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A catadioptric projection lens for imaging a pattern arranged in an object plane onto an image plane, preferably while creating a real intermediate image, including a catadioptric first lens section having a concave mirror and a physical beamsplitter having a beamsplitting surface, as well as a seco

A catadioptric projection lens for imaging a pattern arranged in an object plane onto an image plane, preferably while creating a real intermediate image, including a catadioptric first lens section having a concave mirror and a physical beamsplitter having a beamsplitting surface, as well as a second lens section that is preferably refractive and follows the beamsplitter, between its object plane and image plane. Positive refractive power is arranged in an optical near-field of the object plane, which is arranged at a working distance from the first optical surface of the projection lens. The beamsplitter lies in the vicinity of low marginal-ray heights, which allows configuring projection lenses that are fully corrected for longitudinal chromatic aberration, while employing small quantities of materials, particularly those materials needed for fabricating their beamsplitters.

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What is claimed is: 1. A catadioptric projection lens for imaging a pattern situated in an object plane onto an image plane, comprising: an optical axis; a first catadioptric lens section having a concave mirror and a physical beamsplitter having a beamsplitting surface; and a second lens section a

What is claimed is: 1. A catadioptric projection lens for imaging a pattern situated in an object plane onto an image plane, comprising: an optical axis; a first catadioptric lens section having a concave mirror and a physical beamsplitter having a beamsplitting surface; and a second lens section arranged following the beamsplitter; the first and second lens sections being arranged between the object plane and the image plane; wherein the object plane is arranged at a working distance from a first optical surface of the projection lens; positive refractive power is arranged in an optical near-field of the object plane where a marginal-ray height is less than about 30% of a marginal-ray height at the concave mirror; and the beamsplitter is arranged in a zone having low marginal ray height where a projection of marginal-ray heights onto a plane orthogonal to the optical axis at an intersection of the beam splitting surface with the optical axis is within a range from 10% to 70% of the marginal-ray height at the concave mirror. 2. A projection lens according to claim 1 that is designed to create at least one real intermediate image. 3. A projection lens according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate image is freely accessible. 4. A projection lens according to claim 2, wherein the beamsplitter is arranged in a vicinity of the intermediate image. 5. A projection lens according to claim 2, wherein at least one lens of the second lens section is arranged between the beamsplitting surface and the intermediate image. 6. A projection lens according to claim 5, wherein positive refractive power is arranged between the beamsplitting surface and the intermediate image. 7. A projection lens according to claim 2, wherein the beamsplitter is arranged in a vicinity of the intermediate image. 8. A projection lens according to claim 2, wherein a maximum extension of the beamsplitter transverse to the optical axis is less than 70% of the diameter of the concave mirror. 9. A projection lens according to claim 2, wherein no free-standing lens is arranged in a zone between the object plane and the beamsplitter. 10. A projection lens according to claim 2, wherein an intermediate image is arranged optically downstream from light reflected by the beamsplitter, and is arranged at a distance from the beamsplitter, and wherein positive refractive power is arranged between the beamsplitter and intermediate image. 11. A projection lens according to claim 2, wherein the beamsplitting surface is arranged at an inclination angle with respect to a segment of the optical axis orthogonal to the object plane that differs from 45째. 12. A projection lens according to claim 11, wherein a difference between the inclination angle and 45째 is within a range from about 1째 to about 10째. 13. A projection lens according to claim 1, that is designed to create at least one real intermediate image and wherein positive refractive power is arranged in an optical near-field of the intermediate image where a marginal-ray height is less than about 30% of a marginal-ray height at the concave mirror. 14. A projection lens according to claim 1, that is designed to create at least one real intermediate image and wherein the positive refractive power arranged in an optical near-field of the object plane is arranged in an optical near-field of the intermediate image where a marginal-ray height is less than about 30% of a marginal-ray height at the concave mirror. 15. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein the beamsplitter is arranged in a zone having a first direction of propagation of radiation from the object plane to the concave mirror and a second direction of propagation of radiation from the concave mirror to the image plane, and wherein, in that zone, the marginal-ray heights for both directions of propagation are less than about 70% of the marginal-ray height at the concave mirror. 16. A projection lens according claim 1, wherein the beamsplitter is a beamsplitter block having a shape deviating from the shape of a cube. 17. A projection lens according claim 1, wherein the beamsplitter is a beamsplitter block having a shape having dimensions that are optimized such that the volume of the beam splitter block is minimized. 18. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein a maximum extension of the beamsplitter transverse to the optical axis is less than 70% of the diameter of the concave mirror. 19. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein a positive refractive power is arranged between the object plane and the beamsplitter. 20. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein a zone between the object plane and beamsplitter is essentially free of positive refractive power. 21. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein no free-standing lens is arranged in a zone between the object plane and the beamsplitter. 22. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein positive refractive power is arranged optically following the beamsplitter, within the optical near-field of the object plane. 23. A projection lens according to claim 2, wherein positive refractive power is arranged optically following the beamsplitter, within the optical near-field of the intermediate image. 24. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate image is arranged optically downstream from light reflected by the beamsplitter, and is arranged at a distance from the beamsplitter, and wherein positive refractive power is arranged between the beamsplitter and intermediate image. 25. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein, at the beamsplitter, angles between marginal rays and the optical axis in air are less than 10째 along at least one direction of propagation. 26. A projection lens according to claim 25, wherein, at the beamsplitter, angles between marginal rays and the optical axis in air are less than 5째 along at least one direction of propagation. 27. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein the catadioptric lens section contains exclusively lenses having negative refractive powers between the beamsplitter and the concave mirror. 28. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein the catadioptric section contains at least two lenses having negative refractive powers between the beamsplitter and the concave mirror. 29. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein the catadioptric section contains less than four lenses between the beamsplitter and the concave mirror. 30. A projection lens according to claim 29, wherein the catadioptric section contains less than three lenses between the beamsplitter and the concave mirror. 31. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein a part of the catadioptric lens section between the beamsplitter and the concave mirror is overcorrected for longitudinal chromatic aberration such that at least 70% of an overcorrection of other lens components is compensated. 32. A projection lens according to claim 31, wherein the part of the catadioptric lens section between the beamsplitter and the concave mirror is overcorrected for longitudinal chromatic aberration such that more than 85% of the overcorrection of the other lens components is compensated. 33. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein no lens having a positive refractive power is situated in an optical near-field of the concave mirror, wherein a marginal-ray height within that optical near-field is more than 70% of the marginal-ray height at the concave mirror. 34. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein the beamsplitting surface is arranged at an inclination angle with respect to a segment of the optical axis orthogonal to the object plane that differs from 45째. 35. A projection lens according to claim 24, wherein a difference between the inclination angle and 450 is within a range from about 1째 to about 10째. 36. A projection lens according to claim 34, wherein the inclination angle is set such that an included deflection angle between a segment of the optical axis orthogonal to the object plane and a segment of the optical axis that is arranged following a folding at the beamsplitting surface exceeds 90째. 37. A projection lens according to claim 34, wherein to the second lens section is allocated at least one deflecting mirror that is arranged at an inclination angle with respect to the optical axis that differs from 45째, where the inclination angle of the deflecting mirror and the inclination angle of the beamsplitting surface are adapted to one another such that the image plane is aligned one of parallel to, and orthogonal to, the object plane. 38. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein all transparent optical components are fabricated from the same material. 39. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein the beamsplitter consists essentially of lithium fluoride. 40. A projection lens according to claim 1 that is designed to be telecentric at least on its image end. 41. A projection lens according to claim 1 that has an image-end numerical aperture exceeding about 0.8. 42. A projection lens according to claim 1 that is designed for use with ultraviolet light at wavelengths of less than about 200 nm. 43. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein at least one optical component has at least one aspherical surface. 44. A projection lens according to claim 43, wherein the at least one aspherical surface is provided in the vicinity of the plane for a system stop, wherein the aspherical surface is arranged such that a ratio of the marginal-ray height at that aspherical surface to a radius of an opening in the system stop ranges from about 0.8 to about 1.2. 45. A projection lens according claim 43, wherein at least one aspherical surface is provided at least one of in the vicinity of the object plane and in the vicinity of the image plane and in the vicinity of at least one intermediate image, wherein the aspherical surface is arranged such that a ratio of the marginal-ray height at the aspherical surface to the radius of an opening in a system stop is less than about 0. 8. 46. A projection lens according to claim 43, wherein the at least one aspherical surface is arranged in the vicinity of the plane for a system stop and at least one aspherical surface is arranged in the vicinity of at least one of the object plane and the image plane and at least one intermediate image. 47. A projection lens according to claim 1, further comprising a system stop arranged at a distance from the beamsplitter. 48. A projection lens according to claim 1, further comprising a freely accessible stop-plane. 49. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a first optical element situated closest to the object plane and a final optical element situated closest to the image plane is formed from a virtually plane-parallel plate. 50. A projection lens according to claim 1, wherein at least one fully reflecting deflecting planar mirror is provided. 51. A projection lens according to claim 50, wherein a first optical component of the second section, following the beamsplitter, is a fully reflecting planar deflecting mirror. 52. A projection exposure system for use in microlithography having an illumination system and a catadioptric projection lens, wherein the projection lens is configured in accordance with claim 1. 53. A projection exposure system according to claim 52, wherein the illumination system is designed for emitting partially polarized light. 54. A method for fabricating semiconductor devices or other types of microdevices, comprising: providing a mask having a prescribed pattern; illuminating the mask with ultraviolet light having a prescribed wavelength; and projecting an image of the pattern onto a photosensitive substrate arranged in the vicinity of the image plane of a projection lens using a catadioptric projection lens in accordance with claim 1.