Illumination optical arrangement
AssigneeNippon Kogaku K. K.
InventorsMasato Shibuya, Makoto Uehara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An illumination optical arrangement comprises light source means emitting a coherent light beam, and means for forming a substantially incoherent light source from the coherent light beam. The incoherent light source forming means includes means for periodically deflecting the coherent light beam and scanning a predetermined scanning area by the coherent light beam, and optical means for forming a plurality of optical paths for directing the coherent light beam passed through the predetermined scanning area to a plurality of different secondary scanning areas. Each of the plurality of secondary scanning areas is scanned by the periodically deflected coherent light beam.
Claims12
An illumination optical arrangement comprising:
- (a) light source means emitting a coherent light beam;
- and
- (b) means for forming a substantially incoherent light source from said coherent light beam, said incoherent light source forming means including means for periodically deflecting said coherent light beam and scanning a predetermined scanning area by said coherent light beam, and optical means for forming a plurality of optical paths for directing the coherent light beam passed through said predetermined scanning area to a plurality of different secondary scanning areas, each of said plurality of secondary scanning areas being scanned by said periodically deflected coherent light beam.
An illumination optical arrangement comprising:
- (a) light source means emitting a coherent light beam;
- and
- (b) means for forming a substantially incoherent light source from said coherent light beam, said incoherent light source forming means including optical means having a multiplicity of optical paths through which parts of said coherent light beam pass respectively and forming a multiplicity of corresponding secondary light sources, and optical path difference forming means provided between said light source means and said secondary light source forming optical means for making differences between the optical path lengths of said multiplicity of optical paths.
An illumination optical arrangement in an apparatus for projecting a pattern on an object onto a projection surface by an objective lens, comprising:
- (a) light source means emitting a coherent light beam;
- (b) means for forming a substantially incoherent light source from said coherent light beam, said incoherent light source forming means including means for periodically deflecting said coherent light beam and scanning a predetermined scanning area by said coherent light beam, and optical means for forming a plurality of optical paths for directing the coherent light beam passed through said predetermined scanning area to a plurality of different secondary scanning areas, each of said plurality of secondary scanning areas being scanned by said periodically deflected coherent light beam;
- and
- (c) condensing lens means provided to direct the light beam passed through said plurality of secondary scanning areas to the pupil of said objective lens, said secondary scanning areas and the pupil of said objective lens being in a substantially conjugate relationship with respect to said condensing lens means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.