| 摘要 |
<p>In an exposure method, a substrate (P) is held by a substrate holder (PH) on a substrate stage (PST), which moves on an image plane side of a projection optical system (PL), an immersion area (AR2) is formed on the image plane side of the projection optical system (PL) by using a liquid (1) supplied from a liquid supplying mechanism (10), and a substrate (P) is exposed by exposure light (EL) through the projection optical system (PL) and the immersion area (AR2). During a period when exposure of the substrate (P) is not performed, an upper portion of the substrate holder (PH) is cleaned by relatively moving the immersion area (AR2) and the substrate stage (PST), and an upper portion of a measuring stage (MST) is cleaned by relatively moving the immersion area (AR2) and the measuring stage (MST). A cleaning liquid can be used as a liquid for forming the immersion area (AR2) during cleaning. At the time of performing exposure by immersion method, high-resolution immersion exposure is performed at a thigh throughput by suppressing mixing of foreign materials into the liquid.</p> |
