US20100277707A1

Movatterモバイル変換

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Publication number: US20100277707A1
Application number: US12/836,982
Authority: US
Inventors: Damian Fiolka
Original assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
Current assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
Priority date: 2008-08-12
Filing date: 2010-07-15
Publication date: 2010-11-04
Also published as: US7787104B2; US20100039636A1; DE102008041179A1; DE102008041179B4

Abstract

Illumination optics for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus is used for illumination of an object field in the object plane with illumination light of a radiation source. The illumination optics has an optical beam influencing element which is divided into at least two beam influencing regions in order to generate various illumination modes for the object field which are independent of a light attenuation. The optical beam influencing element is displaceable between a first beam influencing position where a first one of the beam influencing regions is exposed to a bundle of the illumination light, and at least another beam influencing position where another one of the beam influencing regions is exposed to the bundle of the illumination light. Each of the beam influencing regions has a surface which is exposable to illumination light and has a long and a short side length, with the optical beam influencing element being displaceable perpendicular to the long side length. The result is an illumination optics which allows rapid switching between various illumination settings, preferably within fractions of a second and substantially without light loss.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/536,925, filed Aug. 6, 2009, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to GermanPatent Application DE 10 2008 041 179.5, filed Aug. 12, 2008. The contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to an illumination optics for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. The disclosure further relates to an optical beam influencing element for use in an illumination optics of this type, an illumination system comprising an illumination optics of this type, a projection exposure apparatus comprising an illumination system of this type, a production method for a microstructured or nanostructured component using a projection exposure apparatus of this type and a component produced according to this production method.

BACKGROUND

An illumination optics for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus is disclosed in US 2006/0072095 A1, in US 2007/0211231 A1, in US 2007/0058151 A1 and in US 2006/0158624 A1.

As far as the microlithographic production of semiconductor components and other finely structured components is concerned, the performance of projection exposure apparatuses is essentially determined by the imaging properties of the projection objectives. Moreover, the image quality, the process flexibility, the wafer throughput that is achievable using the apparatus, and other performance features are essentially determined by properties of the illumination system, i.e., the illumination optics and the radiation source, disposed upstream of the projection objective. The illumination optics should be capable of preparing the light of a primary light source such as a laser at the highest possible efficiency so as to generate the most uniform possible intensity distribution in an object or illumination field of the illumination system. Furthermore, the illumination system should be able to generate various modes of illumination so as to optimize the illumination in terms of the structures of the individual templates, in other words masks or reticles, to be imaged. Conventional setting possibilities include various conventional illumination settings having different degrees of coherence as well as annular field illuminations and dipole or quadrupole illumination. Non-conventional illumination settings for generating an oblique illumination may for instance be employed to achieve an increased depth of field using two-beam interference or an increased resolution capability. The generation of various illumination modes for the object field using the at least two beam influencing regions of the optical beam influencing element may be independent of a light attenuation. This is achievable by a diffractive, refractive or reflective generation in the beam influencing regions.

Rapid modifications of the illumination setting allowing a mask in the object field to be exposed to two different illumination settings in short intervals may be desired to perform multiple patternings. The possibilities of conventional illumination optical systems comprising variably adjustable pupil forming devices are limited in this regard, in particular if the masses of the displaceable optical components need to travel relatively long travel distances in order to switch between different illumination settings. When exchangeable pupil filters are used, this may result in light losses.

SUMMARY

In certain aspects, illumination optics are provided for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus which enables rapid switching between various illumination settings to be carried out preferably within fractions of a second and substantially without light loss.

In certain aspect, the invention features an illumination optics for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus for the exposure of an object field disposed in an object plane to illumination light of a radiation source,

- with the illumination optics comprising an optical beam influencing element which is divided into at least two beam influencing regions for the generation of various illumination modes for the object field independently of a light attenuation;
- with the optical beam influencing element being displaceable between
  - a first beam influencing position where a first one of the beam influencing regions is exposed to a bundle of the illumination light;
  - at least another beam influencing position where another one of the beam influencing regions is exposed to the bundle of the illumination light,
- with each of the beam influencing regions comprising a surface which is exposable to illumination light and has a long and a short side length, with the optical beam influencing element being displaceable perpendicular to the long side length.

