System and method for improving linewidth control in a lithography device by varying the angular distribution of light in an illuminator as a function of field position

A lithography device, comprising:

• an illumination source;
• an illumination optics module that receives electromagnetic energy emitted by said illumination source, said illumination optics module having a partial coherence adjuster module with a one-dimensional optical transform element that forms a pupil plane, said one-dimensional optical transform element having an aperture device with an aperture located proximate to the pupil plane of said one-dimensional optical transform element that varies the angular distribution of electromagnetic energy entering said one-dimensional optical transform element along an axis;
• a reticle stage positioned adjacent to said illumination optics module, wherein electromagnetic energy exiting said illumination optics module will illuminate a portion of a reticle held by said reticle stage;
• a wafer stage;
• and
• a projection optics module having an image plane proximate to said wafer stage, said projection optics module positioned adjacent to said reticle stage and adjacent to said wafer stage, wherein electromagnetic energy passing through the reticle held by said reticle stage will enter said projection optics module and be imaged by said projection optics module on a photosensitive substrate of a wafer held by said wafer stage, and
• wherein a shape of the aperture of said aperture device is adjusted to control the angular distribution of electromagnetic energy at the image plane proximate to said wafer stage.