Abstract: An illumination optical system illuminates an irradiated surface with light supplied from a light source. The illumination optical system includes a diffractive optical element disposed in an optical path of linearly polarized light supplied from the light source. The diffractive optical element forms a multipole illumination field. including a plurality of illumination fields. The illumination optical system also includes an optical integrator that forms a multipole light source including a plurality of planar light sources with light that has passed through the multipole illumination field. The illumination optical system also includes a polarization optical member disposed in an illumination optical path and that sets a polarization direction of light that has passed through the multipole light source to a predetermined polarization direction.

Abstract: An illumination optical system and method illuminates an irradiated surface based on linearly polarized light supplied from a light source. The illumination optical system includes a depolarizer which is selectively positioned between a first position in an optical path of the illumination optical system and a second position outside of the optical path, and has a crystal member whose thickness in a direction along an optical axis of the illumination optical system varies in a direction crossing the optical axis.

Abstract: An illumination optical system illuminates an irradiated surface with light supplied from a light source. The illumination optical system includes a diffractive optical element disposed in an optical path of linearly polarized light supplied from the light source. The diffractive optical element forms a multipole illumination field including a plurality of illumination fields. The illumination optical system also includes an optical integrator that forms a multipole light source including a plurality of planar light sources with light that has passed through the multipole illumination field. The illumination optical system also includes a polarization optical member disposed in an illumination optical path and that sets a polarization direction of light that has passed through the multipole light source to a predetermined polarization direction.

Abstract: An illumination optical system for, when installed in an exposure system, realizing a suitable illumination condition by varying the polarized state of the illumination light according to the pattern characteristics of the mask while suppressing the loss of the intensity of the light. The illumination optical system has a light source unit for supplying a linearly polarized light for illuminating surfaces to be illuminated therewith, and a polarized state changing device for changing the polarized state of the illuminating light from a predetermined polarized state to a nonpolarized state and vice versa. The polarized state changing device is arranged in the optical path between the light source unit and the surfaces to be illuminated. The polarized state changing device can be removed from the illumination optical path and has a depolarizer for selectively depolarizing the incident linearly polarized light.

Abstract: An illumination optical system for, when installed in an exposure system, realizing a suitable illumination condition by varying the polarized state of the illumination light according to the pattern characteristics of the mask while suppressing the loss of the intensity of the light. The illumination optical system has a light source unit for supplying a linearly polarized light for illuminating surfaces to be illuminated therewith, and a polarized state changing device for changing the polarized state of the illuminating light from a predetermined polarized state to a nonpolarized state and vice versa. The polarized state changing device is arranged in the optical path between the light source unit and the surfaces to be illuminated. The polarized state changing device can be removed from the illumination optical path and has a depolarizer for selectively depolarizing the incident linearly polarized light.

Abstract: An illumination optical system for, when installed in an exposure system, realizing a suitable illumination condition by varying the polarized state of the illumination light according to the pattern characteristics of the mask while suppressing the loss of the intensity of the light. The illumination optical system has a light source unit for supplying a linearly polarized light for illuminating surfaces to be illuminated therewith, and a polarized state changing device for changing the polarized state of the illuminating light from a predetermined polarized state to a nonpolarized state and vice versa. The polarized state changing device is arranged in the optical path between the light source unit and the surfaces to be illuminated. The polarized state changing device can be removed from the illumination optical path and has a depolarizer for selectively depolarizing the incident linearly polarized light.

Abstract: An illumination optical system for, when installed in an exposure system, realizing a suitable illumination condition by varying the polarized state of the illumination light according to the pattern characteristics of the mask while suppressing the loss of the intensity of the light. The illumination optical system has a light source unit for supplying a linearly polarized light for illuminating surfaces to be illuminated therewith, and a polarized state changing device for changing the polarized state of the illuminating light from a predetermined polarized state to a nonpolarized state and vice versa. The polarized state changing device is arranged in the optical path between the light source unit and the surfaces to be illuminated. The polarized state changing device can be removed from the illumination optical path and has a depolarizer for selectively depolarizing the incident linearly polarized light.

Abstract: An illumination optical system for, when installed in an exposure system, realizing a suitable illumination condition by varying the polarized state of the illumination light according to the pattern characteristics of the mask while suppressing the loss of the intensity of the light. The illumination optical system has a light source unit for supplying a linearly polarized light for illuminating surfaces to be illuminated therewith, and a polarized state changing device for changing the polarized state of the illuminating light from a predetermined polarized state to a nonpolarized state and vice versa. The polarized state changing device is arranged in the optical path between the light source unit and the surfaces to be illuminated. The polarized state changing device can be removed from the illumination optical path and has a depolarizer for selectively depolarizing the incident linearly polarized light.

Abstract: An illumination optical system for, when installed in an exposure system, realizing a suitable illumination condition by varying the polarized state of the illumination light according to the pattern characteristics of the mask while suppressing the loss of the intensity of the light. The illumination optical system has a light source unit for supplying a linearly polarized light for illuminating surfaces to be illuminated therewith, and a polarized state changing device for changing the polarized state of the illuminating light from a predetermined polarized state to a nonpolarized state and vice versa. The polarized state changing device is arranged in the optical path between the light source unit and the surfaces to be illuminated. The polarized state changing device can be removed from the illumination optical path and has a depolarizer for selectively depolarizing the incident linearly polarized light.

Abstract: An illuminating optical system capable of preventing a change in the polarized status of a linearly polarized light passing through a light transmitting member formed of a cubic-system crystal material such as fluorite. An illuminating optical system comprising a light source unit (1) for suppling a linearly polarized light to illuminate surfaces (M, W) to be illuminated with a light from the light source unit. The system is provided with a polarized status switching means (10, 20) disposed on a light path between the light source unit and the surfaces to be illuminated, for switching the polarized status of a light, that illuminates the surfaces to be illuminated, between a linearly polarized status and a non-linearly polarized status. The polarized status switching means has a phase member (10) for changing the polarization surface of an incident linearly polarized light as needed, and a depolarizer (20) for depolarizing an incident linearly polarized light as needed.

Abstract: In an exposure apparatus, a light source emits ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 300 nm or less, a homogenizer reduces energy density inhomogeneity of the ultraviolet light in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis, and an exposure object is exposed by applying the ultraviolet light passed through a plurality of optical components. At least one of the plurality of optical components is a synthetic silica glass component, and all the synthetic silica glass component is placed closer to the exposure object than is the homogenizer placed closest to the light source.

Abstract: In an exposure apparatus, an exposure object is exposed to light by applying pulsed light that has a wavelength of 300 nm or less and that has been passed through a plurality of optical components. At least one of the plurality of optical components is made of a synthetic silica glass component. In ultraviolet light applied to the synthetic silica glass component, a width between adjacent top portions of energy density inhomogeneity in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis is larger than 0.1 mm, and a difference between a top portion and a bottom portion of the energy density is 5% or less of an average energy density.

Abstract: In an exposure apparatus, an exposure object is exposed to light by applying pulsed light that has a wavelength of 300 nm or less and that has been passed through a plurality of optical components. At least one of the plurality of optical components is made of a synthetic silica glass component. The thickness of the synthetic silica glass component, and the energy density per pulse and the pulse width of the pulsed light satisfy the following expression: ?I?2L?1.7?0.02 (ns·mJ?2·cm2.3·pulse2) wherein L is the thickness (unit: cm) of the synthetic silica glass component, I is the energy density (unit: mJ·cm?2·pulse?1) per pulse, and ? is the pulse width (unit: ns).

Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes an illumination optical system configured to illuminate a mask by using a laser beam having a wavelength shorter than 250 nm as a light source, and a projection optical system configured to project and expose a pattern image of the mask onto an exposed substrate, in which an optical element made of a synthetic quartz member is disposed in the illumination optical system and/or the projection optical system. The synthetic quartz member satisfies the following conditions of initial transmittance relative to light having a wavelength of 150 nm being equal to or above 60% per centimeter, striae therein satisfying either grade 1 or grade 2 as defined in Japan Optical Glass Industry Society Standard (JOGIS), an absorption coefficient ? for an infrared absorption band of a hydroxyl group located at 3585 cm?1 being equal to or below 0.035/cm, and the content of aluminum being equal to or below 1 ppm while the content of lithium being equal to or below 0.5 ppm.

Abstract: An illumination optical system for, when installed in an exposure system, realizing a suitable illumination condition by varying the polarized state of the illumination light according to the pattern characteristics of the mask while suppressing the loss of the intensity of the light. The illumination optical system has a light source unit for supplying a linearly polarized light for illuminating surfaces to be illuminated therewith, and a polarized state changing device for changing the polarized state of the illuminating light from a predetermined polarized state to a nonpolarized state and vice versa. The polarized state changing device is arranged in the optical path between the light source unit and the surfaces to be illuminated. The polarized state changing device can be removed from the illumination optical path and has a depolarizer for selectively depolarizing the incident linearly polarized light.

Abstract: In an exposure apparatus, an exposure object 15 is exposed to light by applying pulsed light that has a wavelength of 300 nm or less and that has been passed through a plurality of optical components 2, 4a, 4b, 6, 7, 9, and 12. At least one of the plurality of optical components 2, 4a, 4b, 6, 7, 9, and 12 is made of a synthetic silica glass component. The thickness of the synthetic silica glass component, and the energy density per pulse and the pulse width of the pulsed light satisfy the following expression: ?I?2L?1.7?0.02 (ns·mJ?2·cm2.3·pulse2) (L is the thickness (unit: cm) of the synthetic silica glass component, I is the energy density (unit: mJ·cm?2·pulse?1) per pulse, and ? is the pulse width (unit: ns)).

Abstract: An optical member made of silica glass manufactured by the direct method where a material gas comprising an organosilicon compound is allowed to react in an oxidizing flame, said optical member having a 2×1014 molecules/cm3 or less concentration of formyl radical generated by X-ray irradiation whose dose is 0.01 Mrad or more and 1 Mrad or less.

Abstract: In a method for producing a quartz glass member, an F2 laser is radiated onto a sample obtained from a quartz glass base material under a predetermined condition to judge whether or not a peak intensity of H2 Raman scattering light is decreased by not less than 80% as compared with a peak intensity of H2 Raman scattering light obtained for a sample not irradiated with the F2 laser. If the peak intensity of H2 Raman scattering light is decreased by less than 80%, then it is judged that the laser resistance of the quartz glass base material is sufficient, and the synthetic quartz glass member is processed from the base material. The compaction of the sample is also measured.

Abstract: A silica glass member of the present invention is one wherein when a composition thereof is expressed by SiOx, x is not less than 1.85 nor more than 1.95, wherein a concentration of hydrogen molecules included therein is not less than 1×1016 molecules/cm3 nor more than 5×1018 molecules/cm3, and wherein a difference A−B between an absorption coefficient A immediately before an end of irradiation with 1×104 pulses of ArF excimer laser light in an average one-pulse energy density of 2 mJ/cm2 and a second absorption coefficient B at 600 seconds after a stop of the irradiation with the ArF excimer laser light is not more than 0.002 cm−1. When this silica glass member is applied to an illumination optical system and/or a projection optical system in projection exposure apparatus, it becomes feasible to implement uniform exposure while reducing variation in illuminance on a reticle surface and in an exposure area on a wafer.

Abstract: An optical member made of silica glass manufactured by the direct method where a material gas comprising an organosilicon compound is allowed to react in an oxidizing flame,