The optical beam influencing element may comprise an optical beam forming element which is divided into at least two beam forming regions for the generation of various beam angle distributions of the illumination light,

- with the beam forming element being displaceable between
  - a first beam forming position where a first one of the beam forming regions is exposed to the bundle of the illumination light;
  - at least another beam forming position where another one of the beam forming regions is exposed to the bundle of the illumination light.

Alternatively, the optical beam influencing element may comprise an optical polarisation forming element which is divided into at least two polarization forming regions for the generation of various polarization distributions of the illumination light,

- with the optical polarization forming element being displaceable between
  - a first polarization position where a first one of the polarization forming regions is exposed to the bundle of the illumination light;
  - at least another polarization position where another one of the polarization forming regions is exposed to the bundle of the illumination light.

Beam influencing elements of this type allow illumination settings to be defined selectively. This may be useful to carry out demanding exposure tasks such as defined multiple patternings of one and the same object structure.

The optical beam influencing element may be a diffractive optical element, with the beam influencing regions being configured as diffractive beam influencing regions. Using beam influencing regions of this type, a beam can be influenced in a defined manner in such a way as to allow even complicated illumination settings such as multipole settings to be performed.

The beam influencing regions may have a different polarizing effect on the illumination light such that the resolution in particular object geometries to be imaged can be improved even more. A polarizing beam influencing region may be configured as a diffractive optical element. Polarizing diffractive optical elements are disclosed in US 2007/0058151 A1 and in US 2006/0158624 A1.

At least one of the beam influencing regions may have a depolarizing effect. This may avoid a preferred direction which may be undesirable in particular exposure tasks. A depolarizing beam influencing region is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,466,303 B1.

The polarization forming regions may consist of optically active material. Said material may be an optical rotator or a birefringent optical material. If the polarization forming regions are made of optically active material, this ensures a precisely adjustable polarization.

The polarization forming elements may be transmissive and made of material of different thickness. The respective polarizing effect of the polarization forming region is in each case definable by selecting the respective thickness.

The optical beam influencing element may be linearly displaceable in a driven manner and/or displaceable about a pivot axis in a driven manner, wherein in the latter case, the beam forming regions may be arranged about the pivot axis in the form of sector portions when seen in the peripheral direction. Such displacement arrangements of the beam influencing element can be implemented with comparatively little construction effort.

The advantages of an optical beam influencing element for use in an illumination optics correspond to those which have already been explained above with reference to the illumination optics.

The advantages of an illumination system including an illumination optics and a radiation source correspond to those of the illumination optics. The radiation source may be a DUV source or an EUV source.

The forming effect of the illumination system may be such that the illumination light bundle is spanned in the plane of the optical beam influencing element by a longer and a shorter bundle cross-section dimension, with the optical beam influencing element being displaceable in the direction of the shorter bundle cross-section dimension. The ratio of the longer to the shorter bundle cross-section dimension may be greater than 2. The beam influencing regions of the optical beam influencing element may have an extension in the direction of the shorter beam cross-section dimension which exceeds the shorter beam cross-section dimension by no more than 10%. These embodiments ensure particularly short switching times of the beam influencing element when modifying the illumination settings, thus allowing for switching times in the range of milliseconds.

A projection exposure apparatus including an illumination system includes a projection optics for imaging the object field in the object plane into an image field in an image plane, a reticle holder for holding a reticle, which is provided which structures to be imaged, in the object field, and a wafer holder for holding a wafer in the image field, with preferably the reticle holder and the wafer holder being displaceable synchronously with each other in a displacement direction perpendicular to the beam direction of the illumination light during projection exposure. The advantages of a projection exposure apparatus of this type correspond to those which have already been explained above with reference to the components.

The beam forming regions may be rectangular, with the displacement direction of the reticle holder or the wafer holder, respectively, being substantially parallel to the long side lengths of the in particular rectangular beam influencing regions. This ensures a defined illumination of the individual object field points during projection exposure.

