Importance

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Abstract

Liquid is supplied by a supply mechanism to a space between a lens and a wafer via a supply nozzle on one side of the lens, and the liquid is recovered by a recovery mechanism via a recovery pipe on the other side of the lens. When the supply and the recovery of the liquid are performed in parallel, a predetermined amount of liquid (exchanged at all times) is held between the lens and the substrate on the stage. Accordingly, when exposure (pattern transfer on the substrate) is performed in this state, an immersion method is applied and a pattern is transferred with good precision onto the substrate. In addition, in the case the liquid leaks out from under the lower edge of a peripheral wall, the liquid that could not be recovered is recovered by an auxiliary recovery mechanism via a slit. And, by such operations, the substrate is freed from the residual liquid on the substrate.

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First Claim