Reduction projection optical system, exposure apparatus, and exposure method

A projection optical system which projects a reduced image of an object arranged on a first surface onto a second surface through liquid, the projection optical system comprising:

• a first imaging optical system including a plurality of lenses and mirrors, which forms a first intermediate image of the object with a light from the object and forms a second intermediate image of the object with a light from the first intermediate image;
• and
• a second imaging optical system including an aperture stop, first lenses and second lenses, which forms the reduced image with the light from a second intermediate image, the first lenses being arranged in an optical path in an incidence side of the aperture stop, the second lenses being arranged in the optical path in an exit side of the aperture stop,
• wherein an optical axis of each optical element of the first and second imaging optical systems is substantially arranged on a single optical axis,
• wherein a number of the second lenses is less than a number of the first lenses, and
• wherein each lens of the second lenses has a convex surface on an aperture stop side.