Patent ID: 8488104

Claim:
A projection objective configured to image an object in an object plane into an image of the object in an image plane along an imaging beam path, the projection objective comprising: a multiplicity of transparent optical elements including a first transparent optical element; a multiplicity of holding devices including a first holding device, the multiplicity of holding devices being configured to hold the multiplicity of transparent optical elements at positions along the imaging beam path; a first false light diaphragm; and a second false light diaphragm, wherein: the first transparent optical element has an optical useful region in the imaging beam path and an edge region outside the optical useful region; a holding element of the first holding device acts on the first transparent optical element at the edge region; the first false light diaphragm is directly upstream of the first transparent optical element along the imaging beam path; the second false light diaphragm is directly downstream of the first transparent optical element; and the first and second false light diaphragms are configured so that the first and second false light diaphragms screen at least a part of the edge region against radiation outside the imaging beam path during use of the projection objective.