Catadioptric objective comprising two intermediate images

Abstract

An objective comprising axial symmetry, at least one curved mirror and at least one lens and two intermediate images. The objective includes two refractive partial objectives and one catadioptric partial objective. The objective includes a first partial objective, a first intermediate a image, a second partial objective, a second intermediate image, and a third partial objective. At least one of the partial objectives is purely refractive. One of the partial objectives is purely refractive and one is purely catoptric.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention is related to a catadioptric objective comprising two intermediate images.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Such is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,035 to Hirose as a microlithographic projection exposure system. The objective shown there in FIG. 12 comprises two catoptric partial objectives and one catadioptric partial objective. All objectives are off-axis, not axially symmetric, purely spherical systems.

Catadioptric objectives with one intermediate image and a refractive partial objective are known as microlithographic projection systems with axial symmetry and central (corresponds to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/760,066, filed Jan. 12, 2001, now U.S. Publication No. 2002/0149855, published Oct. 17, 2002)
with z=axial deviation from sphere, h=radial height from optical axis.

The example of FIG. 3 has a purely catoptric partial objective S31 and a purely refractive partial objective S32 between object Ob and image Im, with intermediate image IMI. This avoids the big negative lenses f the catadioptric partial objectives of the aforementioned examples. The mirrors M1, M2 now are purely used for Petzval correction—correction of field curvature.

The chromatic characteristics of the objective are defined by the refractive partial objective S32. Use of different lens materials allows for achromatization. For DUV/VUV excimer laser systems combinations of fluorides, namely calcium fluoride (fluorspar, fluorite), barium fluoride, strontium fluoride, NaF, Lif etc. and/or quartz glass, also in specifically doped versions, are adequate. Thus, for microlithography at 157 nm, positive lenses L1,L3 can be made of calcium fluoride and negative lens L2 can be made of barium fluoride or NaF, for example.

Naturally the refractive partial objective S32 has more lenses in a realistic microlithography or microscope objective and the lenses L1 to L3 shown are only schematic representatives.

As the refractive partial objective S32 of this catadioptric objective as compared to a full refractive system is relieved from the burden of Petzval correction, it can be simplified. The waist and bulge configuration with two and more waists of state-of-the-art refractive microlithographic reduction projection objectives is therefore not needed. Only one waist of minor beam reduction remains. Consequently the refractive partial objective S32 can be shorter, smaller in diameter and can have less lenses. Transmission and contrast are thus increased, while cost is decreased. Aspheric lens surfaces further help in this effect.

As the catoptric partial objective S31 is free of lenses, its diameter is not critical: Precision aspherical mirrors with diameters of more than one meter are state of the art in astronomy, for example.

Obviously the arrangement of catoptric and refractive partial objective also can be changed in sequence. Then the diameter of the catoptric partial system is reduced in consequence of the imaging ratio of the refractive partial objective.

For reasons of good accessibility of object Ob and image Im and of more design space for correction, it is advantageous if this system also is extended to a first refractive partial objective S41, a catoptric partial objective S42 and a second refractive partial objective S43 with intermediate images IMI1 and IMI2, as shown in the example of FIG. 4.

The advantages of the first two embodiments with minimal obscuration and of the third example without big lenses between the mirrors M1, M2 can thus be combined.

Table 3 gives the design data of this example. This is a 157 nm objective with all crystal lenses, most of LiF and some of NaF, giving excellent chromatic properties for an unnarrowed F₂ laser with 1,5 pm band width. Reduction ratio is 1:5, maximum image field height is 11,88 mm, NA=0,75. Maximum lens diameter is 190,5 mm, maximum mirror diameter is 201 mm. The overall length Ob-Im is 1,459 m.

The use of crystal lenses in DUV to VUV microlithographic objectives is made here in adaptation of the earlier application DE 199 29 701.0 dated Jun. 29, 1999 (99032 P) (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,683,729 issued Jan. 27, 2004) of co-inventor Schuster and the same assignee. This cited application as a whole shall be part of the disclosure of this application, too.

Consequently, negative NaF lenses are entered, plus one positive NaF meniscus 408, 409 in the first partial objective S41, which reduces lateral chromatic aberration, in an overall LiF lens system.

