Abstract: A speckle reduction system divides pulses of coherent radiation into successions of temporally separated and spatially aberrated pulselets. One or more beamsplitters divide the pulses into the successions of pulselets that are circulated through delay lines. Spatial aberrators located along the delay lines modify wavefront shapes of the pulselets. Together, the temporal separation and spatial aberration of the pulselets produce a succession of different speckle patterns that can be averaged together within the integration interval of a detector to reduce speckle contrast.

Abstract: The illumination of a photolithographic projection imager is given a variable annular intensity profile by using diverging and counter diverging elements that are movable relative to each other in the illumination path. An upstream element diverges the illumination into an annular configuration, the radius of which is set by the distance downstream to the counter diverging element. Convex and concave conical surfaces on the movable elements can accomplish this.

Abstract: Test surfaces are measured at grazing incidence with an interferometer using diffractive optics for manipulating reference and test beams. A leading diffractive optic separates the reference and test beams, and a following diffractive optic recombines the beams after the test beam is reflected from the test surface. Extraneous light, including light from other orders of diffraction, is isolated and blocked from combining with test and reference wavefronts.

Abstract: A catadioptric reduction system operating in the deep ultraviolet range projects a reduced image of a mask on a substrate. A reducing optic made of a material transmissive to deep ultraviolet light has a concave front face covered by a partially reflective surface and a convex back face covered by a concave reflective surface surrounding a central aperture. The partially reflective surface transmits a portion of the light passing through the mask to the concave reflecting surface, which returns a portion of the transmitted light to the partially reflective surface. A portion of the returned light is reflected by the partially reflective surface on a converging path through said central aperture for producing a reduced image of the mask on the substrate.

Abstract: A microlithographic projection imager has an illuminator system that is adjustable for the uniformity of spatial intensity of the illumination delivered to the wafer plane. This uniformity adjustment can compensate for factors tending to deviate the illumination from uniformity. The uniformity adjusting member is preferably refractive and axially movable next to a pupil of the illuminator.

Abstract: The illumination of a photolithographic projection imager is given a variable annular intensity profile by using diverging and counter diverging elements that are movable relative to each other in the illumination path. An upstream element diverges the illumination into an annular configuration, the radius of which is set by the distance downstream to the counter diverging element. Convex and concave conical surfaces on the movable elements can accomplish this.

Abstract: A microlithographic projection imaging system has an illuminator optical system and an objective imaging system, and an adjustable profiler or energy distributor in the illuminator optical system varies the numerical aperture of the illuminator, for varying the partial coherence of the projection imager. The adjustable profiler can be a diffuser, a binary optic, a hologram, or a fly's eye lens that is axially movable in a non-collimated region of the illumination path for imposing a predetermined angular profile on each of a multitude of fragments of the illumination. This changes the distribution of the illumination energy at the pupil of the illuminator and thus varies the numerical aperture and the angular energy profile of the illumination arriving at the objective imaging system, which is also preferably made uniform in spatial intensity by a uniformizer in the illuminator upstream of the pupil.