0213] 100 electromechanical components

[0214] 100' electromechanical layout

[0215] 101 substrate

[0216] 102 connecting elements

[0217] 103 actuator system

[0218] 104 sensor units

[0219] 105 main body

[0220] 106 protection layers

[0221] 107.1 / 2 / 3 / 4 surface

[0222] 108.1 / 2 / 3 / 4 surface

[0223] 109.1 / 2 surface

[0224] 110.1 / 2 surface

[0225] 111.1 / 2 surface

[0226] 112.1 / 2 surface

[0227] 113.1 / 2 surface

[0228] 114.1 / 2 surface

[0229] 115.1 / 2 surface

[0230] 116.1 / 2 surface

[0231] 117.1 / 2 surface

[0232] 118.1 / 2 surface

[0233] 119.1 / 2 surface

[0234] 120 Components of Hydrogen Plasma

[0235] 121 Components of Hydrogen Plasma

[0236] 123DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation

[0237] 124 layers of conductive material

[0238] 125 layers of electrically insulating material

[0239] 126 reflective coating

[0240] 127 single reflector

[0241] 128 individual reflectors

[0242] 129 grounding element

[0243] 130 line units

[0244] 131 joint structure

[0245] 132 chambers

[0246] 133 bonding substrate

[0247] 134 surface

[0248] 200 micro-mirror array

[0249] 201 micro-mirror array

[0250] 300 facet mirror

[0251] 301 Subject

[0252] 400 Semiconductor Technology Equipment

[0253] 401 lighting system

[0254] 402 radiation source

[0255] 403 lighting optical unit

[0256] 404 Material Field

[0257] 405 Object Plane

[0258] 406 mask

[0259] 407 mask holder

[0260] 408 mask displacement driver

[0261] 409 projection optical unit

[0262] 410 image field

[0263] 411 Image Plane

[0264] 412 chip

[0265] 413 wafer holder

[0266] 414 chip displacement driver

[0267] 415EUV radiation

[0268] 416 light collector

[0269] 417 intermediate focal plane

[0270] 418 deflecting mirror

[0271] 419 facet mirror

[0272] 420 points

[0273] 421 faceted mirror

[0274] 422 facets

[0275] Reflectors in M1-M11 projection exposure equipment

Claims

1. An electromechanical component (100) comprising: - an electromechanical arrangement (100') comprising a substrate (101) and / or a connection element (102) and / or an actuator system (103) and / or a body (105), and - a protective layer (106), It is characterized by: The protective layer (106) is at least partially applied to - at least one surface (107)-(119) and / or - applied at least partially within at least one cavity (132).

2. The electromechanical component (100) according to claim 1, It is characterized by: The protective layer (106) stably resists - chemical reactions with hydrogen plasma and its components (120, 121), and / or - penetration of components (120, 121) of hydrogen plasma, and / or - DUV, VUV and / or EUV radiation (123), and / or -Temperature>473K.

3. The electromechanical component (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized by: - the position of the substrate (101) in space, and / or - the orientation of the substrate (101) relative to the surface (114) of the body (105) In each case, the actuator system (103) is arranged in at least one degree of freedom.

4. The electromechanical component (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized by: At least one surface (107) of the substrate (101) is configured as: - a flat surface, - a curved surface with a convex shape, - a curved surface with a concave shape, -Free form surface.

5. The electromechanical component (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized by: The protective layer (106) has an average layer thickness of 10 to 1000 nm, preferably 30 to 300 nm, particularly preferably 50 to 150 nm, wherein the layer thickness error does not exceed 1 nm.

6. Electromechanical component (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized by: - the surface (107.3) of the protective layer (106) and / or - the surface (107.1) of the substrate (101) It has a surface roughness in the range of 80 to 500 μm, with a standard deviation of no more than 20 μm.

7. The electromechanical component (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized by: The protective layer (106) is amorphous, crystalline or partially crystalline.

