Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposing a plurality of shot areas on a substrate to light through a liquid includes a movable stage including a chuck configured to hold the substrate and a plate arranged around of the chuck, a projection optical system configured to project a light through an original onto the substrate held by the chuck, a first liquid supply nozzle arranged along a periphery of a final optical element of the projection optical system, and a plurality of second liquid supply nozzles arranged on the stage. The exposure apparatus supplies the liquid to a gap between the final optical element and the substrate through the first liquid supply nozzle. The exposure apparatus selects a nozzle for supplying the liquid from among the plurality of the second liquid supply nozzles based on a location of an exposure shot area on the substrate.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposing a plurality of shot areas on a substrate to light through a liquid includes a movable stage including a chuck configured to hold the substrate and a plate arranged around of the chuck, a projection optical system configured to project a light through an original onto the substrate held by the chuck, a first liquid supply nozzle arranged along a periphery of a final optical element of the projection optical system, and a plurality of second liquid supply nozzles arranged on the stage. The exposure apparatus supplies the liquid to a gap between the final optical element and the substrate through the first liquid supply nozzle. The exposure apparatus selects a nozzle for supplying the liquid from among the plurality of the second liquid supply nozzles based on a location of an exposure shot area on the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate attracting and holding method includes steps of supporting a substrate by use of a protrusion provided on a holding table for holding the substrate and reducing pressure between the holding table and the substrate to attract and hold the substrate. The protrusion is disposed to be placed in a predetermined positional relation, with respect to a direction along the surface of the substrate, with (i) a position of an alignment mark to be used for processing the substrate or (ii) a position to with respect to which an alignment mark is to be produced. The method also includes attracting and holding the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate attracting and holding system includes a holding table for holding a substrate, a protrusion provided on the holding table, the protrusion being disposed to be placed in a predetermined positional relationship with a position of an alignment mark to be used for processing the substrate or a position with respect to which an alignment mark is to be produced.

Abstract: A substrate attracting and holding system includes a holding table for holding a substrate, a protrusion provided on the holding table, the protrusion being disposed to be placed in a predetermined positional relationship with a position of an alignment mark to be used for processing the substrate or a position with respect to which an alignment mark is to be produced.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for lithographically transferring a pattern of an original onto a substrate to be exposed includes a first detector for detecting a position of an alignment mark on an exposure shot formed on the substrate, a second detector for detecting a local tilt adjacent to the alignment mark, the position of which is detected by the first detector, and a third detector for detecting a tilt of the exposure shot.

Abstract: A method of detecting focus information about an image projecting optical system includes performing mark projection through the optical system, and, based on illumination lights having different chief ray incidence directions, the mark projection is carried out so that mark images formed by the illumination lights, respectively, are superposed one upon another approximately upon an imaging plane, and detecting focus information about the optical system on the basis of information related to a deviation between the mark images superposed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of detecting focus information about an image projecting optical system, in which mark projection is made through the optical system and based on illumination lights having different chief ray incidence directions, the mark projection being carried out so that mark images formed by the illumination lights, respectively, are superposed one upon another approximately upon an imaging plane, and focus information about the optical system is detected on the basis of information related to a deviation between the mark images superposed.

Abstract: The interior of a port mechanism for exchanging a wafer between a coating/developing system and an exposure apparatus is evacuated, and a predetermined atmospheric gas is introduced. In loading/unloading a wafer into/from the exposure apparatus, the wafer is heated/cooled as needed.

Abstract: A method of detecting coma of a projection optical system includes receiving an image of a pattern projected by the projection optical system, at at least one position along an optical axis of the projection optical system, detecting a position of at least one received pattern image, with respect to a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the projection optical system, and determining coma of the projection optical system on the basis of the detection.

Abstract: Disclosed is a transfer apparatus provided with a first body having a plurality of alignment marks, a second body having a plurality of alignment marks, a projection optical system for projecting the image of the first body upon the second body, a probing device for probing the alignment marks of the first body and probing the alignment marks of the second body through the projection optical system, an operation device electrically coupled to the probing device and deriving a transfer error from the alignment error of the alignment marks, and a compensation device coupled to the operation device for eliminating the transfer error and for compensating for the projection optical system.