Projection exposure apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsSeiya Miura, Akiyoshi Suzuki
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Abstract
A projection exposure apparatus is disclosed which includes an illumination system with a masking mechanism having an aperture of variable shape, a projection optical system, a photoreceptor disposed adjacent to an image plane of the projection optical system, and an adjuster for adjusting the masking mechanism, wherein the adjuster is contributable to reduce the size of the aperture and to shift the position of the aperture, such that, with the cooperation of the projection optical system, a relatively small light pattern is produced on the image plane and the produced light pattern is displaced along the image plane, and wherein the photoreceptor receives light from the produced light pattern.
Claims11
A projection exposure apparatus, comprising:
- an illumination system for emitting light, said illumination system comprising a masking mechanism having an aperture of variable shape;
- a projection optical system for receiving the light emitted from said illumination system;
- a photoreceptor disposed adjacent to an image plane of said projection optical system for receiving light from a produced light pattern;
- and
- an adjuster for adjusting said masking mechanism by reducing the size of said aperture and shifting the position of said aperture to produce, by utilizing said projection optical system, a relatively small light pattern on the image plane and to displace the produced light pattern along the image plane, such that said photoreceptor receives light from the produced light pattern.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.