Patent ID: 8330939

Claim:
An exposure apparatus comprising: a projection optical system having an optical member, through which a substrate is exposed via a liquid in a liquid immersion region; a first stage that is movable within a two dimensional plane on the image plane side of the projection optical system that is substantially parallel to the image plane, the first stage including a holding portion on which the substrate is held and the first stage including an upper surface; a second stage that is movable within a two dimensional plane on the image plane side of the projection optical system that is substantially parallel to the image plane, the second stage including an upper surface, the second stage being moved away from the first stage when exposing the substrate on the holding portion of the first stage, the second stage being moved away from under the projection optical system when exposing the substrate on the holding portion of the first stage, and the second stage being moved under the projection optical system when the first stage is moved away from under the projection optical system for a substrate-exchange operation; a liquid immersion system having a liquid supply port, by which the liquid is confined to form the liquid immersion area on a surface that includes at least one of the upper surface of the first stage, the upper surface of the second stage, and the upper surface of the substrate held on the holding portion of the first stage; wherein: during an operation, the upper surface of the first stage and the upper surface of the second stage are located side-by-side with each other; during the operation, the upper surface of the first stage is located between the upper surface of the second stage and the upper surface of the substrate on the holding portion; during the operation, the first stage and the second stage are moved relative to the projection optical system such that a gap formed between the upper surface of the first stage and the upper surface of the second stage is moved under the projection optical system; a recovery port is provided on at least one of the first stage and the second stage, that recovers the liquid that comes from the gap formed during the operation; one of the first stage and the second stage comprises a protruding portion that projects toward the other of the first stage and the second stage; the other stage comprises a recessed portion that corresponds to the protruding portion; and the protruding portion is disposed in the recessed portion during the operation.