Method and apparatus for illuminating a surface using a projection imaging apparatus

An illumination system that successively comprises:

• an adjustor, for producing from a substantially collimated radiation beam an intensity distribution with a desired outer and/or inner radial extent;
• and
• a focusing optical system, for focusing the beam onto an entrance surface of an integrator means, the integrator means serving to improve the cross-sectional intensity uniformity of the beam,
• wherein the adjustor does not comprise an axicon.

An illumination system that successively comprises:

• an adjustor, for producing from a substantially collimated radiation beam an intensity distribution with a desired outer and/or inner radial extent;
• and
• a focusing optical system, for focusing the beam onto an entrance surface of an integrator means, the integrator means serving to improve the cross- sectional intensity uniformity of the beam,
• wherein the adjustor comprises a holding means for arranging at least two optical elements in parallel in the beam.

An illumination system that successively comprises:

• an adjustor, for producing from a substantially collimated radiation beam an intensity distribution with a desired outer and/or inner radial extent;
• and
• a focusing optical system, for focusing the beam onto an entrance surface of an integrator means, the integrator means serving to improve the cross-sectional intensity uniformity of the beam,
• wherein the adjustor comprises a holder that can be provided with a single optical element, the optical element comprising an array of refractive or diffractive microlenses or microprisms.

An illumination system for illuminating a surface by use of light from a light source, and for defining the intensity distribution of the projection beam at a plane, the illumination system comprising:

• an adjustor, arranged in an optical path of the illumination system, for controlling an inner and/or outer radial extent of the intensity distribution,
• wherein the adjustor comprises at least one exchanger for inserting and removing at least one of a plurality of optical elements into and out of a projection beam path, each of the optical elements defining at least one parameter of a intensity distribution;
• and
• wherein the at least one parameter of the intensity distribution comprising at least one of an outer radial extent, an annularity, an inner radial extent, a perimetric form, a perimetric orientation, a number of poles, an orientation of poles and a pole size.