Exposure apparatus and exposure method capable of controlling illumination distribution

An exposure apparatus which exposes a photosensitive layer on an object with a light via a mask having a pattern to be transferred onto the photosensitive layer, comprising:

• an optical system having a plurality of optical elements which are provided along an optical axis substantially perpendicular to a plane on which the pattern is placed, and which include an optical integrator from which the mask is illuminated with the light through a part of the plurality of optical elements;
• and
• a filter device having a filter element rotatably provided in the optical system, the filter element having a transmittance distribution in a predetermined area, the transmittance distribution having a transmittance which varies in a radial direction in a filter plane in which the filter element rotates;
• wherein the light passes through a portion in the predetermined area on the filter element, and the light from the filter element has an intensity distribution that is variable by rotating the filter element to change a rotational relationship between the transmittance distribution and the light.

An illumination apparatus provided in an exposure apparatus which exposes a photosensitive layer on an object with a light via a mask having a pattern to be transferred onto the photosensitive layer, comprising:

• an illumination optical system having a plurality of optical elements which are provided along an optical axis substantially perpendicular to a plane on which the pattern is placed, and which include an optical integrator from which the mask is illuminated with the light through a part of the plurality of optical elements;
• and
• a filter device having a filter element rotatably provided between the optical integrator and the plane, and which has a transmittance distribution in a predetermined area;
• wherein the light from the optical integrator passes through a portion in the predetermined area on the filter element, and the light from the filter element has an intensity distribution different from an intensity distribution of the light incident on the filter element from the optical integrator, and the intensity distribution of the light from the filter element is variable by rotating the filter element to change a rotational relationship between the transmittance distribution and the incident light from the optical integrator.