The advantages of a method for the production of structured components, the method comprising the following steps:

- providing a wafer which is at least partially provided with a layer of a light-sensitive material;
- providing a reticle which comprises structures to be imaged;
- providing a projection exposure apparatus;
- projecting at least a part of the reticle onto a region of the layer on the wafer using the projection exposure apparatus,
  and the advantages of a component produced according to this method correspond to those which have been explained above with reference to the illumination optics and the projection exposure apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the disclosure will hereinafter be explained in more detail by means of the drawing in which

FIG. 1 is a highly diagrammatic meridional section through optical main components of a projection exposure apparatus for microlithography;

FIG. 2 is a highly diagrammatic view of an embodiment of a modular illumination system for the projection exposure apparatus according toFIG. 1, with optical components inside the modules being exposed;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a beam influencing element comprising several beam influencing regions for the generation of various illumination modes for an object field of the projection exposure apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a cutout of the beam influencing element according toFIG. 3 comprising two beam influencing regions, with far field distributions generated by these two beam influencing regions also being shown diagrammatically;

FIG. 5 is another view similar toFIG. 4 of two beam influencing regions of a beam influencing element, with the beam influencing effects thereof, including a polarization influencing effect, also being shown diagrammatically;

FIG. 6 is a view similar toFIG. 2 of a cutout of a beam influencing element comprising an optical beam forming element and an optical polarization forming element; and

FIG. 7 is a plan view of another embodiment of an optical beam influencing element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic meridional section through the optical main groups of a projection exposure apparatus1. The optical main groups are refractive optical elements in this diagrammatic illustration. The optical main groups may however just as well be diffractive or reflective components or combinations or sub combinations of refractive/diffractive/reflective assemblies of optical elements.

Each of the Figures is provided with a Cartesian xyz coordinate system so as to facilitate the description of positional relationships. The x-axis ofFIG. 1 extends perpendicular to and into the drawing plane. The y-axis ofFIG. 1 extends upwards. The z-axis ofFIG. 1 extends to the right and parallel to anoptical axis2 of the projection exposure apparatus1. As shown in Figures yet to be described, theoptical axis2 can optionally be folded once or several times.

The projection exposure apparatus1 comprises aradiation source3 which generates useful light in the form of abundle4 of illumination or imaging rays. Theuseful light4 has a wavelength in the deep ultraviolet range (DUV), for instance in the range between 100 and 200 nm. Alternatively, the useful light may also have a wavelength in the EUV range, in particular in the range between 5 and 30 nm.

Anillumination optics5 of the projection exposure apparatus1 transmits theuseful light4 from theradiation source3 to anobject plane6 of the projection exposure apparatus1. In theobject plane6 is arranged an object in the form of areticle7 to be imaged using the projection exposure apparatus1. Thereticle7 is outlined by dashed lines inFIG. 1. Thereticle7 is held by a reticle holder (not shown) of the projection exposure apparatus1. An object field, which is for example rectangular, is illuminated in theobject plane6.

Theillumination optics5 and theradiation source3 are together also referred to as illumination system of the projection exposure apparatus1.

The first optical main group of theillumination optics5 is apupil forming optics8. Saidpupil forming optics8 serves to generate a defined intensity distribution of theuseful light4 in adownstream pupil plane9 of theillumination optics5. Thepupil forming optics8 images theradiation source3 in a plurality of secondary light sources. Thepupil forming optics8 may additionally also have a field forming effect. As will be explained below, thepupil forming optics8 may be equipped with a diffractive optical element. Alternatively or in addition thereto, thepupil forming optics8 may also be equipped with pupil-forming optical elements in the form of facet elements or honeycomb elements. Thepupil plane9 is optically conjugated to anotherpupil plane10 of aprojection objective11 of the projection exposure apparatus1, theprojection objective11 being arranged downstream of theillumination optics5 between theobject plane6 and animage plane12.

In theimage plane12 is arranged awafer13 which is outlined by dashed lines inFIG. 1. Using theprojection objective11, the object field in theobject plane7 is imaged into an image field on thewafer13 in theimage plane12. Thewafer13 is held by a wafer holder of the projection exposure apparatus1, the wafer holder not being shown in the drawing.

During projection exposure, thereticle7 and thewafer13 are scanned synchronously with each other in the y-direction. A so-called stepper operation of the projection exposure apparatus1 is conceivable as well where thereticle7 and thewafer13 are gradually displaced synchronously with each other in the y-direction between two exposures. The y-direction is therefore an object displacement direction of the projection exposure apparatus1.

Downstream of thepupil plane9 that is arranged behind thepupil forming optics8 is disposed another optical main group of theillumination optics5 in the form of afield lens group14. Thefield lens group14 has an object-field forming effect. Thefield lens group14 may be additionally be provided with a diffractive field forming element. A microlens array may be part of thefield lens group14 as well. Behind thefield lens group14 is arranged anintermediate image plane15 which is conjugated to theobject plane6. In theintermediate image plane15 is disposed adiaphragm16 which defines an edge boundary of the object field to be illuminated in theobject plane6. Thediaphragm16 is also referred to as REMA diaphragm (reticle masking system for masking the reticle7).

