Projection optical apparatus

Claim 2

An optical imaging apparatus for forming on a substrate an image of an object, comprising: means for holding said object, means for holding said substrate; means for supplying a light beam to illuminate said object; a projection optical system provided between said object and said substrate and having an optical axis and optical elements arranged on said optical axis, wherein said projection optical system receives light from the illuminated object and forms an image therefrom on the substrate, and wherein the optical performance of said projection optical system varies as a function of the manner in which the received light heats said projection optical system; means for detecting the temperature distribution of one of said optical elements in a direction radial to said optical axis; means for determining the variation of said optical performance of said projection optical system in response to the detected temperature distribution; and means for adjusting said image of said object on said substrate in accordance with the determined variation of said optical performance.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means includes a plurality of thermometer elements provided on said one optical element at different distances from said optical axis.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said detecting means further includes means for producing a plurality of corresponding outputs from said plurality of thermometer elements and detects said temperature distribution in response to said plurality of outputs.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said projection optical forms an optical path for light received from said object and passed to said substrate, and said plurality of thermometer elements include a first element and a second element provided inside and outside said optical path, respectively, on said one optical element.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said projection optical system forms an optical path for light received from said object and passed to said said substrate, and said plurality of thermometer elements include a first element and a second element both provided outside said optical path on said one optical element.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said one optical element is disposed near an aperture stop of said projection optical system.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said adjusting means includes means for forming at least one air space in said projection optical system that extends across said optical axis and that is independent of an environment outside said projection optical system and means for controlling the pressure in said air space.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said optical elements are lens elements and said air space is provided between two lens elements disposed adjacent to each other.

Claim 10

An optical imaging apparatus for forming on a substrate an image of an object, comprising: means for holding said object; means for holding said substrate; means for supplying a light beam to illuminate said object; a projection optical system provided between said object and said substrate and having an optical axis and optical elements arranged on said optical axis, wherein said projection optical system receives light from the illuminated object and forms an image therefrom on the substrate, and wherein the optical performance of said projection optical system varies as a function of the manner in which the received light heats said projection optical system; means for detecting the temperature distribution of one of said optical elements in a direction radial to said optical axis; and means for adjusting said image of said object on said substrate in response to the detected temperature distribution.

Claim 11

An optical imaging apparatus for forming on a substrate an image of an object, comprising: means for holding said object; means for holding said substrate; means for supplying a light beam to illuminate said object; a projection optical system provided between said object and said substrate and having an optical axis and optical elements arranged on said optical axis, wherein said projection optical system receives light from the illuminated object and forms an image therefrom on the substrate, and wherein the optical performance of said projection optical system varies as a function of the manner in which the received light heats said projection optical system; means for detecting the temperature distribution of one of said optical elements in a direction radial to said optical axis; and means for adjusting said image of said object on said substrate in response to the detected temperature distribution.

Claim 12

An optical imaging apparatus for forming on a substrate an image of an object, comprising: means for holding said object; means for holding said substrate; means for supplying a light beam to illuminate said object; a projection optical system provided between said object and said substrate and having an optical axis and optical elements arranged on said optical axis, wherein said projection optical system receives light from the illuminated object and forms an image therefrom on the substrate, and wherein the optical performance of said projection optical system varies as a function of the manner in which the received light heats said projection optical system; a plurality of thermometer elements provided on a surface of one of said optical elements at different distances from said optical axis and producing a plurality of corresponding outputs; and means for detecting the temperature distribution of said one optical element in a direction radial to said optical axis in response to said plurality of outputs of said thermometer elements to determine the variation of said optical performance of said projection optical system in response to the detected temperature distribution.

Claim 13

An optical imaging apparatus for forming on a substrate an image of an object, comprising: means for holding said object; means for holding said substrate; means for supplying a light beam to illuminate said object; a projection optical system provided between said object and said substrate and having an optical axis and optical elements arranged on said optical axis, wherein said projection optical system receives light from the illuminated object and forms an image therefrom on the substrate, and wherein the optical performance of said projection optical system varies as a function of the manner in which the received light heats said projection optical system; a plurality of thermometer elements provided on a surface of one of said optical elements at different distances from said optical axis and producing a plurality of corresponding outputs; and means for detecting the temperature distribution of said one optical element in a direction radial to said optical axis in response to said plurality of outputs of said thermometer elements to determine the variation of said optical performance of said projection optical system in response to the detected temperature distribution.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said one optical element is disposed near an aperture stop of said projection optical system.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said optical elements include another optical element having a surface contacting said surface of said one optical element, said plurality of thermometer elements being disposed between said one optical element and said another optical element.

