Abstract: There is disclosed an optical attenuator plate and an optical attenuator plate to adjust a quantity of light from a light source, which has a plurality of high-transmittance regions with a relatively high transmittance, and in which shapes of the high-transmittance regions are so defined that an intensity distribution of diverging light or converging light having passed through the optical attenuator plate becomes uniform.

Abstract: A reflective projection optical system comprises a first optical unit having at least one reflecting optical element, and a second optical unit having at least one reflecting optical element. A focal point on the second surface side of the first optical unit approximately agrees with a focal point on the first surface side of the second optical unit. An angle between a normal to the first surface and a principal ray of the illumination beam incident to the first surface is larger than a value of arcsine of a numerical aperture on the first surface side of the reflective projection optical system. All the optical elements in the projection optical system are located outside an extension surface of a ray group defining an outer edge of the illumination beam incident to the first surface.

Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus of the present invention includes an illumination optical system having a plurality of reflection mirrors arranged to guide illumination light flux to an irradiated plane. A first partial field stop is arranged in an optical path of the illumination optical system to form a first profile line of an illumination region that is to be formed on the irradiated plane. A second partial field stop is arranged between the illumination optical system and the irradiated plane to form a second profile line of the illumination region. The illumination optical system includes a relay optical system for substantially optically conjugating the position of the first partial field stop and the position of the second partial field stop.

Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus includes a light source, which supplies illumination light including a wavelength of 5 nm to 50 nm, and an illumination optical system, which guides the illumination light to an illuminated surface. The illumination optical system includes an aperture angle restriction member and a condenser optical system, which is arranged in an optical path between the aperture restriction member and the illuminated surface to guide light beam from the aperture angle restriction member to the illuminated surface. A rotation axis of an arcuate-shape of an illumination region formed on the illuminated surface is located outside an opening of the aperture angle restriction member. The condenser optical system includes a plurality of reflection surfaces. Among the plurality of reflection surfaces, the reflection surface closest to the illuminated surface along the optical path includes a concave shape.

Abstract: Illumination systems are disclosed that illuminate a surface M for irradiation with illumination light emitted from a light source 5. An exemplary illumination system includes an incidence-side reflection-type fly-eye optical system 12 having multiple reflection-type partial optical systems arranged in rows, an emission-side reflection-type fly-eye optical system 14 having multiple reflection-type partial optical systems arranged in rows and corresponding to respective reflection-type partial optical systems of the incidence-side reflection-type fly-eye optical system 12, and a condensing optical system including two reflecting mirrors 18, 20 that guide illumination light, reflected by the emission-side reflection-type fly-eye optical system 14, to the surface M. The center of curvature of at least one of the reflecting mirrors is optically eccentric with respect to a normal to the surface for irradiation at the center of the illuminated region.

Abstract: A projection optical system is a catoptric system in which a field of view region and an imaging region are located spaced from an optical axis, in which a numerical aperture of light reaching each point on an image plane is substantially uniform regardless of an image height and a direction. An aperture stop for defining the numerical aperture of the projection optical system is provided, and the aperture stop is provided with an aperture portion in a predetermined shape in which the numerical aperture of light reaching each point within a predetermined region is substantially uniform over the predetermined region, that is, in a shape in which dimensions concerning two directions perpendicular to each other are different from each other.

Abstract: An illumination apparatus for illuminating a surface (M) to be irradiated with illumination light emitted from a light source (2) comprises a reflection type fly-eye optical systems (12, 14) disposed between the light source (2) and the surface (M) to be irradiated and constituted by a plurality of reflection partial optical systems for wavefront-dividing a light beam from the light source (2) and superposing divided portions of the light beam onto each other on the surface (M) to be irradiated and a reflection type optical system (10) disposed between the light source (2) and the reflection type fly-eye optical systems (12, 14) for guiding the illumination light to the reflection type fly-eye optical systems (12, 14). The reflection type optical system (10) has a reflecting surface at least partly constructed by a diffusing surface.

