US 12,222,655 B2
Stop, optical system and lithography apparatus
Benjahman Julius Modeste, Elchingen (DE); Toralf Gruner, Aalen-Hofen (DE); Daniel Golde, Oberkochen (DE); Ulrich Loering, Ulm (DE); Ralf Zweering, Aalen (DE); and Stefan Xalter, Oberkochen (DE)
Assigned to Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH, Oberkochen (DE)
Filed by Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH, Oberkochen (DE)
Filed on Dec. 17, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/554,029.
Application 17/554,029 is a continuation of application No. PCT/EP2020/068239, filed on Jun. 29, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 102019209884.3 (DE), filed on Jul. 4, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0107567 A1, Apr. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. G03F 7/20 (2006.01); G02B 5/00 (2006.01); G03F 7/00 (2006.01); G02B 17/08 (2006.01)
CPC G03F 7/7025 (2013.01) [G02B 5/005 (2013.01); G02B 17/0848 (2013.01); G02B 17/0892 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A stop, comprising:
a light-transmissive aperture;
a first stop element; and
a second stop element,
wherein:
the aperture is provided in the first and second stop elements or at the first and second stop elements;
outside the aperture, each of the first and second stop elements comprises an opaque region and a fluid-permeable region;
the fluid-permeable region of the first stop element is offset from the fluid-permeable region of the second stop element so that:
i) a fluid passing through the fluid-permeable region of the first stop element is deflected by the opaque region of the second stop element before passing through the fluid-permeable region of the second stop element; and
ii) light passing through the fluid permeable region of the first stop element is unable to pass through the fluid permeable region of the second stop element.