Illuminating optical system for use in projecting exposure device

Claim 2

An illuminating optical system for use in a projection exposure device comprising: a light source, a light flux separating optical system for separating a light flux of light from the light source, and a condenser optical system for leading the light flux separated by the light flux separating optical system on a reticle, said light flux separating optical system and said condenser optical system being provided in turn along a traveling direction of light emitted by said light source, said light flux separating optical system including at least one diffraction optical means having at least one linear grating pattern for separating the light flux of said light from the light source into four light fluxes.

Claim 3

An illuminating optical system for use in a projection exposure device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light-flux separating system comprises: a first diffraction optical surface having a linear grating pattern in a cross-sectional form so as to make diffraction efficiencies of +m 1 order diffraction light and -m 1 order diffraction light substantially equal, and a second diffraction optical surface comprising: a first diffraction region separated from the first diffraction optical surface in the optical axis direction of the illuminating optical system, and on which the +m 1 order diffraction light caused by the first diffraction optical surface is incident, the first diffraction region having a cross-sectional shape of diffraction efficiencies of m 2 order diffraction light and -m 2 order diffraction light being substantially equal, and having a linear grating pattern in the grating direction orthogonal to that of the first diffraction optical surface; and a second diffraction region on which the -m 1 order diffraction light caused by the first diffraction optical surface is incident, the second diffraction region having a cross-sectional shape of diffraction efficiencies of +m 3 order diffraction light and -m 3 order diffraction light being substantially equal, and having a linear grating pattern in the grating direction orthogonal to that of the first diffraction optical surface, wherein m 1 , m 2 , m 3 are arbitrary integers.

Claim 4

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light flux separating optical system comprises a diffraction optical element including substantially square regions having different depths displaced to each other in a checkwise configuration.

Claim 5

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim wherein m 1 =m 2 =m 3 =1.

Claim 6

An illuminating optical system for use in a projection exposure device comprising a light source, a light flux separating optical system for converting a light flux from the light source to a zonal light flux, a condenser optical system for leading the zonal light flux converted by the light flux separating optical system on a reticle, and a diffraction optical means included in the light flux separating optical system and having a concentric ring grating pattern.

Claim 7

An illuminating optical system for use in a projection exposure device comprising a light source, a light flux separating optical system for converting a light flux from the light source to a zonal light flux, a condenser optical system for leading the zonal light flux converted by the light flux separating optical system on a reticle, and a diffraction optical means included in the light flux separating optical system and having a concentric ring grating pattern.

Claim 8

An illuminating optical system for use in a projection exposure device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the concentric ring grating pattern of the diffraction optical means has grating pitches of substantially equal intervals and channel cross-sectional shape blazed for the wavelength of the light flux of the light incident on the diffraction optical means from the light source.

Claim 9

An illuminating optical system for use in a projection exposure device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the diffraction optical means comprises a diffraction optical element having grating pitches of the concentric ring grating pattern being substantially equal intervals and having a channel cross-sectional shape of diffraction efficiencies of +m 1 ordered diffraction light and -m 1 ordered diffraction light being substantially equal, wherein m 1 is optional natural number.

Claim 10

An illuminating optical system comprising: a light source; and a light flux separating optical system for separating a light flux of light from the light source into four light fluxes; said light flux separating optical system including at least one diffraction optical means having a linear grating pattern.

Claim 11

An illuminating optical system comprising: a light source; and a light flux separating optical system for separating a light flux of light from the light source into four light fluxes; said light flux separating optical system including at least one diffraction optical means having a linear grating pattern.

Claim 12

An illuminating optical system for use in a projection exposure device comprising: a light source; and a light flux separating optical system for separating a light flux of light from the light source into four light fluxes; said light flux separating optical system including at least one diffraction optical means having a linear grating pattern.

Claim 13

An illuminating optical system for use in a projection exposure device comprising: a light source; and a light flux separating optical system for separating a light flux of light from the light source into four light fluxes; said light flux separating optical system including at least one diffraction optical means having a linear grating pattern.

Claim 14

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said light flux separating optical system includes a first diffraction optical means having a first linear grating pattern and a second linear grating pattern substantially vertical thereto.

Claim 15

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said first diffraction optical means is a transmission type diffraction grating.

Claim 16

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said transmission type optical diffraction grating has blazed cross-sectional shape.

Claim 17

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said first diffraction optical means is a reflection type diffraction grating.

Claim 18

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said reflection type diffraction grating has a blazed cross-sectional shape.

Claim 19

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said first and second linear grating patterns are formed on a same optical element.

Claim 20

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said first and second linear grating patterns are formed on a same surface of the same optical element.

Claim 21

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the diffraction optical means comprises four areas of said linear grating pattern, said four areas being disposed such that in interface thereof is in a substantially cross-shaped configuration, and have a diffraction pitch of substantially equal intervals, and are so constructed that grating directions of the four areas of said linear grating pattern adjacent to each other are substantially orthogonal.

Claim 22

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said first diffraction optical means is a reflection type diffraction grating.

Claim 23

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 18, wherein said reflection type diffraction grating has a blazed cross-sectional shape.

Claim 24

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said diffraction optical means is a transmission type diffraction grating.

Claim 25

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 20, wherein said transmission type diffraction grating has a blazed cross-sectional shape.

Claim 26

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 17 or 10, wherein said light flux separating optical system includes a second diffraction optical means for making the four light fluxes separated by said diffraction optical means into substantially collimated light fluxes.

Claim 27

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 22, wherein said second diffraction optical means has linear grating patterns corresponding to the respective four light fluxes emanated from said first diffraction optical means.

Claim 28

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 23, wherein said first diffraction optical means and said second diffraction optical means are formed on two surfaces arranged by separating them in an optical axis direction.

Claim 29

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 24, wherein said first diffraction optical means and said second diffraction optical means are formed on an incident surface and an emanating surface of an optical block, respectively.

Claim 30

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 23, wherein said first and second diffraction optical means are of a transmission type diffraction grating.

Claim 31

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 26, wherein said transmission type diffraction grating has a blazed cross-sectional shape.

Claim 32

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 23, wherein said first and second diffraction optical means are of a reflection type diffraction grating.

Claim 33

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 28, wherein said reflection type grating has a blazed cross-sectional shape.

Claim 34

An illuminating optical system as claimed in claim 29, wherein said second diffraction optical means includes an area that functions as a diffractive lens for collimating the light flux from the light source.