Abstract: An optical integrator of a wavefront dividing type permits an arbitrary distance to be set between an entrance surface and an exit surface, without production of aberration and without reduction in reflectance on reflecting films. The optical integrator has a plurality of first focusing elements (first concave reflector elements 18a) arranged in parallel, a plurality of second focusing elements (second concave reflector elements 20a) arranged in parallel so as to correspond to the first focusing elements, and a relay optical system (19) disposed in an optical path between the first focusing elements and the second focusing elements. The relay optical system refocuses a light beam focused via one of the first focusing elements, on or near a corresponding second focusing element so as to establish an imaging relation of one-to-one correspondence between one of the first focusing elements and one of the second focusing elements.

Abstract: Illumination systems are disclosed that illuminate a surface (M) for irradiation with illumination light emitted from a light source (5). An exemplary illumination system includes an incidence-side reflection-type fly-eye optical system (12) having multiple reflection-type partial optical systems arranged in rows, an emission-side reflection-type fly-eye optical system (14) having multiple reflection-type partial optical systems arranged in rows and corresponding to respective reflection-type partial optical systems of the incidence-side reflection-type fly-eye optical system (12), and a condensing optical system including two reflecting mirrors (18, 20) that guide illumination light, reflected by the emission-side reflection-type fly-eye optical system (14), to the surface (M). The center of curvature of at least one of the reflecting mirrors is optically eccentric with respect to a normal to the surface for irradiation at the center of the illuminated region.

Abstract: A projection optical system is a catoptric system in which a field of view region and an imaging region are located spaced from an optical axis, in which a numerical aperture of light reaching each point on an image plane is substantially uniform regardless of an image height and a direction. An aperture stop for defining the numerical aperture of the projection optical system is provided, and the aperture stop is provided with an aperture portion in a predetermined shape in which the numerical aperture of light reaching each point within a predetermined region is substantially uniform over the predetermined region, that is, in a shape in which dimensions concerning two directions perpendicular to each other are different from each other.

Abstract: A projection optical system is a catoptric system in which a field of view region and an imaging region are located spaced from an optical axis, in which a numerical aperture of light reaching each point on an image plane is substantially uniform regardless of an image height and a direction. An aperture stop for defining the numerical aperture of the projection optical system is provided, and the aperture stop is provided with an aperture portion in a predetermined shape in which the numerical aperture of light reaching each point within a predetermined region is substantially uniform over the predetermined region, that is, in a shape in which dimensions concerning two directions perpendicular to each other are different from each other.

Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus includes a first fly-eye optical system having first optical components and a second fly-eye optical system having second optical components arranged in one-to-one correspondence to the first optical components. An illumination surface is illuminated with light from each of the second optical components in an overlapping manner. The correspondence relationship between the first optical components and the second optical components is established, so that the profile of light intensity distribution in the exit pupil of the illumination optical apparatus is almost rotationally symmetrical about an axis or substantially symmetrical about two directions perpendicular to each other, as well as almost symmetrical in shape.

Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus has a beam splitting member which splits an incident beam into a first light beam and a second light beam to form a first illumination region and a second illumination region, a first light-guide optical system which guides the first light beam to the first illumination region, and a second light-guide optical system which guides the second light beam to the second illumination region locate apart from the first illumination region.

Abstract: The present invention provides an exposure method which illuminates each of patterns, to be subjected to double exposure, on entire surfaces thereof in optimal illumination conditions respectively, and which performs the exposure with high throughput. Upon transferring a pattern of a reticle onto a wafer by the scanning exposure method, first and second pattern areas are formed in advance on the reticle to be adjacent in the scanning direction, and when the first and second pattern areas simultaneously pass across a field of a projection optical system, the first pattern area is illuminated in a first illumination condition by using a first illumination slit of which width in the scanning direction is gradually narrowed, and the second pattern area is illuminated in a second illumination condition by using a second illumination slit of which width in the scanning direction is gradually widened, to thereby expose the wafer.

