Catoptic projection optical system

An exposure apparatus comprising:

• a catoptric projection optical system for projecting a pattern on an object surface onto an image surface, said catoptric projection optical system comprising plural mirrors, wherein a second mirror from the image surface through the optical path receives convergent pencil of rays, and has a paraxial magnification of −0.14 or smaller;
• a mask stage that supports a mask having the pattern, and positions the pattern on the mask onto the object surface;
• a wafer stage that supports an object having a photosensitive layer, and positions the photosensitive layer on the image surface;
• and
• a mechanism for synchronously scanning said mask stage and said wafer stage while the mask is illuminated by light having a wavelength of 20 nm or smaller.

An exposure apparatus comprising:

• a catoptric projection optical system for projecting a pattern on an object surface onto an image surface, said catoptric projection optical system comprising plural mirrors, wherein a second mirror from the image surface through the optical path receives convergent pencil of rays, and an angle between two marginal rays of said convergent pencil of rays is 3° or greater in meridional plane when said catoptric projection optical system has a numerical aperture of 0.25 or greater;
• a mask stage that supports a mask having the pattern, and positions the pattern on the mask onto the object surface;
• a wafer stage that supports an object having a photosensitive layer, and positions the photosensitive layer on the image surface;
• and
• a mechanism for synchronously scanning said mask stage and said wafer stage while the mask is illuminated by light having a wavelength of 20 nm or smaller.

An exposure apparatus comprising:

• a catoptric projection optical system for projecting a pattern on an object surface onto an image surface, said catoptric projection optical system comprising six mirrors that include, in order from the object surface to the image surface, a first mirror, a second mirror, a third mirror, a fourth mirror, a fifth mirror, and a sixth mirror to sequentially reflect light, wherein the first mirror has a convex or plane shape, and the fifth mirror receives convergent pencil of rays;
• a mask stage that supports a mask having the pattern, and positions the pattern on the mask onto the object surface;
• a wafer stage that supports an object having a photosensitive layer, and positions the photosensitive layer on the image surface;
• and
• a mechanism for synchronously scanning said mask stage and said wafer stage while the mask is illuminated by light having a wavelength of 20 nm or smaller.

A device fabricating method comprising the steps of:

• exposing an object using an exposure apparatus;
• and
• developing the object that has been exposed, wherein said exposure apparatus includes:
• an illumination optical system for illuminating a pattern with light from a light source;
• and
• a catoptric projection optical system for projecting a pattern on an object surface onto an image surface, said catoptric projection optical system comprising plural mirrors, wherein a second mirror from the image surface through the optical path receives convergent pencil of rays, and has a paraxial magnification of −0.14 or smaller.