Optical System, Exposure System, and Exposure Method
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical system is able to achieve a substantially azimuthal polarization state in a lens aperture while suppressing loss of light quantity, based on a simple configuration. The optical system of the present invention is provided with a birefringent element for achieving a substantially circumferential distribution or a substantially radial distribution as a fast axis distribution in a lens aperture, and an optical rotator located behind the birefringent element and adapted to rotate a polarization state in the lens aperture. The birefringent element has an optically transparent member which is made of a uniaxial crystal material and a crystallographic axis of which is arranged substantially in parallel with an optical axis of the optical system. A light beam of substantially spherical waves in a substantially circular polarization state is incident to the optically transparent member.
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Citations
146 Claims
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1-29. -29. (canceled)
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30. An optical system comprising:
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a birefringent element, disposed in an optical path of the optical system, that achieves a substantially circumferential distribution or a substantially radial distribution as a fast axis distribution in a lens aperture; and
an optical rotator disposed behind the birefringent element and adapted to rotate a polarization state in the lens aperture. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. An optical system comprising:
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a birefringent optical rotator which is made of an optical material with linear birefringence and optical rotatory power and an optic axis of which is arranged substantially in parallel with an optical axis of the optical system, wherein a beam bundle in a substantially circular polarization state is incident to the birefringent optical rotator. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
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70. An optical system comprising:
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a birefringent element;
an optical rotator located in an optical path behind the birefringent element; and
an optical member located in an optical path between the birefringent element and the optical rotator and including a predetermined power. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
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83. An optical system including an optical axis, comprising:
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a first optically transparent member which is made of a uniaxial crystal material and a crystallographic axis of which is arranged substantially in parallel with the optical axis;
a second optically transparent member which is made of a uniaxial crystal material and a crystallographic axis of which is arranged substantially in parallel with the optical axis; and
an optical member located in an optical path between the first optically transparent member and the second optically transparent member and including a predetermined power. - View Dependent Claims (84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93)
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94. An exposure apparatus comprising:
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an optical system which effects exposure of a predetermined pattern on a photosensitive substrate, wherein said optical system comprises;
a birefringent element which achieves a substantially circumferential distribution or a substantially radial distribution as a fast axis distribution in a lens aperture; and
an optical rotator located behind the birefringent element and adapted to rotate a polarization state in the lens aperture. - View Dependent Claims (95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102)
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103. An exposure apparatus comprising:
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an optical system which effects exposure of a predetermined pattern on a photosensitive substrate, wherein the optical system comprises;
a birefringent optical rotator which is made of an optical material with linear birefringence and optical rotatory power and an optic axis of which is arranged substantially in parallel with an optical axis of the optical system, and wherein a beam bundle in a substantially circular polarization state is incident to the birefringent optical rotator. - View Dependent Claims (104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112)
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113. An exposure apparatus comprising:
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an optical system which effects exposure of a predetermined pattern on a photosensitive substrate, wherein the optical system comprises;
a birefringent element;
an optical rotator located in an optical path behind the birefringent element; and
an optical member located in an optical path between the birefringent element and the optical rotator and including a predetermined power. - View Dependent Claims (114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119)
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120. A device fabrication method comprising:
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preparing a photosensitive substrate; and
exposing a pattern to be transferred, on the photosensitive substrate through an optical system;
wherein said optical system comprises a birefringent element and an optical rotator, wherein the exposing comprises;
achieving a substantially circumferential distribution or a substantially radial distribution as a fast axis distribution in a lens aperture by the birefringent element; and
rotating a polarization state in the lens aperture being a polarization state of a beam bundle including passed through the birefringent element, by the optical rotator. - View Dependent Claims (121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128)
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129. A device fabrication method comprising:
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preparing a photosensitive substrate; and
exposing a pattern to be transferred, on the photosensitive substrate through an optical system;
wherein the optical system comprises a birefringent optical rotator which is made of an optical material with linear birefringence and optical rotatory power and an optic axis of which is arranged substantially in parallel with an optical axis of the optical system, and wherein the exposing comprises making a beam bundle in a substantially circular polarization state incident to the birefringent optical rotator. - View Dependent Claims (130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138)
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139. A device fabrication method comprising:
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preparing a photosensitive substrate; and
exposing a pattern to be transferred, on the photosensitive substrate through an optical system;
wherein the optical system comprises a birefringent element, an optical rotator, and an optical member including a predetermined power, and wherein the exposing comprises making a beam bundle including passed through the birefringent element, pass in order through the optical member including the predetermined power and through the optical rotator. - View Dependent Claims (140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146)
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Specification