Near-field exposure system selectively applying linearly polarized exposure light to exposure mask

摘要

In a near-field exposure system: a light source emits exposure light having a predetermined wavelength and being unpolarized; a polarizer plate linearly polarizes the exposure light; an exposure mask which has a pattern of openings each having a dimension smaller than the wavelength of the exposure light is placed at such a position that the exposure light is applied to the exposure mask; an exposure table holds a photosensitive material sensitive to the exposure light, at a position which near-field light emerging from the openings reaches; and a polarizer-plate holding device holds the polarizer plate in such a manner that the polarizer plate can be moved between first and second positions, where the first position is in an optical path of the exposure light from the light source to the exposure mask, and the second position is outside the optical path.