PRODUCTION CONTROL METHOD FOR A PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS, PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS, AND PROJECTION EXPOSURE METHOD

A production control method controls the operation of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprising a projection lens for imaging a part of a pattern arranged in the region of an object plane of the projection lens into an image plane of the projection lens; a wavefront manipulation system for controllably influencing, while the projection exposure apparatus is in operation, the wavefront of the projection radiation directed at the substrate through the projection lens, wherein the wavefront manipulation system comprises at least one manipulable optical element which interacts with the projection radiation when used as intended and serves to influence the wavefront, and the manipulable optical element is assigned a manipulator for reversibly changing the spatial pose of the manipulable optical element or at least of a portion of the manipulable optical element and assigned a measuring system having at least one phase- based optical encoder for measuring changes in the pose of the manipulable optical element or in the pose at least of a portion of the manipulable optical element by evaluating phase information from a measurement signal, and a control device for controlling the manipulator by generating an actuator travel command which defines a change in the spatial pose along an actuator travel of the assigned manipulable optical element, to be carried out by means of the manipulator. The control apparatus in at least one error-optimized mode of operation selectively establishes actuator travels of the at least one manipulator with consideration being given to cyclical errors of the phase-based optical encoder, in such a way that a second cyclical error at the end of an actuator travel substantially corresponds to a first cyclical error at the start of an actuator travel. Un procédé de commande de production commande le fonctionnement d'un appareil d'exposition par projection microlithographique comprenant une lentille de projection servant à imager, dans un plan d'image de la lentille de projection, une partie d'un motif disposé dans la région d'un plan d'objet de la lentille de projection ; un système de manipulation de front d'onde servant à influencer de manière contrôlable, pendant le fonctionnement de l'appareil d'exposition par projection, le front d'onde du rayonnement de projection dirigé vers le substrat à travers la lentille de projection, le système de manipulation de front d'onde comprenant au moins un élément optique manipulabl