Claim 16

An optical imaging apparatus for forming on a substrate an image of an object, comprising: means for holding said object; means for holding said substrate; means for supplying a light beam to illuminate said object; a projection optical system provided between said object and said substrate and having an optical axis and lens elements arranged on said optical axis, said lens elements including a first lens elements and a second lens element having a surface contacting a surface of said first lens element, wherein said projection optical system receives light from the illuminated object and forms an image therefrom on the substrate, and wherein the optical performance of said projection optical system varies as a function of the manner in which the received light heats said projection optical system; a plurality of thermometer elements provided between said surface of said first lens element and said surface of said second lens elements at different distances from said optical axis and producing a plurality of corresponding outputs; means for detecting the temperature distribution of said first and second lens elements in a direction radial to said optical axis to determine the variation of said optical performance of said projection optical system in response to the detected temperature distribution; and means for adjusting said image of said object on said substrate in accordance with the determined variation of said optical performance.

Claim 17

An optical imaging apparatus for forming on a substrate an image of an object, comprising: means for holding said object; means for holding said substrate; means for supplying a light beam to illuminate said object; a projection optical system provided between said object and said substrate and having an optical axis and lens elements arranged on said optical axis, said lens elements including a first lens elements and a second lens element having a surface contacting a surface of said first lens element, wherein said projection optical system receives light from the illuminated object and forms an image therefrom on the substrate, and wherein the optical performance of said projection optical system varies as a function of the manner in which the received light heats said projection optical system; a plurality of thermometer elements provided between said surface of said first lens element and said surface of said second lens elements at different distances from said optical axis and producing a plurality of corresponding outputs; means for detecting the temperature distribution of said first and second lens elements in a direction radial to said optical axis to determine the variation of said optical performance of said projection optical system in response to the detected temperature distribution; and means for adjusting said image of said object on said substrate in accordance with the determined variation of said optical performance.

Claim 18

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said first and second lens elements are disposed near an aperture stop of said projection optical system.

Claim 19

An optical imaging apparatus for forming on a substrate an image of an object, comprising: means for holding said object; means for holding said substrate; means for supplying a light beam to illuminate said object; a projection optical system provided between said object and said substrate and having an optical axis and optical elements arranged on said optical axis, wherein said projection optical system receives light from the illuminated object and forms an image therefrom on the substrate, and wherein the optical performance of said projection optical system varies as a function of the manner in which the received light heats said projection optical system; a plurality of thermometer elements provided on a surface of one of said optical elements at different distances from said optical axis and producing a plurality of corresponding outputs; and means for determining the variation of said optical performance of said projection optical system in response to said plurality of outputs of said thermometer elements.

Claim 20

An optical imaging apparatus for forming on a substrate an image of an object, comprising: means for holding said object; means for holding said substrate; means for supplying a light beam to illuminate said object; a projection optical system provided between said object and said substrate and having an optical axis and optical elements arranged on said optical axis, wherein said projection optical system receives light from the illuminated object and forms an image therefrom on the substrate, and wherein the optical performance of said projection optical system varies as a function of the manner in which the received light heats said projection optical system; a plurality of thermometer elements provided on a surface of one of said optical elements at different distances from said optical axis and producing a plurality of corresponding outputs; and means for determining the variation of said optical performance of said projection optical system in response to said plurality of outputs of said thermometer elements.

Claim 21

An apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising means for adjusting said image of said object on said substrate in accordance with the determined variation of said optical performance.

Claim 22

An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said one optical element is disposed near an aperture stop of said projection optical system.

Claim 23

An optical imaging apparatus for forming on a substrate an image of an object, comprising: means for holding said object; means for holding said substrate; means for supplying a light beam to illuminate said object; a projection optical system provided between said object and said substrate and having an optical axis and optical elements arranged on said optical axis, wherein said projection optical system receives light from the illuminated object and forms an image therefrom on the substrate, and wherein the optical performance of said projection optical system varies as a function of the manner in which the received light heats said projection optical system; a plurality of thermometer elements provided near an aperture stop of said projection optical system at different distances from said optical axis and producing a plurality of corresponding outputs; and means for adjusting said image of said object on said substrate in response to said plurality of outputs of said thermometer elements.

Claim 24

An optical imaging apparatus for forming on a substrate an image of an object, comprising: means for holding said object; means for holding said substrate; means for supplying a light beam to illuminate said object; a projection optical system provided between said object and said substrate and having an optical axis and optical elements arranged on said optical axis, wherein said projection optical system receives light from the illuminated object and forms an image therefrom on the substrate, and wherein the optical performance of said projection optical system varies as a function of the manner in which the received light heats said projection optical system; a plurality of thermometer elements provided near an aperture stop of said projection optical system at different distances from said optical axis and producing a plurality of corresponding outputs; and means for adjusting said image of said object on said substrate in response to said plurality of outputs of said thermometer elements.

Claim 25

An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said plurality of thermometer elements are provided on a surface of one of said optical elements.