Abstract: An illumination optical apparatus is able to quickly perform switching of illumination conditions between illumination in a first region and illumination in a second region. The illumination optical apparatus of the present invention to illuminate an illumination target surface on the basis of light from a light source comprises: a path switching member arranged in an optical path between the light source and the illumination target surface and switching an optical path of an exiting beam between a first optical path and a second optical path; a path combining member combining the first optical path and the second optical path; a first pupil distribution forming member arranged in the first optical path and forming a predetermined light intensity distribution on an illumination pupil; and a second pupil distribution forming member arranged in the second optical path and forming a predetermined light intensity distribution on the illumination pupil.

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 apparatus has an optical unit. The optical unit has a light splitter to split an incident beam into two beams; a first spatial light modulator which can be arranged in an optical path of a first beam; a second spatial light modulator which can be arranged in an optical path of a second beam; and a light combiner which combines a beam having passed via the first spatial light modulator, with a beam having passed via the second spatial light modulator; each of the first spatial light modulator and the second spatial light modulator has a plurality of optical elements arranged two-dimensionally and controlled individually.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a spatial light modulator unit is used in the illumination optical system for illuminating an illumination target surface with light from a light source and comprises: a spatial light modulator with a plurality of optical elements arrayed in a predetermined plane and controlled individually; a spatial light modulation element which applies spatial light modulation to the incident light from the light source and which makes rays of intensity levels according to positions of the respective optical elements, incident on the plurality of optical elements; and a control unit which individually controls the plurality of optical elements on the basis of information about the intensity levels of the rays incident on the respective optical elements.

Abstract: An inspection device is for inspecting a spatial light modulator having a plurality of optical elements arrayed two-dimensionally and controlled individually. The inspection device includes a Fourier transform optical system which is arranged optically downstream the spatial light modulator and which forms a Fourier transform plane optically in a Fourier transform relation with an array plane where the plurality of optical elements are arrayed, a photodetector having a detection surface arranged on or near the Fourier transform plane, and an inspection unit which inspects optical characteristics of the plurality of optical elements, based on a result of detection by the photodetector.

Abstract: A part of exposure beam through a liquid via a projection optical system enters a light-transmitting section, enters an optical member without passing through gas, and is focused. The exposure apparatus receives the exposure light from the projection optical system to perform various measurements even if the numerical aperture of the projection optical system increases.

Abstract: An illumination optical system with a simple structure reduces the effects of illumination variations caused by a spatial coherency of illumination light, while maintaining a high usage efficiency of illumination light that is emitted in pulses. The illumination optical system illuminates an irradiated plane with pulse-emitted illumination light and includes a spatial light modulator including a plurality of mirror elements each of which spatially modulates the illumination light in accordance with an incident position of the illumination light. A modulation control unit controls the mirror elements, whenever at least one pulse of illumination light is emitted, in a manner such that the optical elements spatially modulate the pulses of illumination light differently from one another and form substantially the same intensity distribution for the pulses of illumination light on a predetermined plane.

Abstract: There is disclosed a polarization-modulating element for modulating a polarization state of incident light into a predetermined polarization state, the polarization-modulating element being made of an optical material with optical activity and having a circumferentially varying thickness profile.

Abstract: An optical unit comprises a first optical path in which a spatial light modulator with a plurality of optical elements arranged two-dimensionally and controlled individually can be arranged; a second optical path including a mechanism for insertion of an angle distribution providing element including a predetermined fixed pattern on a surface thereof; and a third optical path being an optical path of light having traveled through both of the first optical path and the second optical path. When the angle distribution providing element is inserted in the second optical path, an angle distribution is provided to light exited based on light incident to the angle distribution providing element.

Abstract: A part of exposure beam through a liquid (LQ) via a projection optical system (PL) enters a light-transmitting section (44), enters an optical member (41) without passing through gas, and is focused. The exposure apparatus receives the exposure light from the projection optical system to perform various measurements even if the numerical aperture of the projection optical system increases.

Abstract: [Problem] Each of pupil intensity distributions at respective points on an illumination target surface is substantially uniformly adjusted. [Solving Means] An illumination optical system to illuminate an illumination target surface (M; W) on the basis of light from a light source (1) is provided with a distribution forming optical system (3, 4, 5) for forming a pupil intensity distribution on an illumination pupil of the illumination optical system, and a correction unit (12) which is arranged at or near a position of the illumination pupil, or, at or near a position optically conjugate with the illumination pupil, in order to correct the pupil intensity distribution, and which changes an emission direction of a beam according to an incidence position of the beam.

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.

Abstract: A part of exposure beam through a liquid (LQ) via a projection optical system (PL) enters a light-transmitting section (44), enters an optical member (41) without passing through gas, and is focused. The exposure apparatus receives the exposure light from the projection optical system to perform various measurements even if the numerical aperture of the projection optical system increases.

Abstract: There is disclosed an inspection device for inspecting a spatial light modulator having a plurality of optical elements arrayed two-dimensionally and controlled individually, said inspection device comprising, a conjugate optical system which is arranged optically downstream the spatial light modulator and which forms a conjugate plane optically conjugate with an array plane where the plurality of optical elements are arrayed, a photodetector having a detection surface arranged on or near the conjugate plane, and an inspection unit which inspects optical characteristics of the plurality of optical elements, based on a result of detection by the photodetector.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a polarization converting unit configured to convert incident light into light in a predetermined polarization state has a first optical element and a second optical element. The first optical element has a plurality of first regions, and at least two adjacent first regions have respective different thicknesses so as to have different polarization conversion properties. Likewise, the second optical element also has a plurality of second regions, and at least two adjacent second regions have different polarization conversion properties. The first and second optical elements are arranged so that a light beam having passed through one first region is incident to two adjacent second regions, whereby the sum of thicknesses of the first and second optical elements is varied depending upon a passing position of light.

Abstract: There is disclosed an illumination optical system which illuminates an illumination target surface on the basis of light from a light source, said illumination optical system comprising, a spatial light modulator having a plurality of optical elements arrayed two-dimensionally and being individually controllable, a distribution forming optical system which forms a predetermined light intensity distribution on an illumination pupil of the illumination optical system on the basis of light having traveled via the spatial light modulator, and a control unit which integrally controls postures of a group of optical elements according to a shape of the predetermined light intensity distribution formed on the illumination pupil, out of the plurality of optical elements.

Abstract: There is disclosed a spatial light modulating unit comprising: a spatial light modulator having a plurality of optical elements arrayed two-dimensionally and controlled individually; and an angle varying unit which varies a relative angle between a diffracted light generating region to generate diffracted light around each of the plurality of optical elements, and incident light to the diffracted light generating region.

Abstract: An optical integrator is able to keep down a light-quantity loss in modified illumination with an illumination optical apparatus. An optical integrator of a wavefront division type according to the present invention has a plurality of refracting surface regions which refract incident light, and a plurality of deflecting surface regions provided corresponding to the plurality of refracting surface regions and adapted for changing a traveling direction of the incident light. The plurality of refracting surface regions include a plurality of first refracting surface regions includes an arcuate contour with the center projecting in a first direction, and a plurality of second refracting surface regions includes an arcuate contour with the center projecting in a second 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.