POLARIZATION CONVERTING UNIT, ILLUMINATION OPTICAL SYSTEM, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD

• US 20110205519A1
• Filed: 07/14/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: KANAYAMAYA, Nobumichi, TANITSU, Osamu
• Application Number:
  US12/835,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20110205519A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/71
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/286 for controlling or changing the state of polarisation, e.g. transforming one polarisation state into another G02B5/3083 takes precedence; light guide coupling means utilising polarising elements G02B6/34
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3083 Birefringent or phase retarding elements G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence; systems for polarisation control G02B27/286; manufacturing phase modulating patterns by lithographic processes G03F7/001
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70566 Polarisation control

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a polarization converting unit, for converting incident light into light in a predetermined polarization state and emitting the converted light, has a first optically rotatory member having a first thickness distribution of thicknesses in an optical-axis direction different at a plurality of locations and a second optically rotatory member having a second thickness distribution, each of which is a member to rotate linearly polarized light incident thereto as propagating light, around the optical-axis direction. The first and second optically rotatory members are comprised of an optical material with an optical activity arranged so as to have a crystal axis coincident or parallel with the optical-axis direction. Particularly, the sum of respective thicknesses of superimposed regions in the first and second optically rotatory members is different from the sum of respective thicknesses of other superimposed regions in the first and second optically rotatory members when viewed along the optical-axis direction.

Claims

1. A polarization converting unit arranged on an optical axis of an optical system and configured to convert a polarization state of propagating light passing along an optical-axis direction corresponding to the optical axis, the polarization converting unit comprising:

a first optically rotatory member to rotate linearly polarized light incident thereto as the propagating light, around the optical-axis direction, the first optically rotatory member being comprised of an optical material with an optical activity, which is arranged so as to have a crystal axis coincident or parallel with the optical-axis direction, and having a first thickness distribution of thicknesses in the optical-axis direction different at a plurality of locations; and

a second optically rotatory member to rotate linearly polarized light incident as the propagating light thereto through the first optically rotatory member, around the optical-axis direction, the second optically rotatory member being comprised of an optical material with an optical activity, which is arranged so as to have a crystal axis coincident or parallel with the optical-axis direction, and having a second thickness distribution of thicknesses in the optical-axis direction different at a plurality of locations,

wherein the first and second optically rotatory members are arranged so that the sum of respective thicknesses in the optical-axis direction at predetermined locations in the first and second optically rotatory members through which a first reference axis parallel to the optical-axis direction passes is different from the sum of respective thicknesses in the optical-axis direction at other locations in the first and second optically rotatory members through which a second reference axis parallel to the optical-axis direction and different from the first reference axis passes.

2. A polarization converting unit according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second optically rotatory members is composed of a single member having a continuous surface.

3. A polarization converting unit according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second optically rotatory members is composed of a single first divided member having a continuous surface and a single second divided member having a continuous surface.

4. A polarization converting unit according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second optically rotatory members has a surface processed by etching at least one surface of a plane-parallel plate.

5. A polarization converting unit according to claim 1, wherein the first and second optically rotatory members are arranged so as to intersect with the optical axis, and

wherein at least one of the first and second optically rotatory members has a thickness in the optical-axis direction varying along a circumferential direction corresponding to a direction of rotation around the optical axis on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis,

6. A polarization converting unit according to claim 1, wherein the first and second optically rotatory members are arranged so as to intersect with the optical axis, and

wherein at least one of the first and second optically rotatory members is composed of a plurality of regions divided in a circumferential direction corresponding to a direction of rotation around the optical axis on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis, the plurality of regions being arranged so that two regions having respective thicknesses different in the optical-axis direction are adjacent to each other.

7. A polarization converting unit according to claim 6, wherein thicknesses of any two regions opposed to each other with the optical axis in between out of the plurality of regions are equal.

8. A polarization converting unit according to claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of regions has a contour obtained by dividing the optical material of a circular or annular shape along the circumferential direction of the optical material.

9. A polarization converting unit according to claim 1, wherein the first and second optically rotatory members are arranged so as to intersect with the optical axis, and

wherein at least one of the first and second optically rotatory members has a thickness distribution continuously varying along a circumferential direction corresponding to a direction of rotation around the optical axis on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis.

10. A polarization converting unit according to claim 1, wherein the first and second optically rotatory members have the same structure.

11. A polarization converting unit according to claim 10, wherein, when the first and second optically rotatory members are viewed along the optical-axis direction, the first and second optically rotatory members are arranged so that the first thickness distribution is coincident with the second thickness distribution.

12. A polarization converting unit according to claim 11, wherein each of the first and second optically rotatory members has a plurality of regions divided in a circumferential direction around the optical axis on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis, and

wherein, when the first and second optically rotatory members are viewed along the optical-axis direction, a region of the first optically rotatory member and a corresponding region of the second optically rotatory member superimposed on each other have the same thickness in the optical-axis direction.

13. A polarization converting unit according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second optically rotatory members has a plurality of regions divided in a circumferential direction around the optical axis on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis, and

wherein, when the first and second optically rotatory members are viewed along the optical-axis direction, partition lines between the plurality of regions in the first optically rotatory member are superimposed on partition lines between the plurality of regions in the second optically rotatory member.

14. A polarization converting unit according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second optically rotatory members is comprised of quartz crystal.

15. A polarization converting unit according to claim 1, wherein the first and second optically rotatory members are arranged in a state in which they are adjacent to each other along the optical-axis direction.

16. A polarization converting unit according to claim 1, wherein the polarization converting unit is arranged in an optical path of an illumination optical system configured to illuminate an illumination target surface with light from a light source, and in a pupil space including an illumination pupil of the illumination optical system.

17. A polarization converting unit according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second thickness distributions is a distribution in which, along with position information of portions in the optical material, thicknesses in the optical-axis direction of the respective portions are made correspondent on a plane perpendicular to the optical-axis direction, and nonuniform distribution.

18. An illumination optical system configured to illuminate an illumination target surface with light from a light source and comprising a polarization converting unit according to claim 1, which is arranged in an optical path between the light source and the illumination target surface.

19. An illumination optical system according to claim 18, wherein the polarization converting unit is arranged in a pupil space including an illumination pupil of the illumination optical system.

20. An illumination optical system according to claim 19, wherein the illumination optical system is used in combination with a projection optical system configured to form a plane optically conjugate with the illumination target surface, and wherein the illumination pupil is arranged at a position optically conjugate with an aperture stop of the projection optical system.

21. An exposure apparatus configured to expose a photosensitive substrate to transfer a predetermined pattern thereto, the exposure apparatus comprising an illumination optical system according to according to claim 18 configured to illuminate the predetermined pattern.

22. An exposure apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a projection optical system configured to form an image of the predetermined pattern on the photosensitive substrate.

23. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

exposing the photosensitive substrate to transfer the predetermined pattern thereto, using an exposure apparatus according to claim 21;

developing the photosensitive substrate to which the predetermined pattern is transferred, thereby to form a mask layer in a shape corresponding to the predetermined pattern on a surface of the photosensitive substrate; and

processing the surface of the photosensitive substrate through the mask layer.