IP Library Granted Patent US 12669675
Granted Patent B2
US 12669675 · App. 18/474,561 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Method for producing a mirror of a lithography system

Inventors: Christoph Zaczek (Heubach, DE); Erik Loopstra (Huernheim, DE); Eric Eva (Aalen, DE)
Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
G02B7/1815G02B5/0891G03F7/70316G03F7/70891
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12669675
App. No.
18/474,561
Filed
Sep 26, 2023
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
1759
USPC
355/67
Abstract

A method for producing a mirror of a lithography system includes providing first and second mirror parts. Cooling channels having elongate cooling channel openings in the region of a first connecting surface of the first mirror part are formed in the first mirror part, and/or cooling channels having elongate cooling channel openings in the region of a second connecting surface of the second mirror part are formed in the second mirror part. The method also includes bringing together the first and second mirror parts so that initially a partial region of the first connecting surface and a partial region of the second connecting surface come into contact and form a common contact surface. The common contact surface is enlarged by continuing to bring the first and second mirror parts together in a direction along the longitudinal extents of the cooling channel openings.

Claims (56)

1 . A method, comprising:

providing first and second mirror parts, the first mirror part comprising cooling channels comprising elongate cooling channel openings in a region of a first connecting surface of the first mirror part, and/or the second mirror part comprising cooling channels comprising elongate cooling channel openings in a region of a second connecting surface of the second mirror part;

bringing together the first and second mirror parts so that initially a partial region of the first connecting surface and a partial region of the second connecting surface come into contact and form a common contact surface; and

enlarging the common contact surface by continuing to bring the first and second mirror parts together in a direction along longitudinal extents of the cooling channel openings,

wherein:

the method forms a mirror comprising an optical surface;

the first mirror part further comprises auxiliary channels comprising elongate auxiliary channel openings in the region of the first connecting surface;

the cooling channels of the first and/or second mirror part are beneath the optical surface of the mirror; and

the auxiliary channels of the first mirror part are not beneath the optical surface of the mirror.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first mirror part comprises cooling channels comprising elongate cooling channel openings in the region of the first connecting surface.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the second mirror part comprises cooling channels comprising elongate cooling channel openings in the region of the second connecting surface.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cooling channel openings are parallel to one another.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each cooling channel opening extends radially outwardly in a direction from a central location of at least one surface selected from the group consisting of the first connecting surface and the second connecting surface.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein there is a clear spacing between adjacent cooling channel openings, and the clear spacing is not more than 15 mm.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the second mirror part further comprises auxiliary channels comprising elongate auxiliary channel openings in the region of the second connecting surface; and

the auxiliary channels of the second mirror part are not beneath the optical surface of the mirror.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein:

the first mirror part comprises cooling channels comprising elongate cooling channel openings in the region of the first connecting surface; and

the second mirror part comprises cooling channels comprising elongate cooling channel openings in the region of the second connecting surface.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the cooling channel openings are parallel to one another.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein each cooling channel opening extends radially outwardly in a direction from a central location of at least one surface selected from the group consisting of the first connecting surface and the second connecting surface.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first connecting surface has a curvature.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the second connecting surface has a curvature.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first connecting surface has a first curvature, the first curvature has different mean radii of curvature for different azimuthal angles, and the first curvature is non-rotationally symmetric.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the second connecting surface has a second curvature, the second curvature has different mean radii of curvature for different azimuthal angles, and the second curvature is non-rotationally symmetric.

15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming an optical surface on a surface of the second mirror part that lies opposite to the second connecting surface.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first mirror part comprises cooling channels comprising elongate cooling channel openings in the region of the first connecting surface;

the auxiliary channels of the first mirror part are fluidically separated from the cooling channels of the first mirror part;

the second mirror part comprises cooling channels comprising elongate cooling channel openings in the region of the second connecting surface;

the second mirror part further comprises auxiliary channels comprising elongate auxiliary channel openings in the region of the second connecting surface; and

the auxiliary channels of the second mirror part are fluidically separated from the cooling channels of the second mirror part.

17 . A method, comprising:

providing first and second mirror parts, the first mirror part comprising cooling channels comprising elongate cooling channel openings in a region of a first connecting surface of the first mirror part, and/or the second mirror part comprising cooling channels comprising elongate cooling channel openings in a region of a second connecting surface of the second mirror part;

bringing together the first and second mirror parts so that initially a partial region of the first connecting surface and a partial region of the second connecting surface come into contact and form a common contact surface; and

enlarging the common contact surface by continuing to bring the first and second mirror parts together in a direction along longitudinal extents of the cooling channel openings,

wherein:

the first connecting surface has a curvature;

the second connecting surface has a curvature; and

the method further comprises continuing to bring the first and second mirror parts together along a direction in which at least one surface selected from the group consisting of the first connecting surface and the second connecting surface has a mean radius of curvature with the smallest absolute value.

18 . A method, comprising:

providing first and second mirror parts, the first mirror part comprising cooling channels comprising elongate cooling channel openings in a region of a first connecting surface of the first mirror part, and/or the second mirror part comprising cooling channels comprising elongate cooling channel openings in a region of a second connecting surface of the second mirror part;

bringing together the first and second mirror parts so that initially a partial region of the first connecting surface and a partial region of the second connecting surface come into contact and form a common contact surface; and

enlarging the common contact surface by continuing to bring the first and second mirror parts together in a direction along longitudinal extents of the cooling channel openings,

wherein the first connecting surface has a first curvature, the first curvature has different mean radii of curvature for different azimuthal angles, and the first curvature is non-rotationally symmetric.

19 . A method, comprising:

providing first and second mirror parts, the first mirror part comprising cooling channels comprising elongate cooling channel openings in a region of a first connecting surface of the first mirror part, and/or the second mirror part comprising cooling channels comprising elongate cooling channel openings in a region of a second connecting surface of the second mirror part;

bringing together the first and second mirror parts so that initially a partial region of the first connecting surface and a partial region of the second connecting surface come into contact and form a common contact surface; and

enlarging the common contact surface by continuing to bring the first and second mirror parts together in a direction along longitudinal extents of the cooling channel openings,

wherein:

the first mirror part further comprises auxiliary channels comprising elongate auxiliary channel openings in the region of the first connecting surface; and

the auxiliary channels of the first mirror part are fluidically separated from the cooling channels of the first and/or second mirror part.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein:

the second mirror part further comprises auxiliary channels comprising elongate auxiliary channel openings in the region of the second connecting surface; and

the auxiliary channels of the second mirror part are fluidically separated from the cooling channels of the first and/or second mirror part.