An illumination optical apparatus for illuminating a pattern on a mask with illumination light through a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus, the illumination optical apparatus comprising: a polarization controlling member arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, and configured to change a polarization state of the illumination light from a first polarization state including a substantially single polarization state as a principal component into a second polarization state different from the first polarization state, the apparatus being characterized by: a birefringent member configured for changing a polarization state of the illumination light arriving from the polarization controlling member so that the illumination light in a region on the pupil plane, away from an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus, is in a third polarization state different from the second polarization state; an optical integrator arranged in the optical path on an exit side of the birefringent member; and a light limiting member (9a, 9b) arranged in the optical path between the polarization controlling member and the birefringent member and configured to limit an incidence angle range of the illumination light to the mask, wherein the birefringent member provides different thicknesses of birefringent material at different incidence positions such that the illumination light is irradiated from the pupil plane onto the pattern in a polarization state in which a principal component is S-polarized light. a polarization controlling member arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, and configured to change a polarization state of the illumination light from a first polarization state including a substantially single polarization state as a principal component into a second polarization state different from the first polarization state, the apparatus being characterized by: a birefringent member configured for changing a polarization state of the illumination light arriving from the polarization controlling member so that the illumination light in a region on the pupil plane, away from an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus, is in a third polarization state different from the second polarization state; an optical integrator arranged in the optical path on an exit side of the birefringent member; and a light limiting member (9a, 9b) arranged in the optical path between the polarization controlling member and the birefringent member and configured to limit an incidence angle range of the illumination light to the mask, wherein the birefringent member provides different thicknesses of birefringent material at different incidence positions such that the illumination light is irradiated from the pupil plane onto the pattern in a polarization state in which a principal component is S-polarized light. a birefringent member configured for changing a polarization state of the illumination light arriving from the polarization controlling member so that the illumination light in a region on the pupil plane, away from an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus, is in a third polarization state different from the second polarization state; an optical integrator arranged in the optical path on an exit side of the birefringent member; and a light limiting member (9a, 9b) arranged in the optical path between the polarization controlling member and the birefringent member and configured to limit an incidence angle range of the illumination light to the mask, wherein the birefringent member provides different thicknesses of birefringent material at different incidence positions such that the illumination light is irradiated from the pupil plane onto the pattern in a polarization state in which a principal component is S-polarized light.