Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and method for producing device

Abstract

An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting an image of a predetermined pattern through a liquid onto the substrate. The exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system which performs the projection, and a liquid supply mechanism which supplies the liquid onto the substrate to form a liquid immersion area on a part of the substrate. The liquid supply mechanism supplies the liquid onto the substrate simultaneously from a plurality of positions which are apart, in a plurality of different directions, from the projection area. The exposure apparatus is capable of forming the liquid immersion area stably and recovering the liquid satisfactorily. It is possible to perform the exposure process accurately while avoiding, for example, the outflow of the liquid to the surroundings.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.