Aspheric surfaces are entered into this design at a number of surfaces, where this is advantageous. Consequently, also the mirrors 440 and 441 are aspheric.

In the first, reducing partial objective S41, the second bulge comprises one asphere, the second waist one asphere, and the third bulge 2 aspheres. In the third partial objective S43 the first bulge comprises one asphere, while the second of the two bulges comprises 2 aspheres.

The aspheric surfaces of the example of tab. 3 are described by $P\left(h\right)=\frac{\delta *h^2}{1+\surd 1-\left(1-\mathrm{EX}\right)*{\delta }^2*h^2}+C_1{h}^4+\dots +C_n{h}^{2n+2}$

Where P is the height deviation as a function of the radius h (ray height with respect to the optical axis) with the aspheric constants C₁ to C₆ as given in table 3.δis the inverse of the radius given in the table.

The objective has a high correction quality, as the wavefront error calculated for two lines of 1 pm spectral distance is less than 8 millilambda at the maximum field height and reduces to less than five millilambda on the optical axis.

The central obscuration of the system can be designed to need by enlarging distance and diameter of the mirrors 440, 441 of the catoptric partial objective S42.

Ring sector field imaging is conventional with many catoptric and catadioptric projection exposure systems of generally asymmetric construction. Such can also be realized within the invention. Then, the mirrors only need an off-axis ring sector opening for entering of the light beam, and consequently the pupil only has a two sector obscuration with further reduced effects compared to the circular central obscuration.

FIG. 5 schematically shows a microscope with an objective according to the invention.

As such primarily makes sense for a DUV/VUV inspection microscope, direct visual observation by an ocular is not shown, but an image detector CCD of any appropriate known sort is provided in the image plane of the objective. The objective is constituted by two refractive partial objectives S51, S53 and the intermediate catoptric or catadioptric partial objective S52. The example shows two coaxial opposite mirrors M1, M2 and one negative lens L in it.

The design of the objective is generally as shown in the embodiments described above, but with image and object plane exchanged to obtain magnification, and with higher imaging ratio and smaller field.

An illumination system III illuminates the object Ob appropriately.

TABLE 1
0, 75 N.A., −2 = 157 nm, β = 6X, 17 × 7 min double-telecentric
		RADIUS	THICKNESS	APERTURE
	Element	[mm]	[mm]	RADIUS [mm]
	OB	—	41.365
	1	207.804	15.0000	64
	2	7154.0	85.7060
	3	−148.152	10.000	60
	4	−480.523	27.979
	5	275.460	21.000	68
	6	−420.424	18.169
	7	91.68	20.000	62
	8	231.534	102.963
	9	−62.100	5.000	25
	10	551.104	10.065
	11	−77.910	9.000	32
	12	−47.566	1.000
	13	−281.444	12.500	41
	14	−83.966	1.000
	15	−1256.9	17.000	43
	16	−69.116	1.000
	17	99.668	7.000	40
	18	60.790	0.978
	19	63.022	18.000	37
	20	−177.094	1.000
	21	65.632	5.000
	22	43.522	9.388
	23	44.597	7.000	23
	24	115.690	20.474
	IMI1	—	−5.072
	M 2	220.905	16.140	115
	25	349.084	11.500	112
	26	150.213	131.449
	27	−163.770	11.500	105
	28	−381.158	17.158
	M1	−228.356	115
	29	−42.092	21.059	35
	30	−51.728	1.000
	31	−194.937	18.000	59
	32	−113.392	1.000
	33	−1132.0	18.000	70
	34	−193.134	1.000
	35	458.425	18.000	74
	36	−386.456	93.349
	37	171.069	27.160	78
	38	−1302.6	1.000
	39	115.683	12.796	71
	40	79.902	53.335
	41	−108.436	37.180	61
	42	−140.231	1.000
	43	171.662	24.000	71
	44	−1877.0	29.921
	45	−118.760	37.456	66
	46	−131.389	1.000
	47	153.982	21.000	73
	48	1445.6	1.049
	49	72.396	20.001	59
	50	76.113	1.000
	51	53.654	49.996	49
	52	69.967	16.341
	LM	—	—
Aspheric Surface Data
	9:	AS0 = 0	AS1 = 0	AS2 = −1.6880e−06
	AS3 = 1.5172e−10
	AS4 = −1.1366e−12/AS5 = 1.3050e−16/AS6 = 1.7402e−18
	AS7 = −2.4094e−21
	M1:	AS0 = 0	AS1 = 0	AS2 = −2.1332e−09
	AS3 = −1.157e−13
	AS4 = −2.4958e−18/AS5 2.735e−23/AS6 = −7.4436e−27
	AS7 = 1.5059e−31
	M2:	AS0 = 0	AS1 = 0	AS2 = 1.7841e−09
	AS3 = 6.8616e−14
	AS4 = 3.6976e−18/AS5 = 5.2619e−23/AS6 = −2.331e−27
	AS7 = 2.8845e−31
	M1, M2 central hole r = 15,3 nm
	Index of refraction CaF2 at 157 nm: n = 1,55971