Theintermediate image plane15 is imaged into theobject plane6 using anobjective group17 which is also referred to as REMA lens group. Theobjective group17 is another optical main group of theillumination optics5. In theobjective group17 is arranged anotherpupil plane18 of theillumination optics5.

FIG. 2 is a partially more detailed view of an embodiment of theillumination optics5. First of all, thepupil forming optics8 includes a beam expansion optics which is configured as a Galilei

telescope comprising lenses

19,20. A typical expansion factor of this

expansion optics

19,20 is between 2 and 5. Behind the

expansion optics

19,20, theuseful light4 impinges upon arow array21 of diffractive optical elements (DOEs)22. Thearray21 is an optical beam influencing element, with theindividual DOEs22 forming beam influencing regions of thebeam influencing element21 for generating various illumination modes for the object field. In front of thearray21, theuseful light4 is polarized in a direction that is linearly parallel to the drawing plane ofFIG. 2 (p-pol). TheDOE22, which is currently passed through by light in the arrangement according toFIG. 2, causes the polarization of theuseful light4 to be rotated. Behind thearray21, theuseful light4 is polarized in a direction that is linearly perpendicular to the drawing plane ofFIG. 2 (s-pol).

FIG. 3 shows a current illumination mode of thebeam influencing element21. There are eightbeam influencing regions22 inFIG. 3 which are arranged next to one another in the x-direction, with the thirdbeam influencing region22 to the left being exposed to thebundle4 of useful radiation. Thebeam influencing regions22 comprise in each case one surface that is exposable to thebundle4 of illumination radiation, the surface comprising a long side length which extends in the y-direction and a short side length which extends in the x-direction. Thebeam influencing regions22 are directly adjacent to each other in the x-direction. Thebeam influencing regions22 are rectangular and have a y/x aspect ratio of approximately 5.5 in the illustrated embodiment. Other aspect ratios, for instance in the range between 2 and 10, are conceivable as well. Thebundle4 of illumination radiation is also rectangular in the plane of thebeam influencing element21 and is spanned by a longer bundle cross-section dimension extending in the y-direction and a shorter bundle cross-section dimension extending in the x-direction. The ratio of the longer bundle cross-section dimension to the shorter bundle cross-section dimension is approximately 8 in the illustrated embodiment. Other aspect ratios which may be greater than 5 or greater than 2 are conceivable as well. Exactly one of theDOEs22, in other words exactly one beam influencing region, is exposed to thebundle4 of useful radiation.

Due to their DOE design, thebeam influencing regions22 have a beam influencing effect which is independent of an attenuation of thebundle4 of useful radiation. Thebundle4 of useful radiation is therefore influenced by thebeam influencing element21 in such a way that no filtering of thebundle4 of useful radiation occurs. TheDOEs22 are outlined as transmissive DOEs inFIG. 2. Alternatively, theDOEs22 may also be designed as reflective DOEs.

Thebeam influencing element21 may be arranged in a field plane of theillumination optics5 which is optically conjugated to theobject plane6. Alternatively, thebeam influencing element21 may also be arranged in an intermediate plane between a field plane conjugated to the object plane and a pupil plane of theillumination optics5.

Thebeam influencing regions22 of thebeam influencing element21 have an extension x₀in the x-direction which exceeds the shorter bundle cross-section dimension x_Bof thebundle4 of useful radiation in the plane of thebeam influencing element21 by no more than 10%. Provided that thebeam influencing element21 is adjusted correctly, this ensures that thebundle4 of useful radiation is able to impinge upon exactly one of thebeam influencing regions22, thus preventing portions of theuseful light4 from impinging upon the directly adjacentbeam influencing regions22 in an unwanted manner.

Thebeam influencing element21 is displaceable in a switchingdirection23 which extends parallel to the x-direction. A length of a switching displacement with an absolute value of x₀causes an adjacent one of thebeam influencing regions22 to be exposed to thebundle4 of useful radiation instead of thebeam influencing region22 exposed thereto inFIG. 3. At a given shorter bundle cross-section dimension x_B, the length ratio between the dimensions x₀and x_Bensures that modifying the exposure of thebeam influencing regions22 only requires a short switching travel of thebeam influencing element21 in the switchingdirection23.

