Mirror converging-type illumination optical system

• US 4,637,691 A
• Filed: 02/02/1984
• Issued: 01/20/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Kogaku K. K. (Nikon Corporation)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Sumio, Uehara, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Corbin, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gass, Rebecca D.
• Application Number:
  US06/576,477
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 350/432, 350/523
• US Class Current: 359/709
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0028 refractive and reflective surfaces, e.g. non-imaging catadioptric systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0047 for use with a light source G02B19/009, G02B19/0095 take precedence; details of lighting devices in general F21V; non-semiconductor lasers having optical devices external to the laser cavity H01S3/005
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/06 Means for illuminating specimens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/001 Axicons, waxicons, reflaxicons
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70058 Mask illumination systems

Abstract

A mirror converging-type illumination optical system for converging light rays from a light source into substantially parallel light rays using a concave reflecting mirror having a secondary curved surface comprises a conical refraction member having a convex conical refraction surface at an input or incident side thereof and another convex conical refraction surface at an output side thereof. The refraction member is arranged in a path of the parallel light rays with a vertex of the conical refraction member being substantially aligned with the optical axis of the illumination optical system. The refraction member inverts the inner and outer portions of the incident parallel light rays. The absence of incident parallel light around the optical axis thereof is corrected to achieve a uniform intensity of light rays.

Claims

1. An illumination optical system for supplying substantially uniform illumination light of a high efficiency, comprising:

a light source;

light-ray converting means for converting light rays from said light source into parallel light rays, said light-ray converting means having a concave reflecting surface which has an optical axis; and

a refraction member arranged in a path of the parallel light rays, so that said refraction member shifts the incident parallel light rays which are farthest from the optical axis to positions substantially coinciding with the optical axis, and shifts the incident parallel light rays which are nearest to the optical axis to positions substantially farthest from the optical axis, said refraction member having a conical input surface having a convex surface facing toward an incident light ray side and a conical output surface having a convex surface facing toward an exit light ray side, vertices of said conical input and output surfaces being located on the optical axis.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein a vertex angle of said conical input surface of said refraction member is equal to a vertex angle of said conical output surface of said refraction member, said refraction member refracting inward incident light rays which are incident on said conical input surface and thereafter refracting the light rays at said conical output surface, thereby producing the light rays parallel to the incident light rays.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said refraction member has a prism with two convex conical surfaces.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein when a distance between the vertices of the conical input and output surfaces is d, half the vertex angle of said conical surfaces is θ

, a refractive index of said prism is n, and a distance from the optical axis of light rays among the parallel light rays incident on said prism which are farthest from the optical axis is H₀, the following relation is satisfied;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">(2/3)H.sub.0 {tan(θ

+i'"'"')+1/tanθ

}≦

d≦

(3/2)H.sub.0 {tan(θ

+i'"'"')+1/tanθ

}

for

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">i'"'"'=sin.sup.-1 {sin(π

/2-θ

)/n}

where i'"'"' is an angle of refraction at said conical surfaces.

5. A system according to claim 4, further comprising an optical integrator arranged in the path of the parallel light rays emerging from said refraction member.

6. An illumination optical system for supplying substantially uniform illumination light of a high efficiency, comprising:

a light source;

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein a distance between verticles of cones having the conical surfaces in said second prism member is smaller than that in said first prism member.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein when the distance between the vertices of the cones having the conical surfaces in said first prism member is d, half the vertex angle of the cones having the conical surfaces of said first prism member is θ

, a refractive index of said first prism member is n, and a distance from the optical axis of light rays among the parallel light rays incident on said first prism member which are farthest from the optical axis is H₀, the following relation is satisfied;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">(2/3)H.sub.0 {tan(θ

+i'"'"')+1/tanθ

}≦

d≦

(3/2)H.sub.0 {tan(θ

+i'"'"')+1/tanθ

}

for

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">i'"'"'=sin.sup.-1 {sin(π

/2-θ

)/n}

where i'"'"' is an angle of refraction of the conical surfaces of said first prism member.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein when a distance between the vertices of the cones having the conical surfaces in said second prism member is d2, half the vertex angle of the cones having the conical surfaces of said second prism member is φ

, and a refractive index of said second prism member is n2, the following relation is satisfied;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">(2/3)(H.sub.0 -Ds){tan(φ

+j'"'"')+1/tanφ

}≦

d.sub.2 ≦

(3/2)(H.sub.0 -Ds){tan(φ

+j'"'"')+1/tanφ

}

for j'"'"'=sin^-1 {sin(π

/2-φ

)/n}

where j'"'"' is an angle of refraction of the conical surfaces of said second prism member.