Nikon Corporation

Nkk Corporation

Koji Shigematsu

Osamu Tanitsu

Hiroyuki Hirota

Tomoyuki Matsuyama

Tetsuya Hayashi

Youhei Fujishima

Junichi Kitabuki

Nobufumi Inada

Yasuhiro Omura

Yutaka Suenaga

Hirohisa Tanaka

Kazumasa Endo

Shinichi Kurita

Miho Matsumoto

Toshiro Ishiyama

Hitoshi Matsuzawa

Masayuki Mizusawa

The illumination optical system for illuminating an illumination target surface with light from a light source is provided with a polarization converting member which converts a polarization state of incident light to form a pupil intensity distribution in a predetermined polarization state on an illumination pupil of the illumination optical system; and a phase modulating member which is arranged in the optical path on the illumination target surface side with respect to the polarization converting member and which transmits light from the pupil intensity distribution so as to convert linearly polarized light thereof polarized in a first direction, into required elliptically polarized light and maintain a polarization state of linearly polarized light polarized in a second direction (X-direction or Y-direction) obliquely intersecting with the first direction, in order to reduce influence of retardation caused by a subsequent optical system between the polarization converting member and the illumination target surface.

Illumination optical system, exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method

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.

Polarization-modulating element, illumination optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and exposure method

An illumination optical apparatus is able to adjust each of pupil luminance distributions at respective points on a surface to be illuminated to being almost uniform, while maintaining or adjusting an illuminance distribution on the surface to be illuminated to being almost uniform. The illumination optical apparatus illuminates the surface to be illuminated (M, W), with a light beam from a light source (). The apparatus is provided with a pupil distribution forming device (-) for forming a pupil luminance distribution with a predetermined luminance distribution on an illumination pupil plane; and an adjuster () for independently adjusting each of pupil luminance distributions about respective points on the surface to be illuminated. The adjuster has a plurality of adjustment surfaces each of which is disposed in an optical path between the pupil distribution forming device and the surface to be illuminated and has a predetermined transmittance distribution or reflectance distribution.

Lighting optical device, regulation method for lighting optical device, exposure system, and exposure method

According to an embodiment, the illumination optical system for illuminating an illumination target surface with light from a light source is provided with a polarization converting member which converts a polarization state of incident light so as to form a pupil intensity distribution in a predetermined polarization state on an illumination pupil of the illumination optical system; and a phase modulating member which is arranged in the optical path on the illumination target surface side with respect to the polarization converting member and which transmits light from the pupil intensity distribution so as to convert linearly polarized light thereof polarized in a first direction, into required elliptically polarized light and maintain a polarization state of linearly polarized light polarized in a second direction (X-direction or Y-direction) obliquely intersecting with the first direction, in order to reduce influence of retardation caused by a subsequent optical system between the polarization converting member and the illumination target surface.

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.

Illuminating optical apparatus, exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method

An illumination optical apparatus is able to accomplish desired annular illumination, circular illumination, and so on, without substantial influence of the zero-order light from a diffractive optical element. The illumination optical apparatus comprises a diffractive optical element () which converts a light beam from a light source () into a light beam with a predetermined light intensity distribution; an optical integrator () disposed between the diffractive optical element and a surface to be illuminated (M) and adapted for forming a substantial surface illuminant on an illumination pupil plane on the basis of the light beam from the diffractive optical element; a shaping optical system () disposed between the diffractive optical element and the optical integrator and adapted for changing a size and shape of the substantial surface illuminant; and a preventing device disposed at a position substantially in the relation of Fourier transform with the diffractive optical element in an optical path of the shaping optical system, and adapted for preventing the zero-order light from the diffractive optical element from traveling along an illumination light path.

Lighting optical device, exposure system, and exposure method

Provided is a projection optical system for forming an image of a pattern of a first object (R) on a second object (W). The projection optical system is made of an optical material having a refractive index of not more than 1.6 and is substantially telecentric both on the first object side and on the second object side. The projection optical system satisfies the condition of (&#x3bb;&#xd7;L)/(NA&#xd7;Y)&#x3c;1.5&#xd7;10, where &#x3bb; is a wavelength of light, L a distance between the first object and the second object, MA a numerical aperture on the second object side, and Ya maximum image height on the second object.

Projection optical system, exposure apparatus, and device production method

The present invention is directed toward a high performance yet compact projection optical system that is both-sidedly telecentric, has the ability to minimize the reduction of image formation performance that occurs due to the absorption by the glass material used, can secure a sufficiently large numerical aperture and a broad exposure area, and has the ability to very favorably correct aberrations and especially distortion. In a projection optical system that projects a pattern of a first object onto a second object, comprising in order from the first object side, a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group, a negative fourth lens group, and positive fifth lens group that provides at least 2 negative lens compositions, and where the fifth lens group includes two lens planes that satisfy the expression &#x3c6;/&#x3c6;exp&#x2266;3.5, and a first lens composition Lconstituted of a first material that satisfies the expression n&#x2266;1.57, and where the entire projection optical system described above has two lens planes that satisfy the expression &#x3c6;/&#x3c6;exp&#x3e;3.5, and which includes a second lens composition Lconstituted of a second material that satisfies the expression n&#x3e;1.57.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Koji Shigematsu