Patent ID: 8850850

Claim:
A method for producing a meniscus lens from synthetic quartz glass for use in a microlithography apparatus, said lens having a first optical surface and a second optical surface with a direction of curvature the same as a direction of curvature of the first optical surface, said method comprising: forming SiO 2 particles by oxidation or flame hydrolysis of a silicon-containing starting compound; and depositing said SiO 2 particles layer by layer on a substrate so as to form a cylindrical SiO 2 blank that contains layers with a surface normal extending in a growing direction, wherein the blank is plastically worked in a hot forming process under the effect of a deforming force so as to form a preform that includes at least the first curved surface and in which the layers are curved in the direction of curvature, and obtaining the meniscus lens from the preform.