Beam transforming optical system, illumination optical apparatus, exposure apparatus, and exposure method with optical member with optical rotatory power having different thickness to rotate linear polarization direction

Abstract

An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, and a polarization member made of optical material with optical rotatory power, which is arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, and which changes a polarization state of the illumination light. The illumination light from the polarization member is irradiated onto the pattern through a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus.

1 . An illumination optical apparatus which illuminates a surface with light, the illumination optical apparatus comprising:
 an optical material having an optic axis being arranged so as to he parallel to an optical axis of the illumination optical apparatus and being arranged to output the light which forms an illumination pupil distribution on or near an illumination pupil of the illumination optical apparatus; and.   an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the light between the optical material and the illumination pupil,   wherein the optical material i s arranged such that a first part of the light forming a first region of the illumination pupil distribution passes through a first amount of the optical material and a second pad of the light forming a second region of the illumination pupil distribution passes through a second amount of the optical material.   
     
     
         2 . The illumination optical apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical material has an optical rotatory power of not less than 100°/mm. 
     
     
         3 . The illumination optical apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the optical material is crystalline quartz. 
     
     
         4 . The illumination optical apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical integrator being arranged so that a rear focal plane of the optical integrator coincides with the plane of the illumination pupil. 
     
     
         5 . The illumination optical apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the optical integrator is a fly's eye lens or micro fly's eye lens. 
     
     
         6 . The illumination optical apparatus according to  claim 5 , further comprising a lens arranged in the optical path between the optical material and the optical integrator,
 wherein an entrance surface of the optical integrator is arranged on or near a rear focal position of the lens.   
     
     
         7 . The illumination optical apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first region and the second region are in a predetermined annular region centered around the optical axis. 
     
     
         8 . The illumination optical apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the illumination pupil distribution has a multipole shape. 
     
     
         9 . The illumination optical apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the illumination pupil distribution has an annular shape. 
     
     
         10 . The illumination optical apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical material is arranged so as to provide an azimuthal polarization in which a direction of polarization of light at each of the first and second regions is substantially coincident with a tangential direction at the respective region to a circle centered on the optical axis. 
     
     
         11 . The illumination optical apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the optical material is arranged to achieve the azimuthal polarization on the basis of incident linearly polarized light. 
     
     
         12 . The illumination optical apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a polarization monitor which detects a polarization state of the light from the optical material. 
     
     
         13 . An exposure apparatus comprising:
 the illumination optical apparatus according to  claim 1 , which illuminates a mask, and   a projection optical system which projects a pattern of the mask illuminated by use of the illumination optical apparatus onto a photosensitive substrate.   
     
     
         14 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the projection optical system is arranged to project the pattern onto the photosensitive substrate through liquid in an optical path between the projection optical system and the photosensitive substrate. 
     
     
         15 . An exposure method which transfers a pattern of the mask onto a photosensitive substrate, the method comprising:
 illuminating the mask by use of the illumination optical apparatus according to  claim 1 , and   projecting a pattern of the mask onto the photosensitive substrate by use of a projection optical system.   
     
     
         16 . The exposure method according to  claim 15 , further comprising:
 providing liquid in an optical path between the projection optical system and the photosensitive substrate such that the pattern of the mask is projected onto the photosensitive substrate through the liquid.   
     
     
         17 . A device manufacturing method comprising:
 illuminating a pattern of a mask by use of the illumination optical apparatus according to  claim 1 ;   projecting the pattern of the mask onto the photosensitive substrate by use of a projection optical system; and   developing the photosensitive substrate.   
     
     
         18 . The device manufacturing method according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 providing liquid in an optical path between the projection optical system and the photosensitive substrate such that the pattern of the mask is projected onto the photosensitive substrate through the liquid.   
     
     
         19 . A method of illuminating a surface with light, the method comprising:
 disposing an optical material in an optical path of the light such that an optic axis of the optical material is parallel to an optical axis along which the light travels and that the light exiting from the optical material forms an illumination pupil distribution on or near an illumination pupil; and   disposing an optical integrator in the optical path between the optical material and the illumination pupil,   wherein a first part of the light forming a first region of the illumination pupil distribution passes through a first amount of the optical material and a second part of the light forming a second region of the illumination pupil distribution passes through a second amount of the optical material.