TABLE 2
5x, .75 N.A., 22 × 9 mm, λ = .157 μm
		RADIUS	THICKNESS	APERTURE
	Element	[mm]	[mm]	RADIUS [mm]
	OB	Telecentric	34.000
	201	170.721	15.000	73
	202	183.404	70.512
	203	−88.583	10.000	72
	204	−109.418	0.097
	205	489.985	31.998	86
	206	−223.861	105.847
	207	211.214	18.000	80
	208	1008.7	132.111
	209	98.261	7.000	38
	210	75.231	9.337
	OD	—	6.429	obscuring
				disk
				r = 6,75 mm
	211	−105.403	28.061	35
	212	−103.952	1.000
	213	2546.4	21.782	56
	214	−129.850	1.000
	215	459.497	25.167	59
	216	−117.119	1.000
	217	76.297	7.000	50
	218	52.636	5.014
	219	60.098	27.883	45
	220	−254.989	1.000
	221	158.480	18.301	38
	222	−1889.6	19.412
	IMI		−4.449
	M2	198.917	11.198	115
	223	249.698	11.500	115
	224	141.621	95.251
	225	−146.113	11.500	105
	226	−279.951	14.507
	M1	−195.876126		115
	IMI	—	27.988
	227	−29.245	26.188	28
	228	−38.617	1.000
	229	−212.943	16.904	64
	230	−108.498	1.000
	231	−1195.7	19.000	74
	232	−186.309	1.000
	233	397.280	24.000	82
	234	−447.100	40.123
	235	184.325	28.000	82
	236	−5827.0	1.000
	237	94.479	15.000	71
	238	73.235	52.490
	239	−84.776	10.000	58
	240	−134.685	0.997
	241	548.320	30.000	72
	242	−202.022	1.370
	243	244.314	24.000	71
	244	−390.876	9.997
	245	−154.779	26.099	69
	246	−221.429	1.000
	247	170.308	27.000	69
	248	5689.0	1.000
	249	82.493	29.706	58
	250	66.456	1.000
	251	38.604	31.198	38
	252	74.002	16.468
	IM	—	—	11.9
Aspheric Surface Data
	Surface 209
	AS0 = 0	AS1 = 0	AS2 = −1.9059e−17
	AS3 = 5.2904e−10/AS4 = −2.9602e−13/AS5 = 2.9727e−16
	AS6 = −3.3981e−19/AS7 = 3.3404e−23
	Surface 217
	AS0 = 0	AS1 = 0	AS2 = −2.7436e−07
	AS3 = −1.1707e−12/AS4 = −1.1841e−14/AS5 = 1.8131e−17
	AS6 = −7.5053e−21/AS7 = 1.3749e−24
	Surface M1
	AS0 = 0	AS1 = 0	AS2 = 1.9405e−09
	AS3 = 9.5605e−14/AS4 = −2.6901e−17/AS5 = 5.9514e−23
	AS6 = −7.7031e−26/AS7 = 1.8364e−30
	Surface M2
	AS0 = 0	AS1 = 0	AS2 = 3.2910e−09
	AS3 = 1.4964e−13/AS4 = −1.2351e−17/AS5 = 2.4844e−21
	AS6 = −1.9615e−25/AS7 = 6.7644e−30
	M1, M2 central hole r = 15,5 mm

