LIQUID IMMERSION EXPOSURE APPARATUS

摘要

An exposure apparatus EX performs exposure for a substrate P by filling a space between a projection optical system PL and the substrate P with a liquid 50 and projecting an image of a pattern onto the substrate P through the liquid 50 by using the projection optical system PL. The exposure apparatus EX includes a substrate stage PST for holding the substrate P, a liquid supply unit I for supplying the liquid 50 to a side of an image plane of the projection optical system PL, and a focus/leveling-detecting system 14 for detecting surface information about a surface of the substrate P through the liquid 50. The exposure apparatus EX performs liquid immersion exposure for the substrate P while adjusting a positional relationship between the surface of the substrate P and the image plane formed through the projection optical system PL and the liquid 50, on the basis of a reference mark detected by the focus/leveling-detecting system 14. The liquid immersion exposure can be performed at a satisfactory pattern transfer accuracy. Figure No.1