Abstract: An optical integrator of a wavefront dividing type permits an arbitrary distance to be set between an entrance surface and an exit surface, without production of aberration and without reduction in reflectance on reflecting films. The optical integrator has a plurality of first focusing elements (first concave reflector elements 18a) arranged in parallel, a plurality of second focusing elements (second concave reflector elements 20a) arranged in parallel so as to correspond to the first focusing elements, and a relay optical system (19) disposed in an optical path between the first focusing elements and the second focusing elements. The relay optical system refocuses a light beam focused via one of the first focusing elements, on or near a corresponding second focusing element so as to establish an imaging relation of one-to-one correspondence between one of the first focusing elements and one of the second focusing elements.

Abstract: Illumination systems are disclosed that illuminate a surface M for irradiation with illumination light emitted from a light source 5. An exemplary illumination system includes an incidence-side reflection-type fly-eye optical system 12 having multiple reflection-type partial optical systems arranged in rows, an emission-side reflection-type fly-eye optical system 14 having multiple reflection-type partial optical systems arranged in rows and corresponding to respective reflection-type partial optical systems of the incidence-side reflection-type fly-eye optical system 12, and a condensing optical system including two reflecting mirrors 18, 20 that guide illumination light, reflected by the emission-side reflection-type fly-eye optical system 14, to the surface M. The center of curvature of at least one of the reflecting mirrors is optically eccentric with respect to a normal to the surface for irradiation at the center of the illuminated region.

Abstract: An optical apparatus and method guide EUV radiation to a predetermined surface. A radiation source supplies EUV radiation having a certain dispersion angle. An illumination optical system having a reflective integrator forms a secondary radiation source having a predetermined shape based on the EUV radiation supplied from the radiation source. A projection optical system is arranged in an optical path between a reflective mask and the predetermined surface and forms an image of the reflective mask onto the predetermined surface based on the EUV radiation from the reflective mask. The secondary radiation source having the predetermined shape has a shape that is a substantially circular shape, an annular shape, or a multipolar shape.

Abstract: Exposure systems are disclosed having a configuration in which a field stop is positioned in proximity to a reflection-type mask, but that satisfactorily minimize adverse effects on the image-forming performance of the projection-optical system. The systems transfer a mask pattern accurately and with high throughput onto a photosensitive substrate. The system comprises an illumination-optical system (1, 2) that illuminates a reflection-type mask (M) on which is formed a prescribed pattern. A projection-optical system forms an image of the mask pattern on the photosensitive substrate (W). The mask and substrate are moved in a prescribed direction relative to the projection-optical system to project the mask pattern onto and expose the photosensitive substrate. The illumination-optical system has a field stop (19), positioned in proximity to the mask, that defines the illumination area on the mask. The interval between the mask and the field stop satisfies a prescribed conditional relation.

Abstract: A projection optical system is a catoptric system in which a field of view region and an imaging region are located spaced from an optical axis, in which a numerical aperture of light reaching each point on an image plane is substantially uniform regardless of an image height and a direction. An aperture stop for defining the numerical aperture of the projection optical system is provided, and the aperture stop is provided with an aperture portion in a predetermined shape in which the numerical aperture of light reaching each point within a predetermined region is substantially uniform over the predetermined region, that is, in a shape in which dimensions concerning two directions perpendicular to each other are different from each other.

Abstract: Exposure systems are disclosed having a configuration in which a field stop is positioned in proximity to a reflection-type mask, but that satisfactorily minimize adverse effects on the image-forming performance of the projection-optical system. The systems transfer a mask pattern accurately and with high throughput onto a photosensitive substrate. The system comprises an illumination-optical system (1, 2) that illuminates a reflection-type mask (M) on which is formed a prescribed pattern. A projection-optical system forms an image of the mask pattern on the photosensitive substrate (W). The mask and substrate are moved in a prescribed direction relative to the projection-optical system to project the mask pattern onto and expose the photosensitive substrate. The illumination-optical system has a field stop (19), positioned in proximity to the mask, that defines the illumination area on the mask. The interval between the mask and the field stop satisfies a prescribed conditional relation.