Illumination optical system, exposure apparatus, irradiation method, and component manufacturing method

An illumination optical system, which irradiates a target object with light from a light source unit, comprising:

• an integrator optical system that is disposed on an optical path of the light emitted from the light source unit and uniformizes an illuminance distribution of the light with which the target object is to be irradiated;
• an input lens that is disposed on a light incident side of the integrator optical system;
• a bandpass filter that is disposed between the input lens and the integrator optical system;
• and
• a condenser lens that irradiates the target object with light emitted from the integrator optical system,
• a light emission surface of the integrator optical system having a size larger than a size of an irradiation region of the light with which the target object is to be irradiated.

An irradiation method of irradiating a target object with light, comprising:

• emitting light from a light source unit;
• refracting, by an input lens, the light emitted from the light source unit;
• limiting, by a bandpass filter, a wavelength band of the light refracted by the input lens and causing the light to be incident on an integrator optical system;
• emitting, by the integrator optical system, the light whose wavelength band is limited such that an illuminance distribution of the light with which the target object is to be irradiated is uniformized;
• shaping, by an aperture that is disposed on a light emission side of the integrator optical system, a light beam and causing the light beam to be incident on a condenser lens;
• and
• irradiating, by the condenser lens, an irradiation region on the target object with light, the irradiation region having a size smaller than a size of the aperture.

An irradiation method of irradiating a target object with light, comprising:

• emitting light from a light source unit;
• refracting, by an input lens, the light emitted from the light source unit;
• limiting, by a bandpass filter, a wavelength band of the light refracted by the input lens and causing the light to be incident on an integrator optical system;
• causing, by the integrator optical system, the light whose wavelength band is limited to be incident on a condenser lens such that an illuminance distribution of the light with which the target object is to be irradiated is uniformized;
• and
• irradiating, by the condenser lens, an irradiation region on the target object with light, the irradiation region having a size smaller than a size of a light emission surface of the integrator optical system.