High numerical aperture projection system and method for microlithography

1. A high numerical aperture projection system for projecting an image of a reticle onto a wafer, comprising:

a beam-splitter;

a reticle optical group;

a quarter-wave plate between the reticle and said beam-splitter;

a concave mirror;

a concave mirror optical group, wherein said concave mirror optical group is between said concave mirror and said beam-splitter;

a fold mirror;

a wafer optical group;

wherein a beam of light is directed through the reticle and said reticle optical group to said beam-splitter, then reflected by said beam-splitter onto said concave mirror, then reflected by said concave mirror onto said fold mirror through said beam-splitter, and is reflected by said fold mirror onto the wafer through said wafer optical group, the beam of light being directed to said beam-splitter having an s-polarization state and through said beam-splitter having a p-polarization state;

wherein an intermediate image is formed between said beam-splitter and said wafer optical group when the beam of light passes through the system, the intermediate image being a real image of the image from the reticle.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said concave mirror optical group further comprises a second quarter wave plate.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said wafer optical group further comprises a third quarter wave plate.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein an aperture stop is between said concave mirror and said concave mirror optical group.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein an optical element is between said fold mirror and said intermediate image.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said fold mirror is between said intermediate image and said beam-splitter.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein an optical element is between said fold mirror and said intermediate image, and an optical element is between said intermediate image and said wafer optical group.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein an optical element is between said fold mirror and said intermediate image, and an optical element is between said intermediate image and said wafer optical group.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein an optical element is between said intermediate image and said wafer optical group.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein said beam-splitter is a tilted beam-splitter.

11. A high numerical aperture projection system for projecting an image of a reticle onto a wafer, comprising:

a beam-splitter;

a reticle optical group separated from said reticle by a first quarter wave plate, wherein said reticle optical group is between said beam-splitter and said reticle;

a concave mirror;

a concave mirror optical group, wherein said concave mirror optical group is between said beam-splitter and said concave mirror;

wherein an aperture stop is located between said concave mirror and said concave mirror optical group;

a fold mirror, wherein said fold mirror is between said beam-splitter and the wafer; and

a wafer optical group, wherein said wafer optical group is between said beam-splitter and the wafer;

wherein a beam of light is directed through said reticle to said beam-splitter, then reflected by said beam-splitter onto said concave mirror, then passes through said aperture stop and is reflected by said concave mirror onto said fold mirror through said beam-splitter, and is reflected by said fold mirror onto the wafer through said wafer optical group, the beam of light being directed to said beam-splitter having an s-polarization state and through said beam-splitter having a p-polarization state; and

wherein an intermediate image is formed between said fold mirror and said wafer optical group when the beam of light passes through the system, the intermediate image being a real image of the image from the reticle.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein said concave mirror optical group further comprises a second quarter wave plate.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein said wafer optical group further comprises a third quarter wave plate.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein an optical element is placed between said fold mirror and said intermediate image.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein said fold mirror is between said intermediate image and said beam-splitter.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein an optical element is placed between said fold mirror and said intermediate image, and an optical element is placed between said intermediate image and said wafer optical group.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein an optical element is placed between said fold mirror and said intermediate image, and an optical element is placed between said intermediate image and said wafer optical group.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein an optical element is placed between said intermediate image and said wafer optical group.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein an optical element is placed between said intermediate image and said wafer optical group.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein said beam-splitter is a tilted beam-splitter.

21. In an optical system, a method for forming an image of a reticle on a wafer plane by passing a light through the reticle, a quarter-wave plate between the reticle and a beam-splitter, the beam-splitter, and an aperture stop, comprising steps of:

(a) directing light into a beam-splitter through the reticle and the quarter-wave plate;

(b) reflecting the light from the beam-splitter toward a concave mirror;

(c) directing the reflected light through the aperture stop;

(d) reflecting light from the concave mirror through the beam-splitter onto a fold mirror, the light being directed into the beam-splitter having an s-polarization state and through the beam-splitter having a p-polarization state; and

(e) reflecting light toward the wafer plane, said reflecting light toward the wafer plane further comprises forming an intermediate image between the fold mirror and the wafer plane, the intermediate image being a real image of the image from the reticle.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein said step (b) further comprises: directing light through a second quarter-wave plate, wherein the second quarter-wave plate is placed between the beam-splitter and the aperture stop.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein said step (d) further comprises: directing light through a third quarter-wave plate, wherein the third quarter-wave plate is placed between fold mirror and the wafer plane.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein said step (d) further comprises: forming an intermediate image between the fold mirror and the third quarter-wave plate.

25. In an optical system, a method for forming an image of a reticle on a substrate by passing light through the reticle, a quarter-wave plate between the reticle and a beam-splitter, and the beam-splitter, comprising the steps of:

(a) passing light through the reticle, the quarter-wave plate, and the beam-splitter onto a concave mirror, wherein light is reflected by the concave mirror back into the beam-splitter, the light being reflected into the beam-splitter having an s-polarization state;

(b) after reflection by the concave mirror, passing the light through the beam-splitter onto a fold mirror, wherein the light is reflected by the fold mirror, the light being passed through the beam-splitter having a p-polarization state;

(c) forming an intermediate image between the fold mirror and the substrate, the intermediate image being a real image of the image from the reticle; and

(d) directing the light onto the substrate.