SPATIAL LIGHT MODULATOR AND METHOD FOR USING THE SAME, MODULATION METHOD, EXPOSURE METHOD AND APPARATUS, AND DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a spatial light modulator in which the width of a gap region of plural optical elements is defined such that the effect of light from the gap region is decreased in a range in which the optical elements are drivable.SOLUTION: The spatial light modulator comprises plural mirror elements 30 arranged along a reference plane A1. The spatial light modulator modulates the phase of incident illumination light beams IL1 and IL2 and emits the light beams. Of the plural mirror elements 30, two mirror elements 30 adjacent to each other in the Y direction of the reference plane A1 are arranged such that a gap gy in the Y direction is equal to or smaller than a wavelength λ of the illumination light beams IL1 and IL2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3 【課題】空間光変調器の複数の光学要素の隙間領域の幅を、その光学要素が駆動可能な範囲で、その隙間領域からの光の影響が小さくなるように定めた空間光変調器を提供する。【解決手段】空間光変調器であって、基準平面Ａ１に沿って配列された複数のミラー要素３０を備え、入射する照明光ＩＬ１，ＩＬ２の位相を変調して射出するとともに、その複数のミラー要素３０のうち、基準平面Ａ１のＹ方向において隣接する２つのミラー要素３０は、Ｙ方向における間隔ｇｙが照明光ＩＬ１，ＩＬ２の波長λ以下であるように配列されている。【選択図】図３