Patent ID: 7411656

Claim:
Projection exposure machine comprising: an illuminating system for receiving radiation from an EUV light source providing electromagnetic radiation from the extreme ultraviolet spectral region and for illuminating a pattern provided by a reflective mask; a projection objective for projecting an image of the pattern onto an image plane of the projection objective; and at least one reflective polarization influencing arrangement arranged optically between the EUV light source and the image plane influencing a polarization state of radiation incident on the polarization influencing arrangement in a manner predefined by the structure of the polarization influencing arrangement such that a polarization state of radiation downstream of the polarization influencing arrangement differs in a predefined manner from a polarization state of radiation upstream of the polarization influencing arrangement; wherein the polarization influencing arrangement is a reflective retardation arrangement having a useful cross section onto which radiation impinges, where the useful cross section is subdivided into a multiplicity of retardation zones with different retardation effects, whereby an input radiation beam incident from an input side of the retardation arrangement is converted into an output radiation beam having, over the cross-section of the output radiation beam, a spatial distribution of polarization states which is influenced by the retardation arrangement and differs from the spatial distribution of polarization states of the input radiation; and wherein the retardation zones have a polygonal, circular sectional or annular sectional shape.