8. Electromechanical component (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized by: The electrical conductivity of at least a portion of the protective layer (106) is set to 10 -2 to 10 -4 Within the range of S.

9. The electromechanical component (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized by: At least a portion of the protective layer (106) is grounded via a grounding element (129).

10. The electromechanical component (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, It is characterized by: The protective layer (106) comprises: - at least one layer of conductive material (124), and / or - at least one layer of electrically insulating material (125), - wherein the composition of the protective layer ( 106 ) on the individual surfaces ( 107 ) - ( 119 ) is in each case homogeneous.

11. The electromechanical component (100) according to claim 10, It is characterized by: - each layer (124) of conductive material, and / or - Each layer of electrically insulating material (125) The average layer thickness is 1 to 100 nm, with a layer thickness error of 1 nm.

12. The electromechanical component (100) according to claims 10 and 11, It is characterized by: The conductive material (124) includes one of elements of Groups 3 to 6 and / or Groups 8 to 11 and / or Re.

13. The electromechanical component (100) according to claims 10 to 12, It is characterized by: The electrically insulating material (125) comprises an oxide and / or a nitride and / or consists of a ceramic material.

14. A single reflector (127), comprising: - an electromechanical component (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, and a reflective coating (126), in particular a reflective coating that reflects DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123), It is characterized by: The reflective coating (126) is at least partially applied to at least one of the surfaces (107)-(108).

15. A micro-mirror array (200), comprising: - at least one first individual reflector (127) as claimed in claim 14, and - at least one second individual reflector (128) as claimed in claim 14, It is characterized by: taking into account the maximum movement range of all movement axes of the at least one actuator system (103), the at least one first individual reflector (127) and the at least one second individual reflector (128), - can be set independently of one another in each degree of freedom adjustable by said actuator system (103), - are arranged contactlessly relative to one another, - and is arranged for an approximately gapless arrangement of the reflective coating (126).

16. A faceted reflector (300), comprising: - base plate (301) and - at least one first micro-mirror array (200) as claimed in claim 15, and - at least one second micro-mirror array (201) as claimed in claim 15, It is characterized by: The at least one first micro-mirror array (200) and the at least one second micro-mirror array (201) - fixed to the base plate (301), and - forming a total reflection surface for actuator-controlled reflection of DUV, VUV and / or EUV radiation (123).

17. A semiconductor technology device (400), comprising: - at least one facet mirror (300) as claimed in claim 16, It is characterized by: The at least one facet mirror (300) as part of an illumination system (401) directs DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123) from a radiation source (402) to a reticle (406).

18. A method for manufacturing an electromechanical component (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, comprising: - providing (S1) at least one component of the electromechanical arrangement (100'), in particular the body (105) and / or the actuator system (103) and / or the connection unit (102) and / or the substrate (101), - Manufacturing (S2) electromechanical arrangement (100'), - coating (S3) the electromechanical arrangement (100') with a protective layer (106) on at least one of the surfaces (107)-(119) and / or in at least one cavity (132).

19. The method according to claim 18, It is characterized by: Coating (S3) the electromechanical arrangement (100') or at least one of the components of the electromechanical arrangement (100') with the protective layer (106) is performed by means of a highly conformal coating method.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, It is characterized by: The coating method during the step of coating (S3) the electromechanical arrangement (100') with a protective layer (106) consists of a series of individual coating steps.

21. The method according to claims 18 to 20, Further including: The protective layer (106) is subjected to chemical and / or physical treatment (S4).

22. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 21, Further including: A ground connection (S5) is generated for at least one layer of the electrically conductive material (124) of the protective layer (106) via a grounding element (129).

23. A method for manufacturing a single reflector (127, 128), comprising: - providing (S6) an electromechanical component (100) according to any one of claims 18 to 22, - coating (S7) at least one surface (107)-(108) with a reflective coating (126), in particular a reflective coating that reflects DUV and / or VUV and / or EUV radiation (123).

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