A device for the optical measurement of an optical system, in particular an optical imaging system, is provided. The device includes at least one test optics component arranged on an object side or an image side of the optical system. An immersion fluid is adjacent to at least one of the test optics components. A container for use in this device, a microlithography projection exposure machine equipped with this device, and a method which can be carried out with the aid of this device are also provided. The device and method provide for optical measurement of microlithography projection objectives with high numerical apertures by using wavefront detection with shearing or point diffraction interferometry, or a Moire measuring technique.
This is a Continuation in Part of International Application PCT/EP2003/014663, with an international filing date of Dec. 19, 2003, which was published under PCT Article 21(2) in English, and the disclosure of which is incorporated into this application by reference; the following disclosure is additionally based on German Patent Application No. 102 61 775.9 filed on Dec. 20, 2002, which is also incorporated into this application by reference.