PROJECTION EXPOSURE APPARATUS, EXPOSURE METHOD, DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD, ILLUMINATION OPTICAL SYSTEM, AND POLARIZATION UNIT

摘要

A lighting optical device and a projection aligner capable of reducing a light quantity loss when a mask is illuminated with a polarized lighting light. A lighting optical system (ILS) for illuminating a reticle (R) with a lighting light (IL) and a projection optical system for projecting the pattern image of the reticle (R) onto a wafer (W) are provided. A lighting light (IL) emitted from an exposure light source (1) in a linearly polarized state in the lighting optical system (ILS) passes through first and second double- refraction members (12, 13) having different advanced-phase-axis directions and is converted into a polarized state that is substantially linearly polarized in a circumferential direction with the optical axis as the center in an almost specific annular area, and then illuminates the reticle (R) under an annular illuminating condition after passing through a fly-eye lens (14).