Projection optical system with deformable optical element, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

An apparatus comprising:

• an illumination system configured to illuminate an original plate with light from a light source;
• and
• a projection system configured to project a pattern image of the original plate onto a substrate, the projection system comprising:
• a plurality of optical elements;
• a deformation unit configured to deform a deformable optical element satisfying a following conditional formula included in the plurality of optical elements by applying a force to the deformable optical element:
• 0.75<EA/EA0<0.95
• where EA0 represents an effective aperture of each of the plurality of optical elements and EA represents an axial light flux diameter of each of the plurality of optical elements;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the deformation unit,
• wherein n positions on an outer circumference of the deformable optical element are fixed,
• wherein the deformation unit includes n actuators,
• wherein the n actuators apply forces to other n positions on the outer circumference,
• wherein the n actuators apply different forces to the deformable optical element,
• wherein the control unit reduces an aberration that depends on an image height of the projection system and an aberration that does not depend on the image height of the projection system at the same time by deforming the deformable optical element by using the deformation unit, and
• wherein the control unit is configured to determine a force to be applied to the deformable optical element by the n actuators according to an amount of an aberration component dependent on an image height.

A method comprising:

• exposing a substrate by using an exposure apparatus;
• and
• developing the exposed substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:
• an illumination system configured to illuminate an original plate with light from a light source;
• and
• a projection system configured to project a pattern image of the original plate onto the substrate, the projection system comprising:
• a plurality of optical elements;
• a deformation unit configured to deform a deformable optical element satisfying a following conditional formula included in the plurality of optical elements by applying a force to the deformable optical element:
• 0.75<EA/EA0<0.95
• where EA0 represents an effective aperture of each of the plurality of optical elements and EA represents an axial light flux diameter of each of the plurality of optical elements;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the deformation unit,
• wherein n positions on an outer circumference of the deformable optical element are fixed,
• wherein the deformation unit includes n actuators,
• wherein the n actuators apply forces to other n positions on the outer circumference,
• wherein the n actuators apply different forces to the deformable optical element,
• wherein the control unit reduces an aberration that depends on an image height of the system and an aberration that does not depend on the image height of the system at the same time by deforming the deformable optical element by using the deformation unit, and
• wherein the control unit is configured to determine a force to be applied to the deformable optical element by the n actuators according to an amount of an aberration component dependent on an image height.

A system comprising:

• a plurality of optical elements;
• a deformation unit configured to deform a deformable optical element satisfying a following conditional formula included in the plurality of optical elements by applying a force to the deformable optical element:
• 0.75<EA/EA0<0.95
• where EA0 represents an effective aperture of each of the plurality of optical elements and EA represents an axial light flux diameter of each of the plurality of optical elements;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the deformation unit,
• wherein n positions on an outer circumference of the deformable optical element are fixed,
• wherein the deformation unit includes n actuators,
• wherein the n actuators apply forces to other n positions on the outer circumference,
• wherein the n actuators apply different forces to the deformable optical element,
• wherein the control unit is configured to determine a force to be applied to the deformable optical element by the n actuators according to an amount of an aberration component dependent on an image height, and
• wherein the control unit reduces an nθ aberration component, an (n−1) θ aberration component and an (n+1) θ aberration component at the same time by deforming the deformable optical element by using the deformation unit.

An apparatus comprising:

• an illumination system configured to illuminate an original plate with light from a light source;
• and
• a projection system configured to project a pattern image of the original plate onto a substrate, the projection system comprising:
• a plurality of optical elements;
• a deformation unit configured to deform a deformable optical element satisfying a following conditional formula included in the plurality of optical elements by applying a force to the deformable optical element:
• 0.75<EA/EA0<0.95
• where EA0 represents an effective aperture of each of the plurality of optical elements and EA represents an axial light flux diameter of each of the plurality of optical elements;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the deformation unit,
• wherein n positions on an outer circumference of the deformable optical element are fixed,
• wherein the deformation unit includes n actuators,
• wherein the n actuators apply forces to other n positions on the outer circumference,
• wherein the n actuators apply different forces to the deformable optical element,
• wherein the control unit is configured to determine a force to be applied to the deformable optical element by the n actuators according to an amount of an aberration component dependent on an image height, and
• wherein the control unit reduces an nθ aberration component, an (n−1) θ aberration component and an (n+1) θ aberration component at the same time by deforming the deformable optical element by using the deformation unit.

A method comprising:

• exposing a substrate by using an exposure apparatus;
• and
• developing the exposed substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:
• an illumination system configured to illuminate an original plate with light from a light source;
• and
• a projection system configured to project a pattern image of the original plate onto the substrate, the projection system comprising:
• a plurality of optical elements;
• a deformation unit configured to deform a deformable optical element satisfying a following conditional formula included in the plurality of optical elements by applying a force to the deformable optical element:
• 0.75<EA/EA0<0.95
• where EA0 represents an effective aperture of each of the plurality of optical elements and EA represents an axial light flux diameter of each of the plurality of optical elements;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the deformation unit,
• wherein n positions on an outer circumference of the deformable optical element are fixed,
• wherein the deformation unit includes n actuators,
• wherein the n actuators apply forces to other n positions on the outer circumference,
• wherein the n actuators apply different forces to the deformable optical element,
• wherein the control unit is configured to determine a force to be applied to the deformable optical element by the n actuators according to an amount of an aberration component dependent on an image height, and
• wherein the control unit reduces an nθ aberration component, an (n−1) θ aberration component and an (n+1) θ aberration component at the same time by deforming the deformable optical element by using the deformation unit.