Patent ID: 7872730

Claim:
An immersion type exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate with an exposure beam, comprising: an optical member from which the exposure beam is emitted; a first movable member that is movable while holding a substrate, in a predetermined region including a first region including a position facing the optical member and a second region different from the first region; a second movable member that is movable while holding a substrate independently from the first movable member, in a predetermined region including the first region and the second region; a first connection member that is releasably and alternately connected with the first movable member and the second movable member, and allows the movement of one of the first and the second movable members in the first region; a second connection member that is releasably and alternately connected with the first movable member and the second movable member, and allows the movement of the other one of the first and the second movable members in the second region; a third movable member that is provided at the first connection member and has a surface between which and the optical member can be held a liquid; a first driving device that moves the first connection member, a second driving device that moves the second connection member; and a third driving device that moves the third movable member with respect to the first connection member substantially parallel to the surface of the third movable member; wherein at least one of the first movable member, the second movable member, and the third movable member is moved to the position facing the optical member so that a beam path on the emitting side of the optical member is kept filled with a liquid.