Method and device for holding optical member, optical device, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

An optical device, said device comprising:

• a barrel;
• a plurality of optical members arranged within said barrel in a predetermined positional relationship;
• and
• a holding device which holds a specific optical member via a flange portion provided on at least a part of a periphery portion close to a neutral plane position of said specific optical member, said specific optical member a part of said plurality of optical members.

An optical device, said device comprising:

• a barrel;
• a plurality of optical members each held in said barrel and form a plurality of sealed spaces within said barrel;
• a gas supply unit which supplies a specific gas into each of said sealed spaces;
• and
• a control system which controls specific gas environments in each of said sealed spaces to keep pressure difference from occurring in adjacent sealed spaces.

An optical device arranged on an optical path of an energy beam, said optical device comprising:

• a barrel;
• a plurality of optical members arranged in a predetermined positional relationship on said optical path of said energy beam within said barrel;
• a gas supply system which has a supply opening that is arranged in said barrel, and supplies a specific gas having permeability to said energy beam into a space divided by said plurality of optical members via said supply opening;
• an exhaust system which has an exhaust opening that is arranged in said barrel, and exhausts gas within said space via said exhaust opening;
• wherein
• said supply opening of said specific gas is arranged closer to said optical path of said energy beam than said exhaust opening of said gas.

An optical device arranged on an optical path of an energy beam, said optical device comprising:

• a barrel;
• a plurality of optical members arranged in a predetermined positional relationship on said optical path of said energy beam within said barrel;
• a first supplying route which is provided along with said barrel, and which has a first supply opening with a predetermined opening area for supplying a specific gas, which has permeability to said energy beam, into a space inside said barrel divided by said plurality of optical members;
• a second supplying route which is provided along with said barrel, and which has a second supply opening with an opening area smaller than said first supply opening which supplies said specific gas into said space;
• an exhausting route which is provided along with said barrel, and which exhausts outside internal gas in said space;
• and
• a control unit which is connected to said first supplying route and said second supplying route, and which controls supply of said specific gas into said space by selecting at least one of said first supplying route and said second supplying route, depending on a state inside said space.

An optical device arranged on an optical path of an energy beam, said optical device comprising:

• a first barrel portion which extends in a direction intersecting a gravitational direction, in which a first space is formed inside;
• a second barrel portion which is connected to said first barrel portion and extends in said gravitational direction, in which a second space is formed inside;
• and
• a first and second gas supply/exhaust systems which are arranged individually for said first space and said second space, said systems purging a specific gas having permeability to said energy beam.