Patent ID: 7116403
Filing Date: 2006-10-03
Classification: G03F

Abstract:
1. A lithographic apparatus, comprising: an illumination system that supplies a beam of radiation; a beam splitter that splits the beam into a first beam and a second beam; a first array of individually controllable elements that patterns the first beam with a first pattern; a second array of individually controllable elements that patterns the second beam with a second pattern; first and second quarter wave plates located between the beam splitter and respective ones of the first and second arrays of individually controllable elements that change a polarization of respective ones of the first and second beams; a beam combiner that combines the first and second patterned beams to form a combined patterned beam; and a system that projects the combined patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate, wherein a first portion of the combined patterned beam derived from the first patterned beam is substantially linearly polarized, and wherein a second portion of the combined patterned beam derived from the second patterned beam is substantially linearly polarized, substantially orthogonal to the first portion.