Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

A projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate through a liquid, the projection optical system comprising:

• an optical element immediately adjacent the substrate and contacting the liquid,
• wherein the projection system has the target portion not, in plan, centered under the middle of the projection system,
• wherein the bottom surface of the optical element is decentered from the optical axis of the projection system,
• wherein the bottom surface of the optical element protrudes towards the substrate relative to an upper portion of the optical element, and
• wherein a periphery of the upper portion of the optical element surrounds the bottom surface from above.

A projection system configured to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of a substrate through a liquid, the projection optical system comprising:

• an optical element immediately adjacent the substrate,
• wherein a lower surface of the optical element adjacent the substrate has a cross-sectional shape that substantially conforms in shape to the shape of the target portion,
• wherein the projection system is an off axis projection system that has the target portion decentered from an optical axis of the projection system,
• wherein the lower surface that substantially conforms in shape to the shape of the target portion is decentered from the optical axis of the projection system, and
• wherein a periphery of an upper portion of the optical element surrounds the lower surface from above.

An exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate to light from a pattern through liquid, the exposure apparatus comprising:

• a stage which holds the substrate;
• a projection optical system which projects a reduced image of the pattern with the light onto the substrate through the liquid;
• and
• a driving system which drives the stage so that in a scanning exposure of the substrate, the substrate is moved relative to the light with respect to a first direction perpendicular to an optical axis of the projection optical system,
• wherein the projection optical system comprises a refractive optical element having a light emitting surface, through a part of which the light passes in use and which is arranged nearest to an imaging plane of the projection optical system to contact the liquid in use, wherein the refractive optical element has a protruding portion formed in a light emitting side of the refractive optical element so as to protrude toward the imaging plane with respect to a surrounding portion other than the protruding portion, and wherein the protruding portion is formed so that a center of the light emitting surface is decentered from the optical axis with respect to the first direction.

An exposure method of exposing a substrate to light from a pattern through liquid, the exposure method comprising:

• holding the substrate with a stage;
• projecting a reduced image of the pattern with the light onto the substrate through the liquid with a projection optical system;
• and
• driving the stage to perform a scanning exposure of the substrate so that the substrate is moved relative to the light with respect to a first direction perpendicular to an optical axis of the projection optical system,
• wherein the projection optical system comprises a refractive optical element having a light emitting surface, through a part of which the light passes in use and which is arranged nearest to an imaging plane of the projection optical system to contact the liquid in use, wherein the refractive optical element has a protruding portion formed in a light emitting side of the refractive optical element so as to protrude toward the imaging plane with respect to a surrounding portion other than the protruding portion, and wherein the protruding portion is formed so that a center of the light emitting surface is decentered from the optical axis with respect to the first direction.

A projection optical system, which projects an image of a pattern arranged on a first plane onto a second plane with illumination light from the pattern, for use in an immersion exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with the illumination light through the projection optical system and a liquid, the projection optical system comprising:

• a catadioptric arrangement of optical elements comprising a final lens arranged between the second plane and another optical element of the catadioptric arrangement of optical elements,
• a second plane side of the final lens has a light emitting surface a part of which the illumination light passes through,
• a downward-facing surface located above the light emitting surface, wherein
• the final lens is arranged so that the light emitting surface comes in contact with the liquid,
• at least the other optical element is arranged on an optical axis of the projection optical system,
• the image is projected in a projection region on the second plane,
• the projection region is off the optical axis with respect to a first direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and
• a center of the light emitting surface is away from the optical axis with respect to the first direction.

An immersion exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with an illumination light from a pattern through a liquid, the immersion exposure apparatus comprising:

• a projection optical system which projects an image of the pattern with the illumination light;
• a stage which holds the substrate;
• and
• a liquid supply apparatus that includes a supply channel to supply the liquid on the substrate held on the stage,
• wherein the projection optical system comprises:
• a catadioptric arrangement of optical elements comprising a final lens arranged between the second plane and another optical element of the catadioptric arrangement of optical elements,
• a second plane side of the final lens has a light emitting surface a part of which the illumination light passes through, and
• a downward-facing surface located above the light emitting surface, wherein
• the final lens is arranged so that the light emitting surface comes in contact with the liquid,
• at least the other optical element is arranged on an optical axis of the projection optical system,
• the image is projected in a projection region on the second plane,
• the projection region is off the optical axis with respect to a first direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and
• a center of the light emitting surface is away from the optical axis with respect to the first direction.

A projection optical system, which projects an image of a pattern arranged on a first plane onto a second plane with illumination light from the pattern, for use in an immersion exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with the illumination light through the projection optical system and a liquid, the projection optical system comprising:

• a catadioptric arrangement of optical elements comprising a final lens arranged between the second plane and another optical element of the catadioptric arrangement of optical elements,
• a second plane side of the final lens has
• a light emitting surface a part of which the illumination light passes through, and
• a downward-facing surface located above the light emitting surface,
• the final lens is arranged so that the light emitting surface comes in contact with the liquid,
• at least the other optical element is arranged on an optical axis of the projection optical system,
• the image is projected in a projection region on the second plane,
• the projection region is off the optical axis with respect to a first direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and
• a center of the light emitting surface is away from the optical axis with respect to the first direction.

An immersion exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with an illumination light from a pattern through a liquid, the immersion exposure apparatus comprising:

• a projection optical system which projects an image of the pattern with the illumination light;
• a stage which holds the substrate;
• and
• a liquid supply apparatus that includes a supply channel to supply the liquid on the substrate held on the stage,
• wherein the projection optical system comprises:
• a catadioptric arrangement of optical elements comprising a final lens arranged between the second plane and another optical element of the catadioptric arrangement of optical elements,
• a second plane side of the final lens has:
• a light emitting surface a part of which the illumination light passes through, and
• a downward-facing surface located above the light emitting surface,
• the final lens is arranged so that the light emitting surface comes in contact with the liquid,
• at least the other optical element is arranged on an optical axis of the projection optical system,
• the image is projected in a projection region on the second plane,
• the projection region is off the optical axis with respect to a first direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and
• a center of the light emitting surface is away from the optical axis with respect to the first direction.

A projection optical system, which projects an image of a pattern arranged on a first plane onto a second plane with illumination light from the pattern, for use in an immersion exposure apparatus which exposes a substrate with the illumination light through the projection optical system and a liquid, the projection optical system comprising:

• a catadioptric arrangement of optical elements comprising a final lens arranged between the second plane and another optical element of the catadioptric arrangement of optical elements,
• a second plane side of the final lens has a light emitting surface a part of which the illumination light passes through,
• the final lens is arranged so that the light emitting surface comes in contact with the liquid,
• the image is projected in a projection region on the second plane,
• the projection region is off an optical axis of the projection system with respect to a first direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and
• a center of the light emitting surface is away from the optical axis lens with respect to the first direction.