Patent ID: 7889320
Filing Date: 2011-02-15
Classification: G03F

Abstract:
1. An illumination apparatus that irradiates an object to be illuminated with a slit-shaped illumination light, comprising: a first light-shielding mechanism that comprises a plurality of edge parts that defines one long side of the illumination light; a second light-shielding mechanism that comprises one or more edge parts that define another long side of the illumination light, the number of the one or more edge parts being less than that of the edge parts of the first light-shielding mechanism; a first drive mechanism that drives the first light-shielding mechanism to change positions of the edge parts of the first light-shielding mechanism; a second drive mechanism that drives the second light-shielding mechanism to change position or positions of the one or more edge parts of the second light-shielding mechanism; and a control unit that provides the first drive mechanism with a drive command based on a first parameter in the parameters related to an illuminance unevenness of the illumination light to drive the first light-shielding mechanism and that provides the second drive mechanism with a drive command based on a second parameter in the parameters related to the illuminance unevenness to drive the second light-shielding mechanism.