ILLUMINATION OPTICAL DEVICE, EXPOSURE SYSTEM, EXPOSURE METHOD, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING MICRO DEVICE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To form a circumferentially-polarized orbicular-zone-shaped illumination pupil distribution while favorably reducing light quantity loss by using a polarization conversion element that can convert linearly polarized incident light having a polarization direction in an almost single direction into circumferentially-polarized light having a polarization direction in an almost circumferential direction.

SOLUTION: An illumination optical device of the present invention comprises: a light source (1) that supplies illumination light; and a polarization conversion element (10) that is positioned in an optical path between the light source and illuminated surfaces (M, W) and converts the polarization state of incident light into a predetermined polarization state. The polarization conversion element is made of an optical material having optical rotation, has a thickness distribution changing in a circumferential direction, and is configured to be insertable/removable into/from the illumination optical path.

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