Patent ID: 7133489
Filing Date: 2006-11-07
Classification: G03F,G21K

Abstract:
1. An X-ray reduction projection exposure apparatus, comprising: an illumination optical system for illuminating a mask with an X-ray beam from a light source, said illumination optical system including (i) a first reflection optical system having a first concave mirror, for transforming an X-ray beam from the light source into a parallel or an approximately parallel X-ray beam, (ii) a reflection type integrator having a plurality of cylindrical surfaces, for reflecting the parallel or approximately parallel X-ray beam, and (iii) a second reflection optical system having a second concave mirror, for reflecting the X-ray beam, from said reflection type integrator, so that the X-ray beam is obliquely incident on the mask to illuminate the same; and a projection optical system for projecting a pattern of the mask onto a wafer in a reduced scale, by use of the X-ray beam as reflected by the mask, wherein said first reflection optical system is arranged to direct and project the parallel or approximately parallel X-ray beam onto said reflection type integrator so as to produce an obtuse angle between an incident X-ray and a reflected X-ray, such that X-ray beams divergently emitted from secondary light sources being defined by the plurality of cylindrical surfaces, respectively, have an arcuate sectional shape with respect to a plane perpendicular to a central axis of the cylindrical surface, and wherein said second reflection optical system is arranged to superpose the X-ray beams from said reflection type integrator, each having an arcuate sectional shape, one upon another on the mask, so that an arcuate illumination region is defined on the mask.