Patent ID: 6707538
Filing Date: 2004-03-16
Classification: G03F

Abstract:
A near-field exposure system comprising:a light source which emits exposure light having a predetermined wavelength and being unpolarized; a polarizer plate which linearly polarizes said exposure light; an exposure mask which has a pattern of openings each having a dimension smaller than the wavelength of the exposure light, and is placed at such a position that said exposure light is applied to the exposure mask; an exposure table which holds a photosensitive material sensitive to said exposure light, at a position which near-field light emerging from the openings reaches; and a polarizer-plate holding means which holds said polarizer plate in such a manner that the polarizer plate can be moved between first and second positions, where the first position is in an optical path of said exposure light from the light source to the exposure mask, and the second position is outside the optical path.