	TABLE 3
	SURFACE	RADII	THICKNESS	MATERIAL
	Ob		31.542
	402	161.992	15.188	LiF
	403	469.503	19.672
	404	231.249	8.649	LiF
	405	323.702	81.163
	406	−125.044	7.000	LiF
	407	1233.917	29.038
	408	−136.3150	28.504	NaF
	409	−110.661	42.403
	410	166.198	38.763	LiF
	411	−426.980	33.045
	412	102.987	42.894	LiF
	413	−497.639	3.533
	414	−344.154	7.000	NaF
	415	110.870	62.455
	416	−313.200	7.000	LiF
	417	306.167	12.322
	AS1	∞	4.589
	419	−294.9867	7.21	NaF
	420	139.1333	10.42
	421	−198.121	17.91	LiF
	422	−67.419	.7642
	423	−423.496	14.9924	LiF
	424	−117.918	.8112
	425	743.808	8.0149	NaF
	426	123.869	.9171
	427	128.249	44.3083	LiF
	428	−90.153	.8501
	429	230.303	11.2449	LiF
	430	1688.121	1.1630
	431	122.245	7.9843	NaF
	432	59.579	.7500
	433	60.793	24.9206	LiF
	434	−934.252	1.1385
	435	87.724	10.9289	LiF
	436	74.6528	7.4167
	437	43.171	13.3010	LiF
	438	47.425	5.000
	IMI1	∞	135.0601
	440	−248.671	−135.0601
	441	243.629	135.2019
	IMI2	∞	21.4887
	443	−39.71329	27.9107	LiF
	444	−53.040	2.7851
	445	−218.179	26.3722	LiF
	446	−100.461	2.5410
	447	−444.958	33.4544	LiF
	448	−125.627	3.4864
	449	205.875	52.0553	LiF
	450	−445.534	3.1476
	451	−393.14835	7.1061	NaF
	452	529.85954	10.9028
	453	171.69804	54.8263	LiF
	454	−3285.94521	2.9859
	455	1249.94523	10.7714	NaF
	456	188.56505	56.9985
	457	−102.09026	18.5249	LiF
	458	−114.02167	3.1811
	459	−108.06602	36.3405	LiF
	460	−122.25579	.8148
	461	237.93896	30.4791
	462	−591.44374	33.927
	463	−131.73596	9.2936	NaF
	464	−816.022	4.0340
	465	−921.759	43.70	LiF
	466	−161.952	12.96
	467	135.682	35.56	LiF
	468	485.873	7.77
	469	74.486	26.357	LiF
	470	88.618	3.623
	471	64.861	56.517	LiF
	472	65.449	20.524
	Im	∞
Aspheric constants
11 A	C1  .4365053E−07	C2 −.10565814E−11	C3  .33243511E−16
	C4 −.27930883E−20	C5  .11432015E−24	C6 −.33257819E−29
19 A	C1 −.96601938E−06	C2  .70267826E−10	C3  .31115875E−13
	C4 −.43329420E−17	C5 −.41852201E−20	C6  .30053413E−25
25 A	C1 −.29611487E−07	C2  .20760499E−10	C3 −.12518124E−14
	C4 −.52770520E−18	C5  .86996061E−22	C6 −.19792693E−27
34 A	C1 −.15885997E−06	C2  .52924012E−10	C3 −.73552870E−14
	C4 −.86379790E−18	C5  .59324551E−21	C6 −.39153227E−25
40 A	C1  .23060301E−07	C2  .81122530E−13	C3 =.32179819E−17
	C4  .71766836E−21	C5 −.46055104E−26	C6  .12956188E−31
41 A	C1 −.11072232E−07	C2  .31369498E−13	C3  .77375306E−17
	C4  .19892497E−21	C5 −.89740115E−26	C6  .68627541E−31
49 A	C1  .56699275E−08	C2  .57127904E−12	C3  .59227712E−16
	C4  .21077816E−20	C5  .15595431E−24	C6 −.13690607E−29
63 A	C1 −.17174244E−07	C2  .18473484E−11	C3 −.42802250E−16
	C4  .51394491E−20	C5 −.37650847E−24	C6  .22638360E−28
68 A	C1  .10650246E−07	C2  .20265609E−11	C3 −.88014450E−16
	C4  .91073382E−20	C5 −.55181052E−24	C6  .37391374E−28

