Lens barrel having deformed optical element, and projection including same

A lens barrel comprising:

• a plurality of optical elements, said plurality of optical elements including a lens and/or a mirror;
• at least one optical element having a light-transmissive surface which is deformed by a weight of said at least one optical element;
• and
• two, three or four protrusive parts which support said at least one optical element, where positions of said two, three or four protrusive parts in a direction of an optical axis are the same, where each of said two, three or four protrusive parts is arranged substantially in point-contact with said at least one optical element, and where said two, three or four protrusive parts are arranged in a configuration that enables the light-transmissive surface to be deformed, by the weight of said at, least one optical element, symmetrically with respect to both a first plane which includes the optical axis and a second plane which includes the optical axis and is perpendicular to the first plane.

A lens barrel comprising:

• a lens barrel housing;
• first and second optical elements;
• and
• means for supporting said first and second optical elements in said housing, so as to enable each said optical element to be deformed by its own weight,
• wherein said first optical element is deformed by its weight thereof so as to correct a variation of an optical characteristic caused by the deformation of said second optical element.

A lens barrel comprising:

• a housing;
• diffractive optical element having a light-transmissive surface;
• and
• means for supporting said diffractive optical element in said housing so as to enable said light-transmissive surface to be deformed rotationally asymmetrically with respect to an optical axis of said diffractive optical element,
• wherein said diffractive optical element has a grating pitch so that an optical characteristic of said diffractive optical element becomes substantially rotationally symmetrical with respect to the optical axis of said diffractive optical element.

A lens barrel, comprising:

• a housing;
• an optical element having a light-transmissive surface;
• means for supporting said optical element in said housing so as to enable said light-transmissive surface to deformed rotationally asymmetrically with respect to an optical axis of said optical element;
• and
• an anamorphic lens for correcting a variation of an optical characteristic of said optical element caused by the deformation.

A projection aligner, comprising:

• a lens barrel including a housing, first and second optical elements, and means for supporting said first and second optical elements in said housing, so as to enable each of said optical elements to be deformed by its own weight,
• wherein said first optical element is deformed by its weight thereof so as to correct a variation of an optical characteristic caused by the deformation of said second optical element;
• and
• a projecting optical system which includes said optical elements, with a pattern formed on a mask being projected by said projecting optical system onto a substrate to be exposed.

A projection aligner comprising:

• a lens barrel including a housing, a diffractive optical element having a light-transmissive surface, and means for supporting said diffractive optical element in said housing so as to enable said light-transmissive surface to be deformed rotationally asymmetrically with respect to an optical axis of said diffractive optical element,
• wherein said diffractive optical element has a grating pitch so that the optical characteristic of said diffractive optical element becomes substantially rotationally symmetrical with respect to the optical axis of said diffractive optical element;
• and
• a projecting optical system which includes said optical element, with a pattern formed on a mask being projected by said projecting optical system onto a substrate to be exposed.

A device manufacturing method comprising the steps of:

• providing a projection aligner comprised of a lens barrel including a housing, first and second optical elements, means for supporting the first and second optical elements in the housing, so as to enable each of the optical elements to be deformed by its own weight, wherein the first optical element is deformed by its weight thereof so as to correct a variation of an optical characteristic caused by the deformation of the second optical element, and a projecting optical system which includes the optical element;
• illuminating a mask having a pattern with exposure light;
• and
• projecting the pattern with the projection aligner onto a surface of a substrate to be exposed.

A device manufacturing method comprising the steps of:

• providing a projection aligner comprised of a lens barrel including a housing, a diffractive optical element having a light-transmissive surface, means for supporting the diffractive optical element so as to enable the light-transmissive surface to be deformed rotationally asymmetrically with respect to an optical axis of the diffractive optical element, wherein the diffractive optical element has a grating pitch so that the optical characteristic of the diffractive optical element becomes substantially rotationally symmetrical with respect to the optical axis of the diffractive optical element, and a projecting optical system which includes the optical element;
• illuminating a mask having a pattern with exposure light;
• and
• projecting the pattern with the projection aligner onto a surface of a substrate to be exposed.

A device manufacturing method comprising the steps of:

• providing a projection aligner comprised of a lens barrel including a housing, an optical element having a light-transmissive surface, means for supporting the optical element so as to enable the light-transmissive surface to be deformed rotationally asymmetrically with respect to an optical axis of the optical element, an anamorphic lens for correcting a variation of an optical characteristic of the optical element caused by the deformation, and a projecting optical system which includes the optical element;
• illuminating a reticle having a pattern with exposure light;
• and
• projecting the pattern with the projection aligner onto a surface of a substrate to be exposed.