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US 6,259,512 B1Granted
Illumination system and exposure apparatus having the same
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorSatoru Mizouchi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An illumination system includes a light mixing system for mixing light from a light source and emitting the mixed light, a multi-beam producing system for wavefront dividing the light from the light mixing system and for producing plural light beams, an imaging system for forming an image of a light exit surface of the light mixing system on a light entrance surface of the multi-beam producing system, an illuminating system for illuminating a surface to be illuminated, with plural light beams from the multi-beam producing system in a state in which the light beams are superposed one upon another, and an adjusting system for adjusting a light quantity distribution upon the light entrance surface of the multi-beam producing system.
Claims34
An illumination system, comprising:
- light mixing means for mixing light from a light source on the basis of internal reflection, and for emitting the mixed light;
- multi-beam producing means for wavefront dividing the light from said light mixing means and for producing plural light beams;
- imaging means for forming an image of a light exit surface of said light mixing means on a light entrance surface of said multi-beam producing means;
- illuminating means for illuminating a surface to be illuminated, with plural light beams from said multi-beam producing means in a state in which the light beams are superposed one upon another;
- and
- adjusting means, disposed between said light mixing means and said multi-beam producing means, for adjusting a light quantity distribution upon the light entrance surface of said multi-beam producing means.
3 more elements
An illumination system, comprising:
- a first optical integrator of an inside reflection type, for reflecting at least a portion of received light by its inside surface and for defining a plane light source at or adjacent to a light exit surface thereof;
- a second optical integrator of a wavefront division type, for dividing the wavefront of received light and for defining plural light sources at or adjacent to a light exit surface thereof;
- an imaging optical system for imaging said plane light source at or adjacent to a light entrance surface of said second optical integrator;
- a collecting optical system for superposing lights from said plural light sources one upon another on a surface to be illuminated;
- and
- adjusting means, disposed between said first optical integrator and said second optical integrator, for adjusting a light quantity distribution upon the light entrance surface of said second optical integrator.
3 more elements
An illumination system, comprising:
- a wavefront division type optical integrator for dividing a wavefront of received light and for defining plural light sources at or adjacent to a light exit surface thereof;
- an illumination optical system of a variable focal length for directing light from a light source to a light entrance surface of said wavefront division type optical integrator, wherein a change in focal length of said illumination optical system is contributable to change at least one of a size and an intensity distribution of light from the light source upon said wavefront division type optical integrator;
- a collecting optical system for superposing lights from said plural light sources one upon another on a surface to be illuminated;
- and
- adjusting means for adjusting a light quantity distribution upon the light entrance surface of said wavefront division type optical integrator,
- wherein said illumination optical system is operable to correct the numerical aperture of light impinging on said wavefront division type optical integrator as changed with the change in focal length.
3 more elements
An illumination system, comprising:
- a first optical integrator of a wavefront division type, for dividing the wavefront of received light and for defining plural light sources at or adjacent to a light exit surface thereof;
- a second optical integrator of an inside reflection type, for reflecting at least a portion of received light by its inside surface and for defining a plane light source of a uniform intensity distribution, at or adjacent to a light exit surface thereof;
- a third optical integrator of a wavefront division type, for dividing the wavefront of received light and for defining plural light sources at or adjacent to a light exit surface thereof;
- a first imaging optical system for imaging the plural light sources, defined by said first optical integrator, at or adjacent to a light entrance surface of said second optical integrator;
- a second imaging optical system for imaging said plane light source, defined by said second optical integrator, at or adjacent to a light entrance surface of said second optical integrator;
- a collecting optical system for superposing lights from said plural light sources, defined by said third optical integrator, one upon another on a surface to be illuminated;
- and
- adjusting means for adjusting a light quantity distribution upon the light entrance surface of said third optical integrator.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.