Apparatus and method for providing fluid for immersion lithography

A liquid immersion lithography method comprising:

• exposing a substrate to an exposure beam by projecting the exposure beam through a projection system and an immersion liquid onto the substrate, the immersion liquid being located in a space between a final optical element of the projection system and the substrate;
• and
• supplying the immersion liquid to the space, and recovering the immersion liquid from the space, via a nozzle member having:
• (i) an undersurface that surrounds a path of the exposure beam, (ii) a first opening disposed on one side of the final optical element and from which the immersion liquid is supplied, (iii) a second opening disposed on a second side of the final optical element and from which the immersion liquid is collected, and (iv) a liquid recovery portion disposed such that the liquid recovery portion surrounds the path of the exposure beam and from which the immersion liquid is collected, wherein
• the nozzle member is spaced from the final optical element,
• the first and second openings of the nozzle member are located higher than the undersurface of the nozzle member,
• during the exposure, an upper surface of the substrate faces the liquid recovery portion,
• during the exposure, the immersion liquid is supplied from the first opening while the immersion liquid supplied from the first opening is recovered from the second opening and the liquid recovery portion, and
• the liquid recovered through the second opening is not collected through the liquid recovery portion.