Claims

1. An objective comprising axial symmetry, at least one curved mirror and at least one lens and two intermediate images.

2. An objective according to claim 1 comprising two refractive partial objectives and one catadioptric partial objective.

3. An objective according to claim 1 comprising

a first partial objective,

a first intermediate image,

a second partial objective,

a second intermediate image,

a third partial objective,

wherein at least one of said partial objectives is purely refractive.

4. An objective according to claim 1 comprising at least

a first partial objective,

an intermediate image,

a second partial objective,

one of said partial objectives being purely refractive and one being purely catoptric.

5. An objective according to claim 1, flintier further comprising a partial objective with two opposing concave mirrors with central bores, and with an optical axis, said concave mirrors being arranged axially symmetric with respect to said optical axis, their concave surfaces facing each other.

6. An objective according to claim 5, wherein each of said concave mirrors has a vertex situated on said optical axis, and wherein each of said intermediate images has a maximum image height and is given on a surface with a piercing point on said optical axis, and at least one of said vertici is distant from at least one of said piercing points by a distance less than the maximum image height of the image having said piercing point.

7. An objective according to claim 5, wherein at least one lens is arranged in the beam path between the two concave mirrors.

8. An objective according to claim 7, herein wherein said at least one lens has negative refractive power.

9. An objective according to claim 5, wherein said concave mirrors have central openings with a radius, each of said radii being no greater than 1.5 times the maximum image height of the neighboring intermediate image.

10. An objective according to claim 5, wherein each of the radii of said central openings is less than 25% of the maximum light beam height at said concave mirror.

11. An objective according to claim 5, wherein the light beam has a chief ray height at each of the bores, which is of equal value but opposite sign at the two bores.

12. An objective according to claim 1, wherein a first refractive partial objective,

a partial objective comprising at least one mirror, and

a second refractive partial objective are arranged in sequence.

13. An objective according to claim 1 12, wherein at least one lens of said refractive partial objectives has an aspheric surface.

14. An objective according to claim 1 12, wherein at least one of said partial objectives comprises a diffractive optical element.

15. An objective according to claim 1 12, wherein said partial objective comprising at least one mirror has a magnification ratio in the range between −1/0.7 and −1/1.3.

16. An objective according to claim 12, wherein the first refractive partial objective has a magnification ratio of −1/3 to −1/8.

17. An objective according to claim 12, wherein the second refractive partial objective has a magnification ratio of −1/0.8 to −1/2.

18. An objective according to claim 1 12, wherein at least one of the first and second refractive partial objectives consists of a first positive lens group, a negative lens group and a second positive lens group.

19. An objective according to claim 1 18, wherein said negative lens group comprises at least two negative menisci, their concave surfaces facing each other.

20. An objective according to claim 18, wherein at least one of said first and second positive lens groups comprises at least four positive lenses.

21. An objective according to claim 1, wherein all lenses contained are made of the same material, preferably a fluoride crystal.

22. An objective according to claim 4, wherein lenses are made from at least two different fluorides.

23. An objective according to claim 1, wherein the image field is an off-axis ring sector.

24. An objective according to claim 1 3, wherein the first partial objective has a pupil plane and a central obscuration device is located near said pupil plane.

25. An objective according to claim 1 3, wherein at least one of the refractive partial objectives has at least a first lens group and a second lens group, one of them having lesser lens diameters.

26. An objective according to claim 14 25, wherein the at least one aspherical lens surface is on a lens of the lens group with lesser lens diameters.

27. An objective according to claim 1 3, wherein the third partial objective has at least one positive concave air lens near its pupil plane, namely located at a distance from the second intermediate image of between 25% and 75% of the length of this partial objective.