For displacement in the switchingdirection23, thebeam influencing element21 is mechanically connected to a driven retainingelement24 which is diagrammatically shown inFIGS. 2 and 3. A drive motor of the retainingelement24 is connected with acentral control device26 of the projection exposure apparatus1 via a signal line25 (cf.FIG. 3).

FIG. 4 shows the beam influencing effect of a first embodiment of thebeam influencing regions22. The Figure shows a slightly enlarged view of two selected

beam influencing regions

22aand22bof thebeam influencing element21. The

beam influencing regions

22a,22bonly have a beam forming effect, in other words they do not influence the polarization of theincident bundle4 of useful radiation.

Apart from the two

beam influencing regions

22a,22b,FIG. 4 also shows the beam influencing effect of far field distributions characterizing these two

beam influencing regions

22a,22b. Thebeam influencing region22ashown on the left ofFIG. 4 generates afar field distribution27ain the form of a y-dipole. When thebeam influencing region22ais exposed to thebundle4 of useful radiation, a corresponding y-dipole illumination of thereticle7 is generated in theobject plane6.

Thebeam influencing region22bshown on the right ofFIG. 4 generates afar field distribution27bin the form of an x-dipole. When thebeam influencing region22bis exposed to thebundle4 of useful radiation, this results in a corresponding x-dipole illumination of thereticle7 in theobject plane6.

Alternatively or in addition thereto, thebeam influencing element21 may also comprise polarization forming regions whose rectangular extension in the plane of thebeam influencing element21 is identical to that of thebeam influencing regions22.FIG. 5 is an illustration similar toFIG. 4 of such polarization forming regions28, shown by the example of two

polarization forming regions

28aand28b. The illumination forming effect of the

polarization forming regions

28a,28bcorresponds to that of the

beam influencing regions

22aand22b. The illumination forming effect of thepolarization forming region28ais such that a y-dipole27ais generated while the illumination forming effect of thepolarization forming region28bis such that an x-dipole27bis generated. In addition thereto, the polarization forming region shown28aon the left ofFIG. 5 generates a polarization x_polof theuseful light4 in the x-direction while thepolarization forming region28bgenerates a polarization y_polof theuseful light4 in the y-direction.

The polarization forming regions28 may be made of optically active material, for instance in the form of an optical rotator or of a birefringent optical material. In order to generate different polarizing effects, the

polarization forming regions

28a,28bmay consist of the same material while having a different thickness when seen in the beam direction of theuseful light4. This applies if the polarization forming regions28 are designed as regions which are transmissive of theuseful light4. In this case, advantage can be taken of a linear or a circular birefringence.

Corresponding polarization forming regions28 may also have a depolarizing effect, in other words they may influence incident polarizeduseful light4 in such a way that saiduseful light4 will be depolarized behind the polarization forming regions28.

Downstream of thebeam influencing element21, theuseful light4 propagates through a lens29 (cf.FIG. 2) and azoom axicon30 which allows illumination angles defined by thebeam influencing element21 to be continuously fine-tuned in the object field. The

optical components

19,20,21,20 and30 are components of thepupil forming optics8 of theillumination optics5. Behind thezoom axicon30, theuseful light4 is reflected by a 90°mirror31 before passing through araster element32 in the form of a honeycomb condenser. Theoptical components29 to32 are combined in azoom axicon module33.

Behind theraster element32, theuseful light4 passes through afield lens34 which is a part of aninput coupling module35 of theillumination optics5. The

optical components

32 and34 are parts of thefield lens group14 of theillumination optics5.

TheREMA diaphragm16 is arranged behind theinput coupling module35. Arranged downstream of saidREMA diaphragm16 is another 90°mirror36 behind which is arranged theobjective group17 of which two

lenses

37,38 are shown. The

optical components

16,36,37 and38 are parts of aREMA module39 of theillumination optics5.

