| 摘要 |
<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lighting system and method which can produce arbitrary variable illumination by using linearly-polarized light in a desired direction without reducing the illumination efficiency, an exposure apparatus having the lighting system, and a device manufacturing method using the exposure apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The lighting system, which illuminates a surface to be illuminated by using light from a light source, comprises a variable illumination production portion for variably illuminating the surface to be illuminated in a given polarization state. The variable illumination production portion comprises a λ/4-phase plate unit and a diffractive optical element unit. The λ/4-phase plate unit comprises a λ/4-phase plate which converts circularly-polarized light into linearly-polarized light in a given direction. The diffractive optical element unit is disposed substantially in a Fourier transform relationship with respect to the surface to be illuminated. The diffractive optical element unit is used according to the position of the λ/4-phase plate, and comprises a diffractive optical element which creates a given illuminance distribution when the linearly-polarized light enters. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI |
