Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an illumination apparatus and exposure apparatus and method employing this, whereby the illumination distribution on a mask or wafer can be compensated to a desired distribution, and whereby it is possible to independently alter the pupil shape (coherence factor) of illuminating light in respect of various image heights above the wafer.

Abstract: Optical exposure apparatus and methods of using same, for patterning a workpiece and photo-cleaning the optical components in the apparatus, which can be contaminated by moisture and organic compounds in the atmosphere. The apparatus comprises an illumination optical system having a light source and one or more optical components, and a projection lens having an object plane and an image plane and one or more optical components. The optical exposure apparatus includes an exposure optical path or an exposure light beam through a predetermined space in the optical exposure system. An optical path deflection member for deflecting light is introduced into the exposure optical path so as to create a second optical path that differs from the exposure optical path. Also disclosed is a method of photo-cleaning the aforementioned optical components, including the steps of forming an exposure optical path and then changing this path to create a second optical path that differs from the exposure optical path.

Abstract: A rotary valve assembly for controlling flow passing through substantially parallel passages, is disclosed. A wall has a cylindrical bore extending transverse to the passages. An elongated rotor is rotatably supported at opposed ends thereof within the cylindrical bore. A plurality of axially spaced valves are disposed on the rotor so as to open and close the passages. A plurality of wall portions are disposed between the valves so as to isolate the adjacent passages. A C-ring is disposed on the respective wall portion of the rotor in sealing contact with the wall surface surrounding the cylindrical bore. An O-ring is disposed axially adjacent to the C-ring and adapted for reducing radial vibration of the rotor and cooperating with the C-ring to prevent leakage flow through the adjacent passages.

Abstract: An organic electroluminescent device comprises a pair of electrodes and a layer structure provided between the paired electrodes and including, at least, an emission layer comprising a specific type of oligomer. The layer structure may further comprise an electron injection layer and an electron transport layer, one of which comprises a specific type of oligomer. Alternatively, the layer structure may be of the type which comprises an organic layer having a charge transport interference layer in the inside thereof along with an emission layer.

Abstract: An illuminating optical device comprises a light source for supplying light, and a condenser lens system for collecting the light from the light source and guiding the light onto an object to be illuminated. The condenser lens system has an optical element that has a refractive power, and that can be tilted or decentered with respect to the optical axis of the condenser lens system. By tilting or decentering the optical element, sloped illuminance distributions can be deliberately produced, which can cancel out uneven illuminance distributions having opposite slopes which originally exist in the system. Consequently, satisfactory uniform as well as desired specific non-uniform illuminance distributions can be achieved.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus including an irradiation optical system including a light source and irradiating a mask with irradiation light beams, a projection optical system for projecting an image of a pattern of the mask on a substrate, a plurality of first fly-eye type optical integrators each having an emission side focal plane disposed on a Fourier transformed surface with respect to the pattern of the mask in the irradiation optical system or on a plane adjacent to the same and having a center located at a plurality of positions which are eccentric from the optical axis of the irradiation optical system, a plurality of second fly-eye type optical integrators each having an emission side focal plane disposed on a Fourier transformed plane with respect to the incidental end of each of a plurality of the first fly-eye type optical integrators or on a plane adjacent to the same and being disposed to correspond to a plurality of the first fly-eye type optical integrators, and a light divider for dividing

Abstract: A projection optical system of the present invention comprises a shaping optical system which is disposed in an optical path between a first surface and a second surface on which an image of the first surface is formed and has a refractive power in only one of two directions which are perpendicular to an optical axis of the projection optical system and orthogonal to each other. This shaping optical system comprises a first lens group which has a refractive power in only one of the two directions which are orthogonal to each other and a second lens group which has a refractive power only in the direction in which the first lens group has the refractive power.

Abstract: A change in the optical characteristics which is caused by an unevenness of the intensity of illumination, following a change of the form or the size of a multiple light source, is corrected by an adjustment mechanism with a simple structure. This mechanism further comprises a first correction device (21, 14B) which corrects unevenness of the intensity of illumination generated on a plane to be irradiated due to a change of the form and the size of the multiple light source made by a change device(13), and a second correction device (22, 14A1) which corrects at least one of a change of the back focus of a condenser optical system and a change in the telecentricity of the illumination light on the irradiated plane caused due to a correcting operation of the first correction device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an illumination optical apparatus capable of correcting unevenness of an illuminance distribution on an illuminated surface, particularly slant unevenness thereof. The illumination optical apparatus comprises a light source unit for supplying a nearly parallel beam, a multi-light-source forming system for forming a plurality of light source images, based on the light beam from the light source unit, a condenser optical system for condensing the light from the multi-light-source forming system to illuminate a surface of an object in a superimposed manner, and a deflecting device for changing an angle of incidence of the light into the multi-light-source forming system, disposed in an optical path between the light source unit and the multi-light-source forming system.

Abstract: The illumination optical apparatus of this invention is so arranged that light from a discharge lamp is collected by a rotationally symmetric collector mirror, the thus collected light is collimated into nearly parallel light by a collimator optical system, an optical integrator splits the parallel light into a plurality of light beams to form a plurality of secondary light sources, and thereafter the light from the secondary light sources is projected through a condenser optical system.