During operation of the projection exposure apparatus1 comprising theillumination optics5, thereticle7 may be subjected to double patterning. To this end, the impingement of a firstbeam influencing region22 of thebeam influencing element21 is first determined by corresponding actuation of the drive motor of the retainingelement24 using thecontrol device26. Thereticle7 is then exposed to the correspondingly formedbundle4 of illumination radiation. Thebeam influencing element21 is then displaced in the switchingdirection23 by the drive motor of the retainingelement24 via a switching command of the control device in such a way that a second selectedbeam forming region22 of thebeam forming element21 is now exposed to thebundle4 of illumination radiation, with thebundle4 of illumination radiation being formed correspondingly in this process. The already illuminated portion of thereticle7 in the object field of theobject plane6 is then illuminated for a second time. The second selectedbeam forming region22 is generally a beam forming region that is directly adjacent to thebeam forming region22 that was first illuminated. It is generally conceivable to skip onebeam influencing region22 or severalbeam influencing regions22 when displacing thebeam influencing element21. These two exposures in which illumination is carried out usingbundles4 of illumination radiation with correspondingly different illumination angle distributions may take place in rapid succession, with thebeam influencing element21 being rapidly switched from one position to the other, for example.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of abeam influencing element40. Saidbeam influencing element40 not only has abeam forming element41 comprisingbeam forming regions22 corresponding to those that have been explained above with reference toFIGS. 3 and 4 but also a polarization forming element comprisingpolarization forming regions43aand43b. The polarization forming regions43 are beam forming regions as well and have only a polarizing but no beam forming effect. The polarization forming region43bshown on the right ofFIG. 6 rotates the polarization of the incidentuseful light4 through 90°. The situation is shown where p-polarizeduseful light4, i.e. incidentuseful light4 which is parallel to the drawing plane ofFIG. 6, is s-polarized, i.e. in the direction perpendicular to the drawing plane ofFIG. 6, after passing through the polarization forming region43b. Thepolarization forming region43ahas for example a depolarizing effect, causing p-polarized incidentuseful light4 to be depolarized when passing through thepolarization forming region43a, with the result that a depolarized illumination of the object field is achieved in theobject plane6.

The polarization forming element42 and thebeam forming element41 are arranged one behind the other in the beam direction (z-direction) of thebundle4 of illumination radiation. The distance between these twoelements42,41 may amount to several millimetres. Alternatively, the twoelements42,41 may be arranged at positions in theillumination optics5 which are at a greater distance from each other.

Thebeam forming element41 on the one hand and the polarization forming element42 on the other are displaceable in switching

directions

23_fand23_pindependently of each other, said switching

directions

23_f,23_pextending parallel to the x-direction. To this end are provided

respective retaining elements

24_fand24_pwhose drives are signally connected with thecontrol device26 in a manner not shown.

Thebeam influencing element40 allows for independent setting of the illumination angle in theobject plane6 on the one hand and of the illumination polarizations in theobject plane6 on the other.

The drive of the retainingelement24_palso allows the polarization forming element42 to be moved out of the beam path of theuseful light4 entirely, with the result that a non-polarizing effect is achieved.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of abeam influencing element44. Components which correspond to those that have already been explained above with reference toFIGS. 1 to 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals and are not discussed in detail again.

Instead of rectangularbeam influencing regions22,beam influencing regions45 of thebeam influencing element44 have the shape of sector portions which are arranged about apivot axis46 of thebeam influencing element44 when seen in the peripheral direction. A switchingdirection47 of thebeam influencing element44 extends about thepivot axis36 in the peripheral direction as well. Thebeam influencing regions45 have a beam influencing effect as described above with reference to the various embodiments of thebeam influencing regions22,28 and43 according toFIGS. 2 to 6.

Thebeam influencing element44 is drivable, via a retaining element (not shown), about thepivot axis46 using a drive motor.

Said retaining element is again signally connected with thecontrol device26 of the projection exposure apparatus1.

Thecontrol device26 again permits actuated switching between thebeam influencing regions45 as described above with reference to the embodiments according toFIGS. 2 to 6.

The above described embodiments of the beam influencing elements are provided with diffractive beam influencing regions. Reflective or refractive beam influencing regions may be provided alternatively or in addition to the diffractive beam influencing regions as well. Alternatively or in addition to beam influencing regions of this type, it is finally conceivable as well to provide beam influencing regions such as gray filters foruseful light4 which attenuate theuseful light4. The exposable surface of the refractive, reflective or filtering beam influencing regions may be dimensioned such as explained above with reference to the embodiments, in other words they may in particular comprise a long and a short side length, with the optical beam influencing element comprising said beam influencing regions then being displaceable perpendicular to said long side length as well.

Other embodiments are in the following claims.