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Polarization-modulating element, illumination optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and exposure method

  • US 10,241,417 B2
  • Filed: 05/08/2013
  • Issued: 03/26/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2004
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An illumination optical apparatus which illuminates an object with illumination light, the illumination optical apparatus comprising:

  • a fly'"'"'s eye lens arranged in an optical path of the illumination light so that a rear focal plane of the fly'"'"'s eye lens is substantially located on an illumination pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus;

    a plurality of optical elements arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the fly'"'"'s eye lens so as to be movable relative to each other, which transforms a beam of the illumination light to form a light intensity distribution of the illumination light on the illumination pupil plane by moving the plurality of optical elements relative to each other, the light intensity distribution on the illumination pupil plane being in a state in which a light intensity in a region being away from an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus is larger than a light intensity on the optical axis on the illumination pupil plane;

    a polarization modulating member made of an optical material with optical activity and provided with different thicknesses of the optical material in a direction of the optical axis at different positions on an entrance surface of the polarization modulating member, the polarization modulating member being arranged in the optical path on the incidence side of the fly'"'"'s eye lens to rotate a polarization direction of the illumination light and forming a linearly polarized state of the illumination light on the illumination pupil plane by rotating the polarization direction of the illumination light, the linearly polarized state having polarization directions being substantially coincident with an azimuthal direction about the optical axis or a radial direction centered around the optical axis in the region away from the optical axis; and

    an optical system including a lens element arranged in the optical path of the illumination light from the fly'"'"'s eye lens,wherein the polarization modulating member is arranged so that a direction of an optic axis of the optical material is substantially coincident with a direction of the optical axis.

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