28. An objective according to claim 1 3, wherein the image side partial objective has two first lenses subsequent to the second intermediate image, which are menisci concave on the side of the intermediate image, and two last lenses adjacent to the image, which are meniscus concave on the side of the image.

29. An objective according to claim 1, wherein the image side partial objective arranged at an image side has a pupil plane and at least one lens arranged at a distance from the image plane of between 25% and 75% of the length of the image side said partial objective is a meniscus concave toward the pupil plane.

30. A microscope comprising an objective according to claim 1.

31. A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprising a projection objective according to claim 1.

32. Use of a projection an objective according to claim 1 for microlithographic projection exposure.

33. Method of microlithographic structuring of a substrate comprising the steps of illuminating a mask with VUV light and projecting an image of said mask onto said substrate through a projection an objective according to claim 1.

34. An objective according to claim 6 5, wherein at least one lens is arranged in the beam path between the two concave mirrors.

35. An objective according to claim 15, wherein the first refractive partial objective has a magnification ratio of −1/3 to −1/8.

36. An objective according to claim 15, wherein the second refractive partial objective has a magnification ratio of −1/0.8 to −1/2.

37. An objective according to claim 16, wherein the second refractive partial objective has a magnification ratio of −1/0.8 to −1/2.

38. An objective according to claim 19, wherein at least one of said first and second positive lens groups comprises at least four positive lenses.

39. An objective according to claim 25, wherein the at least one aspherical lens surface is on a lens of the lens group with lesser lens diameters.

40. A microlithography projection exposure apparatus comprising a projection objective according to claim 3.

41. Use of a projection objective according to claim 3 for microlithography projection exposure.

42. Method of microlithographic structuring of a substrate comprising the steps of illuminating a mask with VUV light and projecting an image of said mask onto said substrate through a projection objective according to claim 3.

43. A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprising a projection objective according to claim 4.

44. Use of a projection objective according to claim 4 for microlithographic projection exposure.

45. Method of microlithographic structuring of a substrate comprising the steps of illuminating a mask with VUV light and projecting an image of said mask onto said substrate through a projection objective according to claim 4.

46. A microscope comprising an objective according to claim 5.

47. A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprising a projection objective according to claim 5.

48. Use of a projection objective according to claim 5 for microlithographic projection exposure.

49. A catadioptric objective comprising axial symmetry and at least a first partial objective,

an intermediate image, and

a second partial objective,

one of said partial objectives being purely refractive and one being purely catoptric.

50. A microscope comprising an objective according to claim 49.

51. A microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprising a projection objective according to claim 49.

52. Use of a projection objective according to claim 49 for microlithographic projection exposure.

53. An objective comprising axial symmetry,

an optical axis not being folded,

at least one curved mirror and

at least one lens and two intermediate images, and providing an image reduction.

54. An objective comprising axial symmetry,

at least one curved mirror and

at least one lens and two intermediate images,

further comprising a partial objective with two opposing concave mirrors with central bores, and

with an optical axis, said concave mirrors being arranged axially symmetric with respect to said optical axis, their concave surfaces facing each other.

55. An objective comprising axial symmetry,

at least one curved mirror and at least one lens and two intermediate images,

further comprising a partial objective with two opposing concave mirrors with central bores, and with an optical axis,

said concave mirrors being arranged axially symmetric with respect to said optical axis, their concave surfaces facing each other, wherein

a first refractive partial objective, a partial objective comprising at least one mirror, and a second refractive partial objective are arranged in sequence,

wherein the first refractive partial objective has a magnification ratio of −1/3 to −1/8.

56. An objective comprising axial symmetry,

at least one curved mirror and at least one lens and two intermediate images,

further comprising a partial objective with two opposing concave mirrors with central bores, and

with an optical axis, said concave mirrors being arranged axially symmetric with respect to said optical axis, their concave surfaces facing each other,

wherein a first refractive partial objective, a partial objective comprising at least one mirror, and a second refractive partial objective are arranged in sequence,

wherein at least one of the first and second refractive partial objectives consists of a first positive lens group, a negative lens group and a second positive lens group.