Abstract: An illuminating optical apparatus comprises a light source providing a light beam; a rotationally symmetrical mirror having an aperture of a predetermined shape; a collimating optical system for converting the light beam, coming from the light source and condensed by the rotationally symmetrical mirror, into a substantially parallel light beam; a multiple light source forming device for forming plural secondary light sources by said substantially parallel light beam; and a condenser optical system for condensing the light beam from the multiple light source forming device, thereby uniformly illuminating an object of illumination. The collimating optical system is adapted to form an image of the reflecting surface of the rotationally symmetrical mirror on a predetermined plane of the multiple light source forming device.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus including an irradiation optical system including a light source and irradiating a mask with irradiation light beams, a projection optical system for projecting an image of a pattern of the mask on a substrate, a plurality of first fly-eye type optical integrators each having an emission side focal plane disposed on a Fourier transformed surface with respect to the pattern of the mask in the irradiation optical system or on a plane adjacent to the same and having a center located at a plurality of positions which are eccentric from the optical axis of the irradiation optical system, a plurality of second fly-eye type optical integrators each having an emission side focal plane disposed on a Fourier transformed plane with respect to the incidental end of each of a plurality of the first fly-eye type optical integrators or on a plane adjacent to the same and being disposed to correspond to a plurality of the first fly-eye type optical integrators, and a light divider for dividing

Abstract: An illuminating optical apparatus for performing, e.g., oblique illumination has an arrangement in which an image of a reflecting mirror for reflecting a light beam from a light source is formed while being curved. With this arrangement, an annular secondary source with a light intensity distribution having moderate tails can be obtained.

Abstract: An illuminating optical apparatus comprises a light source providing a light beam; a rotationally symmetrical mirror having an aperture of a predetermined shape; a collimating optical system for converting the light beam, coming from the light source and condensed by the rotationally symmetrical mirror, into a substantially parallel light beam; a multiple light source forming device for forming plural secondary light source by said substantially parallel light beam; and a condenser optical system for condensing the light beam from the multiple light source forming device, thereby uniformly illuminating an object of illumination. The collimating optical system is adapted to form an image of the reflecting surface of the rotationally symmetrical mirror on a predetermined plane of the multiple light source forming device.

Abstract: An illuminating optical apparatus for performing, e.g., oblique illumination has an arrangement in which an image of a reflecting mirror for reflecting a light beam from a light source is formed while being curved. With this arrangement, an annular secondary source with a light intensity distribution having moderate tails can be obtained.

Abstract: Disclosed is an illumination optical system comprising: a parallel beam supplying means for supplying parallel beams; a first optical integrator for forming substantially first surface illuminants by the beams coming from the parallel beam supplying means; a first converging optical system for converging the beams from the plurality of secondary illuminants; a second optical integrator for forming substantially second surface illuminants by the plurality of beams converged by the first converging optical system; and a second converging optical system for converging the beams from the second surface illuminants formed through the second optical integrator and illuminating an irradiated surface with the converged beams in superposition. At least one of the first optical integrator and the first converging optical system includes a plurality of lens systems interchangeable each other and having focal lengths different from each other. One of the plurality of lens systems is inserted in a light path.

Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus is provided with a light source generating pulsed light, a rotary deflecting prism for deviating the light beam from the light source, fly's eye lenses for forming surface light sources in succession by thus deviated light beam, and a condenser lens for condensing the light from the fly's eye lens for illuminating the reticle. The pulsed light from the light source is alternately introduced into the fly's eye lenses by every pulse or by every plural number of pulses.

Abstract: An illumination optical arrangement which uses a laser light source to produce a uniform illumination which is high in brightness and substantially free of interference patterns. The illumination optical arrangement includes light source means for emitting a coherent light beam, optical illuminance distribution uniformizing means for making substantially uniform the intensity distribution in a beam cross-section of illumination by the coherent light beam on a plane to be illuminated, and optical polarizing means for producing from the coherent light beam a plurality of polarized light components which are different in polarized state from each other in such a manner that wavefronts of incident light beams of the polarized light components to the optical illuminance distribution uniformizing means are inclined relative to each other whereby interference patterns produced by the polarized light components are relatively shifted in position in the illuminated plane.

Abstract: An illuminating optical system comprises parallel light beam generating means for providing a parallel light beam, a first optical integrator for substantially forming a first planar light source by the light beam coming from the parallel light beam generating means, a first condensing optical system for condensing the light beam from the first planar light source, a second optical integrator for substantially forming a second planar light source by the light beam condensed by the first condensing optical system, and a second condensing optical system for illuminating an illuminated plane in overlapping manner by condensing the light beam from the second planar light source formed by the second optical integrator.At least either of the first optical integrator and the first condensing optical system has a variable focal length, and the size of the second planar light source is rendered variable while the size of the illuminated area is maintained constant, through a change in the focal length.

Abstract: An illuminating optical device having an optical integrator capable of receiving a light flux from a light source and substantially forming a plane light source comprising a plurality of light source images and uniformly illuminating an object includes a square-pillar-like internal reflection type integrator having a plurality of reflecting surfaces capable of reflecting the light flux from the light source and forming a plurality of virtual images of the light source on a plane near the entrance surface thereof, a fly-eye type integrator comprising a plurality of lens elements receiving the light flux from the light source and capable of forming a plurality of light source images on a plane, the lens elements being juxtaposed in proximity to one another, and relay lens means provided between the two integrators so that the exit surface of one of the two integrators which is adjacent to the light source and the entrance surface of the other integrator which is adjacent to the object are substantially conjugat