LUMINOUS-FLUX CONVERTING ELEMENT, ILLUMINATING OPTICAL APPARATUS, EXPOSURE APPARATUS, AND EXPOSURE METHOD

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To form an annular illuminating pupil distribution having circumferential polarization states, while suppressing the loss of a luminous energy favorably.

SOLUTION: A luminous-flux converting element for forming a predetermined luminous intensity distribution in a predetermined plane based on an incident luminous flux has first constructive double-refraction regions, each of which converts the incident luminous flux having a predetermined polarization state into an exit luminous flux having a first polarization state; has second constructive double-refraction regions each of which converts the incident luminous flux having the predetermined polarization state into an exit luminous flux having a second polarization state different from the first polarization state; has first means each of which is so provided correspondingly to each first constructive double-refraction region as to guide the incident luminous flux to a first region present on the predetermined plane; and has second means each of which is so provided correspondingly to each second constructive double-refraction region as to guide the incident luminous flux to a second region present on the predetermined plane.

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