Projecting exposure apparatus

1. A projecting exposure apparatus, comprising:

i) spatial light modulation means for performing spatial light modulation of light, which has been produced by a light source, and thereby forming a two-dimensional pattern of the light, and

ii) an image-side telecentric image forming optical system for forming an image of the two-dimensional pattern of the light, which has been obtained from the spatial light modulation performed by the spatial light modulation means, on a photosensitive material,

the two-dimensional pattern of the light being projected onto the photosensitive material, the photosensitive material being thus exposed to the two-dimensional pattern of the light,

wherein the projecting exposure apparatus further comprises axial air separation adjusting means, which is located between the image forming optical system and the photosensitive material, and which alters an axial air separation between the image forming optical system and the photosensitive material and thereby adjusts a focusing point at the time of the formation of the image of the two-dimensional pattern of the light.

2. A projecting exposure apparatus, comprising:

i) spatial light modulation means provided with a plurality of pixel sections arrayed in two-dimensional directions, which pixel sections modulate incident light in accordance with a predetermined control signal, the spatial light modulation means performing spatial light modulation of the light with the plurality of the pixel sections,

ii) a first image forming optical system for forming an image of a two-dimensional pattern of the light, which has been obtained from the spatial light modulation performed by the spatial light modulation means,

iii) a microlens array located in the vicinity of a plane of image formation of the two-dimensional pattern, whose image is formed by the first image forming optical system, the microlens array being provided with a plurality of microlenses arrayed in two-dimensional directions, each of which microlenses transmits one of light beams corresponding respectively to the pixel sections of the spatial light modulation means and having passed through the first image forming optical system, and

iv) a second image forming optical system, which is an image-side telecentric image forming optical system, the second image forming optical system forming an image of each of the light beams, which have passed through the microlens array, on a photosensitive material,

the two-dimensional pattern of the light being projected onto the photosensitive material, the photosensitive material being thus exposed to the two-dimensional pattern of the light,

wherein the projecting exposure apparatus further comprises axial air separation adjusting means, which is located between the second image forming optical system and the photosensitive material, and which alters an axial air separation between the second image forming optical system and the photosensitive material and thereby adjusts a focusing point at the time of the formation of the image of the two-dimensional pattern of the light.

3. A projecting exposure apparatus, comprising:

i) spatial light modulation means provided with a plurality of pixel sections arrayed in two-dimensional directions, which pixel sections modulate incident light in accordance with a predetermined control signal, the spatial light modulation means performing spatial light modulation of the light with the plurality of the pixel sections,

ii) a first image forming optical system for forming an image of a two-dimensional pattern of the light, which has been obtained from the spatial light modulation performed by the spatial light modulation means,

iii) a microlens array located in the vicinity of a plane of image formation of the two-dimensional pattern, whose image is formed by the first image forming optical system, the microlens array being provided with a plurality of microlenses arrayed in two-dimensional directions, each of which microlenses transmits one of light beams corresponding respectively to the pixel sections of the spatial light modulation means and having passed through the first image forming optical system, and

iv) a second image forming optical system, which is an image-side telecentric image forming optical system, the second image forming optical system forming an image of each of the light beams, which have passed through the microlens array, on a photosensitive material,

the two-dimensional pattern of the light being projected onto the photosensitive material, the photosensitive material being thus exposed to the two-dimensional pattern of the light,

wherein the projecting exposure apparatus further comprises axial air separation adjusting means, which is located between the microlens array and the second image forming optical system, and which alters an axial air separation between the microlens array and the second image forming optical system and thereby adjusts a focusing point at the time of the formation of the image of the two-dimensional pattern of the light.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the axial air separation adjusting means is provided with a wedge-shaped prism pair and adjusts the focusing point by moving a position of one of wedge-shaped prisms, which constitute the wedge-shaped prism pair, with respect to the position of the other wedge-shaped prism and in a direction, which is associated with a minimum width of each of regions of the formation of the image of the two-dimensional pattern on the photosensitive material.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the axial air separation adjusting means is provided with a wedge-shaped prism pair and adjusts the focusing point by moving a position of one of wedge-shaped prisms, which constitute the wedge-shaped prism pair, with respect to the position of the other wedge-shaped prism and in a direction, which is associated with a minimum width of each of regions of the formation of the image of the two-dimensional pattern on the photosensitive material.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the axial air separation adjusting means is provided with a wedge-shaped prism pair and adjusts the focusing point by moving a position of one of wedge-shaped prisms, which constitute the wedge-shaped prism pair, with respect to the position of the other wedge-shaped prism and in a direction, which is associated with a minimum width of each of regions of the formation of the image of the two-dimensional pattern on the photosensitive material.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the spatial light modulation means is a digital micromirror device.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the spatial light modulation means is a digital micromirror device.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the spatial light modulation means is a digital micromirror device.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the spatial light modulation means is a digital micromirror device.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein the spatial light modulation means is a digital micromirror device.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein the spatial light modulation means is a digital micromirror device.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein the digital micromirror device performs the spatial light modulation by use of only a part of the plurality of the pixel sections, which constitute the digital micromirror device and are arrayed in the two-dimensional directions.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein the digital micromirror device performs the spatial light modulation by use of only a part of the plurality of the pixel sections, which constitute the digital micromirror device and are arrayed in the two-dimensional directions.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein the digital micromirror device performs the spatial light modulation by use of only a part of the plurality of the pixel sections, which constitute the digital micromirror device and are arrayed in the two-dimensional directions.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein the digital micromirror device performs the spatial light modulation by use of only a part of the plurality of the pixel sections, which constitute the digital micromirror device and are arrayed in the two-dimensional directions.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein the digital micromirror device performs the spatial light modulation by use of only a part of the plurality of the pixel sections, which constitute the digital micromirror device and are arrayed in the two-dimensional directions.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein the digital micromirror device performs the spatial light modulation by use of only a part of the plurality of the pixel sections, which constitute the digital micromirror device and are arrayed in the two-dimensional directions.