| US 7,508,490 B2 | ||
| Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method | ||
| Hiroyuki Nagasaka, Kumagaya (Japan); and Takeshi Okuyama, Yokohama (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Nikon Corporation, Tokyo (Japan); and Nikon Engineering Co., Ltd., Yokohama-shi (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Jan. 05, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/325,474. | ||
| Application 11/325474 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2004/010057, filed on Jul. 08, 2004. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. P2003-272617 (JP), filed on Jul. 09, 2003. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0176456 A1, Aug. 10, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. G03B 27/42 (2006.01); G03B 27/52 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 355—53 [355/30] | 66 Claims |
| 1. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate via a liquid, the exposure
apparatus comprising:
a projection optical system that projects the pattern image onto the substrate via the liquid in a space, the projection optical
system including an optical member that comes into contact with the liquid in the space;
an object disposed adjacent to the optical member of the projection optical system; and
a gap formed between a surface of the optical member of the projection optical system and a surface of the object, the gap
being in fluidic communication with the space,
wherein at least a portion of at least one of the surface of the optical member and the surface of the object includes a liquid
restricting portion that restricts the flow of liquid.
|