57. An objective comprising axial symmetry,

at least one curved mirror and

at least one lens and two intermediate images,

further comprising a partial objective with two opposing concave mirrors with central bores, and with an optical axis,

said concave mirrors being arranged axially symmetric with respect to said optical axis, their concave surfaces facing each other,

wherein a first refractive partial objective, a partial objective comprising at least one mirror, and a second refractive partial objective are arranged in sequence,

wherein said negative lens group comprises at least two negative menisci, their concave surfaces facing each other.

58. An objective comprising axial symmetry,

at least one curved mirror and

at least one lens and two intermediate images,

wherein a first refractive partial objective, a partial objective comprising at least one mirror, and a second refractive partial objective are arranged in sequence,

wherein at least one aspherical lens surface is on a lens of a lens group with lesser lens diameters.

59. An objective comprising axial symmetry,

at least one curved mirror and at least one lens and two intermediate images,

a first partial objective,

a first intermediate image,

a second partial objective,

a second intermediate image,

a third partial objective,

wherein the third partial objective has at least one positive concave air lens near its pupil plane, located at a distance from the second intermediate image of between 25% and 75% of the length of this partial objective.

60. An objective comprising axial symmetry,

at least one curved mirror and

at least one lens and two intermediate images,

a first partial objective,

a first intermediate image,

a second partial objective,

a second intermediate image,

a third partial objective,

wherein an image side partial objective has two first lenses subsequent to the second intermediate image, which are menisci concave on the side of the intermediate image,

and two last lenses adjacent to the image, which are meniscus menisci concave on the side of the image.

61. An objective comprising axial symmetry,

at least one curved mirror and

at least one lens and two intermediate images,

a first partial objective,

a first intermediate image,

a second partial objective,

a second intermediate image,

a third partial objective,

wherein an image side partial objective has a pupil plane,

and at least one lens arranged at a distance from the image plane of between 25% and 75% of the length of the image side partial objective is a meniscus concave toward the pupil plane.

62. An objective comprising axial symmetry,

at least one curved mirror and at least one lens and two intermediate images,

wherein at least one lens is arranged in a beam path between the two concave mirrors.

63. An objective comprising axial symmetry,

at least one curved mirror and

at least one lens and two intermediate images,

further comprising a partial objective with two opposing concave mirrors with central bores, and with an optical axis,

said concave mirrors being arranged axially symmetric with respect to said optical axis, their concave surfaces facing each other,

wherein each of said concave mirrors has a vertex situated on said optical axis, and

wherein each of said intermediate images has a maximum image height and is given on a surface with a piercing point on said optical axis,

and at least one of said vertici is spaced from at least one of said piercing points by a distance less than the maximum image height of the image having said piercing point.

64. An objective comprising axial symmetry,

at least one curved mirror and

at least one lens and two intermediate images,

wherein the first a refractive partial objective has a magnification ratio of −1/3 to −1/8.

65. An objective according to claim 1, wherein the image field is off-axis.

66. An objective according to claim 1, wherein said at least one curved mirror has an off-axis opening.

67. A microlithographic projection exposure objective comprising at least two concave mirrors with off axis openings, at least one intermediate image, and at least one purely refractive partial objective.

68. An objective comprising a purely catoptric partial objective, a purely refractive partial objective, an intermediate image between these partial objectives, said purely catoptric objective comprising mirrors with an off-axis opening.

69. An objective being a microlithographic reduction projection exposure objective comprising a catadioptric partial objective with two opposite concave mirrors and a magnification ratio in the range between −1/0.7 and −1/1.3; and a purely refractive partial objective comprising at least one lens with an aspheric surface, the objective being both side telecentric.

70. The objective of claim 69, comprising a second intermediate image and another partial objective.

71. The objective of claim 69, wherein said purely refractive partial objective has a magnification ratio of −1/3 to −1/8.

72. The objective of claim 69, wherein said catoptric partial objective comprises at least one lens arranged in the beam path between the two concave mirrors.

73. The objective of claim 69, wherein the image field is off-axis.

74. The objective of claim 69, wherein said two opposite concave mirrors have off-axis openings.