Pattern forming method

A method of forming a pattern with dots or holes arranged in a two-dimensional period by illuminating, with illumination light, a mask having a light-shielding portion pattern on a translucent substrate, and performing projection and exposure of an object to be exposed through a projection optical system, the illumination light being an effective light source of multipole illumination, and the method comprising the steps of:

• performing a first exposure process with the mask placed at a first position relative to the object to be exposed;
• performing a second exposure process with the mask placed at a second position different from the first position relative to the object to be exposed, wherein the mask has line patterns having lines with a line width a [m] arranged in parallel at a pitch of P, the line patterns being arranged in a mesh such that the line patterns intersect one another at 60° in three directions, and the illumination light is an effective light source of hexapole illumination, and the second exposure process is performed, after the first exposure process, with the mask placed at a second position displaced from the first position by 2P/3 [m] in a direction perpendicular to any line of the line patterns;
• and
• performing a third exposure process, after the second exposure process, with the mask placed at a third position further displaced from the second position by 2P/3 [m] in the direction, to thereby form a dot pattern in a two-dimensional period having a pitch of P/3 [m].