IP Library Granted Patent US 12687786
Granted Patent B2
US 12687786 · App. 18/460,770 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Method for operating an optical component, and optical component

Inventor: Ralf Noltemeyer (Herrenberg, DE)
Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH; Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
G03F7/702G02B26/0841
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12687786
App. No.
18/460,770
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating an optical component having a mirror element, a substrate for carrying the mirror element, an actuator device for tilting the mirror element about one or two tilt axes, which actuator device has a first actuator electrode structure and a second actuator electrode structure, and a sensor device for detecting a tilt angle of the mirror element. The first actuator electrode structure in this case comprises a plurality of first active actuator electrodes and at least one first passive actuator electrode. The second actuator electrode structure in this case comprises a plurality of second active actuator electrodes and at least one second passive actuator electrode. At least one of the first active actuator electrodes is subjected to a first voltage and at least one of the second active actuator electrodes is subjected to a second voltage. In order to tilt the mirror element, the first and the second voltage are changed with different rates of change.

Claims (62)

1 . A method for operating an optical component comprising

a mirror element,

a substrate for carrying the mirror element,

an actuator device that is configured to tilt the mirror element about one or two tilt axes, wherein

the actuator device has a first actuator electrode structure and a second actuator electrode structure, and

a sensor device for detecting a tilt angle of the mirror element,

wherein the first actuator electrode structure comprises:

a plurality of first active actuator electrodes and

at least one first passive actuator electrode and

wherein the second actuator electrode structure comprises:

a plurality of second active actuator electrodes and

at least one second passive actuator electrode,

characterized in that

at least one of the first active actuator electrodes is subjected to a first voltage and

at least one of the second active actuator electrodes is subjected to a second voltage,

wherein, in order to tilt the mirror element, the first and the second voltage are changed with different rates of change.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that

the first voltage is changed with a first signal and the second voltage is changed with a second signal, wherein the first and the second signal have different time constants.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , characterized in that

the first signal has a first signal gradient that is designed so as to avoid interference with sensor signals of the sensor device, and/or the second signal has a second signal gradient that is designed so as to compensate for position changes of the mirror element.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , characterized in that

the first signal has a first signal gradient that is designed so as to avoid interference with sensor signals of the sensor device.

5 . The method according to claim 3 , characterized in that

the second signal has a second signal gradient that is designed so as to compensate for position changes of the mirror element.

6 . The method according to claim 3 , characterized in that

the first signal has a first signal gradient that is designed so as to avoid interference with sensor signals of the sensor device and the second signal has a second signal gradient that is designed so as to compensate for position changes of the mirror element.

7 . The method according to claim 2 , characterized in that

the strength of the second signal for changing the second voltage adopts a constant value or is computed on the basis of a difference between a target tilt angle and a detected tilt angle.

8 . The method according to claim 2 , characterized in that

the first signal is regulated such that the second signal, in a steady state of the first signal, is in an optimum operating state.

9 . An optical component, comprising

a mirror element,

a substrate for carrying the mirror element,

an actuator device that is configured to tilt the mirror element about one or two tilt axes, and

a sensor device for detecting a tilt angle of the mirror element,

characterized in that

the optical component is configured to carry out a method according to claim 1 .

10 . A mirror array, comprising a plurality of optical components according to claim 9 .

11 . An illumination optical unit for a projection exposure apparatus for guiding illumination radiation to an object field, comprising at least one mirror array according to claim 10 .

12 . An illumination system for a projection exposure apparatus, comprising

an illumination optical unit according to claim 11 and

a radiation source.

13 . A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, comprising

an illumination optical unit according to claim 11 and

a projection optical unit for projecting a reticle arranged in an object field into an object field into an image field.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that

the plurality of first active actuator electrodes is attached to the substrate.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , characterized in that

the plurality of second active actuator electrodes is attached to the substrate.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that

the at least one first passive actuator electrode is attached to the mirror element.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , characterized in that

the at least one second passive actuator electrode is attached to the mirror element.

18 . The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that

the plurality of first active actuator electrodes is attached to the substrate; and

the at least one first passive actuator electrode is attached to the mirror element.

19 . The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that

the plurality of second active actuator electrodes is attached to the substrate; and

the at least one second passive actuator electrode is attached to the mirror element.

20 . The method according to claim 1 , characterized in that

the plurality of first active actuator electrodes and the plurality of second active actuator electrodes are attached to the substrate; and

the at least one first passive actuator electrode and the at least one second passive actuator electrode are attached to the mirror element.