Integrator for an exposure apparatus or the like

Claim 2

An exposure apparatus comprising: an excimer light source for emitting excimer laser light, the light travelling along an optical path; a reduction-projection lens disposed in said optical path and through which the light passes; a wafer stage for holding a wafer in the optical path so as to be exposed to the light travelling therealong; a mask holder disposed between said light source and said wafer stage for holding a mask to mask the light to which a wafer held by said wafer stage is exposed; and an integrator disposed in said optical path between said light source and said wafer stage for distributing the light emitted from said light source over a predetermined area with uniform illuminance, said integrator including a transparent substrate having two opposing surfaces, at least one of said surfaces being a light distributing surface for distributing light passing therethrough, the entire said light distributing surface consisting of a plurality of concentric recesses.

Claim 3

An exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said integrator is disposed between said light source and said reduction-projection lens.

Claim 4

An exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said excimer light source is a KrF excimer laser means for emitting KrF excimer laser light.

Claim 5

An exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising a focussing optical system disposed in said optical path between said integrator and said reduction projection lens for focussing the light along the optical path, said focussing optical system spaced from said integrator by a distance at which said predetermined area is disposed in a plane passing through said focussing optical system.

Claim 6

An exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wafer stage is movably mounted in the exposure apparatus, and further comprising an optical alignment system for issuing signals representative of the light to which a wafer held by said wafer holder is to be exposed, and a computer operatively connected to said alignment system for processing signals to control movement of said wafer stage in response to said signals.

Claim 7

An integrator for distributing light over a predetermined area with uniform illuminance, said integrator comprising: a transparent substrate having two opposing surfaces, each of said surfaces being a light distributing surface for distributing light passing therethrough, each entire said light distributing surface consisting of a plurality of recesses extending parallel to one another, and respective borders defined between adjacent ones of said recesses constituting one of said opposing surfaces being offset with respect to respective borders defined between adjacent ones of said recesses constituting the other of said opposing surfaces.

Claim 8

An integrator for distributing light over a predetermined area with uniform illuminance, said integrator comprising: a transparent substrate having two opposing surfaces, each of said surfaces being a light distributing surface for distributing light passing therethrough, each entire said light distributing surface consisting of a plurality of recesses extending parallel to one another, and respective borders defined between adjacent ones of said recesses constituting one of said opposing surfaces being offset with respect to respective borders defined between adjacent ones of said recesses constituting the other of said opposing surfaces.

Claim 9

An integrator as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of said parallel recesses has a cross section, as taken in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which said recesses extend parallel to one another, that is dish-shaped.

Claim 10

An exposure apparatus comprising: an excimer light source for emitting excimer laser light, the light travelling along an optical path; a reduction-projection lens disposed in said optical path and through which the ligh passes; a wafer stage for holding a wafer in the optical path so as to be exposed to the light travelling therealong; a mask holder disposed between said light source and said wafer stage for holding a mask to mask the light to which a wafer held by said wafer stage is exposed; and an integrator disposed in said optical path between said light source and said wafer stage for distributing the light emitted from said light source over a predetermined area with uniform illuminance, said integrator including a transparent substrate having two opposing surfaces, each of said surfaces being a light distributing surface for distributing light passing therethrough, each entire said light distributing surface consisting of a plurality of recesses extending parallel to one another, and resepctive borders defined between adjacent ones of said recesses constituting one of said opposing surfaces being offset with respect to respective borders defined between adjacent ones of said recesses constituting the other of said opposing surfaces.

Claim 11

An exposure apparatus comprising: an excimer light source for emitting excimer laser light, the light travelling along an optical path; a reduction-projection lens disposed in said optical path and through which the ligh passes; a wafer stage for holding a wafer in the optical path so as to be exposed to the light travelling therealong; a mask holder disposed between said light source and said wafer stage for holding a mask to mask the light to which a wafer held by said wafer stage is exposed; and an integrator disposed in said optical path between said light source and said wafer stage for distributing the light emitted from said light source over a predetermined area with uniform illuminance, said integrator including a transparent substrate having two opposing surfaces, each of said surfaces being a light distributing surface for distributing light passing therethrough, each entire said light distributing surface consisting of a plurality of recesses extending parallel to one another, and resepctive borders defined between adjacent ones of said recesses constituting one of said opposing surfaces being offset with respect to respective borders defined between adjacent ones of said recesses constituting the other of said opposing surfaces.

Claim 12

An exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said integrator is disposed betwen said light source and said reduction-projection lens.

Claim 13

An exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said excimer light source is a KrF excimer laser means for emitting KrF excimer laser light.

Claim 14

An exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 8, and further comprising a focussing optical system disposed in said optical path between said integrator and said reduction projection lens for focussing the light along the optical path, said focussing optical system spaced from said integrator by a distance at which said predetermined area is disposed in a plane passing through said focussing optical system.

Claim 15

An exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said wafer stage is movably mounted in the exposure apparatus, and further comprising an optical alignment system for issuing signals representative of the light to which a wafer held by said wafer holder is to be exposed, and a computer operatively connected to said alignment system for processing signals to control movement of said wafer stage in response to said signals.

Claim 16

An integrator for distributing light over a predetermined area with uniform illuminance, said integrator comprising: a transparent substrate having two opposing surfaces, each of said surfaces being a light distributing surface for distributing light passing therethrough, each entire said light distributing surface consisting of a plurality of concentric recesses, and respective borders defined between adjacent ones of said recesses constituting one of said opposing surfaces being offset with respect to respective borders defined between adjacent ones of said recesses constituting the other of said opposing surfaces.

Claim 17

An integrator for distributing light over a predetermined area with uniform illuminance, said integrator comprising: a transparent substrate having two opposing surfaces, each of said surfaces being a light distributing surface for distributing light passing therethrough, each entire said light distributing surface consisting of a plurality of concentric recesses, and respective borders defined between adjacent ones of said recesses constituting one of said opposing surfaces being offset with respect to respective borders defined between adjacent ones of said recesses constituting the other of said opposing surfaces.

Claim 18

An integrator as claimed in claim 13, wherein each of said concentric recesses has a cross section, as taken through the common center of said concentric recesses, comprising a dish shape.