Patent ID: 7515247
Filing Date: 2009-04-07
Classification: G03B,G03F

Abstract:
1. An illumination optical system for use with an exposure apparatus including a projection optical system and that illuminates a pattern onto an illuminated surface with light including a predetermined polarized state supplied from a light source, the illumination optical system comprising: a light directing device that directs the light from the light source to the illuminated surface, the light directing device being positioned in a light path between the light source and the illuminated surface; a pupil intensity distribution forming device that forms a predetermined light intensity distribution at a position conjugate to a pupil of the projection optical system or a position adjacent thereto; a pupil intensity distribution changing device that changes at least one of a shape and a size of the predetermined light intensity distribution, and that changes at least one of the shape and the size of the predetermined light intensity distribution in accordance with pattern characteristics of the pattern; a polarized state fluctuation correcting device that corrects fluctuations in the polarized state on the illuminated surface, the polarized state fluctuation correcting device being positioned in the light path between the light source and the illuminated surface; and a polarized state changing device that is positioned in the light path between the light source and the illuminated surface and changes the polarized state of the light that illuminates the illuminated surface in accordance with at least one of the shape and the size of the predetermined light intensity distribution.